simple question

[patchy]

hi,i'm still new at this,what's the difference between directx and open gl. cheers ,patchy

 

[john259]

They are two different software components which handle graphics. DirectX was created by Microsoft, OpenGL by other people.

DirectX is supplied as an inherent part of all modern versions of Windows. I think OpenGL is as well (or perhaps software that requires it installs it).

Trainz has an option to use either DirectX or OpenGL. Try each of them, see which is best for you. Some people report considerably better performance and/or image quality on one compared to the other. This probably depends on factors such as your choice of video board, its drivers, and possibly your other hardware.

Some video boards have separate configuration options (performance vs quality, etc) for DirectX and OpenGL. Some boards seem to combine the settings for both.

Microsoft releases patches for DirectX fairly frequently. I've never explored updating OpenGL, I don't know if it's possible or not.

There more information on Wikipedia: DirectX and OpenGL

HTH, John

 

[patchy]

hi ,john, it seems to me like driving a holden or a ford. if you're happy with one or the other stick with it.to me it dosn't really matter.but if you don't ask some questions you won't find out things no matter how silly the question. ps i drive a ford and i enjoy RBC. cheers, patchy