making a high level 3DAPI on top of Managed DirectX ?

[Robert Ludewig]

Hello,

I recently started to develop my own little high level, easy to use 3D API
on top of managed directx for .net. The idea behind it is having a generic
API that lets me create (simpler) 3D-applications in the shortest possible
time in .net.

It involves implementing things like a node structure for the scenegraph, a
console, device configuration manager etc. Just like we know it from other
APIs, like java3d or openinventor or from gameengines.

Also it might be useful to have further functionality like
FileLoader/FileExporter for various 3d (industry standard) fileformats,
collision detection, distributed rendering etc.

I do understand that Managed Directx is pretty high level already as well as
that such an API would come with a performance loss.

But at work I see that people still use the java3d api and prefer that over
jogl. (Which makes me assume, that they don't care as much about performance
as they do about development time.)

And as far as I can see there is no equivalent for .net in sight yet.

Would you think there would be a public "need" for such an API that would
justify to put the development on a larger scale ?

 

[Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]]

Robert,

I definitely think that there is a need for this. I do remember that
when trying to code graphics primitives for high quality results, Java had
the better model, compared to .NET/Windows API.

However, with Avalon a about 1.5 - 2 years out, I am willing to wait (I
don't do graphics programming THAT much). If you feel that there is a
market, and you can get the product out quickly (so it isn't rendered
obsolete, or you design it in such a way that Avalon will actually help you
later on), then go for it.

Hope this helps.