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Conference wrksys::alphastation

Title:Alpha Workstation Conference
Notice:See note 1.* for conference notices
Moderator:WRKSYS::HOUSE
Created:Wed Sep 07 1994
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1996
Total number of notes:9122

1911.0. "Issues regarding 4DT graphics cards" by ZPOVC::SONALMEHTA () Mon Mar 31 1997 22:18

    I would like to know if triangle rasterization is supported
    on the 4D40T,4D50T or 4D60T graphics cards. Also whether the
    frame buffer is dynamically configurable or not.
    One of these cards would be put on AS500/400 with WinNT.
    Is there some software available for triangle rasterization ?  
    I would like to have the info as soon as possible.
    Thanks
    Sonal
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
1911.1yesWRKSYS::SCHUMANNTue Apr 01 1997 12:169
I'm not a graphics person, but I think the answer to all three questions is yes.
OpenGL is the software interface supported for our graphics. See

http://www.workstation.digital.com/products/opengl/openglpg.html

If the AS500/400 is a new sale, I recommend that you sell Personal Workstation
433a or 500a instead. It has better performance at a better price.
1911.2yes & yesWRKSYS::CHALTASCome with me to the Cash BarTue Apr 01 1997 12:3217
    Yes, and Yes.
    
    In fact, the 4D50T and 4D60T can rasterize over 1M triangles/sec.
    
    The frame buffer is indeed dynamically configurable, with some
    restrictions -- in general you should NOT be running an 3D graphics
    applications when you reconfigure it.
    
    Windows NT supports OpenGL for 3D graphics rendering -- it can
    rasterize triangles, quadrilaterals, and convex polygons (but note
    that converting any quadrilateral or convex polygon to a series of
    triangles is a fairly trivial exercize).  It does not handle concave
    or self-intersecting polygons, but there are utility libraries 
    available that do.
    
    George