Processing.js 1.2: WebGL and more

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The fantastic team behind Processing.js has released 1.2 of the library, a fairly large release for them, with WebGL support at the helm:

Since our last release, exciting things have been happening in browser development. WebGL, the 3D extension of the HTML5 canvas element, has now shipped in Firefox and Chrome, and is being tested in nightly builds of Safari and Opera. Processing.js has been fully WebGL compatible for more than a year, and version 1.2 includes some great 3D performance and bug fixes. We’ve also written a guide to help explain how Processing.js uses canvas and WebGL to support the various Processing render modes. Processing.js is a great way to get started with 2D and 3D graphics on the web, without having to understand all of the underlying technologies. With several guides for people new to Processing, JavaScript developers and Processing developers, there has never been a better time to jump in!

This release also includes some important changes to ensure better compatibility with Processing 1.5. First, we’ve altered our default frame rate to match Processing’s (i.e., 60 fps). Developers who are upgrading from previous versions of Processing.js, and who don’t explicitly set a frame rate, may notice that sketches seem to run more slowly. Don’t worry, Processing.js is faster than ever! Your sketch is just drawing at 60fps. It’s possible to make things as fast as the browsers will allow by setting a higher frame rate, but this will of course consume more CPU, and actually not provide any real gain other than bigger deltas between visible frames.

There are some fantastic examples that show Processing.js at work:

Great to see a nice high level API to do amazing visuals and interactions on the Web.