WebGL

WebGL: 3D Graphics for the Web

WebGL is a low-level 3D graphics API that is based on OpenGL ES that brings plugin-free 3D to the web and is implemented right into the browser. Major browser vendors Apple (Safari), Google (Chrome), Microsoft (Edge), and Mozilla (Firefox) are members of the WebGL Working Group.

WebGL™ is a cross-platform, royalty-free open web standard for a low-level 3D graphics API based on OpenGL ES, exposed to ECMAScript via the HTML5 Canvas element. Developers familiar with OpenGL ES 2.0 will recognize WebGL as a Shader-based API using GLSL (GL Shading Language), with constructs that are semantically similar to those of the underlying OpenGL ES API. It stays very close to the OpenGL ES specification, with some concessions made for what developers expect out of memory-managed languages such as JavaScript. WebGL 1.0 exposes the OpenGL ES 2.0 feature set; WebGL 2.0 exposes the OpenGL ES 3.0 API.

ESSENTIAL RESOURCES FOR WEBGL DEVELOPMENT

Essential Resources

Thanks to the support of the Khronos membership and our developer community, there is a full set of well-supported developer information and educational resources to help quickly get you up and running with WebGL.

The Standard

User Contributions

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THEOPEN STANDARD FOR PERVASIVE 3D ON THE WEB

WebGL Presentations

Get the latest news from WebGL and hear experts share their thoughts.

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COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS & WORKING GROUP MEMBERSHIP

Get Involved!

Help Shape WebGL to Simplify the Development of Visualization Applications

Join Our Community

There are several ways to follow the latest developments, get questions answered and make suggestions for improvement. You'll find WebGL community discussions on several forums and social media platforms below. It's a great way to get involved!

Help Shape WebGL

The WebGL Working Group is actively driving the evolution of the standard and the broader ecosystem. Any organization is welcome to join Khronos to shape this important global initiative under the group’s multi-company, consensus-based governance process. Khronos has multiple levels of membership to enable any organization, large or small to get involved. If you want to participate directly in the development of the WebGL standard please consider joining the Khronos Group.

  • Join the Khronos Group
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Khronos Standard Additional links and information