hart@blackjack.dt.navy.mil (Michael Hart) (12/13/90)
Hi all you graphics whizzes! Someone has posed a question to me, and I am clueless (so what else is new?) The current hardware platform is/will be SGI Personal Irises, (4D/25). The project director would like to NOT be tied to any specific hardware. An application is going to be developed by a contractor. Up till now, Dataviews by the VI Corporation has been specified as the graphics interface, primarily because it is available on a wide variety of hardware platforms; relative portability of the software is an important consideration. The contractor has expressed some reservations about working with the DataViews product, and has asked about using a PHIGS based product instead. My question is: Is this a good idea? What is PHIGS? (I believe it to be a graphics library that has been ported to several different hardware families. So flame me if I'm wrong :-) Is PHIGS widely available enough to be a reasonable choice? Does anyone have any raves or flames about either DataViews or PHIGS? Should I find another line of work? Inquiring minds want to know! thanx for your input. BTW, I have to give an opinion (probably someone elses, since I don't have one!) by Thursday afternoon. thanx again! -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michael G. Hart hart@blackjack.dt.navy.mil / mhart@oasys.dt.navy.mil I don't know what I want to be when I grow up! DISCLAIMER: the usual!
chris@nthropy.uucp (Chris Chauvin) (12/13/90)
In article <hart.661017691@blackjack> hart@blackjack.dt.navy.mil (Michael Hart) writes: > >Hi all you graphics whizzes! > >Someone has posed a question to me, and I am clueless (so >what else is new?) > >The current hardware platform is/will be SGI Personal Irises, >(4D/25). The project director would like to NOT be tied to >any specific hardware. > >An application is going to be developed by a contractor. Up >till now, Dataviews by the VI Corporation has been specified >as the graphics interface, primarily because it is available >on a wide variety of hardware platforms; relative portability >of the software is an important consideration. > >The contractor has expressed some reservations about working >with the DataViews product, and has asked about using a PHIGS >based product instead. > >My question is: Is this a good idea? What is PHIGS? (I >believe it to be a graphics library that has been ported to >several different hardware families. So flame me if I'm wrong :-) >Is PHIGS widely available enough to be a reasonable choice? >Does anyone have any raves or flames about either DataViews >or PHIGS? >Should I find another line of work? > > >Inquiring minds want to know! > >thanx for your input. > >BTW, I have to give an opinion (probably someone elses, since >I don't have one!) by Thursday afternoon. > >thanx again! > >-- >------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >Michael G. Hart hart@blackjack.dt.navy.mil / mhart@oasys.dt.navy.mil > I don't know what I want to be when I grow up! >DISCLAIMER: the usual! If the contractor is looking for PHIGS or similar high level graphics interface, you might consider Hoops from Ithaca Software. It is PHIGS like in that the database is hierarchical. Hoops applications are also easily ported to other platforms. We've ported large Hoops applications from pc's to many workstations without trouble. Ithaca's phone # is (415) 523-5900. [I don't work for Ithaca Software, I just use Hoops and like it.] Chris (chris@nth.com)
tttron@escher.lerc.nasa.gov (William Krauss) (12/14/90)
In article <1990Dec13.013047.10992@nthropy.uucp> chris@nthropy.uucp (Chris Chauvin) writes: >>Michael G. Hart hart@blackjack.dt.navy.mil / mhart@oasys.dt.navy.mil >> I don't know what I want to be when I grow up! >>DISCLAIMER: the usual! > > If the contractor is looking for PHIGS or similar high level graphics >interface, you might consider Hoops from Ithaca Software. It is PHIGS like >in that the database is hierarchical. Hoops applications are also easily >ported to other platforms. We've ported large Hoops applications from pc's to >many workstations without trouble. Ithaca's phone # is (415) 523-5900. > >[I don't work for Ithaca Software, I just use Hoops and like it.] > >Chris (chris@nth.com) Ditto (couldn't have said it better myself). I've personally watched (and experienced HOOPS (Hierarchical Object-Oriented Picture System) grow to its current incarnation. It's easy to use, truly (and I MEAN truly) portable, works on variety of platforms (workstations, PC's and Macs), intuitive (the calls are easy to "guess"), and besides it's plain old FUN! I've used it extensively for 3 years now (so I've seen a new release or two) and it's only getting better. Ithaca Software 1001 Marina Village Pkwy. Alameda, CA 94501 (415) 532-5900 FAX (415) 523-2880 (I don't work for Ithaca Software either - though lots of my colleagues do - tell them I say "HI"). -- >>>>> William D. Krauss NASA Lewis Research Center <<<<< >>>>> tttron@escher.lerc.nasa.gov Cleveland, Ohio 44135 <<<<< >>>>> (216) 433-8720 (or -8798) U.S.A. Earth <<<<<
jch@Stardent.COM (Jan Hardenbergh) (12/18/90)
From: hart@blackjack.dt.navy.mil (Michael Hart) > My question is: Is this a good idea? What is PHIGS? (I > believe it to be a graphics library that has been ported to > several different hardware families. So flame me if I'm wrong :-) Good idea? Yes. Better than a proprietary interface? Yes. Better than HOOPS? Probably depends on you portability vs. performance priorities. Although portability is a key goal of PHIGS there are many allowable differences between implementations, especially in initialization. I've heard a lot of good things about HOOPS but it is hard to believe that Ithica can write code to drive the high end graphics devices as well the vendors. If you are more focused on affordable graphics systems then Ithica could do a better job - since vendors tend to get carried away with the high end to the detriment of other graphics systems. > What is PHIGS? (PHIGS88+PHIGS-PLUS) For a quick introduction to the concepts of PHIGS I would get the new Foley, vanDam, Feiner and Hughes. It has a chapter on PHIGS - but it is not the standard PHIGS. It is more like what PHIGS would have been if GKS compatability were not so important. It is published by Addison Wesley - Computer Graphics: ISBN 0-201-12110-7 Computer Graphics-Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System (PHIGS) Functional Description... ANSI Standard X3.144-1988. (Language bindings are X3.144.x, where x=1 (FORTRAN), 2 (PASCAL), 3 (ADA), 4 (C).) Call ANSI in New York for ordering (212)354-3300 And PHIGS-PLUS since it is not a standard you can get the latest public review copy from Global Engineering (800)854-7179 Also, there ought to be some books out on the subject RSN! > Is PHIGS widely available enough to be a reasonable choice? Yes. PHIGS is supported by vendor supplied libraries on almost all graphics workstations. Rave about PHIGS? I'm biased, but the 3D market is going that way, slowly. Look for PEX, the PHIGS Extension to X11, too. -- -Jan "YON" Hardenbergh jch@stardent.com (508)-287-0100 Stardent Computer, 6 N.E. Tech Center, 521 Virginia Rd, Concord, MA 01742