Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!nysernic!itsgw!batcomputer!tedcrane
From: tedcrane@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Ted Crane)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Help wanted for VWS on VAXstation II/GPX.
Message-ID: <2583@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Date: Thu, 8-Oct-87 14:02:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: batcompu.2583
Posted: Thu Oct  8 14:02:54 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 11-Oct-87 03:31:51 EDT
References: <8709240555.AA08093@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: tedcrane@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Ted Crane)
Organization: Tompkins County Computing, Ithaca, NY
Lines: 58

In article <8709240555.AA08093@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> "SBI::STONE" <stone%sbi.decnet@mghccc.harvard.edu> writes:
>	We are running a VAXStation II/GPX, 8 plane color, VMS 4.5, VWS 3.1 and
>are having a little trouble at getting it to do things that we know it can do. 
>
> 1.  When the graphics window is popped to the forground, the occluded areas
>replay all of the changes to the screen that have occurred since the window

	You might call this a bug, but the DEC developers put in a feature
	that causes this to happen for some very good reasons.  They also
	documented this behavior in the release notes (for V3.1, I believe,
	and if not, then for V3.0).  If you issue a dummy MOVE_WINDOW call
	it will disable the internal display list and fix your problem.

> 3.	How does one read a color bitmap into a buffer??  Nothing I have tried
>has worked (and I've tried just about everything I could think of). 

	You haven't been too specific about what DOES happen, but my guess
	is that you have not set the correct drawing mode in the attribute
	block used as input to UISDC$IMAGE (or its equivalent if you are
	using DOP's).
	Once again, consult the V3.0 or V3.1 release notes.  In those, you
	will find documentation that UIS$C_MODE_COPY (or something) must be
	used to copy an 8-bit bitmap.

> 4.	Using the UIS routines, how does one do animation??  Everytime I move
>an object, all of the objects underneath are repainted.  I want to be able to
>perform the translations/scales, etc. without repainting background images (I

	You sound like you want to disable display list enhancement for
	you virtual display.  You get a choice here: is you leave it
	enabled, you get the effect you describe.  If you disable it, the
	pixels in the window become no better than a "dumb" frame buffer,
	and you won't get the repainting effect.  You'll have to erase the
	object before you move it, but that's the price you pay.

	I figure you're talking about simple line images.  In that case,
	I suggest you write data into one plane using XOR mode UIS$C_MODE_XOR)
	and then erase it by writing it again.  Do this with list enhancement
	off.  When you are ready to leave the image permanently, use another,
	more appropriate mode and turn list enhancement on.

	Once again, this is all documented.

>I have found that the VWS manuals are among the least informative manuals DEC
>has ever produced (and I've been around since TOPS-20 was the hottest OS on
>DEC's *only* big machines).

	Ahh, the immortal gripe of folks who have problems! (Low burning flame).
	Well, I agree, the VWS manuals aren't perfect. Some info is duplicated
	and other info is hard to find.  But, by and large, it's all there.
	DEC has put out much worse documentation, and they've really improved
	the VWS stuff with each release.  Perhaps you want to see some worse
	ones?  I'm sure someone can provide them.
	RTFM.  All of them, completely, before you gripe.

- ted crane, alias (tc)
tedcrane@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu                       BITNET: tedcrane@CRNLTHRY
{decvax!ucbvax}!tcgould.tn.cornell.edu!tedcrane             DECnet: GOPHER::THC