3D Tools for the Desktop
The Third Dimension
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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