An OpenGL® plug-in adds OpenGL®-based functionality to a central application, such as new rendering functions or library headers. It can also accelerate graphics in games and support special hardware. IDEs and graphic image editors use plug-ins to incorporate OpenGL® libraries and keep programs current. Games use plug-ins to run at full speed on any graphics hardware and fix graphical issues.
An Open Graphics Library® (OpenGL®) plug-in is software designed to add some OpenGL®-based functionality to a separate central application. For graphics applications, an OpenGL® plug-in can add new rendering functions that are processed through OpenGL® libraries. In a development application, an OpenGL® plug-in can add library headers or other functionality that allows a programmer to easily incorporate OpenGL® features into software. Entertainment applications such as games can use OpenGL® plug-ins to accelerate graphics, use alternative implementations of OpenGL® drivers, or even add support for special graphics hardware. An OpenGL® plug-in can also be software that uses OpenGL® to create graphics that can be incorporated into larger media files, such as special effects for streaming video.
A plugin is a piece of software written to work within an existing program. The primary application for which a plugin is being written must have special tolerances for using plugins. Not all applications can accept an OpenGL® plug-in, because it involves allowing a third-party developer to access the basic rendering and display areas of a program, although some games and graphics applications allow this. Some programs that can use OpenGL® plug-ins only accept output, so the plug-in uses OpenGL® exclusively for its rendering.
A common type of OpenGL® plug-in is used with integrated development environments (IDEs) for programming. These plug-ins can make the process of incorporating OpenGL® libraries into a program easier, as well as make it easier to distribute programs in some languages where the exact library structures are very complex. They can also provide some visual editing tools so that certain OpenGL® functions can be built visually and tested in real time.
Graphic image editors are generally very flexible with what can be done in a program with plugins. As the OpenGL® standard advances and new hardware is created, plug-ins that access OpenGL® directly can help keep a program current without forcing users to purchase an entirely new version. Alternatively, some filters and other effects can be generated within a plugin using OpenGL®, even though the main application may be using another rendering library.
Video games can use an OpenGL® plug-in so that games are able to run at full speed on any type of graphics hardware. These plugins can be written by high-end graphics card manufacturers or developed by user communities. Some OpenGL® plug-ins for games are also used to fix specific graphical issues within a game or can be used to drive rendering to custom, optimized libraries that perform better than others.
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