ephraim@TECHUNIX.BITNET (Ephraim Silverberg) (11/23/88)
I need to write an application that requires extensive 3D manipulation of
Gouraud-shaded objects and has to have a user-friendly interface. From
what I can see, I need to use the Sunview canvases to get the necessary
buttons and panels.
The problem is the graphics package. From what I can see, I have two options:
1) Suncore
+ 3D primitives
+ Gouraud shading
- 3D primitives primitive ...
- does not interface well with Sunview:
anything requiring Gouraud shading runs
out of memory
- buggy, rumoured Sun will drop support of
suncore in coming releases
2) SunPHIGS
+ excellent 3D primitives
+ decent interface with Sunview
- NO Gouraud shading :-( :-( :-(
Are there any other options? Have I overlooked something? Please reply
by E-MAIL and I will summarise in two weeks time.
Ephraim Silverberg,
Faculty of Biomedical Engineering,
Israel Institute of Technology,
Haifa, Israel.
BITNET : ephraim@techunix
ARPANET : ephraim%techunix.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
CSNET : ephraim%techunix.bitnet@csnet-relay.csnet
UUCP : {uunet!eplrx7,allegra,rutgers}!psuvax1!techunix.bitnet!ephraimephraim@heart.technion.ac.il (Ephraim Silverberg) (12/15/88)
The following is the summary of responses that I received regarding my inquiry concerning achieving real-time gouraud shading and 3d modelling on a Sun. My comments are interspersed throughout the article in brace brackets. I have attempted to put the summary in digest format in order to make the moderator's (and readers') life easier. Ephraim ephraim@heart.technion.ac.il > From: gfr%wolfgang@gateway.mitre.org (Glenn Roberts) Have you checked out "Movie BYU"? This package, available from the computer science department at Brigham Young University (sorry I don't have a point of contact), is designed for 3-D graphics display and supports shading. I think it is distributed at relatively low cost (MITRE has a site agreement). I have a copy but haven't had a chance to play with it. { We do indeed have the Movie package; however, it was designed for slow graphics terminals (such as tektronix) and the Sun driver cannot provide the needed real-time capabilities for dynamic modelling. BYU has indicated that they would like to upgrade the package for faster terminals in the future. The contact used to be "movcanan@byuvax.bitnet", but they indicated that this address would be changed at the end of Nov. '88 -- new address is unknown. ephraim } - glenn roberts, MITRE Corporation, McLean VA 22102 (703) 883-6820 gfr%wolfgang@gateway.mitre.org > From: Jim Hudgens <hudgens@ray.met.fsu.edu> We use an attached processor and control it with Sunview. The processor's is made by Star Technologies, and is called a Graphicon G1700. While this is a rather expensive option, it is also rather fast, on the order of thousands of polygons per second. Without some form of graphics' processor, I think you may be quite disappointed in the speed of rendering, regardless of the package used. > From: John F. Fowler <jffowler@icarus.cns.syr.EDU> Make sure to look at the PHIGS+ implementation from Template Graphics Software. It is better than SUNPhigs and they also have user interface tools. TGS' PHIGS+ was also chosen and endorsed as the #1 Phigs for Silicon Graphics (which is better hardware for this stuff anyway). USA (619) 457-5359. SUNCore is indeed dead. SUN is freezing it and expects over the next couple of years to move away from it. John Fowler Syracuse University Computing and Network Services Internet: jffowler@icarus.cns.syr.edu Machinery Hall Bitnet: oprjff@suvm Syracuse, NY 13244-1260 USA AT&T: (315) 443-2861