Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sun-barr!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!proto!scott
From: scott@proto.COM (Scott McGowan)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Real-time graphics via computer - custom hardware?
Summary: Amiga 3000 might do it.
Message-ID: <1480@proto.COM>
Date: 9 Dec 90 18:47:13 GMT
References: <1990Dec08.075337.10213@ddsw1.MCS.COM>
Organization: Prototronics; Sandpoint, Idaho
Lines: 36

In article <1990Dec08.075337.10213@ddsw1.MCS.COM>, karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM 
(Karl Denninger) writes:
> Consider the following problem:
> 
> I would like to build a graphics display which can display high-res color
> images from a computer-generated list of objects (ie: the screen has xxx
> objects, here are their coordinates, and apparent sizes) in real-time.  To
> me, real-time means something better than 10-15 frames per second; 30 would
> be ideal, I'll settle for 10-15.  I'm willing to pipe in the coordinates via

[...further problem description deleted...]

> Can an Amiga 3000 handle this kind of graphics load?  I know they have some
> darn nice graphics capabilities, but are they up to something this nasty?

The Amiga 3000 will do what you want in 64 colors, 640 * 400 NTSC.  You may
want this NTSC output as you could view on a wide screen TV, store on VCR,
or use a genlock to overlay onto external video. (Amiga Genlock units run
$150 to $800 depending on quality)  The A3000 can accomplish this with it's
math co-processor calculating the points in the X,Y plane from your X,Y,Z
data.  Then use A3000's hardware line draw and polygon fill to complete the
job.  The A3000 has 2M byte of Video dedicated DRAM, thus you could have
a fair number of screens.  If you have some 2 dimentional objects that need
prjection on the screen at selected times, and with selectible priority
(which one is one top of another) the A3000 will do this also.  Lastly the
A3000 has ability to show forground and background screens that can overlap
with specified colors being clear and thus showing the other screen through.
The A3000 can show pictures in 4096 colors, but redraws are typically slow.
you can however mix a 4096 color screen with any of the other screens at
the beginning of any horizontal trace.  The A3000 has 2 buses with the
BLITTER (Bit Image Manipulator), 68000 and video processor (line draw, area
fill, and sprite manipulation) on the video bus.  The other bus has 32 bit
DRAM, 16 or 20 MHz (depending on your wallet), 68030 and a math co-processor
the two buses communicate as needed and run independently, thus an area fill
or line draw can take place as you calculate new points on the 32 bit bus
where your code resides.  Hope this helps.