Nokia: 3D graphics on mobile phones
3D graphics are particularly important for games: It is fair to predict that mobile gaming will not take off without the visual element. Even if the "addictiveness" of a game is more important in the long run, the visuals are what attract people. The most ingenious multi-player game is likely to fail if it looks dull. Beyond gaming, applications such as advertising and messaging are also well suited to exploit the benefits of 3D technology: interactivity and small content size.
A taste of things to come
The attached video clip shows a 3D snowboarding game, written entirely in Java, running on the Nokia implementation of Mobile 3D Graphics (M3G) programming interfaces (API). The software is running on an off-the-shelf Nokia 3650 phone.
See the demo (MPEG file, 2.61 MB)
Open standards are the key to success
A necessary precondition for 3D graphics to make any impact is the availability of open-standard, well-performing APIs that are supported by handset manufacturers, operators and developers alike. Nokia is actively involved in two industry efforts that aim to standardize APIs for animated 3D graphics in mobile phones.
- OpenGL ES is a version of OpenGL™ that is optimized for embedded systems, such as mobile phones. The original OpenGL is an industry standard API that is widely used on desktop computers. The embedded version retains all essential functionality of the full OpenGL, while doing away with the lesser-used features.
The first version of OpenGL ES was released in July 2003, with Nokia being one of the main contributors to it. In the future, developers may expect to see built-in support for OpenGL ES in devices based on the Symbian OS.Read more about OpenGL ES
Read more about OpenGL - Mobile 3D Graphics API (M3G) augments the mobile Java platform with powerful rendering and animation capabilities. It exposes a set of low-level rendering features that is compatible with OpenGL ES, while complementing that with higher-level functionality to increase developer productivity, bring down application size and increase performance.
The first version of M3G was ratified in the Java Community Process in November 2003. Nokia researchers were leading the specification work. Devices with built-in support for the standard can be expected to hit the market during the first half of 2004.
Bookmark to: