Xref: utzoo comp.sys.ibm.pc:10361 comp.graphics:1491
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!dicome!papke
From: papke@dicome.UUCP (Kurt Papke)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Wanted: 1024x1024x8 graphics for PC
Summary: Truevision Targa board
Message-ID: <4868@dicome.UUCP>
Date: 11 Jan 88 14:38:48 GMT
References: <429@picuxa.UUCP> <1057@tolerant.UUCP> <9965@ut-sally.UUCP> <1794@bsu-cs.UUCP> <5110@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Reply-To: papke@dicome.UUCP (Kurt Papke)
Organization: DICOMED Corp., Minneapolis
Lines: 52
Posted: Mon Jan 11 08:38:48 1988

In article <5110@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> tim@cit-vax.UUCP (Timothy L. Kay) writes:
>In article mithomas@bsu-cs.UUCP (Michael Thomas Niehaus) writes:
>>AT&T Indianapolis counterpart makes a spectacular video board called 
>>Vista.  It offers 1024x1024 graphics with an enormous number of colors
>>that can be displayed on screen.
>
>A little more information on this board:
>
>  o   It lists for $6000
>  o   You'll need a monitor at least as good as the NEC
>      Multisync to do this board justice.

True.  We use the Conrac 7241 which has a slide switch on the back
to select sweep frequencies as it is not a "smart sync" monitor, but
it can display the full 1024x768 that the Vista is capable of.

>  o   It generates video in non-standard resolutions, like
>		756 x 486
>	or	604 x 486
>	or	504 x 486
>      while the standard is either 640 x 48? or 768 x 48?.

True, true.  I also had it set up for a while to do 1024x486

>  o   You can't take full advantage of any frame buffer that
>      uses the TI TMS34010 graphics chip unless you also
>      purchase the C Compiler/Assembler package from TI.
>      It lists for $1500.  Of course, if you just want a
>      canned paint program, then you don't need this.

You can take FULL advantage of the frame buffer without touching the
TMS34010, as it is completely programmable from the host processor.
You just cannot take advantage of the graphics instructions of the 34010,
which in my opinion are completely useless for full-color graphics.
Be careful to order the development kit from Truevision - they have modified
the debugger and the loader to work with the Vista configuration.
The kit from TI will allow you to compile, but you will have no way of
getting code into the machine w/o writing your own loader.
The C compiler is PCC with a 34010 code generator back end (blech).
My experience has been that identical C code will run 5-6 times faster
on a 386 using the Microsoft compiler than on the 34010 using PCC.

>  o   TIPS lists for $2500, I think
>
>There are other boards that have similar or better features.  They
>are also less expensive.

Like what ?

I would like to hear from any other Vista developers out there.

	Kurt Papke