3D Tools for the Desktop

The Third Dimension

Article from Issue 51/2005
Author(s):

Command line programs do what they are supposed to do but in a very

unspectacular way. If you prefer a more sophisticated look and feel,you’ll find

a 3D alternative for almost every task.This article examines some of the most

interesting 3D tools for the desktop.

Linux normally follows the classic

KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) philosophy.

The basic approach is to

use a combination of small, specialized

command-line tools for anything the

user wants to do. Users of GUI-based

desktops often find it hard to come to

terms with this approach, and they typically

look for a convenient graphical

front-end.

A GUI tool is all the more thrilling if it

uses three-dimensional graphics to display

user data rather than simply

displaying data in a 2D display. As you

will learn in this article, even a tool with

a very ordinary purpose can use

advanced 3D graphics. I will discuss

tools that use the graphics adapter’s 3D

features for a graphic display.

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