rct (08/04/82)
Here are the results of the inquiry of July 8th that I made concerning interactive graphics packages that run on UNIX. If anyone else learns of something, please keep me informed. I also have a mailing list of people who want to know about anything else I may find. Send me your name if you are interested. Rich Tong lime!rct >From houca!houxi!npois!npoiv!harpo!duke!mcnc!swd Thu Jul 8 21:49:39 1982 Date-Sent: Thu Jul 8 20:58:32 1982 To: duke!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxi!houca!lime!rct Subject: Re: lime.271: Interactive Graphics on UNIX Status: RO We have a locally written interactive graphics package that works fairly well. It is oriented around display processors, rather than graphics terminals, but this will change as support is added for the BBN bitgraph terminal. Let me know what you find. >From houca!houxi!npois!npoiv!harpo!decvax!teklabs!tekmdp!azure!stevenm Fri Jul 9 18:30:56 1982 Date: Thu Jul 8 20:22:11 1982 To: tekmdp!teklabs!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxi!houca!lime!rct Subject: Re: Interactive Graphics on UNIX In-reply-to: Your news article lime.271 of Thu Jul 8 15:14:18 1982 Status: RO I am interested in hearing about any responses that you get. (I presume by the fact that you work at Bell, that System III's 'ged' doesn't count.) Tektronix has some interactive graphics software, but it is only for its own terminals, and is all in FORTRAN for the DEC-10 and 20 line. Besides, its not my division. S. McGeady Tektronix, Inc. >From harpo!duke!unc!smb Fri Jul 9 23:52:29 1982 Date: 9 Jul 82 22:32:04 EDT (Fri) In-Reply-To: lime!rct's message of Fri Jul 9 17:54:52 1982 To: duke!harpo!lime!rct Subject: Re: graphics Status: RO From duke!harpo!lime!rct Fri Jul 9 18:00:49 1982 Date-Sent: Fri Jul 9 17:54:52 1982 To: houca!houxi!npois!npoiv!harpo!duke!unc!smb Subject: Re: graphics I got a note from mcnc!swd (is that Microelectronic Center North Carolina). Are these the people that you mean? If not, can you point me to someone that I can contact. Yes, that's the Microelectronics Center; they work pretty closely with us, but I really meant UNC. Some good contacts are Greg Abrams (gda) and Tim Seaver (tas -- but he's at Usenix right now). Tim would know about the device drivers and kernel mods. <<I sent them mail, but haven't head anything...Rich>> >From houca!houxi!npois!npoiv!harpo!decvax!genradbolton!lloyd Fri Jul 9 23:47:29 1982 Date: Fri Jul 9 09:23:37 1982 To: decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxi!houca!lime!rct Subject: possible src Status: RO I'm on a similar hunt. One possibility which I haven't been able to confirm is: Computing Services 262 Evans Hall University of California at Berkeley Berkeley, CA. 94720 (415) 642-5280 Good luck and please do post results. Rick Lloyd decvax!genradbolton!lloyd >From rct Sat Jul 10 13:03:35 1982 To: vax135!harpo!duke!unc!gda vax135!harpo!duke!unc!tas Subject: interactive graphics software Status: RO I am looking for interarctive graphics support running under UNIX and I heard from unc!smb that one of you might be good source of informa- tion. I want to find support for graphics terminals (e.g., device drivers, libraries) that will allow me to write interactive graphics systems with relative ease. Can either of you help? Thanks. Rich Tong lime!rct >From houca!houxi!npois!npoiv!harpo!decvax!utzoo!watmath!vlsi Sun Jul 11 02:09:43 1982 Date: Fri Jul 9 10:25:23 1982 To: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxi!houca!lime!rct Subject: passed request Status: RO I have passed your request onto our graphics people. Please send me a summary if you find anthing interesting. Patrick Powell >From houca!houxi!npois!npoiv!harpo!decvax!microsof!fluke!ssc-vax!alex Sun Jul 11 04:32:47 1982 Date: Sat Jul 10 22:30:46 1982 To: fluke!microsof!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxi!houca!lime!rct Subject: Jim Beug Status: RO Re: request for interactive stuff. Jim Beug at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Calif., had an 11/35 under UNIX with graphic scopes & plotters, etc. This was a few years ago. Now they have even better stuff. He had added graphics primitives to for C and FORTRAN. He may be a good person to talk to if nothing comes up elsewhere. Ex-student A. R. Lopez >From houxz!dman Sun Jul 11 21:23:19 1982 Subject: graphics termcap Status: RO It sounds like you want a graphics termcap. This idea is not new, but is special enough so that not much work has been done on it through a lack of time/motivation. A good device independent graphics set would be a boom, and should be done, though. If you would like to follow it up, or if you get any other information, please send me mail, since I am also interested in this. houxz!dman Dave Anderson HO-x5552 >From harpo!duke!unc!gda Mon Jul 12 15:35:43 1982 Date: 12 Jul 82 13:42:39 EDT (Mon) Full-Name: Gregory D. Abram In-Reply-To: lime!rct's message of Sat Jul 10 13:01:49 1982 To: duke!harpo!lime!rct Subject: Re: interactive graphics software Status: RO Interactive graphics is a large field. We have several interactive graphics systems here, ranging from simple systems using a very simple interface to the graphics processor (commands like "rectangle (x,y) (x,y) color") to 3D, shaded graphics systems which require very complex independent programs running on the graphics processor and which exchange data with the host async at runtime. The software support here ranges from UNIX plot filter interface, to a high level language (C-like) with which we can program our Ikonas RDS3000 microprocessor (A 32-bit AM2900 bitslice). What you need depends largely on what you want to do and what equipment you have. We have drivers for the Ikonas, a Ramtek 9400 and a couple Vector Generals. Also plot filters. For any reasonably standard graphics system, someone on the network is sure to have a driver and plot filter, and most likely will be willing to share. If you can be more specific about your project, like your hardware and your goals, I can probably help out more. Greg Abram unc!gda >From houxe!houxi!ihnss!ucbvax!decvax!pur-ee!iuvax!byrd Mon Jul 12 19:31:11 1982 Date: Mon Jul 12 12:06:07 1982 To: pur-ee!decvax!ucbvax!ihnss!houxi!houxe!lime!rct Subject: interactive graphics on UNIX Cc: byrd Status: RO I'm very interested in anything you come up with. I think utzoo!utcsrgv!willy (Bill Buxton at U. of Toronto) has something; you might ask him specifically. Don Byrd pur-ee!iuvax!byrd >From rct Tue Jul 13 08:31:06 1982 To: vax135!utzoo!utcsrgv!willy Subject: interactive graphics on UNIX Status: RO I am looking for an interactive graphics packages that will work with a fairly wide variety of terminals (e.g., 4014, bit mapped, etc.) I heard from Don Byrd (pur-ee!iuvax!byrd) that you might have some useful software for applications like this. Can you please help? Rich Tong lime!rct << haven't heard yet>> >From houca!houxi!npois!npoiv!harpo!decvax!ittvax!freb Mon Jul 19 14:18:40 1982 Date: Mon Jul 19 14:18:00 1982 To: decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxi!houca!lime!rct Subject: interactive graphics on UNIX Status: RO Rich, We are currently using Megatek Corporation's TEMPLATE(tm) software to write device-independent graphics software. Another option is DI-3000 (Precision Visuals, I think). TEMPLATE provides better-than SIGGRAPH-CORE support for a number of devices, including pen plotters, Tektronix and HP terminals, Ramteks, DEC Gigis, some alphanumeric terminals, etc. It's a *big* package -- core images for the VAX typically are >150K bytes text space, and about that in data space. It can run slowly on terminals not designed to support certain features -- like when you try to do animation on Tek storage tubes... They don't have a Unix version (we had to make some mods to get it to work). We are turning our work over to them, so thay may support a Unix version in the near future. If you are interested, I would encourage you to contact them. Both TEMPLATE and DI-3000 support 3-D graphics, and may be more than you want to hassle with, and both are expensive (>$8K). Karl Freburger decvax!ittvax!freb ITT Programming Technology Center >From houca!houxi!npois!npoiv!harpo!decvax!pur-ee!purdue!cak Wed Jul 21 00:13:42 1982 Date: Mon Jul 19 19:20:26 1982 Status: RO While I haven't used it for quite a while, a fantastic system is GPAC, written by Bill Reeves while he was at U of Toronto. You might try to contact someone there (utzoo!utcsrgvax!???) for info about getting it. Or try utzoo!rrg (Ron Gomes); he has been helpful in the past. The system looks a lot like the example system developed in Newmann and Sproull's book. chris kent, Purdue CS Dept >From rct Wed Aug 4 15:58:01 1982 To: vax135!utzoo!rrg Subject: GPAC Status: RO I am looking for an interactive graphics package and have heard that you might be able to help me.... From houca!houxi!npois!npoiv!harpo!decvax!pur-ee!purdue!cak Wed Jul 21 00:13:42 1982 Date: Mon Jul 19 19:20:26 1982 Status: R While I haven't used it for quite a while, a fantastic system is GPAC, written by Bill Reeves while he was at U of Toronto. You might try to contact someone there (utzoo!utcsrgvax!???) for info about getting it. Or try utzoo!rrg (Ron Gomes); he has been helpful in the past. The system looks a lot like the example system developed in Newmann and Sproull's book. chris kent, Purdue CS Dept Well... Rich Tong