There are many features that make 3DLinX an extremely versatile and robust tool for 3D developers. For instance, 3DLinX was designed so that its objects have properties, methods, and eventsjust like traditional 2D controlsthat developers can fully command. 3DLinX supports Living Models, such as an F18 with built-in physics properties that would have very precise and true-to-life flight characteristics. In addition, 3DLinX has the following features:

Language Independence:

3DLinX can be used with a developers favorite programming environment, including Visual Basic, C++ Builder, Delphi, Web pages, and many others. Additionally, Visual Basic users can take advantage of special design-time and syntax features.

Design-time Scene Visualization:

The programmer can interact with the scene at design-time, thus negating the need to compile and run the application to test the effects of code changes. This feature saves an enormous amount of development time.

Ease of Use :

3DLinX enables programmers to create complex 3D applications because it automatically manages many complex functions, thereby dramatically reducing the learning curve and development time for 3D applications.

3DLinX developers do not need to worry about the following:

• Incorporating complex mathematics
• Accessing complex graphics APIs. Until now, writing a 3D graphics application meant hand coding or required the use of rendering APIs, such as OpenGL or Direct3D
• Optimizing rendering code
• Detecting collisions
• Implementing multi-threading optimizations
• Exploiting multiple CPUs and hardware acceleration
• Applying textures, transparencies, lights, 3D sounds, perspectives, projections, screen overlays, and many other complex functions

Programmers will appreciate 3DLinXs simple, intuitive, graphical user interface. To further simplify the programming environment, 3DLinX utilizes a scene graph, which is organized in a simple hierarchy.

Loaders for Multiple File Formats :

The 3DLinX Standard Edition has loaders for importing models in three popular file formats:

• 3D Studio, Version 3.0 (.3ds)
• Open Flight, Version 14.2, 15.x (.릿)
• Coryphaeus, Version 3.0-4.2 (.dwb)

Textures :

The 3DLinX Standard Edition supports the following popular texture formats:

• SGI RGB (RGB, RGBA, INT, INTA, BW)
• BMP
• TGA (24 and 32 bit)
• TIF (uncompressed 8 bit and 24 bit)
• JPEG (8 bit and 24 bit)

Internet Source Code Protection:

Unlike VRML, 3DLinX provides a mechanism for concealing valuable source code.

Linking :

Linking is a unique and important feature, as the name "3DLinX" implies, that allows the user to easily associate or bind one or more objects within a scene. For example, the user can link the movement of a joystick to the movement of objects within a scene, such as vehicles or characters, without writing any code.

Extensibility :

The 3DLinX architecture was designed with extensibility in mind. Not only can 3DLinX be added to other environments, but new products also can be added to the 3DLinX architecture very easily. Global Majic Software intends to market add-on products for specialized applications and also encourages third-party developers to create add-on products (with the 3DLinX Software Development Kit). Examples of add-on products include:

• New effects (dynamic 3D objects like smoke, explosions, lens flares, tire tracks, rain, wind, flames, and clouds)
• Living Models (objects with built-in physics properties that interact with their environment like the real objects they represent)
• Keyframes and Inverse Kinematics capabilities that will be especially helpful for animators and game developers
• New file format loaders, including legacy and proprietary formats
• New drivers (to output 3D states to miscellaneous hardware, such as motion based platforms, force feedback devices, remotely controlled devices, or home appliances)
• New navigators (to provide different ways of traversing 3D environments)
• New controllers (controllers are input devices such as joysticks)
• New primitives (basic 3D objects, such as extrusions, doughnuts, and tetrahedrons)
• New user interface objects (buttons, check boxes, menus, list boxes, etc.)
• New database bound objects (Geographical Information Systems objects, 2D and 3D graphs)

Uses Inexpensive Commercial Off-the-shelf Hardware/Software:

3DLinX is designed for use with commercial off-the-shelf PCs and is Windows 9x and Windows NT 4.0 compatible. It exploits Microsofts efficient and proven COM technology and Silicon Graphics OpenGL graphics acceleration. This graphics API library has become the industry standard. Microsoft includes OpenGL DLLs with their operating systems and most new graphics hardware is OpenGL compatible.