Imagination Technologies Releases PowerVR MBX Public Software Development Kit at 3GSM 2005

: PowerVR, a division of Imagination Technologies, has announced the public availability of SDKs for PowerVR MBX development under OpenGL ES.

The first two public SDKs, to be launched at 3GSM 2005, are for PC emulation and Pocket PC (including the Dell Axim X50v).

Said Nicolas Thibieroz, developer relations manager, PowerVR: “These SDKs will enable developers, professionals and enthusiasts alike, to actively create content using PowerVR MBX technology. This is just the first in a series of public PowerVR SDKs and developers wishing to target OMAP and SH series processors can write their 3D code using OpenGL ES on PCs with the PC Emulation SDK, which will allow content to port directly onto their target platforms.”

The PC Emulation SDK is an important development tool provided by PowerVR to allow access to an easy PowerVR MBX development environment. It enables developers to evaluate and target all PowerVR MBX variants without the need for actual hardware. This PC Emulation SDK gives access to extra MBX features such as texture combiners and vertex programs, which can be found on current and upcoming MBX devices.

The Pocket PC SDK allows developers to write 3D-accelerated content for Pocket PC devices like the Dell Axim X50v. The Pocket PC SDK gives access to PowerVR MBX features as well as extensions (including extra multi-texturing capabilities, DOT3 per-pixel lighting and PVRTC™ compression).

PowerVR will be distributing SDK CDs at 3GSM and the SDK will be available from www.pvrdev.com from February 14th 2005.

For more information about PowerVR MBX see: www.powervr.com. For further information about OpenGL ES see: www.khronos.org.

Inside the PowerVR MBX Public SDK

The SDK includes a wide portfolio of tools such as the PowerVR Texture compressor and compression library, a 3D Studio Max exporter, a VGP Vertex Program compiler with detailed performance information (clock cycle counts) and an extensive tools library (supporting fixed point maths, matrix and vertex maths, tangent space calculation, geometry import, etc.).

As well as access to advanced OpenGL ES 3D hardware functionality the SDK provides full details and specifications of the PowerVR MBX specific OpenGL-ES extensions, which open up features such as PVRTC™ texture compression and vertex programs.

The demos included in the SDK feature examples of a wide range of effects enabled by PowerVR MBX. These include: dynamic reflections; different texture filter modes; projected shadow textures; Polybump technology; spherical harmonics lighting with VGP; physics based particle effects; cell-shading; multiple differently coloured spotlights; morphing (in combination with multi-texturing); and matrix skinned characters in combination with DOT3 per pixel lighting.