[net.general] Interactive graphics

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