[Lazarus] OpenGL with Lazarus

[Reimar Grabowski]

On Tue, 14 May 2013 10:32:23 +0100
Graeme Geldenhuys <graeme at geldenhuys.co.uk> wrote:

> On 2013-05-14 07:50, Michael Schnell wrote:
> > 
> > AFAIK, same can use Open GL (and other) graphical backends.
> 
> +1
> 
> SDL has excellent cross-platform support, and can use multiple low level
> graphical backends to suite each platform.
-10

SDL does not provide what the OP is looking for. The only thing you gain by using SDL is cross-plattform context creation (which Lazarus provides, too, via TOpenGLControl). But you still have to learn pure, low level OpenGL to use it.

> It is under active
> development, and was/is used in many game development, so we know it has
> good performance too.
When used for game development a 2D/3D-Engine is running on top of SDL (for example the Linux version of Quake4 uses SDL but the real work is done by the "id Tech 4" engine). All 'we' know is that these different engines seem to have good performance. You gain nothing by using SDL for OpenGL (especially not speed as SDL just provides direct OpenGL access, same as without SDL). It is used in Game Development because it is cross-plattfrom and can initialize your GL context, take care of the sound and input devices. But the real graphics work is done by some engine on top of it.

So, yes, it is a good lib and used in commercial games but it is not what the OP is looking for.
Both GLScene and the castle game engine are better options.

@OP
If the development is less game and more visualization you may also take a look at http://asmoday.sourceforge.net.

R.