[osg-users] The naming of VulkanSceneGraph

[Robert Osfield]

On Sat, 23 Jun 2018 at 22:31, Terry Welsh <mogumbo at gmail.com> wrote:

> Is it worth asking if this project will be a scene graph or a
> rendering engine?

It'll be a rendering+compute API based Vulkan that represent the Scene
as a Graph.  VulkanSceneGraph tells people exactly what it is,
anything else moves away from this ability literal ground truth.

As I have a degree in Engineering and Computer Science to me an engine
has cylinders, or turbines that converts chemical energy into
mechanical work.  Use of "Engine" in gaming circles has always struck
me as silly, co-opting words from other disciplines is really just
marketing fluff.

I like the honesty of a literal name. My technical challenge is make
it compelling enough to deserve the moniker of *the* Vulkan Scene
Graph.

So I'm confident the name is best one for what the project is intended
to be.  The only question has to be is whether members within Khronos
feel that it is a threat to their trademark or reputation enough to
step forward and ask to change.  I can't do anything about how they
some lawyers might feel about reach of trademarks, but the better I
can make the new scene graph the more likely it is to be seen as an
asset to Khronos rather than a threat or hindrance.

I have provided OpenGL unwavering support for 20 years, the
OpenSceneGraph is part of the bedrock of the vis-sim industry and
OpenGL is part of this bedrock purely because I've kept the
OpenScenGraph focused on OpenGL.  I would hope that Khronos value this
contribution to the OpenGL ecosystem.  It would be a bit of kick in
the teeth for them to turn around and start being awkward now when we
are embarking on another 20 years of unwavering and unabashed support
for Vulkan.

Robert.