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From: jch@Stardent.COM (Jan Hardenbergh)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: PHIGS vs. DataViews, GL, etc...Help!
Message-ID: <1990Dec17.194115.7736@Stardent.COM>
Date: 17 Dec 90 19:41:15 GMT
Organization: Stardent Computer, Newton MA
Lines: 47


From: hart@blackjack.dt.navy.mil (Michael Hart)
> My question is:  Is this a good idea?  What is PHIGS?  (I 
> believe it to be a graphics library that has been ported to
> several different hardware families.  So flame me if I'm wrong :-)

Good idea? Yes. Better than a proprietary interface? Yes.  Better than
HOOPS? Probably depends on you portability vs. performance priorities.
Although portability is a key goal of PHIGS there are many allowable
differences between implementations, especially in initialization.  I've
heard a lot of good things about HOOPS but it is hard to believe that
Ithica can write code to drive the high end graphics devices as well
the vendors.  If you are more focused on affordable graphics systems
then Ithica could do a better job - since vendors tend to get carried
away with the high end to the detriment of other graphics systems.

> What is PHIGS?   (PHIGS88+PHIGS-PLUS)

For a quick introduction to the concepts of PHIGS I would get the
new Foley, vanDam, Feiner and Hughes. It has a chapter on PHIGS -
but it is not the standard PHIGS. It is more like what PHIGS would
have been if GKS compatability were not so important. It is published
by Addison Wesley - Computer Graphics:   ISBN 0-201-12110-7

Computer Graphics-Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive Graphics 
System (PHIGS) Functional Description...
ANSI Standard X3.144-1988. (Language bindings are X3.144.x, where 
x=1 (FORTRAN), 2 (PASCAL), 3 (ADA), 4 (C).)

Call ANSI in New York for ordering (212)354-3300

And PHIGS-PLUS since it is not a standard you can get the latest
public review copy from Global Engineering (800)854-7179

Also, there ought to be some books out on the subject RSN!

> Is PHIGS widely available enough to be a reasonable choice?

Yes.  PHIGS is supported by vendor supplied libraries on almost
all graphics workstations.

Rave about PHIGS?  I'm biased, but the 3D market is going that way,
slowly.  Look for PEX, the PHIGS Extension to X11, too. 

-- 
-Jan "YON" Hardenbergh       jch@stardent.com            (508)-287-0100
Stardent Computer, 6 N.E. Tech Center, 521 Virginia Rd, Concord, MA 01742