Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!decwrl!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-pcd!hpcvlx!tomg
From: tomg@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com (Thomas J. Gilg)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: X in overlay planes on HP SRX machines.
Message-ID: <101950075@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com>
Date: 21 Dec 89 19:11:52 GMT
References: <1052@esatst.yc.estec.nl>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Corvallis, OR, USA
Lines: 40


> I have been looking at Silicon Graphics computers lately and I am
> much more impressed by their handling of 3D objects in EVERY window,
> not just the 8 MOMA windows of my TurboSRX.  In addition, when I use
> 3D acceleration on my TSRX, I use the overlay planes, which limits
> my color choices severely (16?)  Bleech!
> 
> To really be useful, the SuperChargedSRX (the next SRX?) should have
> a full 256 color choices in the overlay planes.  Perhaps the CH hardware
> can be moved over and merged with the SRX?
> 
> *********************************************************************
> Tony Burzio               * 2 Days 'till skiing!
> Martin Marietta Labs      * :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
> mmlai!burzio@uunet.uu.net *
> *********************************************************************

I agree with your 256-overlay observation.  Actually, an image plane
model that supports multiple colormaps (and multiple-depths) would
be even better (humm....).

As for the TSRX limits, the X/Starbase merge team (Corvallis and Fort
Collins) had some interesting problems to deal with.  Display subsystems
such as the TSRX were designed _before_ windowing systems such a X11 took
off.  Now we're trying to wedge the X11 technology on hardware that
was designed for single Starbase applications or simpler HP Windows/9000
scenarios.  Per the base note, we didn't have big enough wedge to get
accelerated SRX in a window :-(  Needless to say, the design of future 
HP hardware is taking all these rough edges into account.

BTW - what other vendors provide fully accelerated 3D graphics support
in an X11 window system including CORE, GKS, CGI (~HP Starbase), PHIGS ?

An aside - who out there is using the various modes for TSRX (image,
overlay, stacked, and combined), and what do you think of their
usefulness ?  Any of these modes strike you as "wonderful", a must
have ?

Thomas Gilg       * 2 Days 'till fishing !
tomg@cv.hp.com