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Revision as of 04:05, 1 August 2005 by 66.126.148.167 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)RenderWare (RW) is a three-dimensional (3D) applications programming interface (API) graphics rendering engine used in computer games, Active Worlds, and some VRML browsers. RW is developed by Criterion Software (which used to be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canon but is now owned by Electronic Arts).
Probably the most notable example of RenderWare at work are the games Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which were all huge commercial successes. RenderWare is available for PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox and PC, and Criterion claims "1 in 4 console titles in pre-production or development is using RenderWare technology." Most recently, Criterion has been using the RenderWare engine in the Burnout racing series and the upcoming Black, both of which are internally developed at Criterion.
RenderWare is not VRML (virtual reality modelling language). VRML is a 3D modelling programming language that needs a rendering engine like RenderWare, Direct3D, OpenGL, etc. in order to render it. RenderWare 2.x-, on the other hand, has its own self-rendering, internal scripting language, RWX (RenderWare script). RenderWare 3+ dropped support for RWX and focused instead on a binary model file format (which earlier RenderWare versions had but not in the same format), making RWXes incompatible with RW3+. With RW4 coming, Criterion is slated to again drop support for RW3.x's BSP and DFF file formats, thus changing model/world formats yet again.
See also: Gamebryo