Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!orca!mesa!rthomson From: rthomson@mesa.dsd.es.com (Rich Thomson) Newsgroups: comp.windows.x Subject: Re: 3-D Objects, PHIGS, X, PEX, and all that. Message-ID: <1991Feb25.185729.9986@dsd.es.com> Date: 25 Feb 91 18:57:29 GMT References: Sender: usenet@dsd.es.com Reply-To: rthomson@dsd.es.com (Rich Thomson) Organization: Design Systems Division, Evans & Sutherland, SLC, UT Lines: 55 Nntp-Posting-Host: 130.187.85.21 In article llw@corwin.eng.yale.edu (Louis L. Whitcomb) writes: >I am in need of a device-independent [...] 3-D graphics package for >rendering and animating the movement of solid rigid-body objects. [...] > 1. Where can I get hard info on the PHIGS standard? From the frequently asked questions posting: 12) How to order standards documents. The American National Standards Institute sells ANSI standards, and also ISO (international) standards. Their sales office is at (212) 642-4900, mailing address is 1430 Broadway, NY NY 10018. It helps if you have the complete name and number. Some useful numbers to know: CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile) is ANSI X3.122-1986. GKS (Graphical Kernel System) is ANSI X3.124-1985. PHIGS (Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System) is ANSI X3.144-1988. IGES is ASME/ANSI Y14.26M-1987. Language bindings are often separate but related numbers; for example, the GKS FORTRAN binding is X3.124.1-1985. Standards-in-progress are made available at key milestones to solicit comments from the graphical public (this includes you!). ANSI can let you know where to order them; most are available from Global Engineering at 800/854-7179. > 2. I have seen DEC PHIGS. It is real. Can anyone confirm the rumor > that both SUN and SGI will soon offer their own versions? > Price? Sun already has PHIGS on their platform. I don't know the price. Since the sample implementation team for PEX was at Sun, I imagine they will have PEX soon as well. SGI supports PHIGS through a third-party source product called `Figaro' and has talked about introducing PEX in 1992. Several companies are offering PEX right now, including DEC, Evans & Sutherland, and Stardent to name a few. > 3. How does PEX fit in the picture? I understand it to be a new > X-protocol which includes 3-D primitives. References? PEX extends the X protocol for client-side or server-side structure store and encompasses the PHIGS standard and the draft PHIGS+ standard (lighting, shading, more primitives). -- Rich -- ``Read my MIPS -- no new VAXes!!'' -- George Bush after sniffing freon Disclaimer: I speak for myself, except as noted. UUCP: ...!uunet!dsd.es.com!rthomson Rich Thomson ARPA: rthomson@dsd.es.com PEXt Programmer