processing / processing/processing4

Move core away from OpenGL (JOGL) Dependencies

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help wanted
Lenguaje dominante
Java
Estrellas
494
Forks
183
Merge medio
4 h 39 min
PR fusionados (30 d)
3

Descripción

[!NOTE]
This issue is a Work In Progress about a long term goal.
It needs more discussion and is subject to changes.

Reasoning

There are a number of reasons to want to move away from OpenGL and JOGL:

  • OpenGL is deprecated on macOS, and support could be removed at any time.
  • JOGL is no longer actively maintained, raising concerns about stability, security, and the ability to adapt to new platforms.
  • ...
Challenges
  • Tight Coupling with Core Components: JOGL is deeply integrated with Swing, PGraphics, AWT, and Processing's event management system. This makes it difficult to migrate without breaking existing functionality.
  • Rigidity of Modern Graphics APIs: Modern graphics APIs like Vulkan and WebGPU offer more control and performance but are more rigid in how the rendering pipeline is structured. Unlike OpenGL, which allows flexible, state-based changes at runtime, Vulkan and WebGPU require rendering pipelines to be defined upfront through fixed pipeline objects. This rigidity poses challenges for a creative coding tool like Processing, where sketches often rely on modifying drawing parameters on the fly.
  • Backward Compatibility: Many sketches, libraries, and tools rely on JOGL-based renderers (P2D/P3D). Replacing them could introduce breaking changes. Small visual differences in rendering may also cause issues, especially in an educational context.
  • ...
Research
  • Look into OpenRNDR's approach: using Google’s Angle library. Emulates the entire OpenGL ES API. Bridges to Metal via MoltenVK, WebGPU via WGPU (Rust).
  • LWJGL. There was an attempt by Andres Colubri and Jakub Valtar but it was abandonned. There is a working fork of processing where OpenGL was replaced with LWJGL by Neil C. Smith called libp5x.
  • FX2D support for Processing exists via a library, but it has not been updated for years, and there are compatibility issues with recent versions of Processing. It may be a viable alternative to P2D.
Proposed Approach
  • Modularize the Rendering Pipeline: Decoupling rendering from event management and UI layers would make it easier to support multiple backends in the future.
  • Introduce a New Renderer Alongside JOGL: Instead of an immediate replacement, we propose developing and releasing a new renderer library (e.g., LWJGL-based) as an alternative to P2D/P3D. This would allow for gradual adoption, testing, and feedback without disrupting existing workflows.
  • Phased Deprecation of JOGL: Long-term, we should consider sunsetting JOGL-based renderers once alternatives are stable and widely adopted. This would involve clear communication with the community, providing migration guides, and maintaining legacy support for a transition period.

Guía de contribución

Abrir la guía de contribución

Primeros pasos

  1. Lee el issue completo y luego la guía de contribución del proyecto.
  2. Comenta en el issue que vas a ocuparte — evita que dos personas hagan lo mismo.
  3. Haz un fork del repositorio y trabaja en una rama.
  4. Abre un pull request que haga referencia al número del issue.

Línea de trabajo

Empieza por mapear cómo JOGL está acoplado a Swing, PGraphics, AWT y al sistema de gestión de eventos de Processing. Lee las referencias de OpenRNDR, LWJGL, libp5x y FX2D; después, define una ruta de renderizado modular que permita introducir un renderer alternativo junto a P2D/P3D sin romper los sketches existentes.

Escrito por el modelo de indexación a partir del texto del issue.

Evaluación

Stack tecnológico
java
Área
computer-graphics
Tipo de issue
Nueva funcionalidad
Dificultad
5/5
Tiempo estimado
Más de una semana
Estado de actividad
Estancado
Claridad
Necesita aclaración
Aptitud para principiantes
20/100

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