Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!bionet!arisia!sgi!shinobu!odin!odin.sgi.com!gold From: gold@puck.wpd.sgi.com (Michael Gold) Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi Subject: Re: 3D math rendering Message-ID: Date: 8 May 90 01:04:24 GMT References: <416@texhrc.UUCP> <1535@merlin.bhpmrl.oz.au.bhpmrl.oz> Sender: news@odin.corp.sgi.com Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA Lines: 51 In-reply-to: hultquis@nas.nasa.gov's message of 7 May 90 19:06:37 GMT From: hultquis@nas.nasa.gov (Jeff P. M. Hultquist) Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi Mathematica on the IRIS provides only a command line interface. There is no support for the editing of notebooks; unlike "other platforms" such as the NeXT and the Mac. True; however this is easily worked around. Since I use Mathematica inside of emacs, I have all the editting capability I need. Also, certain shells have built-in command line editting capabilities. I hear your gripe, however, and will look into adding this feature for a future release. With the possible exception of the NeXT, no other UNIX implementation of Mathematica provides this feature. Remote users of Mathematica have access only to the Postscript graphics. The shaded-graphics of the GL cannot be used remotely. By "remotely" you must mean on another IRIS, right? Through the magic of dgl this should be fairly easy to correct in a future release. Of course, what you can do with Mathematica on your console cannot be done *anywhere else* on *any other* platform. Mathematica on the IRIS is _adequate_. Graphics aside, Mathematica on the IRIS blows doors on the NeXT and the Mac in pure computational speed. At a recent trade show, an attendee came by out booth with a formula for a surface which took nearly ten minutes to calculate (and longer to draw) on a NeXT machine. We typed it in for fun, and a Personal Iris computed AND drew the surface in less than two minutes. Apparently you are familiar with the GL extensions. There is NO OTHER implementation of Mathematica which allows the manipulation (i.e. real-time rotations, lighting and shading) of rendered surfaces that can be done on the IRIS. This is the functionality in which Mr. Zeitlin expressed an interest, and I truly believe Mathematica on the IRIS is the best solution for him. Despite the apparent defensive tone of my response, I appreciate your feedback. You raise good points, and they are noted. -- Mike -- Michael I. Gold You go your way, I'll go mine, Silicon Graphics Inc. I don't care if we get there on time, Internet: gold@sgi.com Everybody's searching for something they say, Voice: (415) 335-1709 I'll get my kicks on the way...