Editing OpenGL (section)

{{Short description|Cross-platform graphics API}}
{{Distinguish|OpenCL}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = OpenGL
| logo                   = OpenGL logo (2D).svg
| logo size              = 220px
| screenshot             = Linux kernel and OpenGL video games.svg
| caption                = A diagram of how [[video games]] on [[Linux]] outsource real-time rendering calculations to a [[Graphics processing unit|GPU]] using OpenGL.
| author                 = [[Silicon Graphics]]
| developer              = [[Khronos Group]]<br />(formerly [[OpenGL Architecture Review Board|ARB]])
| released               = {{start date and age|1992|06|30}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date    = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}}}
| programming language   = [[C (programming language)|C]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |title=The Programming Languages Beacon, v10.0 |first=Vincent |last=Lextrait |date=January 2010 |access-date=March 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530/http://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |archive-date=May 30, 2012 }}</ref>
| replaced_by            = [[Vulkan]]
| genre                  = 3D graphics [[Application programming interface|API]]
| license                =
* [[open-source license|Open source]] license for use of the Sample Implementation (SI): This is a Free Software License B closely modeled on BSD, X, and Mozilla licenses.
* Trademark license for new licensees who want to use the OpenGL trademark and logo and claim conformance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sgi.com/products/software/opengl/license.html |title=Products: Software: OpenGL: Licensing and Logos |publisher=SGI |access-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121101073722/http://www.sgi.com/products/software/opengl/license.html |archive-date=November 1, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| website                = {{URL|https://www.opengl.org/|opengl.org}}
}}

'''OpenGL''' ('''Open Graphics Library'''<ref name="glspec40core"/>) is a [[Language-independent specification|cross-language]], [[cross-platform]] [[application programming interface]] (API) for rendering [[2D computer graphics|2D]] and [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[vector graphics]]. The API is typically used to interact with a [[graphics processing unit]] (GPU), to achieve [[Hardware acceleration|hardware-accelerated]] [[Rendering (computer graphics)|rendering]].

[[Silicon Graphics, Inc.]] (SGI) began developing OpenGL in 1991 and released it on June 30, 1992.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sgi.com/products/software/opengl/overview.html|title=SGI – OpenGL Overview|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041031094901/http://www.sgi.com/products/software/opengl/overview.html|archive-date=October 31, 2004|access-date=February 16, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="g926">{{cite web|last1=Peddie|first1=Jon|title=Who's the Fairest of Them All?|url=http://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2012/Volume-35-Issue-4-June-July-2012/Who-s-the-Fairest-of-Them-All-.aspx|publisher=Computer Graphics World|access-date=May 30, 2018|date=July 2012}}</ref> It is used for a variety of applications, including [[computer-aided design]] (CAD), [[video game]]s, [[scientific visualization]], [[virtual reality]], and [[Flight simulator|flight simulation]]. Since 2006, OpenGL has been managed by the [[Non-profit organization|non-profit]] technology [[consortium]] [[Khronos Group]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 31, 2006|title=OpenGL ARB to Pass Control of OpenGL Specification to Khronos Group|url=https://www.khronos.org/news/press/opengl_arb_to_pass_control_of_opengl_specification_to_khronos_group|access-date=March 18, 2021|website=The Khronos Group|language=en}}</ref>