Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!jarthur!drichard
From: drichard@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (David Richards)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics
Subject: Graphics package w/ 3d capacity.
Message-ID: <11503@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Date: 2 Apr 91 22:47:38 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA 91711
Lines: 34


The local cluster of amiga-philes is very close to convincing influential
members of the math faculty that the Amiga is the ideal machine for handling
the complex graphical manipulation of mathematically generated 3d objects.

Here is our problem.  Although our vax has an extremely powerful graphics 
utility (Mathlib) that can create and display representaions of just about 
any system you could think of, its capabilites end when it comes to display.
If you want to do something like view from another angle, the entire object 
must be regenerated almost from scratch.  We would like to invoke some kind 
of package on the amiga to read the vax generated data, then play with it 
using something like a mouse or even a joystick.  Simplicity of operation
is essential.  

Mathlib can write the data in any form that can be well specified.  It 
current supports something like 100 different terminals and hardcopy devices.
It would be no problem to get the data in x,y,z format, or in a form 
readable by almost any common piece of hardware.  If needed it would not be
hard to write a new device driver that would output the data in whatever 
perverted form some package would want.

Wire fram graphics would certainly be acceptable.  We're working mostly 
with graphs and such so we don't have much use for ray tracing.  

Now the question.  What package will do this best?  I am unfamiliar with
all of the major graphics packages currently available, so I have no 
background to work with at all.  Please send me your suggestions, if we can
make the Amiga perform well, it will mean a major foothold on this campus.
We think macs and PC's have prevailed long enough!

Thanks,
Dave

drichards@hmcvax.claremont.edu