OGRE is multi-platform, open source, graphics engine developed by The OGRE Team in 2005. It is a scene-oriented, real-time, 3D rendering engine. OGRE stands for “Object Oriented Graphics Rendering”. It is licensed under MIT License. OGRE is written in C++ and develops game across multiplatform such as Windows, Linux, Xbox and PS3. It is used to develop FPS (First Person Shooter) as well as RPG (Role-Play Game). It is easy to use in the development of the software which can utilize hardware acceleration. It also includes multi-threading support for the CPU.
OGRE is not only used in making games only but it can be used to generate graphics other than games. To support other functionalities like sound, networking, etc. it uses library system. Each library adds a specific functionality to OGRE. It is a flexible engine.
OGRE is used in making a network education game called “Eastern Learning” which provided a rich game learning environment for players. It is also used in the production of simulators, interactive art, scientific visualization and other software.
When OGRE 1.0 was released, it worked fine but there were several bugs and issues with this version. So later OGRE 2.1 was released which fixed several bugs and resolved many issues present in the older version. Metal Render system was introduced in OGRE v2.1 which supported new iOS devices. OGRE 2.1 is mainly GPU dependent.
OGRE is not one but consists of two “sister” projects as OGRE1 and OGRE Next. OGRE1 is used to develop applications for the OS, iOS, Raspberry Pi and HTML5 platforms. It supports DirectX 11, DirectX 9, OpenGL and Metal. It is written in many languages which include C++, Python, C# and Java.
On the other hand OGRE Next is used for the development of Windows, Linux, macOS and iOS games. It supports DirectX 11, OpenGL 3+ and Metal. It is written in only one language that is C++. Both the software’s include Shadows, Ambient Occlusion and Reflections.
Features
- Terrain
- Water Surface
- Ambient Occlusion
- Shadow Mapping
- Screen Space Reflections
- Global Illumination
- Stencil Shadow Volumes
- Sophisticated Skeletal Animation
- Special Effects
- Multi-Platform Development
- Meshes
Games Developed in OGRE
Some Useful Resources
- Official Homepage: https://www.ogre3d.org/
- OGRE Documentation: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hang_Qiu3/publication/221196018_An_Object-Oriented_Graphics_Engine/links/5a3a1dd6458515889d2bd68c/An-Object-Oriented-Graphics-Engine.pdf
- Source Code: https://github.com/topics/ogre3d
- Wikipedia Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OGRE