Glide (API)

---

title: "Glide (API)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["3d-computer-graphics", "3d-graphics-apis", "3dfx", "application-programming-interfaces", "cross-platform-free-software", "free-3d-graphics-software", "graphics-libraries", "video-game-development-software"] description: "3D graphics API developed by 3dfx Interactive" topic_path: "technology/computing" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glide_(API)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 3D graphics API developed by 3dfx Interactive ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox software"]

Field	Value
name	Glide
author	3dfx Interactive
latest_release_version	3.10.00.30303
latest_release_date
operating_system	Cross-platform
programming_language	Assembly, C
genre	3D graphics API
license	{{unbulleted list
* GNU General Public License{{citation needed	date
* 3DFX GLIDE Source Code General Public License{{cite web	url
website
::

| name = Glide | logo = | caption = | author = 3dfx Interactive | latest_release_version = 3.10.00.30303 | latest_release_date = | latest preview version = | latest preview date = | operating_system = Cross-platform | programming_language = Assembly, C | genre = 3D graphics API | license = {{unbulleted list|

• GNU General Public License
• 3DFX GLIDE Source Code General Public License | website = Glide is a 3D graphics API developed by 3dfx Interactive for their Voodoo Graphics 3D accelerator cards. It started as a proprietary API but was later open-sourced by 3dfx. It was dedicated to rendering performance, supporting geometry and texture mapping primarily, in data formats identical to those used internally in their cards. Wide adoption of 3Dfx led to Glide being extensively used in the late 1990s, but further refinement of Microsoft's Direct3D and the appearance of full OpenGL implementations from other graphics card vendors, in addition to growing diversity in 3D hardware, eventually caused it to become superfluous.

Glide wrappers and emulators

Glide emulator development has been in progress since the late 1990s. During 3dfx's lifetime, the company was aggressive at trying to stop these attempts to emulate their proprietary API, shutting down early emulation projects with legal threats. However, just before it ceased operations and had its assets purchased by Nvidia, 3dfx released the Glide API, along with the Voodoo 2 and Voodoo 3 specifications, under an open-source license, which later evolved into an open-source project.

References

References

1. (1999-12-06). "3DFX GLIDE Source Code General Public License". 3dfx.
2. "The 3DFX GLIDE Source Code General Public License".
3. (1999-12-06). "3dfx Open Sources Glide API And Releases Hardware Specifications". 3dfx.
4. MacLellan, Andrew. (1995-11-06). "Startup 3Dfx Eyes 3D Graphics Arena".
5. Ajami, Amer. (1999-12-06). "3dfx Open Sources Glide". [[GameSpot]].
6. (April 8, 1999). "3dfx wraps up wrapper Web sites". The Register.
7. "3dfx open sources Glide, Voodoo 2 and 3 specs".
8. (3 April 2013). "Glide for 3dfx hardware".

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