There aren't many 3d application can run on Linux.

I like to know, in programmer's perspective, why deosn't 3d have better support in Linux yet?

Isn't opengl supported in linux?
Is it a hardware limitation?
Is it a kernel limitation?

For example, I know there is a GIMP for linux, probably matching the quality of PS in windows. But in 3d area, there isn't any app matching like maya, max, lightwave, even the new comer cinema4d.

When are we seeing this happening?

In another word, what is the opportunity to develop 3d app in linux?
could it be develop better kernel to have 3d (opengl) support? could it be writting core 3d engine on top of the kernel?

Please share your knowledge and experience.

Thanks

3D support is excellent in Linux, thanks to XFree, Mesa, and GLX (and some support in FrameBuffer also). Besides, there is kernel support for so-called "3D acceleration" (DRI) for many cards, in collaboration with the DRI project, that gets used by XFree86/X.org.

There are even good 3D-enabled toolkits/libraries, sort of equivalent to DirectX. The better known probably is SDL (I'm not sure about this, though).

The only two differences with Windows are those:
- Perceived lack of interest (read: market-share) in Linux drivers for 3D cards results in little involvement in Linux from manufacturers (some don't even do anything at all). So what they do, they do reluctantly, or with little resources, and often closed-source. And what they don't do, we have to wait until some programmers achieve to make open-source.
- Perceived lack of... well, let's say it: too little market-share, results in software (mostly games) that is only for Windows.

But things change, slowly. For example, there is Maya for Linux, AFAIK. And the all-new film-gimp (which recently changed name) was used for several recent animation films.

Yves.

Try checking out Blender for a cool 3D graphics app.

There are Linux versions of Maya and SoftImage, and Lightwave can be run in WineX.
Wings3D is also a good one...it's kinda like Nendo, only better.