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From:
[email protected] (Blair MacIntyre)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.api.opengl,alt.3d,comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.graphics,comp.cad.pro-engineer,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video,comp.graphics.animation,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.misc,comp.answers,alt.answers,news.answers
Subject: PC 3D Graphics Accelerators FAQ (Part 2 of 2)
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Followup-To: comp.graphics.api.opengl
Date: 7 May 1996 03:08:12 -0400
Organization: Columbia University CS Department, Graphics and UI Lab
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[email protected] (Blair MacIntyre)
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Summary: The FAQ is about 3D Graphics Accelerators for PC-compatible
computers.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Section V: Other boards
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B01) AccelGraphics AG300 and AG500
The AG300 and AG500 are very similar. I'll describe the AG300 first and then
outline the differences. Both support a dual screen configuration with two
of the same card.
ACCELGRAPHICS AG300
Accelgraphics is a spinoff of Kubota Graphics, which was Kubota Pacific
before that. They made the Denali graphics subsystem for DEC's Alpha-based
workstation (they were a partner with DEC).
Features
* PCI option card (short form factor)
* Accelerates OpenGL under Windows NT
* 24-bit true color and 16-bit Z buffering
* 32 color planes with 16-bit double buffering
* 1280 x 1024 @ 60-74 Hz, non-interlaced
Performance
* 1 Million 2D vectors per second (10 pixel, 24-bit)
* 1 Million 3D vectors per second (10 x 1 pixels, smooth shaded, Z
buffered)
* 205k 3D triangles/sec (50 pixels, smooth shaded mesh, lit, Z buffered)
Benefits
* Performance of a US$25k+ Unix workstation for under US$10,000.
* Standard applications with Windows NT (including Windows 3.1
applications compiled for Intel cpu).
* Scalable architecture delivers increased graphics performance with
higher performance host cpu.
Hardware Features
* Scalable architecture efficiently leverages the system CPU; a faster
CPU yields faster graphics
* 7.5 MB of total RAM
o 5 MB VRAM used as a 32 plane frame buffer, supporting:
+ resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 pixels with up to 16.7 million
colors (24 bit true color)
+ 16 bit double buffering
+ 8 bit color index
o 2.5 MB DRAM used as a 16 bit Z-buffer
* Rectangle clipping, Alpha blending and Dithering
Graphics application programming interfaces
* Open GL
* HOOPS and 3DR planned for early 1995
Supported Operating System Environments
* DOS 6.0 or later, Windows 3.1 or later, Windows 95 (Chicago), Windows
NT 3.5 with Open GL (Daytona)
Supported Applications
* Pro/ENGINEER and Pro/JR. from Parametric Technology Corporation
* AutoCAD Release 11, 12, and 13 from Autodesk
* MicroStation version 4 and 5 from Bentley Systems (including MOGLE)
* Any OpenGL application
Platforms supported: Intel, Alpha, MIPS, & PowerPC platforms
System requirements
* One free PCI slot
* VGA or SVGA compatible graphics adapter
ACCELGRAPHICS AG500
Similar to the AG300. However, it has 12.5M Memory on board and a list price
3,495.
The extra ram adds 8 GL Stencil planes and a 24bit Z-buffer.
The AG500 also has 4 hardware "lookup tables", including:
* two 256 x 24 tables for color index
* one 256 x 24 table for single-buffered overlay
* one 16 x 24 table for double-buffered overlay
Contact Information:
Corporate Headquarters:
AccelGraphics, Inc.
1942 Zanker Road
San Jose, CA 95112
408-441-1556
408-441-1599 fax
Western Region:
Kim Rawlings
714-589-2453
714-589-2483 fax
[email protected]
Central Region:
Dan Vitale
513-858-1400
513-858-2905 fax
[email protected]
Southern Region:
John Caravello
407-834-7275
407-834-9052 fax
[email protected]
Europe:
David Holman
011-44-1635-40122
011-44-1635-551-147 fax
[email protected]
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B02) ISC PowerGL
The PowerGL card is the Accelgraphics AG300 being sold OEM by ISC, which is
described above. Since the AG300 and the PowerGL are the exact same card, I
won't repeat the specs here. Talk to both companies, see which one better
suits your needs.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
International Software Corporation (ISC)
Suite 275
433 Park Point Drive
Golden, CO 80401
Orders: 1-800-488-4721
Fax: 303-526-0581
E-mail:
[email protected]
[return to index]
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B03) Evans & Sutherland Freedom
PRESS RELEASE:
EVANS & SUTHERLAND BRINGS 3D GRAPHICS EXPERTISE TO THE PERSONAL
COMPUTER
SALT LAKE CITY, March 2, 1995 Evans & Sutherland Computer
Corporation (NASDAQ: ESCC) today announced Freedom Graphics(tm)
for the Personal Computer. Freedom Graphics is the first product
to bring the 3D graphics technology of E&S to the personal
computing environment.
Freedom Graphics is an implementation of the specialized features
that 3D graphics applications require for smooth, fast execution.
Users can produce impressive realistic images with the product's
rich feature set and high-performance graphics for Windows/NT(r)
applications.
The graphics card supports the OpenGL(r) software application
programming interface and is designed to accelerate OpenGL in the
PC environment. Freedom Graphics is a PCI bus-based card that
incorporates the same technology as the Freedom Series graphics
accelerators which supply high-end graphics for the world's
largest workstation vendors. Ideal markets to take advantage of
the extensive feature set of Freedom Graphics are CAD, Industrial
Design, Simulation, Visualization, Animation, Entertainment and
Game Development. Supported PC processors include MIPS(tm),
Pentium(r) and Power PC(tm).
"The interest being generated by Freedom Graphics is
extraordinary," said Jim Oyler, President and CEO of Evans &
Sutherland. "Freedom Graphics allows a low-cost PC-based system to
achieve the performance of a much more expensive workstation. This
is going to be an explosive market in the very near future."
Evans & Sutherland is the only 3D graphics vendor with a product
line that spans the entire computing industry from the personal
computer up to multi-million dollar flight simulators and
location-based entertainment systems.
"We are pleased that Evans & Sutherland has applied their
knowledge and experience in high-performance real-time 3D graphics
to the PC marketplace," said Tom Coull, President of Sense8
Corporation. "WorldToolKit and Freedom Graphics will offer a
definitive hardware-accelerated solution for texture-mapped
virtual reality applications."
Freedom Graphics' feature set includes real-time 3D graphics
rendering and animation, hardware based 24-bit texture
acceleration, scalable texture memory up to 16 MBytes, bi-linear
and tri-linear MIP-mapping, specular highlights, fast set-up
calculations, full scene antialiasing, transparency and depth
cueing. The additional experience of E&S with OpenGL will also
result in significant performance advantages for applications
using the OpenGL library from E&S.
According to Ian Reid, Vice-President of Marketing at Advanced
Visual Systems, "Freedom Graphics offers a new level of capability
for the PC user and AVS/Express allows any PC developer to take
immediate advantage of features such as hardware texture-mapping
and transparency. It's the ideal combination."
Freedom Graphics performance under Windows/NT and OpenGL is
300,000 triangles/second. The card will list price at US$2450 with
second quarter availability through OEMs and VARs. Freedom
Graphics was first shown at Fall Comdex '94 in Las Vegas.
The significance of Freedom Graphics lies in its delivery of a
graphics feature set at unsurpassed performance levels. Advanced
features such as texture mapping are still unavailable from any
other vendor for under US$10,000. Freedom Graphics also provides
performance not yet seen in the 3D PC graphics market. Nearest
competitors for performance provide minimal feature sets and are
only available at much higher prices.
Evans & Sutherland is a leader in advanced 3D graphics and
visualization systems for science, industry, education, and
entertainment. The Graphics Systems Division provides graphics
hardware and software solutions that are sold and supported by
DEC, HP, IBM, and Sun Microsystems. Evans & Sutherland was founded
in 1968 and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Freedom Graphics, and Freedom Series are trademarks of Evans &
Sutherland. OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics,
Inc. All other trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks
of their respective holders.
Freedom Graphics(tm) for the Personal Computer
High-Speed Realism from Evans & Sutherland
Evans & Sutherland pioneered the computer graphics industry over 25 years
ago. Since then our graphics know-how has been engineered into everything
from multi-million dollar flight simulators to high-end graphics
accelerators for workstations. Now, the same technology used in those
high-end workstations is available for the personal computer with Freedom
Graphics. Freedom Graphics is a 3D graphics card that delivers
high-performance, workstation-class 3D graphics for your Windows NT
applications. Freedom Graphics is a masterful implementation of the
specialized features that 3D graphics applications require for smooth, fast
execution. Users will be impressed by the realistic images they can produce
with the well-crafted feature set.
Freedom Graphic Advantages
* Real time 3D graphics rendering and animation
* 24 bit texture acceleration
* Perspective acceleration of colors & textures
* Bi-linear & tri-linear MIP-mapping
* Color modulation
* Fast set-up calculations
* Antialiased vectors and polygons
* High resolution support
* Programmable antialiasing filter
* Hardware window clipping
* Transparency & Depth cueing
* Hardware cursor support
* Line-slope intensity correction
Software Programming Environment
Freedom Graphics supports the OpenGL(tm) software application programming
interface and was designed to accelerate OpenGL in the personal computing
environment."
FROM THE SPEC SHEET:
Technical Specifications
* 3D Graphics Engine by Evans & Sutherland
* Display Memory - 4MByte of VRAM
* Z buffer Memory - 4MByte of DRAM
* Texture Memory (optional)
* 1, 4 or 16 MByte user installable SIMM 3D Resolutions (1280x1024,
1024x768, 800x600, 640x480)
* Display Colors - 8, 12, 24 bit color support
* Maximum Vertical Refresh Rates of 72Hz non-interlaced at all supported
resolutions
* PCI local bus
* Physical dimensions 12.28" Length x 4.2" Height (PCI Full Length
Compliant)
* CPU Support: Power PC, MIPS, Pentium
Software Support - 2D/3D Drivers
* Windows NT 3.5, OpenGL, DDI (Windows95/OpenGL when available)
Monitor
Video timing supports any monitor capable of displaying the listed
resolutions in non-interlaced mode. 15 pin D-shell VGA connector
Availability
The Freedom Graphics product will be initially sold through OEM's and
Value-Added Resellers, who will be announced along with the product. The
product will be available on the product announcement date.
Freedom Graphics is a trademark of Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation.
OpenGL is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics Inc. All other products
are trademarks of their respective companies.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jennifer Hughes
Evans & Sutherland
[email protected]
Phone: 1-800-367-7460
Facsimile: (801) 582-0524
[return to index]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B04) Matrox Impression Plus
FROM THE SPEC SHEET:
Windows Features:
* 40 million Winmarks
* 175 MHz DAC or optional 220 MHz DAC
* 1600 x 1200 in 256 and 65K colors
* 1280 x 1024 in 16.7m colors
* 110 Hz refresh at 1280 x 1024 resolution
* 120 Hz refresh at 1024 x 768 resolution
* Windows resolution and colours: (* requires 4Mb WRAM)
o 1600 x 1200 256, 65k*
o 1280 x 1024 256, 65k*, 16.7m*
o 1152 x 882 256, 65k, 16.7m*
o 1024 x 768 256, 65k, 16.7m*
o 800 x 600 256, 65k, 16.7m
o 640 x 480 256, 65k, 16.7m
Multimedia Features:
* Microsoft DCI software video acceleration (Indeo, Cinepak, Video for
Windows)
* 24 frames per second playback
MGA Video XL Upgrade Module: (Q1 95)
* Support for VESA Media Channel (VM Channel) video expansion standard
and PowerPlay64
* 32 bit connector for increased video datapath (100 Mb/second)
* Accepts up to 15 video peripherals
* Support for multiple live video windows
* VideoLogic PowerPlay64 add-on module for smooth, video playback at 1280
x 1024 at 30 frames/second
* resolution scaling using Pixel Interpolation
* color space conversion from YUV to RGB
Real-Time 2D and 3D Features:
* Accelerated 3D Gouraud shaed displays at 1152 x 882 in 65K colors, and
800x600 in 16.7 m colors
* 150,000 Gouraud shaded polygons per second
* Accelerated double buffering and z-buffering
* Support for industry standard 3D API's : 3DR, OpenGL, HOOP's and VAGI
* DynaView 2D and 3D Drivers for AutoCAD and Microstation under Windows
and DOS
* Realtime 3D Wireframe Resolutions and Color Depths: (*requires 4Mb
WRAM)
o 1600 x 1200 256*
o 1280 x 1024 256*
o 1152 x 882 256, 65k*
o 1024 x 768 256, 65k*
o 800 x 600 256, 65k, 16.7m*
o 640 x 480 256, 65k, 16.7m*
* Realtime 3D Gouraud Shaded Resolutions and Color Depths: (*requires 4Mb
WRAM)
o 1600 x 1200
o 1280 x 1024
o 1152 x 882 256*
o 1024 x 768 256*
o 800 x 600 256, 65k*
o 640 x 480 256, 65k*
Models Available:
MGA-IMP+/P: PCI Bus
2 Mb WRAM upgradable to 4 Mb
1600 x 1200 in 256 colors
800 x 600 in 16.7m colors
VM Channel upgradable
MGA-IMP+/V: VL Bus
2 Mb WRAM upgradable to 4 Mb
1600 x 1200 in 256 colors
800 x 600 in 16.7m colors
VM Channel upgradable
MGA-IMP+/A: AT Bus
2 Mb WRAM upgradable to 4 Mb
1600 x 1200 in 256 colors
800 x 600 in 16.7m colors
VM Channel upgradable
MGA-IMP+/P/220: PCI Bus
2 Mb WRAM upgradable to 4 Mb
220 MHz DAC for 85Hz @1600x1200
Other specifications same as MGA-IMP+/P
MGA-IMP+/V/220: VL Bus
2 Mb WRAM upgradable to 4 Mb
220 MHz DAC for 85Hz @1600x1200
Other specifications same as MGA-IMP+/V
MGA-IMP+/A/220: AT Bus
2 Mb WRAM upgradable to 4 Mb
220 MHz DAC for 85Hz @1600x1200
Other specifications same as MGA-IMP+/A
MGA-MOD/2Mb/1 2Mb upgrade for MGA Impression Plus
1600x1200 in 256 and 65K colors
1280x1024 in 16.7m colors
MGA-MOD/VMC VideoLogic PowerPlay64 video accelerator chip
1280 x 1024 at 30 frames per second
MGA-MOD/VMC/2MB 2 Mb upgrade for MGA Impression Plus and VideoLogic
PowerPlay64 video accelerator chip for 1280 x 1024 at 30 frames per second.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Telephone 1-800-361-1408
Matrox Graphics Inc.
1055 St Regis Blvd
Dorval, Quebec
Canada H9P 2T4
Telephone: 514.685.2630
Facsimile: 514.685.2853
COMMENT: From Chris Hinch (
[email protected]):
I heard comments on comp.sys.opengl that, at the moment, the
Impression Plus doesn't have "true" OpenGL support under Windows
NT. I don't know if this is correct or not.
From Blair MacIntyre:
This is partially true. Someone from Microsoft posted saying that
NT 3.51 will include the appropriate driver for OpenGL for this
card.
[return to index]
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B05) Oki TrianGL
More information on Oki and their products can be found on their web page
(www.oki.com) or by sending email to
[email protected]
The information here was extracted from the page
http://www.oki.com/products/TrianGL.html
Oki's TrianGL is aimed at 3D applications using the OpenGL graphics API.
At the heart of the TrianGL is a custom, high-performance rendering ASIC--a
drawing engine which provides both 2D and 3D acceleration. The chip
interfaces directly to multiple banks of video RAM via a 80-bit data bus,
boosting overall drawing performance.
The four banks of VRAM, 10 MBytes in all, each operate independently to
maximize the performance efficiency of the rendering ASIC. For many drawing
primitives, all the banks can operate in parallel. However, for certain
primitives, such as vector drawing or triangle drawing, address and color
values are sent from the ASIC to the appropriate memory banks in a
pipelined, serial fashion. TrianGL's use of triangle drawing primitives
gives the board a major performance advantage over other products which use
simpler span primitives.
Two separate RGB buffers allow true hardware double buffering for smooth,
artifact-free animation. An independent 24-bit Z buffer is dedicated for
hidden surface removal during 3D object rendering. And finally, eight
utility planes support board-specific video options such as overlays, window
types and RGB double buffering. In order to support VGA compatibility, a
VESA standard VGA passthrough interface is included on the board.
Accelerated Drawing Operations
* Solid Rectangle Fill - 266 M pixels/second
* Pattern Rectangle Fill - 66 M pixels/second (8-bit), 33 M pixels/second
(24-bit)
* Screen to Screen Copy - 33 M pixels/second (8-bit), 16 M pixels/second
(24-bit)
* Raster Operations - 33 M pixels/second
* Line (2D) - 33 M pixels/second, 1.4 M 10-pixel lines/ second, random
orientation
* Triangles (3D Gouraud shaded) - 22 M pixels/second, 250K 50-pixel
triangles/second, random orientation
TrianGL Features
* Enables Workstation-class 3D performance on PCs
* Accelerates OpenGL API compatible graphics under Windows NT for 2-D and
3D applications
* Allows fully configured 3D systems for under US$10,000 (TrianGL pricing
has not been set, but it should be around US$2500)
* True 24-bit graphics
* Fully double-buffered 24-bit VRAM buffers
* 24-bit hardware Z-buffer
* 8 bits of hardware utility planes
* Large 8 kbyte FIFO allows independent host operation
* Fast internal RAM for storing patterns,line styles, and intermediate
data
* 64 x 64 hardware cursor
* Host to Screen Copy
* Screen to Host Copy
* Color Expansion
* Color Interpolation
* Linear Frame Buffer Support
Specifications
* Dimensions - Full-length VLbus/ISA board 13.5" length x 5" height
* Power Dissipation - 15 Watts typical (20 Watts maximum)
* Bus Interface - VESA VLbus Local Bus Standard, Rev. 1.1 Local Bus
Target, 32-bit data path
* VGA Support - VESA Standard VGA passthrough
* Monitor Support - Software-programmable 1024 x 768, non-interlaced,
vertical refresh rates from 60 to 76 Hz
* Frame Buffers - Two 24-bit, 1024 x 768 RGB
* ZBuffer - 24-bit, 1024 x 768
* Memory - 10 Mbytes VRAM, 512 bytes internal RAM
* FIFO - 8k x 32-bit for graphics commands and data
Software Support
Oki supports TrianGL on PC and RISC PC platforms with host software drivers
for Windows NT 3.5. OpenGL and DDI support are available for Intel and Mips
platforms. Other popular APIs, including AutoCAD, will be supported in
future software releases.
Look for future TrianGL versions with higher resolution, and a PCI bus
interface.
[return to index]
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B06) Intergraph GLZ Series
The GLZ series accelerates OpenGL[tm] graphics on Intergraph Computer
Systems' TDZ workstations. GLZs let you manipulate Gouraud-shaded 3D models
by adding realistic effects such as lighting, translucency, and textured
surfaces; and performing spectacular flythroughs, walkthroughs, and
animations -- all in real time, at high resolutions, and in true color.
By performing shading and geometry operations in dedicated hardware, GLZs
ease the load on the TDZ's Pentium[tm] processor(s) and cut down traffic on
the PCI bus, which results in dramatic improvements in graphics performance.
The GLZ family supports Intergraph's 17- and 21-inch multi-sync monitors and
21- and 27-inch InterVue monitors at resolutions up to 1,600 x 1,280 pixels.
The GLZs support dual screens and are ready for stereoscopic display on any
stereo-ready monitor. (LCD shutter glasses and emitter modules are required
and are available from Intergraph Computer Systems.)
The GLZ family offers a selection of 34, 24, or 12 megabytes of VRAM. 24
megabytes of VRAM supports resolutions up to 1,600 x 1,280 with 16.8 million
colors (true color). 12 megabytes of VRAM suppots true color at a maximum
resolution of 1,152 x 854. 34 megabytes of VRAM supports a 32-bit Z buffer,
double-buffered true color, and display capabilities such as translucency
and overlay at resolutions up to 1,600 x 1,280.
Intergraph Computer Systems offers six different GLZ configurations.
GLZ6
The top of our 3D graphics accelerator line -- offers shading acceleration,
geometry acceleration, and texture-processing for fast, real-time rendering
of complex and detailed designs.
Product highlights
* 34 MB of high-speed VRAM for 126 bit planes of video memory at all
display resolutions, providing:
o 24-bit, double-buffered image planes
o 32-bit Z buffer
o 8-bit, double-buffered
o 8-bit alpha buffer
o Other planes for additional features and further acceleration
* Texture processing fully supported in hardware with 8 megatextels of
texture memory (32 MB of DRAM) for full trilinear interpolation of
mip-mapped images
* Geometry acceleration to speed up lighting and transforms
* Support for the OpenGL industry-standard graphics library
* Full hardware support for Gouraud and flat shading of 3D triangle
meshes
* Anti-aliased vector support to eliminate anomalies of standard raster
displays
* Industry-standard PCI bus interface with high-speed DMA engine
* Genlock support for dual screens, eliminating the visual beat frequency
effect that can occur when two monitors are placed close together
* Support for Intergraph Computer Systems' 21- and 27-inch InterVue
monitors and 17- and 21-inch multi-sync monitors
* Stereo-ready display for 3D viewing, which enhances cartographic
applications and design visualization
* Multiple video resolution support for resolutions ranging from 640 x
480 pixels to 1,600 x 1,280 pixels
* Eight hardware color tables, allowing multiple windows to
simultaneously display using independent color palettes for
instantaneous color refinement in demanding imaging applications (see
p.11)
* 10-bit gamma correction using state-of-the-art, 10-bit
digital-to-analog converters, enabling user control of gamma values
with no loss of color resolution
GLZ5
Our GLZ5 offers the same high-performance shading and geometry acceleration
as does GLZ6. With 12 MB of VRAM, GLZ5 supports resolutions up to 1,152 x
864. Two megatexels (8 megabytes of texture memory) provide more than enough
texture storage for adding patterns to furniture, waves to water, or trees
to parks and forests.
GLZ5's low price may even tempt you to invest in dual screens and LCD
shutter glasses for a stereoscopic adventure into virtual reality!
Product highlights (same as the GLZ6, except where noted)
* 12 MB of high-speed VRAM for 92 bit planes of video memory at
resolutions up to 1,152 x 864, providing:
o 24-bit, double-buffered image planes
o 24-bit Z buffer
o 1-bit, double-buffered overlay
o Other planes for additional features and further acceleration
* Texture processing fully supported in hardware with 2 megatextels of
texture memory (8 MB of DRAM) for full trilinear interpolation of
mip-mapped images
* Support for Intergraph Computer Systems' 17- and 21-inch multi-sync
monitors
* Multiple video resolution support for resolutions ranging from 640 x
480 pixels to 1,152 x 864
GLZ4 and GLZ3
GLZ4 and GLZ3 support both shading and geometry acceleration. If you need
fast, accurate rendering of complex solid models but don't normally require
realtime texture processing for photorealism, GLZ4 (24 MB of VRAM) or GLZ3
(12 MB of VRAM) will give you performance that more than meets your
expectations. Don't worry if you occasionally need to render a textured
image. Thanks to OpenGL, texture processing is fully supported in software.
Product highlights
* 24 MB (GLZ4) of high-speed VRAM for 92 bit planes of video memory at
all display resolutions, providing:
o 24-bit, double-buffered image planes
o 24-bit Z buffer
o 1-bit, double-buffered overlay
o Other planes for additional features and further acceleration
* 12 MB (GLZ3) of high-speed VRAM for 92 bit planes of video memory at
resolutions up to 1,152 x 864, providing:
o 24-bit, double-buffered image planes
o 24-bit Z buffer
o 1-bit, double-buffered overlay
o Other planes for additional features and further acceleration
* Geometry acceleration to speed up lighting and transforms
* Support for the OpenGL industry-standard graphics library
* Full hardware support for Gouraud and flat shading of 3D triangle
meshes
* Anti-aliased vector support
* Industry-standard PCI bus interface with high-speed DMA engine
* Genlock support for dual screens
* Support for the following Intergraph Computer Systems' monitors: 17-
and 21-inch multi-sync monitors (GLZ3 and GLZ4) 21- and 27-inch
InterVue monitors (GLZ4)
* Stereo-ready display for 3D viewing
* Multiple video resolution support for resolutions ranging from 640 x
480 to 1,600 x 1,280 pixels (GLZ4)
* Multiple video resolution support for resolutions ranging from 640 x
480 to 1,152 x 864 pixels (GLZ3)
* Eight hardware color tables, allowing multiple windows to
simultaneously display using independent color palettes
* 10-bit gamma correction
GLZ2 and GLZ1
Product highlights
* 24 MB (GLZ2) of high-speed VRAM for 92 bit planes of video memory at
all display resolutions, providing:
o 24-bit, double-buffered image planes
o 24-bit Z buffer
o 1-bit, double-buffered overlay
o Other planes for additional features and further acceleration
* 12 MB (GLZ1) of high-speed VRAM for 92 bit planes of video memory at
resolutions up to 1,152 x 864, providing:
o 24-bit, double-buffered image planes
o 24-bit Z buffer
o 1-bit, double-buffered overlay
o Other planes for additional features and further acceleration
* Support for the OpenGL industry-standard graphics library
* Full hardware support for Gouraud and flat shading of 3D triangle
meshes
* Anti-aliased vector support
* Industry-standard PCI bus interface with high-speed DMA engine
* Genlock support for dual screens
* Support for the following Intergraph Computer Systems' monitors:
o 17- and 21-inch multi-sync monitors (GLZ1 and GLZ2)
o 21- and 27-inch InterVue monitors (GLZ2)
* Stereo-ready display for 3D viewing
* Multiple video resolution support for resolutions ranging from 640 x
480 to 1,600 x 1,280 pixels (GLZ2)
* Multiple video resolution support for resolutions ranging from 640 x
480 to 1,152 x 864 pixels (GLZ1)
* Eight hardware color tables, allowing multiple windows to
simultaneously display using independent color palettes
* 10-bit gamma correction
GLZ1T
This card has the same features as the GLZ1 card, accept that it adds 8 MB
of texture memory and supports hardware processing like the GLZ5 and GLZ6.
GLZ configurations at a glance
GLZ Hardware Hardware Hardware Texture Frame Max
model rendering geometry texture DRAM buffer resolution
accel accel processing VRAM (in pixels)
GLZ6 Yes Yes Yes 32 MB 34 MB 1,600 x 1,280
(8 megatexels)
GLZ5 Yes Yes Yes 8 MB 12 MB 1,152 x 864
(2 megatexels)
GLZ4 Yes Yes No No 24 MB 1,600 x 1,280
GLZ3 Yes Yes No No 12 MB 1,152 x 864
GLZ2 Yes No No No 24 MB 1,600 x 1,280
GLZ1T Yes No Yes 8 MB 12 MB 1,152 x 864
(2 megatexels)
GLZ1 Yes No No No 12 MB 1,152 x 864
Performance specifications for GLZ2, GLZ4, and GLZ6
The following table summarizes hardware performance for GLZs supporting
resolutions up to 1,600 x 1,280 (GLZ2, GLZ4, and GLZ6) on Intergraph
Computer Systems' 21- and 27-inch InterVue monitors and 17- and 21-inch
multi-sync monitors.
3D graphics performance*
3D requests (with Z buffering) Performance
Triangle, 50-pixel, Gouraud shaded 450,000 triangles/second
Triangle, 25-pixel, Gouraud shaded 515,000 triangles/second
Vector, 10-pixel, solid color 1,150,000 vectors/second
Vector, 10-pixel, Gouraud shaded 1,000,000 vectors/second
Vector, 10-pixel, antialiased 550,000 vectors/second
Texturing performance (GLZ6)*
Textured areas, 512 x 512 (trilinear 15 megatexels/second
interpolated, mip-mapped)
2D graphics performance*
2D requests Performance
Vector, 10-pixel, solid color 1,450,000 vectors/second
Vector, 10-pixel, antialiased 550,000 vectors/second
Blit: screen to screen, 64 Bit 26 megapixels/second
(R,G,B,A,Z)
Fills 400 megapixels/second
Text, 9 x 13 240,000 characters/second
*These performance numbers are the maximum hardware rate. Actual
system performance depends on host processor speed and application.
Performance specifications for GLZ1, GLZ1T, GLZ3, and GLZ5
The following table summarizes hardware performance for GLZs supporting
resolutions up to 1,152 x 864 on Intergraph Computer Systems' 17- and
21-inch multi-sync monitors.
3D graphics performance*
3D requests (with Z buffering) Performance
Triangle, 50-pixel, Gouraud shaded 230,000 triangles/second
Triangle, 25-pixel, Gouraud shaded 425,000 triangles/second
Vector, 10-pixel, solid color 800,000 vectors/second
Vector, 10-pixel, Gouraud shaded 800,000 vectors/second
Vector, 10-pixel, antialiased 285,000 vectors/second
Texturing performance (GLZ1T, GLZ5)*
Textured areas, 512 x 512 (trilinear 15 megatexels/second
interpolated, mip-mapped)
2D graphics performance*
2D requests Performance
Vector, 10-pixel, solid color 1,150,000 vectors/second
Vector, 10-pixel, antialiased 285,000 vectors/second
Blit: screen to screen, 64 Bit 13 megapixels/second
(R,G,B,A,Z)
Fills 200 megapixels/second
Text, 9 x 13 190,000 characters/second
* These performance numbers are the maximum hardware rate. Actual
system performance depends on host processor speed and application.
Display support
GLZ2, GLZ4, and GLZ6 support Intergraph Computer Systems' 21- and 27-inch
InterVue monitors and our 17- and 21-inch multi-sync monitors at resolutions
up to 1,600 x 1,280 pixels. The following table indicates the currently
supported screen resolutions in full 24-bit, true-color, double-buffered
mode.
Resolutions Colors Maximum
supported supported refresh
16.8 M rates
1,600 x 1,280 X 76 Hz
1,600 x 1,200 X 81 Hz
1,280 x 1,024 X 94 Hz
1,280 x 960 X 100 Hz
1,152 x 864 X 85 Hz
1,024 x 768 X 122 Hz
800 x 600 X 153 Hz
640 x 480 X 186 Hz
GLZ1, GLZ1T, GLZ3, and GLZ5 support Intergraph Computer Systems' 17- and
21-inch multi-sync monitors at resolutions up to 1,152 x 864. The following
table indicates the currently supported screen resolutions in full 24-bit,
true-color, double-buffered mode.
Resolutions Colors Maximum
supported supported refresh
6.8 M rates
1,152 x 864 X 72 Hz
1,024 x 768 X 85 Hz
800 x 600 X 85 Hz
640 x 480 X 85 Hz
For more information or the number of a sales representative or Intergraph
Computer Center near you, call:
U.S. and Canada : 800-763-0242
Asia-Pacific : 852-2893-3621
Europe : 31-2503-66576
Middle East : 971-4-367555
Other areas : 1-205-730-5441
Or reach us on the Internet at
http://www.intergraph.com.
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B07) Division's VPX Image Generator and ProVision Systems
Division's VPX image generator board in an extended EISA board which offers
up to 300,000 fully texture-mapped, z-buffered polygons per second, with
screen-fill performance of more than 997 megapixels per second. The VPX
board can render a single image (or a stereo image on the VPX-Stereo version
only) in NTSC composite or Y/C video, or field-sequential RGB formats.
The VPX is available as an OEM PC card, for integration into the OEM's own
PC platforms, or as a fully-configured development platform.
The ProVision Merlin development platform for the VPX card includes a
high-performance Pentium(R) processor, one, two, or three VPX graphics
cards, standard MS-DOS PC I/O, and software development tools. The ProVision
Merlin is a complete solution for manufacturers who want to immediately
start development.
The VPX board is also available in Division's ProVision 10 immersive virtual
reality accelerator for the HP 700 range of UNIX workstations, or in
Division's ProVision 100 fully-integrated virtual reality workstation, which
includes an HMD, tracker, 3D audio, and all software required to create
complex virtual environments without programming.
A key feature of the VPX board is the outstanding pixel fill-rate needed to
fill the large numbers of textured polygons required for visually-realistic,
real-time applications. The VPX board has been developed from the outset for
high-end simulation and entertainment applications, and is capable of a
sustained 20-30Hz frame-rate with very rich visual content and 3D depth. The
VPX is based on the University of North Carolina's patented Pixel-Planes
(tm) massively parallel image generator technology.
PRICING
ProVision Merlin - PC/DOS based graphics System, Pentium Option
* PVMVPX1-PM: US$19,400
The ProVision Merlin is an advanced virtual reality, simulation, or
entertainment computer system with the VPX Pixel-Planes(tm) graphics. This
66 MHz Intel(R) Pentium(R) PC includes a compact, rugged, industrial-class
chassis, 300 watt power supply, 4 available EISA slots, a keyboard, mouse,
16Mbytes RAM, 500Mbyte Disk, 14" color monitor, MS DOS, MS Windows, and a
VPX-Mono image generator board. The ProVision Merlin supports mono head
mounted displays and NTSC video monitors. The graphics system includes
Division's dPL graphics runtime library for the VPX. One VPX-Mono image
generator is included in this system.
* VPX-Mono image generator board DBE0150-M: US$14,900
(For OEM sales only. Requires upgraded power supply and cooling in host
PC.)
* VPX-Stereo image generator board DBE0150-S: US$21,450
(For OEM sales only. Requires upgraded power supply and cooling in host
PC.)
The ProVision Merlin is also available in configurations with two or three
VPX image generator boards, thus achieving up to six simultaneous
out-the-window displays and 900,000 fully photo-textured, z-buffered
polygons per second.
For more information, contact:
Pierre duPont
[email protected]
Marketing Director, Division Limited
19 Apex Court, Woodlands, Bristol UK BS12 4JT
phone: +44 1454 615554
fax: +44 1454 615532
They also have a web page at
http://www.division.com.
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B08) Reality Simulation Systems Little Squirt
They had an experimental WWW server running, but it has been down.
The URL is
http://www.simsys.com/
You can get more info about the company by
1) finger @simsys.com
2) mail
[email protected]
For more information, contact:
Reality Simulation Systems, Inc.
1223 Peoples Ave.
Troy, NY 12180
Phone: 518.276.3073
Fax: 518.276.6380
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B09) Western Digital Tasmania 3D
The information I currently have is from the press release on Western
Digital's home page:
http://www.wdc.com/
The actual press release is at:
http://www.wdc.com/new/releases/950918-2.html
The board is aimed at 3D gaming and is available for either PCI- or VL-based
systems.
It has an estimated selling price of $250.
It renders high-resolution three dimensional games with detailed textures at
realistic frame rates on mainstream PCs. Its 640 by 480 resolution redefines
state-of-the-art for 3D games, quadrupling the current 320 by 200 resolution
of most software-based 3D games.
The board comes with two popular high-resolution action games, immediately
sending users into the next dimension of computing.
The design and implementation of Tasmania 3D allows it to co-exist with any
2D graphics accelerator. Users don't have to invest in any additional
hardware to play their 3D games. Tasmania 3D gives users the excitement of
3D without impacting the performance of their existing 2D graphics card.
Tasmania 3D incorporates the Yamaha YGV612 Rendering Polygon Accelerator. It
provides hardware texture mapping for the highest quality of detail, without
sacrificing performance. It also features gouraud shading for smooth,
realistic contours and Z-buffering for hidden surface removal, giving gamers
the ultimate playing experience.
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B10) Dynamic Pictures V192
The information I currently have is from Leo Merta at Dynamic Pictures, Inc.
For more information, contact Dinesh Sharma at:
Dinesh Sharma (
[email protected])
Dynamic Pictures, Inc.
5225 Betsy Ross Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95054-1102
Phone: 408 327-9000
The V192 3D Graphics Accelerator card is the first product in a new
generation of workstation-performance Peripheral Component Interconnect
(PCI) graphics acceleration cards for the PC Windows 95/Windows NT desktop
market.
Dynamic Pictures was recently responsible for developing the ZLXp-L1 and
ZLXp-L2 graphics accelerators for the Alpha AXP workstations from Digital
Equipment Corporation. The V192 accelerator card is an almost identical
product to the ZLXp-L1.
Features
* 1280x1024 24-bit Z buffer
* 1280x1024 24-bit double buffer
* 16 MB of high-speed VRAM
* On-board VGA
* Gouraud shading
* Overlays and Window ID planes
* 8-bit alpha buffer
* 4-bit stencil buffer
* Accumulation buffer
* Atmospheric effects (i.e. fog, smoke)
* Anti-aliasing - points, lines, polygons, and full scenes
* Alpha blending
* Transparency
* Scissor and stipple masking
* Stereo Display
Performance
* The V192 has application-level graphics performance comparable to SGI's
Indigo2/Extreme and the HP Visualizer 24 at a fraction of the price.
* 200K 3D triangles per second (50 pixels, smooth shaded mesh,
Z-buffered)
* 1.4 million 3D vectors per second
Software Compatibility
* 100% OpenGL compliant - The V192 3D Graphics Accelerator card comes
with OpenGL drivers developed by the industry leaders in OpenGL driver
development. Drivers are available for Pentium, MIPS, Alpha AXP and
Power PC based systems.
* Seamless integration with Windows NT 3.5 or greater.
System Hardware Requirements
* PCI-based processor (Pentium, MIPS, Alpha AXP or Power PC).
* One available PCI bus-master slot for the V192 card.
* Support for on-board VGA, no additional VGA card is required.
Availability
* The V192 3D Graphics Accelerator is available through selected OEM
partners. Please contact Dynamic Pictures for more information.
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B11) Matrox Millenium
This information was obtained from Matrox's WWW server at
http://www.matrox.com/
The Matrox Millenium is consistently reviewed as one of the best 2D graphics
cards currently available, with features including
* World's highest performance at 61 million Winmarks
* Dual ported Window RAM (WRAM) memory technology
* Optimized PCI Local Bus Design
* Resolutions up to 1600 x 1200 in 256, 65K and 16.7M Colors
* 220 Hz flicker-free screen refresh
* Base versions available with 2 or 4 MB of Window RAM
* Upgradeable to 4 or 8 MB of Window RAM
* Hardware accelerated color space conversion and video upscaling to
accelerate MPEG and AVI full screen playback.
The 3D features include
* Gouraud shading
* double buffering
* 16-bit Z-buffering
* renders 190,000 Gouraud shaded polygons per second
* display drivers for Windows {3.1, 3.11, '95, NT 3.5}, OS/2 2.1, Warp
3.0, AutoCAD 12 and 13 for DOS and Windows, Microstation 5.0, VESA 2.0
(up to 1280 x 1024)
* Support for standard 3D APIs including Silicon Graphics OpenGL,
Microsoft Reality Lab, Intel 3DR, and Criterion RenderWare
Specifications Summary and Ordering Information
Windows Resolutions With 3D
and Colors Gouraud
Shading
Resolutions Colors Resolutions Colors
1600 x 1200 256, 65K*,16.7M** 1600 x 1200 256**
1280 x 1024 256, 65K* 16.7M* 1280 x 1024 256*, 65K**
1152 x 882 256, 65K, 16.7M* 1152 x 882 256,* 65K**
1024 x 768 256, 65K, 16.7M* 1024 x 768 256*,
65K**,16.7M**
800 x 600 256, 65K, 16.7M 800 x 600 256, 65K*,
16.7M**
640 x 480 256, 65K, 16.7M 640 x 480 256, 65K*,
16.7M**
*Requires 4 MB of **Requires 8 MB of
Window RAM. Window RAM
All 3D modes are
double buffered with
16-bit Z-buffer
Refresh Rates
Resolution V. Frequency H. Frequency
1600 x 1200 60 - 85 Hz 76 - 96 KHz
1280 x 1024 60 - 110 Hz 63 - 107 KHz
1152 x 882 60 - 120 Hz 54 - 110 KHz
1024 x 768 60 - 120 Hz 48 - 104 KHz
800 x 600 60 - 200 Hz 37 - 100 KHz
640 x 480 60 - 200 Hz 32 - 100 KHz
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B12) APD Free Dimension
This information was received from Victor Silveira (
[email protected]).
The APD Free Dimension is a PCI Bus 3D Graphics Board, ideally suited for
Virtual Reality, Simulation, and Entertainment. The "Free Dimension" Board
is designed and manufactured by APD, and it is marketed in Europe by APD,
and marketed in the US by SILVEIRA Corporation.
The Free Dimension Board ("FDB") is designed to provide on a PC or Macintosh
the same performance as those of a higher end more expensive workstation
(such as Silicon Graphics, or SUN, etc.), but for a fraction of the price.
The FDB provides true texture mapping and simultaneous Gouraud Shading, so
that the user may experience WorkStation Class 3D on a PC/Mac environment.
Real Time Graphics Applications are possible for Virtual Reality (VR) and
Simulation applications. FDB incorporates GUL (Graphics Ultra Light),a
Library Optimized for Real Time Graphics, that takes advantage of the
underlying hardware (GUL works with Studio and SoftImage).
Hardware Features
* True color double frame-buffer and Z-buffer
* TRUE Hardware supported texture mapping and Gouraud Shading (not just
acceleration)
* perspective correction
* 2D-overlay + 3D + 2D underlay
* multiple 3D windowing control
* frame rate regulation
* stereoscopic output at full resolution
* plug and play single slot PCI Bus
* ... and more.
Technical characteristics
* Rendering speed.
o Textured mapping and/or Gouraud shading at 20 million
pixels/second rate.
o 320 k textured and / or shared polygons / sec.
o Per polygon basis selection of the hardware coloring method
(texturing, and / or shading).
* Hardware perspective correction of textured polygons.
* Frame Buffer
o 8 MB of RAM
o four, 32 bits wide frame buffers at full-resolution for double
buffering + double camera (stereoscopic camera).
o no redraws visible
o artifact free image sequencing (buffer - switching synchronized
with vertical retrace signal)
o 24 color bits / pixel
o hardware flash erase function
o full initialization of the framebuffer in less than 77 micro
seconds.
* Z Buffer
o 16 bits wide Z Buffer
o Hardware flash erase function
o full initialization of the frame - buffer in less than 77
microseconds.
* Shading
o Three independent color interpolators
o Software definable reflection coefficients.
* Colors
o True 3D information (24 bits per pixel)
o 8 transparency levels applicable of each polygon
o 2D VGA information transparently converted to 24 bits using a
color palette.
* Resolution. Maximum 3D window size, with true color and stereo (for
each eye) is:
o 800 x 512 pixels in an 800 x 600 screen
o 640 x 480 full screen
* Stereoscopic output
o Jack output ready for standard CrystalEyes shutter glasses emitter
o 120 Hz stereo (60 Hz each eye interleaved) video output for
multisync monitor (no video synch doubler needed)
o Each eye at full resolution (800 x 512) + double buffering + true
color.
* Texture Mapping
o True hardware texture mapping at 20 Million pixels / second rate
o texture map coordinates are perspective corrected )no distortion
in the resulting image)
o textured polygons can be simultaneously lighted, at 20 Million
pixels per second rate
o texture colors corrected by hardware according to the lighting
level of each pixel
o 1 MByte texture Memory; 8 Bit wide texture maps
o 32 simultaneously definable 8 - bits palettes, of 16 million
colors
o each texture map can be dynamically associated with any of the 32
available palettes
o one of the 256 indexes of the palettes can be defined as
transparency color
o arbitrary complex shapes can be drawn in the scene using
self-orienting bitmaps
o hardware texture wrapping function (so that a repeating pattern
can be applied to a polygon)
o maximum texture size for automatic wrapping textures is 128 x 128
texels
o hardware bit mapping support for each texture map.
* Object Selection
o a 7 bit wide identification can be associated with each object
o it is stored in the frame buffer for each pixel belonging to the
object
o Point-and-select or help functions implementation with minimum
overhead
o Object tagging can be individually enabled or disabled for each
primitive
o hardware access to tagging information
o tag value returned in less than 16 msecs.
* Overlay and Underlay
o 2D images, full - motion digital video and textual information can
be freely mixed with the 3D scene
o Information from the VGA mixed with the 3D information through the
feature connector. Four Modes available to control 2D and 3D
information mixing as follows: a) pass through mode. b) 3D only
mode, c) underlay mode, d) overlay + underlay mode.
* Multiple 3D Windowing Control. 3D Rendering on multiple windows that
can be freely moved and re-sized within the screen.
* Frame Rate Regulation
o Synchronous or asynchronous image sequencing
o Erasing of frame-buffer and Z Buffer automatically performed after
each buffer switching
o Horizontal re-trace counter available in all modes
o Four different synchronization modes available: Fully Synchronous,
Normal Synchronous, Asynchronous, Software synchronization.
* System requirements. A PC pr PowerMac with a CPU running at 90MHz or
above, 16 MBytes of RAM, SVGA with a standard feature connector, 1 PCI
free slot, and Windows 95, Windows NT, MS DOS 6.2, or System 7.5.
The APD 3D PCI accelerator Board manufactured by APB scheduled for release
during February 1996 in the $4,500 range.
Contact Information:
You may contact Sales, Marketing and Technical support at the following
addresses:
APD
Attention Luis Pedro Marzan, Vice President
Madrid, Spain
Telephone: (34) (1) 798 5626
Fax: (34) (1) 797 7897
EMail:
[email protected].
SILVEIRA Corporation
Attention: Mr. Kevin Toler, Manager
Washington DC, USA
Telephone: (202) 686 2230
Fax: (202) 686 2231
EMail: 102511,
[email protected].
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B13) Arcobel Imagine
The following information was provided by Peter Van Ackeren, Technical
Support Engineer at Arcobel (
[email protected]).
Features
* Based on the 60 Mhz Imagine VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) ultra
high speed graphics and image processor
* 8000 MIPS pixel processing speed
* Equipped with 8 MB of VRAM, allowing display sizes up to 1600x1280 in
true colour (32-bit)
* Image size up to 8 Mpixels (e.g. 4K x 2K x 8-bit)
* 24, 16,or 8 bit images can be combined with an 8 or 16 bit overlay
plane
* Supports Microsoft Windows '95 and Windows/NT 3.5 operating systems
* Provides Windows acceleration using optimized downloaded software
* Simultaneous support for Windows acceleration and Imagine native mode
graphics applications
* Multiple boards in one system can be synchronised with one common
signal up to 140 MHz
* Industry standard 32-bit PCI interface Rev.2.1 supports up to 132 MB/s
(master DMA burst transfers)
* Direct memory access capabilities
* Memory & I/O expansion bus (up to 240 Mpixel/s bandwidth)
* Optional broadcast standard video frame grabber (Imagine Capture Board)
Major Application Areas
* 3D-Graphics
* Multi Media Applications
* Broadcast Video Editing and Special Effects
* True Colour Desktop Publishing (DTP)
* Professional Photo Retouching
* Raster Image Processing (RIP)
Board Architecture
* The Imagine PCI-Board uses the 32-bit PCI local bus providing
compatibility with current Intel `486 & Pentium based PC's and PowerPC
MacIntosh systems. Configuration conforms to Plug & Play
specifications.
* The AMCC S5933 PCI Local Bus interface handles all accesses to on-board
locations and provides DMA support between the host memory and the
Imagine FIFO.
* The board has 3 separate memory spaces : up to 8 MB of image memory
(VRAM), 2 or 4 MB of data/texture memory and 256kB of instruction
memory (synchronous SRAM)
* The Texas Instruments TVP3026 Video Interface Palette chip provides
RAMDAC and color key functions plus a hardware cursor
* SVGA pass-through for alternated SVGA and native mode graphics
* On-board Video-In connector supports optional true colour real-time
Imagine Capture Board
Supported Operating Systems & Graphics Standards
* Software drivers for Windows '95 and Windows/NT 3.5
* Windows `95 GDI, 3D-DDI, Intel 3DR, as well as the forthcoming OpenGL
for Windows and directX
* Imagine native development environment available for Windows '95,
Windows/NT 3.5, Solaris 1.0 and Linux
Imagine SDE - The Software Development Environment
* The SDE bundles all software tools to develop Imagine native code
applications and customer specific graphics libraries:
o `GCC' ..... GNU ANSI-C Compiler
o `IMAS' .... Hierarchical Instruction Set Assembler
o `IMLIB' ... Library tool
o `IMLINK' .. Linker / loader
o `IMCOMM' .. Communication tools
o `IMSIM' ... Visual Simulator / Debugger
o `Winbug' .. Console based debugger
* Imagine Native Software Libraries
o `IMCORE' .. Memory management, arithmetic, C initialization, text
display, graphic core and timer functions
o `I1D' ..... Line drawing, bitblits and fonts
o `I2D' ..... 2D graphics image manipulation functions, e.g.
arithmetic, copy, raster, relational, blending, affine
transformation and convolution functions
o `I3D' ..... 3D texture mapped graphics, e.g. vertex based and
rendering functions
o `IMCC' .... Image compression / decompression and conversion
functions
o `IIL/SIV' . Intermediate library providing C-macros for vector
processing and fixed point arithmetic
For more information please: Call: (+31) 73 6444.144
Fax: (+31) 73 6444.150
E-mail:
[email protected]
or write to:
Arcobel Graphics B.V.
P.O. Box 3523 DM `s Hertogenbosch
The Netherlands
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B14) Synthetic Images Reality Blaster
This information was provided by Lee Slater,
[email protected].
Reality Blazer, Model RB-1000PC
The Reality Blazer was created and built for one purpose - to process and
render virtual worlds. Unlike graphics accelerators, the Reality Blazer is
capable of holding an entire virtual world, and then carrying out complex
object oriented simulation completely independent of the host processor.
This leaves the host PC free to perform complex applications and interface
tasks.
FEATURES
* Designed specifically for high performance Industrial Simulation &
Virtual Reality. This is NOT just another graphics accelerator!
* Flexible and scaleable. Use a single board by itself for a monoscopic
environment. Add a second video processor channel for dual display 3-D
stereo. Add optics distortion correction as needed - all right on the
same board!
* Anti-alias processing and NTSC/PAL included!
* Run multiple boards in a single PC - for full speed stereo 3-D,
multiple view perspectives or even totally different scenarios.
* Dynamic texture swap, texture tiling (up to 8x8), rotating textures,
custom bit mapped fonts and 2D texture "stamps", for outrageous special
effects!
* 120Hz StereoGraphics and Sun ZX compatible LCD shutter glass output.
* Optional Optics Distortion Processor allows use of spherical
projections or custom optics distortion.
* Standard NTSC/PAL processors are sync locked with scene processors - no
frame latency!
* Load management, LOD blending and fading.
* Programmable 3D windows and subscreens!
SPECIFICATIONS
* 60,000 continuous polys per second
* 2,000 polys/frame @ 30 FPS update rate
* 60/120Hz video refresh rate (each channel)
* 16 million colors (24-bit) on screen
* Standard 1Mb of subdividable texture maps (64-128x128, 256-64x64, etc),
expandable
* Vector and bit mapped text fonts
* 512x480 and other resolutions
* RS-170A mode also available on VGA connector
* 200 instantaneous moving models (>1K in scenario)
* Simultaneous flat or smooth shading, texturing, transparancy,
translucency and anti-aliasing
* Standard 24-bit Z-depth buffering in hardware
* Standard 25,000 poly world size, expandable
* Object instancing allows millions of polys in world
* Standard sync-locked NTSC and PAL processor
* Standard hardware anti-aliasing
* Standard 120Hz LCD shutter glass interface (TTL)
INCLUDED SOFTWARE
* 'C' language API
* World compiler and visualizer
* Conversion utilities for DXF, 3DS and others
* Special utilities, such as font compiler and atmospheric effects
generator and others.
* Diagnostic utilities, sample worlds and programs
OPTIONS
* Plug-in 2nd channel for full stereo 3-D output
* Plug-in Optics Distortion Processor module
* Expand onboard texture map RAM to 4Mb
* Expand onboard database RAM to 225K polys
For more information contact:
Lee Slater, Director of Marketting
Synthetic Images
Voice: 408-267-8451
Fax: 408-267-1812
e-mail:
[email protected]
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B15) S3 ViRGE and ViRGE/VX
The information in this section was taken from the S3 homepage at:
http://www.s3.com/
The ViRGE 64-bit DRAM-based accelerator combines a 135MHz RAMDAC and clock
synthesizer with the multimedia capabilities of S3's Trio64V+ including
video acceleration, video playback using both software and hardware sources,
live video support and the ability to connect with popular NTSC and PAL
decoders. Additionally, ViRGE is SVGA-compatible, so as to support legacy
DOS applications and games, and provides high-performance 2D GUI
acceleration support for resolutions up to 1280 x 1024 x 256 colors at 75Hz.
S3's ViRGE accelerator also provides support for all major 3D APIs,
including OpenGL, Microsoft's Direct3D and RealityLab, as well as Argonaut
BRender and Criterion Renderware.
The ViRGE/VX product offers all of the same features as the DRAM-based
ViRGE, but substitutes support for VRAM and WindowsRAM (WRAM), and increases
the integrated RAMDAC performance level to 220 MHz. Resolutions up to
1600x1200x16 million colors @ 75Hz are supported and higher memory bandwidth
is enabled by the block write feature.
64-bit S3d Engine
The S3d Engine provides 2D acceleration for excellent Windows applications
performance and a full-featured high-performance 3D rendering engine for
games and other interactive 3D applications.
The S3d Engine incorporates the key Windows accelerator functions of BitBLT,
line draw and polygon fill. 3D features include flat shading, Gouraud
shading and texture mapping support. Advanced texture mapping features
include perspective correction, bi-linear and tri-linear filtering, MIP-
Mapping, and Z-buffering. The S3d Engine also includes direct support for
utilizing video as a texture map. These features provide the most realistic
user experience for interactive 3D applications.
Other advanced features of the S3d Engine include S3 proprietary compressed
texture formats for improved performance and reduced memory requirements, as
well as support for S3's MUX buffering (pat. pend.) feature, which allows
for Z-buffering support with no additional memory requirement.
Streams Processor
The S3 Streams Processor provides the stretching and YUV color space
conversion features required for full screen video playback with both
software CODECs and hardware MPEG-1 sources.
The Streams Processor allows simultaneous display of graphics and video of
different color depths. For example, it is possible to display 24 bpp-
equivalent video on top of an 8- bit graphics background. This saves memory
bandwidth and storage capacity while permitting higher frame rates.
S3 Scenic Highway
The S3 Scenic Highway allows lowest cost direct connection to S3's
Scenic/MX2 MPEG-1 audio and video decoder as well as video digitizers such
as the Philips SAA7110/SAA7111.
Features
* High-Performance Integrated DRAM-based 2D/3D Graphics and Video
Accelerator
o High-performance 64-bit 2D/3D graphics engine
o Integrated 135 MHz RAMDAC and clock synthesizer
o S3 Streams Processor for accelerated video
o S3 Scenic Highway for direct interface to live video and MPEG-1
peripherals Pin compatible with S3 Trio64V+ S3d Graphics Engine
Features
o High performance 2D Windows acceleration
o Flat and Gouraud shading for 3D
o High quality/performance 3D texture mapping. Perspective
correction Bi-linear and tri-linear texture filtering MIP-Mapping.
o Depth cueing and fogging Alpha blending
o Video texture mapping
o Z-buffering
o Vertical interpolation for video playback
* S3 Streams Processor Features Supports on-the-fly stretching and
blending of primary RGB stream and RGB or YUV (video) secondary stream.
Each stream can have a different color depth. High-quality
hardware-assisted video playback with horizontal interpolation.
o Support for Indeo, Cinepak, and software and hardware-accelerated
MPEG-1 video S3 Scenic Highway Interface and Philips
SAA7110/SAA7111 video digitizers.
o S3 Scenic/MX2 MPEG-1 audio/video decoder
* High Screen Resolution (Non-package interlaced) Support
o 1280x1024x256 colors at 75 Hz refresh
o 1024x768x64K colors at 75 Hz refresh
o 800x600x16.7M colors at 75 Hz refresh
* High-Performance Memory Support
o 64-bit DRAM memory interface
o 2- and 4-MByte DRAM video memory
o Single-cycle EDO operation
* Non-x86 CPU Support
o Big endian/little endian byte ordering
o Relocatable addressing
* Industry-Standard Local Bus Support.
o Glueless PCI 2.1 bus interface
o Glueless VESA VL-Bus interface
* PCI Bus Mastering for Display List Processing and Video Capture Support
* Multimedia Support Hooks
* Full Software Support. Drivers for major operating systems: [Windows
95, Windows 3.11, Windows NT, OS/2 2.1 and 3.0 (Warp), ADI 4.2]
* Green PC/Monitor Plug and Play
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Complete Change History
* Changes since version 0.9
New entries:
o CS06) Rendition V�rit�
o CS07) Chromatic Research Mpact
o CS08) 3DLabs Permedia
o B09) Western Digital Tasmania 3D
o B10) Dynamic Pictures V192
Changed entries:
o NVIDIA) Changed NVIDEA to NVIDIA
o GLINT05) now available for Windows 3.1
o GLINT07) Densan PCI-300SX now shipping as part of NEC RISCstation
2200.
o GLINT08) I finally found specs.
* Changes since version 0.8
New entries:
o CS05) NVidia/SGS-THOMSON NV1/STG-2000 Multimedia Accelerators
o GLINT08) Creative Labs' 3D Blaster
o GLINT09) Microstep AGC-3D
o NVIDIA01) Diamond Edge 3D Accelerators
Changed entries:
o GLINT02) Working URL added. Better information.
o GLINT03) now available
o GLINT04) Change entry name to Omnicomp 3Demon VR
o GLINT05) now available in Europe
o GLINT06) now available in Japan
o ARTIST01) Was the B09) entry in v0.8, but was moved due to
reorganization.
o B01) Added information on the AG500
* Changes since version 0.7
New entries:
o CS04) ARTIST Graphics 3GA Graphics Processor
o B09) ARTIST 2000
* Changes since version 0.6
Original now kept in html form and text version created by saving as
text from Netscape.
Changed entries:
o B08) Added snail mail and phone contacts.
* Changes since version 0.5
o Q02) added pointers to the OpenGL home page and the Viewperf ftp
directory
* Changes since version 0.4
Changed Entries:
o GLINT04) Fixed area code in telephone number
* Changes since version 0.3
New entries:
o B07) Division's VPX Image Generator and ProVision Systems
o B08) Reality Simulation Systems Little Squirt
* Changes since version 0.1
New entries:
o Q02) How does the performance of these cards compare to graphics
workstations such as those produced by SGI, Sun, DEC, etc?
o CS03) S-MOS SPC1500 Geometry Processor
o B05) Oki TrianGL
o B06) Intergraph GLZ Series
Changed entries:
o CS01) Changed address of www site and added email contact.
o GLINT01) added pricing information
o B01) Historical correction.
o B04) Small change (VLbus parts may not exist)
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--
Blair MacIntyre (
[email protected]), Graduate Student (Graphics and UI Lab)
smail: Dept. of Computer Science, 450 Computer Science Building, 500 W 120 St.
Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
