Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cwjcc!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!att!limbic!gil
From: gil@limbic.UUCP (Gil Kloepfer Jr.)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Flavors of PHIGS?
Keywords: PHIGS commerical implementations hardware platforms
Message-ID: <492@limbic.UUCP>
Date: 12 May 89 14:27:51 GMT
Organization: ICUS Software Systems, Islip, NY
Lines: 39


I am involved in a software development project involving GIS and interactive
modification of map-based data.  We have determined that PHIGS would be the
graphics "standard" of choice, but are now confused as to "which PHIGS" to
use.  I would appreciate any help from the net on the considerations
listed below.  Please note that we wish our application to be as portable
across various hardware platforms as possible (especially the inexpensive
personal workstation platforms).

	1.  Suppose I were to develop under a SUN hardware platform?  Why
	    would I use TGS FIGARO over SunPHIGS or vice versa?  Does one
	    or the other support more different types of digitizing tables
	    and plotter devices?  Do any require OS-specific calls to
	    initiate graphic "windows"?

	2.  Has anyone out there used FIGARO and have any success/horror
	    stories with it?

	3.  Has anyone seen a PHIGS implementation on a 386-based PC
	    running UNIX (such as Interactive 386/ix) and the Matrox
	    graphics card under X or some other window system (??) and
	    feel that it's worth a honorable mention?  TGS says they're
	    going to release FIGARO in this (kind of?) platform, but
	    has not officially commented on it yet.

Personally, I feel that it is a bad idea to marry oneself to a graphics
package sold by a hardware vendor since it is their intention to keep you
buying their hardware.  For this reason, I am partial to FIGARO, and have
heard good things about it.  On the other hand, being a newcomer to this kind
of development, I really don't know for sure if the talk about FIGARO is
for real.

Thanks in advance for any assistance on this subject.

------
| Gil Kloepfer, Jr.
| ICUS Software Systems/Bowne Management Systems (depending on where I am)
| {decuac,boulder,talcott,sbcs}!icus!limbic!gil   or    gil@icus.islp.ny.us
| Work:  (516) 746-2350 x219