NVIDIA Open Sources Cg

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Matt Burris

Newcomer
NVIDIA just sent the press release our way: http://www.3dgpu.com/comments.php?id=547&category=1

NVIDIA® Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the worldwide leader in visual processing solutions, today announced that it is open sourcing the NVIDIA Cg Compiler technology under a nonrestrictive, free license. Available in August for download from the developer.nvidia.com and www.cgshaders.org Web sites, this code will contain the parser that reads the language and creates intermediate code for compilation, as well as a generic back-end. Together, these components provide everything required to create optimized Cg compilers for other platforms and architectures. In addition to the NVIDIA Cg Compiler, NVIDIA has provided full source code for example shaders in the NVIDIA Cg Toolkit.
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I suppose a lot of people are going to be eating their words today. :p

Edit: Woops, full PR can be read here: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020723/sftu012_1.html
 
Sounds good...but it could mean one of two things:

1. nVidia had to do this in order to get it used by somebody they really wanted to use it (i.e. nVidia wants it both as MS's and OpenGL's HLSLs).

2. The other developers seem to be going in different directions, and this is nVidia's attempt to try to lure them back.

So, I think it's a mixed bag...the real important things for Cg will be if and when we see some other companies put it to use.
 
RussSchultz said:
They're only doing it for their own good, though. Capitolist bastards.
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I think it works more than just for themselves, but for the developer industry as well. But it goes without saying that NVIDIA will always be looking out for numero uno.

I'm surprised they got a response out of Carmack on it. Last time they told me he was too busy with Doom3 to really muck around with a new toy. I imagine next research phase JC goes through, we'll probably hear more about Cg from him.
 
does anyone see a connection between this and RenderMonkey? ;)

be prepared... HellBinder is soon here.... :D
 
Joe DeFuria said:
Now all they need to do is open source the laungage itself...
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Oh no, I'm not sure that I would like that. With the pace that 3D technology is going at the moment we don't want other get-together forum of companies that cannot really agree where they want Cg to head off to (or when).

Okay, OpenGL is working fairly good, but the progress has been less than stellar with different vendors [at one point] writing their own GL-extentions.

I don't like myself for saying this, but I think we need someone to set up a framework so things can start picking up pace. After all, Microsoft is the one that decide when to include different features in DX. And don't we just love how new a DX-version and new DX-hardware push the frontier? ;)
 
Oh no, I'm not sure that I would like that. With the pace that 3D technology is going at the moment we don't want other get-together forum of companies that cannot really agree where they want Cg to head off to (or when).
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Actaully, I completely agree with that.

However, I think that is BETTER than having one single IHV control it....especially when we already have Microsoft with DX and the GL ARB already driving it.

And I also agree with you about Microsoft. Can anyone really complain that MS hasn't been making great, consistent (and for the most part fair) strides is the evolution of 3D Graphics?

In short, I don't see the need for the Cg language to exist.

I see the need for IHV specific compilers, capable of plugging in to "industry standard" languages and tools.
 
Well, hopefully this is a sign that Cg will be the HLSL used in both DX and OpenGL 2.0 (though this would probably require some change to Cg as it exists now...).
 
I can see whats happening here quite clearly, something I was skeptical about since the classic CG thread...

The puzzle is all coming together now.

1) Nvidia CG is released exposing Nvidia only optimizations on a 'C' HLSL
2) NV30 is taped out exposing 928 additional instructions that DX9 would give two $hits about
3) NV30 needs something to utilize those instructions...Points back to Nvidia CG
4) Nvidia CG is released as Open Source in the hope for wide adoption
5) The Birth of a new 'Glide' is here <--- a perfect word for it due to its proprietary nature. No other card will have these features as the other IHV's followed the standard (what DX and OGL is about)


How can this be GOOD, this means I will need to buy their product if this all flies..and now a single IHV is telling the gaming industry and the other IHV's we don't need to follow no stinking DX9 spec..we will make our own ...very bold ;)
 
People...

CG IS NOT "OPENSOURCE."

nVidia "opensourced" certain aspects of Cg such that it enables others to create compilers for the language. This is something that nVidia has always planned on doing.

The QUESTION is....why would any other IHV create a compiler for Cg? They will certainly have compilers for DX9 HLSL and OpenGL 2.0. What does CG, as a language do for other IHVs? Nothing worth mentioning that I can see.
 
The ARB are concidering using Cg as the shader language for OpenGL2.0 as opposed to the language 3Dlabs are proposing. If that happens then it has every right to exist as a language, however I don't see ATI, Matrox, 3dlabs and PowerVR agreeing to it unless they relinquish control of it.
 
The bottom line, AFAIC, is this:

If nVidia wants to greate and maintain their own language to better suit their own specific hardware implementation...who cares. The industry will move on with industry standard shaders and shading tools like RenderMan, and soon DX9 HLSL, and OpenGL, etc.

Cg is not some great benefit to the 3D world, nor will it end up being a detriment. I predict the language itself will go largely ignored.
 
Doomtrooper said:
1) Nvidia CG is released exposing Nvidia only optimizations on a 'C' HLSL
2) NV30 is taped out exposing 928 additional instructions that DX9 would give two $hits about
3) NV30 needs something to utilize those instructions...Points back to Nvidia CG
4) Nvidia CG is released as Open Source in the hope for wide adoption
5) The Birth of a new 'Glide' is here <--- a perfect word for it due to its proprietary nature. No other card will have these features as the other IHV's followed the standard (what DX and OGL is about)
Click to expand...

Cg compiles to DX/OpenGL shader assembly. While in the future this may allow nVidia to keep their assembly code secret, right now the assembly must be supported by DX/OpenGL.
 
Joe DeFuria said:
People...

CG IS NOT "OPENSOURCE."

nVidia "opensourced" certain aspects of Cg such that it enables others to create compilers for the language. This is something that nVidia has always planned on doing.

The QUESTION is....why would any other IHV create a compiler for Cg? They will certainly have compilers for DX9 HLSL and OpenGL 2.0. What does CG, as a language do for other IHVs? Nothing worth mentioning that I can see.
Click to expand...

Not after reading the Siggraph presentations...
 
If that happens then it has every right to exist as a language, however I don't see ATI, Matrox, 3dlabs and PowerVR agreeing to it unless they relinquish control of it.
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Agreed. As I said, the Cg language should either cease to exist, or nVidia should reliquish control over it. I don't see the Cg language surviving in this industry unless nVidia gives up control.

I simply don't see any "language" that is wholly owned by one IHV gaining acceptance in the market.
 
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