Sony Ericsson supports the OpenGL ES API 1.1 in its three UIQ 3-based phones and provides an SDK with developer tutorials and a discussion forum, all designed to accelerate the market for next generation mobile gaming.

OpenGL ES SDK available for download
Sony Ericsson Developer World has the OpenGL ES SDK available for download, which includes a step-by-step tutorial (an industry first for the Symbian platform) and provides a dedicated discussion forum. There are already a number of gaming applications in development from key development partners which will soon be made available for download from the Sony Ericsson Application Shop.

"For those companies and individuals looking toward the 'Next Gen' of mobile gaming, there is no better time to invest than now. OpenGL ES will do for smartphones what Mobile Java 3D has already done for mass-market feature phones: it brings a powerful 3D experience to both casual and more advanced gamers who have come to expect high-performance gaming on Sony Ericsson phones," said Mikael Nerde, Head of Developer Program & Content Planning at Sony Ericsson. 

"We are extremely pleased to be the first to offer the tools, technology and know-how for OpenGL ES in the mobile space, considerably improving the quality of games whilst reducing development cycles and saving costs."

The SDK helps developers create compelling 3D graphics for mobile games and content, taking full advantage of the PowerVR 3D hardware acceleration technology from Imagination Technologies used on the Sony Ericsson P990, M600 and W950 phones. Download here>>

"The PowerVR hardware acceleration core from Imagination Technologies delivers the performance needed to port console class games onto Sony Ericsson's UIQ 3 based phones, delivering massive triangle and fill rates along with full 3D features for the best image quality and jaw-dropping 3D," said Tony King-Smith, VP of Marketing at Imagination Technologies.

Benefits to developers

OpenGL ES allows new graphic features in games. For fast paced games, the native environment is preferable since it still is a little faster than Java and (currently) is the only way to access the OpenGL ES API. Code can also be reused from other platforms such as PC and console 3D games, so time for porting will be reduced.

The biggest advantage hardware 3D brings is "filling power". In software accelerated 3D implementations the main processor has to take care of rendering each pixel. With hardware 3D the graphics processor takes care of this which means that the main CPU can handle everything else simultaneously with the graphics processor, significantly speeding things up.

Thanks to saved power for the CPU, it is possible to push a lot more polygons. For example, when the GPU is rendering an object, the CPU can calculate the transformations and projections for the next object. This naturally means more detailed objects in the games developed.

The rendering quality offered by a hardware accelerated core is a lot better than through software rendering. Filtering Modes, MIPMapping and higher resolution textures through advanced Texture Compression (down to only 2 bits per pixel) massively improve the appearance of objects removing the ugly, pixelated blockiness seen in software rendering. The addition of high-performance, hardware "Full Scene Anti-Aliasing" steps up the image quality even further by reducing the staircase effects along edges and moire patterns which distract from the realism of 3D scenes.

3D features available to use through the OpenGL ES API 1.1

• Perspective correct texturing: enabling stunning surface detail with no ugly deforming warping effects as the camera moves.
• Floating point accuracy for internal Z: enabling extensive worlds with a larger depth range.
  Multi-layer texture support: allowing more advanced surface detail through the usage of base textures and lightmaps or detail textures.
• 32-bit ARGB internal rendering and layer blending, giving high quality even with lower bit depth framebuffers: guaranteeing the highest quality blending for translucency effects.
• Point, bilinear, trilinear and anisotropic filtering: massively improving the quality of textured surfaces where the filtering will avoid ugly pixelated surface detail when moving closer to objects within the 3D world.
• Compressed textures: industry leading quality through the PowerVR Texture Compression Technology offering compression rates as low as 2 Bits Per Pixel and for maximal quality 4 Bits Per Pixel versus traditional 16 or 32 Bits per Pixel.
• Specular highlights: allows for flashy highlights increasing the realism of reflective surface materials such as metal.
• Vertex fog: atmospheric effects increasing realism and enabling developers to hide object pop-in effects in the distance.
• Full range of Alpha Blend modes & Alpha testing: allowing for stunning translucency effects and cut-out billboards.
• Full Scene Anti-Aliasing: high-performance, high-quality 2x2 Anti-aliasing offering massively smoothened edges and reduction in crawling moire patterns.

OpenGL ES tutorials
In a few easy-to-follow guidelines, the OpenGL ES tutorials included in the SDK help developers get started using the OpenGL ES 1.1 API, taking developers through initialization, how to render a triangle, 3D drawing, basic Texturing, Transform and Lighting, loading of textures and printing text on the screen, and handling optimized geometry including animations. More information here>>

More information:

• Download OpenGL ES SDK>>
• Visit OpenGL ES discussion forum>>
• Read about OpenGL ES SDK tutorials>>
• Visit Imagination Technologies' website>>