BRender

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BRender

BRender is the Blazing Render engine created by Argonaut Software.

BRender Development


The PDF versions were created by converting FrameMaker/FrameReader versions from the BRender v1.2 SDK, and may have some text glitches due to missing fonts.

BRender research

I've been trying to contact people who worked on BRender, to see if they can provide an SDK. Current progress:

BRender SDKs

We know of at least THREE existing examples of the SDK, with possibly two more existing but not yet confirmed.

  • IBM Developer Connection for OS/2 Volume 12, disc 3 under TOOLKITS\WARPTKV3\TOOLKIT\BETA\BRENDER: Contains an OS/2-only version of the BRender SDK, with docs in an OS/2-only format, and is limited to the floating-point only version. The internal file dates point to March 1995.
  • Best Of Internet July 1996. This warez CD includes a copy of the SDK called "BRender x86 1.1.2". Mainly for DOS, but includes a sample file running BRender in a Win32s app. Dates point to September 1995.
  • 3rd source: A leaked (and confidential at this point) game source library contained an original and a modified version of the BRender SDK, complete with source. This became the v1.3.2 and "1997" source releases.
  • BRender SDK v1.2 (aka BRENDER25.ZIP): This version is from March 1996, and was found on January 15th, 2022.
  • Unfound version: Another warez CD, this one "CD-147" (I'm not sure of the name) includes "The Brender Development Toolkit V1.4" (WPNBRDT1.ZIP, 1442825 bytes).
  • BRender-3DMM: The version used by 3D Movie Maker. Dating to May 1995, this version is only 3 pre-compiled LIB files.

Open Sourced BRender

On May 3rd 2022, the BRender engine was open sourced by Jez San. Two versions of the source were released on this day, with a 3rd hopefully coming soon. These first two versions come from the leaked SDK mentioned above.

Version Date Github Archive Notes
v1.3.2 1998-11-17 BRender-v1.3.2 brender-v-1.3.2 Appears to be unmodified
v??? 1997-08-?? BRender-1997 brender-1997 Modified to be used in a game, which has been redacted out of the source
v1.1.2 1995/09/07 BRender-v1.1.2 brender-v-1.1.2 Unmodified (or very lightly modified), originally used with the game Privateer 2
N/A N/A CrocDE-BRender The version used by Croc: Definitive Edition. A modernized version of the source with OpenGL rendering

Games using the BRender Engine

Name Year Developer Publisher Platforms
3D Movie Maker 1995 Microsoft Microsoft Windows
Alien Odyssey 1995 Argonaut Philips Interactive DOS
Arena AD (cancelled) N/A Stainless Software ? Windows
Bondurant High Performance Racing (Unreleased/in-house?) N/A Fathom Pictures ? ?
Bundesliga Manager 97 / Total Football Management 1996 Software 2000 Software 2000 DOS
Bundesliga Manager 98 1998 Software 2000 Eidos Windows
Carmageddon 1997 Stainless Software Interplay, SCi Games DOS, Windows, Macintosh
Carmageddon 2: Carpocalypse Now 1998 Stainless Software SCi Games Windows, Macintosh
Croc 1: Legend of the Gobbos 1997 Argonaut Fox Interactive Windows
Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors 1997 Studio Fish BBC Multimedia Windows
F1 Manager 1996 Software 2000 Software 2000 DOS
F1 Manager Professional 1997 Software 2000 Software 2000 DOS
Freelancer 2120 (cancelled) N/A Imagitec ? DOS
FX Fighter 1995 Argonaut GTE Entertainment DOS
FX Fighter Turbo 1996 Argonaut GTE Entertainment Windows
Hasbro Xscape/Rush/Toaster (cancelled) N/A Hasbro ? ?
Hotwheels project (cancelled) N/A Stainless Software ? ?
Independence War 1998 Particle Systems Infogrames Windows
I-War: Defiance 1999 Particle Systems Infogrames Windows
Motor Mash 1998 Eutechnyx Limited Ocean Software DOS, Windows
Nickelodeon 3D Movie Maker 1996 Microsoft Microsoft Windows
Pete Sampras Tennis '97 1996 Codemasters Codemasters DOS, Windows
Play with the Teletubbies 1998 Asylum Entertainment Knowledge Adventure Windows
Privateer 2: The Darkening 1996 EA Manchester Electronic Arts DOS, Windows
Queen: The eYe 1998 Destination Design Electronic Arts DOS
Search and Rescue (SAR) 1997 Interactivision Intense Entertainment Interactive Windows
Sensible Soccer '98 1997 Sensible Software GT Interactive Windows
Sensible Soccer '98: European Club Edition 1998 Sensible Software GT Interactive Windows
Surf and Destroy (demo) N/A Grolier Interactive ? Windows

BRender Versions

See BRender versions used by games

Links