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From: west@gsrc.enet.dec.com (Jim West (Stealth Contractor))
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: What is PEX?
Message-ID: <1520@shodha.dec.com>
Date: 2 Aug 90 14:18:31 GMT
Sender: news@shodha.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 31


In article <9008011637.AA05543@expo.lcs.mit.edu>, KONRAD@UCBCMSA.BITNET writes...

>But, what *is* PEX?   What is PHiGS?   Where can one read more about it?

  PHIGS stands for Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System.
It is essentially a library of functions that simplifies the creation and
manipulation of 3D graphics.

  If you are familiar with 3D graphic systems from the internal point of
view you realize all the math involved with rendering 3D objects, shading,
lighting, etc.

  Normally all this work is done with software on most vendor platforms.  There
exist however, hardware platforms that can do the computations necessary for
3D graphics.  If these platforms are used via an X11 server then standard X
does not make use of these hardware features.  Thus PEX, PHIGS extension to
X.

  This server extension allows the client (PHIGS in this case) to take
advantage of the specialized hardware for 3D graphics.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Jim West                      |  The Schainker Converse
 west@gsrc.enet.dec.com        |  to Hoare's Law :
                               |
 These are my opinions.        |   Inside every small problem
 Digital has no idea           |     is a larger problem struggling
 what I'm  saying.             |       to get out.
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