Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!jonabbey
From: jonabbey@cs.utexas.edu (Jonathan David Abbey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: Intuition Image structure rendering utilities
Summary: IFF for files, bitmaps for rendering
Keywords: renderer intuition image PostScript IFF
Message-ID: <273@atacama.cs.utexas.edu>
Date: 27 Mar 91 20:40:23 GMT
References: <1214@muleshoe.cs.utexas.edu> <768@tnc.UUCP> <1991Mar26.154335.16403@fwi.uva.nl> <1017@cbmger.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 43

In article <1017@cbmger.UUCP> peterk@cbmger.UUCP (Peter Kittel GERMANY) writes:
>There are obviously two aspects in this issue: One, the general idea of
>renderer utilities (appreciated, ok); two, the file format question.
>For the latter, the great Guru says: ALWAYS USE IFF! Someone mentioned
>ease of use on the Mac with its clipboard: Also the Amiga has a clipboard,
>and the defined file format to use there is indeed IFF! So, why invent
>again something new? Let every renderer utility work ONLY on IFF. Let
>there be some conversion utilities for the few other formats existing,
>plus to convert between HAM and plain palette and 24-bit modes. For
>what would you need more???

[First, an apology to Lee Willis.. I misattributed his post to Lou Cavallo
 in my last post.. ^_^]

The idea is that the renderer would deal with the file format, and that the
program would receive a bitmap/rastport/intuition image ready-to-use.
Certainly I would want IFF used for any and all file storage and transmission,
but there would be no cost and much gain from building renderers that could
support non-IFF file formats, particularly PostScript, say.

Pete G., ppIPC sounds interesting.. do you feel that it would be suitable
for such a renderer scheme?  Do you think that it could be extended to
support SANA?  I'm not familiar with the SANA spec myself, but it would
be nice if we had a clean path to networking with this thing a little
later on.

>BTW, is it the IFF that makes the Amiga clipboard the most unused
>feature ever known?

Probably so.. having to whip up a FTXT FORM to save text is a little much
for many programmers, particularly when there has not been an IFF library
available.

>-- 
>Best regards, Dr. Peter Kittel  // E-Mail to \\  Only my personal opinions... 
>Commodore Frankfurt, Germany  \X/ {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!cbmger!peterk


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