Tech Soft America Adds Microsoft Direct3D Support to HOOPS 3D Application Framework

4 Aug, 2004

Tech Soft America, a provider of component graphics technology to the CAD/CAM/CAE industry, announced that its HOOPS 3D Application Framework (HOOPS/3dAF) v11 will include a new driver for Microsoft Direct3D.

The driver for Direct3D, which complements and extends the set of drawing APIs already supported by HOOPS/3dAF, makes it possible for any HOOPS/3dAF-based software application to accelerate its graphics display using Direct3D on the Microsoft Windows platform. Currently, more than 175 commercial software applications run on HOOPS/3dAF. With Microsoft Direct3D emerging as the ideal high-performance graphics display acceleration approach on Windows, tools such as HOOPS/3dAF give developers a critical edge in the marketplace, according to the company.

"When the full promise of Microsoft's forthcoming Longhorn is realized, Direct3D support will be a must for many engineering software applications," said Bruce Jenkins, senior analyst, Spar Point Research. "HOOPS offers developers a low-risk way to benefit from Microsoft's amped-up investment in Direct3D while continuing to serve customers using OpenGL platforms or older versions of Windows -- all without the burden of supporting multiple graphics APIs."