History UsefulNotes / ApplicationProgrammingInterface

Hardware makers do their best ''not'' to agree on how hardware should be made. Power requirements & connections have to be standardized, but how do you think they could actually make such a great [=XYZ5000=] if they actually told you how they did it?

However, Microsoft, Apple, or the various makers of the various *nix's are not stupid; they know there's malicious (or just poorly written) code out there. They are not just going to let any old program willy talk to drivers. ''Especially'' drivers relating to drawing stuff on the screen. The OS needs to know about this sort of thing, and it needs to manage access to that hardware.

Originally - especially when a new computer comes out - people wrote code to talk directly to the hardware. MS-DOS games routinely wrote directly into the video memory for fastest results. When you start having multiple programs running simultaneously, they all can't do that, any more than everyone at a meeting can all talk simultaneously, so eventually [=APIs=] and driver programs would do the work, and programs would call them in order to play nice with everyone else. This lack of standards meant that there were times that games would refuse to run on certain [=PCs=], depending on their configuration. Many DOS game manuals in the '80s and '90s would devote considerable space to troubleshooting advice.

Originally - especially when a new computer comes out - people wrote code to talk directly to the hardware. [=MSDOS=] games routinely wrote directly into the video memory for fastest results. When you start having multiple programs running simultaneously, they all can't do that, any more than everyone at a meeting can all talk simultaneously, so eventually [=APIs=] and driver programs would do the work, and programs would call them in order to play nice with everyone else.

[=OpenGL=], [=Vulkan=], and [=Direct3D (known by most people as DirectX)=] are the three available [=APIs=] for dealing with 3D graphics. An interesting aspect of these [=APIs=] is that, because they directly access hardware, their features are very reliant on the underlying code. Previous graphics cards may work, as there's usually a built-in render path using older versions, but you usually won't see the new features. There are also programs which implement the [=API=] in software, although the featureset and performance is always well under what you can find in hardware.

Currently, [=Vulkan=], [=Metal=] and [=Direct3D 12=] are the ones touted as "next generation graphics API's", due to them being a lower-level API than their predecessors, meaning it can access hardware resources more efficiently, and make lower-end graphics cards and systems run otherwise hard-to-run software and games...well, that's the theory anyway. However, while [=Direct3D 12=] was initially implemented first into games, [=Vulkan=] currently has more games that utilise ''its API'', due to it's benefit of being cross-platform with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, as well as UsefulNotes/MacOS (via the [=MoltenVK=] API), [[UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}} Linux]], Android etc, while [=Direct3D 12=] [[DidntThinkThisThrough can only officially be used universally on one platform: Windows 10,]] though a workaround is possible with the use of [=VKD3D=], which can translate [=Direct3D 12=] calls to [=Vulkan=] on Linux. Some games have been updated to support a modified [=Direct3D 12=] runtime to run on Windows 7 to reap the benefits of the new API's. Similarly, [=Metal=] is exclusive to Apple devices, such as the iPhone and Macs.

Fun fact: The first piece of software to feature both [=Vulkan and Direct3D 12=] support is Dolphin, the Wii / Gamecube Emulator, [[PutOnABus though it was removed initially,]] due to a lack of development on [=Direct3D 12=] side of things, which led to them offing the [=Direct3D 12=] backend in favour of maintaining the then-maturing [=Vulkan=] backend, as more devs were willing to support Vulkan as its multi-platform nature made it more useful to Dolphin, as it can run on anything Dolphin runs on. It would be almost 2 years until [=Direct3D 12=] support [[TheBusCameBack came back.]] This was followed by half-benchmark, half game VideoGame/AshesOfTheSingularity.

Frequently, how efficiently these pieces of Hardware work with [=APIs=] depend not only on the hardware, but on how nicely they play with [=APIs=] (part of software drivers). The amount of work put into this, in part, is determined by how much money they expect to make from them. ''In the future''. So old hardware slowly migrates to the great big garbage dump in the sky, because there is no money to be made.

There have also been cases of newer graphics cards omitting or otherwise breaking little-used features that some games during the [=Direct3D=] 7 and prior era used, either at the driver or hardware level, so don't expect perfect backwards compatibility. Sometimes you might just have to build an old computer to run a suitably old game well, or even at all.

So your computer can now handle the hardware, be it Microsoft Windows, UsefulNotes/MacOS, or UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}}.

Fun fact: The first piece of software to feature both [=Vulkan and Direct3D 12=] support is Dolphin, the Wii / Gamecube Emulator, though it was removed initially, as the developers canned the [=Direct3D 12=] backend in favour of maintaining the then-maturing [=Vulkan=] backend, partially due to abandonment, as more devs were willing to support Vulkan instead, as the multi-platform nature of [=Vulkan=] made it more useful to Dolphin as it can run on anything Dolphin runs on, and it was almost 2 years until [=Direct3D 12=] support came back. to the emulator. This was followed by half-benchmark, half game VideoGame/AshesOfTheSingularity.

Currently, [=Vulkan=], [=Metal=] and [=Direct3D 12=] are the ones touted as "next generation graphics API's", due to them being a lower-level API than their predecessors, meaning it can access hardware resources more efficiently, and make lower-end graphics cards and systems run otherwise hard-to-run software and games...well, that's the theory anyway. However, while [=Direct3D 12=] was initially implemented first into games, [=Vulkan=] currently has more games that utilise ''its API'', due to it's benefit of being cross-platform with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, as well as UsefulNotes/MacOS (via the [=MoltenVK=] API), [[UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}} Linux]], Android etc, while [=Direct3D 12=] [[DidntThinkThisThrough can only officially be used universally on one platform: Windows 10,]] though [=DXVK=] can translate [=Direct3D 12=] calls to [=Vulkan=] on Linux, and some games have been updated to support a modified [=Direct3D 12=] runtime to run on Windows 7. Similarly, [=Metal=] is exclusive to Apple devices, such as the iPhone and Macs. Fun fact: The first piece of software to feature both [=Vulkan and Direct3D 12=] support is Dolphin, the Wii / Gamecube Emulator, though it was removed initially, as the developers canned the [=Direct3D 12=] backend in favour of maintaining the then-maturing [=Vulkan=] backend, partially due to abandonment, as more devs were willing to support Vulkan instead, as the multi-platform nature of [=Vulkan=] made it more useful to Dolphin as it can run on anything Dolphin runs on, and it was almost 2 years until [=Direct3D 12=] support came back. to the emulator. This was followed by half-benchmark, half game VideoGame/AshesOfTheSingularity.

Currently, [=Vulkan=], [=Metal=] and [=Direct3D 12=] are the ones touted as "next generation graphics API's", due to them being a lower-level API than their predecessors, meaning it can access hardware resources more efficiently, and make lower-end graphics cards and systems run otherwise hard-to-run software and games...well, that's the theory anyway. However, while [=Direct3D 12=] was initially implemented first into games, [=Vulkan=] currently has more games that utilise ''its API'', due to it's benefit of being cross-platform with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, as well as UsefulNotes/MacOS (via the [=MoltenVK=] API), [[UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}} Linux]], Android etc, while [=Direct3D 12=] [[DidntThinkThisThrough can only officially be used universally on one platform: Windows 10,]] though [=DXVK=] can translate [=Direct3D 12=] calls to [=Vulkan=] on Linux, and some games have been updated to support a modified [=Direct3D 12=] runtime to run on Windows 7. Similarly, [=Metal=] is exclusive to Apple devices, such as the iPhone and Macs. Fun fact: the first piece of software to feature both [=Vulkan and Direct3D 12=] is Dolphin, the Wii Emulator, though this didn't last long, as the developers later removed the [=Direct3D 12=] backend in favour of maintaining the [=Vulkan=] backend, partially due to abandonment of the backend, as more devs were willing to support Vulkan instead, as well as the multi-platform nature of [=Vulkan=] made it more useful to Dolphin as it can run on anything Dolphin runs on, which was followed by half-benchmark, half game VideoGame/AshesOfTheSingularity.

Currently, [=Vulkan=], [=Metal=] and [=Direct3D 12=] are the ones touted as "next generation graphics API's", due to them being a lower-level API than their predecessors, meaning it can access hardware resources more efficiently, and make lower-end graphics cards and systems run otherwise hard-to-run software and games...well, that's the theory anyway. However, while [=Direct3D 12=] was initially implemented first into games, [=Vulkan=] currently has more games that utilise ''its API'', due to it's benefit of being cross-platform with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, as well as UsefulNotes/MacOS (via the [=MoltenVK=] API), [[UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}} Linux]], Android etc, while [=Direct3D 12=] [[DidntThinkThisThrough can only officially be used on one platform: Windows 10,]] though [=DXVK=] can translate [=Direct3D 12=] calls to [=Vulkan=] on Linux. Similarly, [=Metal=] is exclusive to Apple devices, such as the iPhone and Macs. Fun fact: the first piece of software to feature both [=Vulkan and Direct3D 12=] is Dolphin, the Wii Emulator[[note]]Though it later removed the [=Direct3D 12=] backend in favour of maintaining the [=Vulkan=] backend, partially due to dev abandonment, as more devs were willing to support Vulkan instead, as well as the multi-platform nature of [=Vulkan=] made it more useful to Dolphin as it can run on anything Dolphin runs on.[[/note]] followed by half-benchmark, half game VideoGame/AshesOfTheSingularity.

Currently, [=Vulkan=], [=Metal=] and [=Direct3D 12=] are the ones touted as "next generation graphics API's", due to them being a lower-level API than their predecessors, meaning it can access hardware resources more efficiently, and make lower-end graphics cards and systems run otherwise hard-to-run software and games...well, that's the theory anyway. However, while [=Direct3D 12=] was initially implemented first into games, [=Vulkan=] currently has more games that utilise ''it's API'', due to it's benefit of being cross-platform with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, as well as UsefulNotes/MacOS (via the [=MoltenVK=] API), [[UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}} Linux]], Android etc, while [=Direct3D 12=] [[DidntThinkThisThrough can only officially be used on one platform: Windows 10,]] though [=DXVK=] can translate [=Direct3D 12=] calls to [=Vulkan=] on Linux. Similarly, [=Metal=] is exclusive to Apple devices, such as the iPhone and Macs. Fun fact: the first piece of software to feature both [=Vulkan and Direct3D 12=] is Dolphin, the Wii Emulator[[note]]Though it later removed the [=Direct3D 12=] backend in favour of maintaining the [=Vulkan=] backend, partially due to dev abandonment, as more devs were willing to support Vulkan instead, as well as the multi-platform nature of [=Vulkan=] made it more useful to Dolphin as it can run on anything Dolphin runs on.[[/note]] followed by half-benchmark, half game VideoGame/AshesOfTheSingularity.

Currently, [=Vulkan=], [=Metal=] and [=Direct3D 12=] are the ones touted as "next generation graphics API's", due to them being a lower-level API than their predecessors, meaning it can access hardware resources more efficiently, and make lower-end graphics cards and systems run otherwise hard-to-run software and games...well, that's the theory anyway. However, while [=Direct3D 12=] was initially implemented first into games, [=Vulkan=] currently has more games that utilise ''it's API'', due to it's benefit of being cross-platform with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, as well as UsefulNotes/MacOS (via the [=MoltenVK=] API), [[UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}} Linux]], Android etc, while [=Direct3D 12=] [[DidntThinkThisThrough can only be used on one platform: Windows 10.]] Similarly, [=Metal=] is exclusive to Apple devices, such as the iPhone and Macs. Fun fact: the first piece of software to feature both [=Vulkan and Direct3D 12=] is Dolphin, the Wii Emulator[[note]]Though it later removed the [=Direct3D 12=] backend in favour of maintaining the [=Vulkan=] backend, partially due to dev abandonment, as more devs were willing to support Vulkan instead, as well as the multi-platform nature of [=Vulkan=] made it more useful to Dolphin as it can run on anything Dolphin runs on.[[/note]] followed by half-benchmark, half game VideoGame/AshesOfTheSingularity.

Currently, [=Vulkan=], [=Metal=] and [=Direct3D 12=] are the ones touted as "next generation graphics API's", due to them being a lower-level API than their predecessors, meaning it can access hardware resources more efficiently, and make lower-end graphics cards and systems run otherwise hard-to-run software and games...or rather, that's the theory anyway. However, while [=Direct3D 12=] was initially implemented first into games, [=Vulkan=] currently has more games that utilise it's API (36/32 as of writing), due to it's benefit of being cross-platform with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, as well as MacOS (via the MoltenVK API), UsefulNotes/{{UNIX}}, Android etc, while [=Direct3D 12=] [[DidntThinkThisThrough can only be used on one platform: Windows 10.]] Similarly, [=Metal=] is exclusive to Apple devices, such as the iPhone and Macs. Fun fact: the first piece of software to use both the [=Vulkan and Direct3D 12=] "Next Generation" API's is Dolphin, the Wii Emulator[[note]]Though it later removed the [=Direct3D 12=] backend in favour of maintaining the [=Vulkan=] backend, partially due to dev abandonment, as more devs were willing to support Vulkan instead. The multi-platform nature of [=Vulkan=] made it more useful to Dolphin as it can run on anything Dolphin runs on.[[/note]] followed by half-benchmark, half game VideoGame/AshesOfTheSingularity.

Originally - especially when a new computer comes out - people write code to talk directly to the hardware. [=MSDOS=] games routinely wrote directly into the video memory for fastest results. When you start having multiple programs running simultaneously, they all can't do that, any more than everyone at a meeting can all talk simultaneously, so eventually [=APIs=] and driver programs would do the work, and programs would call them in order to play nice with everyone else.