kent@xanth.cs.odu.edu (Kent Paul Dolan) (05/21/88)
[This article is cross-posted with follow-ups directed to comp.sys.amiga.tech, just to give the comp.graphics folks access to the book reference.] After sticking my oar into this discussion a bit, I was wandering around our local (ODU) library looking for job shop scheduling books, and this book just lept off the shelf and said "post me," so here is a very nice looking book's reference for the ongoing graphics standard choice for the Amiga discussion here. Moral: serendipity happens, too! Symbolic Computation Series Title: Product Data Interfaces in CAD/CAM Applications Design, Implementation, and Experiences Edited by: Jose Encarnacao [that's Encarna - c-cidilla, a-tilda o], Richard Schuster and Ernst Voge [and that's V o-umlaut ge] [Don't you _hate_ deficient character sets? ;-) ] Publishers: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo ISBN's: 3-540-15118-4 and (!) 0-387-15118-4 251 pages, 147 figures. Copyright 1986. Library call number: TS 155.6 .P758 1986 The book is a collection of papers, but tightly focused and organized, as they constituted the subject matter of a seminar given on the subject by the several presenters. It covers GKS, including VDI and VDM (old names for CGI and CGM), IGES, and VDAFS (German auto industry acronym) a "pragmatic" German standard for sculptured surface data interchange. I think the easiest summary is the first two levels of the heirarchical table of contents. Each minor bullet represents a paper. Stuff in [] is mine. 1 Introduction - Reference Models, Interfaces, Integration Issues 1.1 Goals in the Application of CAD Interfaces 1.2 Interfaces and Data Transfer Formats in Computer Graphics Systems 1.3 CAD/CAM: Integration in the Automobile Industry 1.4 Interfaces for CAD Applications 2 Graphics Systems - Graphical Standards - GKS 2.1 Graphical Standards [Includes GKS, Language Bindings, 3D-GKS, PHIGS, Metafiles and Interfaces, more] 2.2 GKS and Intelligent Terminals [like the Amiga!] 2.3 Tektronix PLOT 10 GKS - Tailored for Customer's Needs 2.4 Common Graphics Manager - Design Concepts 2.5 GKSGRAL - Software and Hardware Realizations of the Graphical Kernel System 3 Initial Graphics Exchange Specifications - Implementation, Experience 3.1 Product Data Exchange: Design and Implementation of IGES Processors 3.2 Experience Gained Using the IGES Interface for CAD/CAM Data Transfer 4 VDAFS - Functionalities, Approximation Methods, Implementation, Experience 4.1 VDAFS - A Pragmatic Interface for the Exchange of Sculptured Surface Data 4.2 Approximation Methods Used in the Exchange of Geometric Information via the VDA/VDMA Surface Interface 4.3 A Tentative Implementation of VDAFS 4.4 Implementation of a VDA Interface in the CAD System STRIM 100 4.5 The Implenentation of the VDAFS Geometric Data Interface on Computervision's CDS 4000 CAD/CAM System 4.6 Experience with VDAFS 5 Specification and Validation 5.1 Specification of Interfaces: A Case Study of Data Exchange Languages 5.2 Validation of Graphics Systems 5.3 Testing and Validation of IGES Processors 6 Outlook 6.1 Progress in the Development of CAD/CAM Interfaces for Transfer of Product Definition Data This is graphics standards "warts included;" it will cure you of "magic bullet-itis" if you happen to suffer from that affliction where all your articles start out "What the Amiga _really_ needs to be a success is ... ." This is one piece of ammunition in satisfying Leo's goal of "doing this right." I'll add "let's take the time to do this right." Let's see what else folks can find. I think defining a few ground rules for the discussion, like: are we choosing a CAD/CAM support standard, a fine arts support standard, a laser printer support standard, or what, would change the discussion from mostly heat to mostly light. Anyone want to lead off before I get another twitch in my "f"inger? ;-) Hope this helps; it was no fun at all to type! Kent, the man from xanth.