Final WebGL specification wins Google, Apple and Mozilla support

The Khronos Group has released the final specification for the WebGL standard, which allows hardware-accelerated, full-screen 3D graphics in a browser without plug-ins.

The WebGL standard, launched today at GDC 2011, already has the support of Google, Apple and Mozilla, all of which will fully integrate it into their browsers by the end of the year if not sooner.

The standard can be used by Internet Explorer via a plug-in using a Chrome Frame within the browser.

"The standard is open and Microsoft is free to use it; we welcome them," Neil Trevett, chairman of the Khronos Group and vice president of mobile content at Nvidia, told V3.co.uk.

The WebGL standard uses HTML5 and JavaScript 1.9 binding of OpenGL ES 2.0 to enable 3D graphics that can use native hardware acceleration in Nvida and AMD GPUs and expand the viewing area outside the current square box limitation. The finalisation of the standard should also speed further development. .

"WebGL is really taking OpenGL to the web. We're already seeing faster than expected advances in HTML5, and I think we'll see a similar quickening of development on WebGL too," Trevett said.

The standard takes existing 2D graphics into account, and enables them to be used to add texture or as an underlay or overlay.

Trevett explained that the code will also have an impact on Adobe, which has its own 3D plans for Flash, and that the seamless nature of WebGL will certainly provide a technological competitor.

"Microsoft ultimately confirms to widely adopted standards, even though it is not currently a member of the Khronos Group and has its own standards that it has defined for its developer eco-system," Al Hilwa, programme director for applications development software at IDC, told V3.co.uk.

"Flash is in a similar situation and it is standard operating procedure that, if you have built a body of innovation in an area, you are not going to make a quick change unless the market has moved to adopt the new technology."