WebGL graphics rendering engine

Question

So, I have thought about designing a WebGL Graphics Engine, which will facilitate designing 3D Interactive Graphics for web. Now, my question is : WebGL is Javascript API, so in order to design an engine for WebGL graphics, do I need to have a JavaScript compiler or anything ? What I want is a system which will let users see what they are creating (for example, like blender workspace, if you draw up a scene you can see and make changes simultaneously)

Answer 1

You would have to create some kind of engine, or framework that you'll build your system onto. Creating only framework/engine would take at least 2-3 months, and if you plan creating something really big and advanced, that supports various effects rather than simple rendering primitives, than that might come down to 5-6 months. After that you could start creating your web application. So 6-7 months time for that? That shouldn't be a problem.

I don't know how advanced you are, how many people are you working with, but that seems very plausible and doable. But is worth of it? In a year, many different things will change, maybe new openGL ES version for webGL, changing api, supported browsers (IE recently joined the game),... it's really questionable.

You wouldn't need any kind of JS compiler or anything like it, just knowledge of advanced JS and many different techniques used in 3d, and since you plan building system that is far beyond just-graphic-stuff, then it adds even more to overall complexity and time consumption.

So, to answer your question: yes, it's very doable in a year, but will it pay off?

Similar things already exist in some form:

• http://errolschwartz.com/projects/threescene/
• http://badassjs.com/post/12885773103/threenodes-js-a-visual-webgl-scene-editor
• CopperLicht engine has its own real-time editor
• there are more lab-playground-like editors