evensen@husc9.harvard.edu (Erik Evensen) (06/10/91)
NeXT folk, I'm getting to buy into the NeXT world but before I do, I have a few questions. One of the things I'm really interested in is so-called virtual reality work, to use a common buzz-word. So, what I'd like to know is if there is anyone out there doing this type of work and if input devices are available for the NeXT. I'm thinking of things like a SpaceBall or a PowerGlove interface (like the Gold Brick for the Macintosh). I'd also like to know if anyone sells or knows of a StereoGraphics CrystalEyes type product for the NeXT -- I've built something like this for the Macintosh and could probably do it for the NeXT but think that working under Mach might be a problem for it. The reason being that in MacOS I can communicate directly with the frame buffer and the serial controller and sync the serial lines with the vertical retrace -- something tells me that with the superior DMA and dedicated processros of the NeXT I may not be able to make such a connection. Another way I suppose I could do this is use the vertical sync on the the display connector but then I need to be guaranteed to get a new image on every refresh -- does this happen on the NeXT? What I really need to do, I think, is do quadruple buffering (double buffering for each eye; yes, I want interactive or animated stereo views). I hope this question makes sense... Another question I have is I'd like to know if anyone knows (i.e., has seen this happen or has done it themselves) if I can use the SyQuest drive from my Mac with the NeXT and also if I could use my DeskWriter (communicating over a serial line, presumably -- unless one can make the NeXT talk AppleTalk somehow) with a NeXT; how about connecting it to the printer port? Is this something that a clever NeXT hacker (which is something I, emphatically, am not) could do through software? Finally, does anyone out there have a NeXT of any flavor that they'd like to sell? I know it's probably a futile question but you never know... Thanks in advance... --Erik (evensen@husc9.harvard.edu, evensen@huxtal.bitnet)
evensen@husc9.harvard.edu (Erik Evensen) (06/10/91)
I may have posted a query similar to this one earlier but it didn't show up on my newsreader which seems to have been munging things earlier this weekend. So if you replied already please send the reply again 'cuz I haven't seen anything related to this... Thanks again. --Erik