Open Inventor:
However, Inventor is more than a 3D object file format; it is a complete toolkit for writing interactive, 3D applications.
We have found that in many cases, Inventor programs run FASTER than the original GL program, and that the programmer productivity increases easily outweigh the overhead of the toolkit.
NeTpower provides Open Inventor for Windows NT for both Intel and MIPS Windows NT platforms under the newly released version of NT, Windows NT 3.5. The product is available now and costs $1395. for a single use developer license.
To order Open Inventor for NT you may call telemarketing at:
800-801-0900
or email inventor@netpower.com
Portable Graphics provides (or will soon provide) Open Inventor for the following platforms:
Portable Graphics also supplies:
For product availability and pricing, please contact Portable Graphics at:
Portable Graphics
One Technology Center
2201 Donley Drive, Suite 365
Austin, TX 78758
Phone: (512) 719-8000
Fax: (512) 832-0752
E-mail: glware@portable.com
Template Graphics provides (or will soon provide) Inventor on the following platforms:
For additional information on TGS graphics software:
Template Graphics Software
9920 Pacific Heights Blvd. #200
San Diego, CA 92121
WWW = http://www.sd.tgs.com/~template
info@tgs.com
Robert J. Weideman, V.P. Marketing
(619)457-5359 x229
(619)452-2547 (fax)
robert@tgs.com
Portable Graphics also offers an introductory programming course for Open Inventor. "Introduction to Open Inventor Programming" is a two-day course that covers the material presented in "The Inventor Mentor" using demonstrations, examples and lecture. It includes a copy of "The Inventor Mentor", code examples and course notes.
For a course outline and registration information, contact:
Phone: (800) 580-1166
Fax: (800) 580-0616
E-mail: inventor@portable.com
Inventor 2.0 also supports a special option for nodes called alternateRep. It can store a scene graph composed of standard Inventor nodes which will be rendered as a stand-in for your unrecognized node. During writing, the node or engine is written back out. Note that this mechanism works only with Inventor 2.0 files; unrecognized nodes in an Inventor 1.0 file will still generate a read error. This mechanism allows user subclassed nodes to be exportable, renderable, and re- usable.
Inventor programs that contain a lot of IRIS GL code or that made extensive use of Inventor subclassing will be more difficult to port, since they will have to be ported to OpenGL and since the internal structure of Inventor underwent some major changes.
IRIX IRIS Inventor Version -------------------------------- 3.3.* | (Inventor is not available for IRIX 3.*) 4.0.* | 1.0.1 5.0.1 | (bad release... do not use) 5.1.* | 1.1.2 5.2.* | Open Inventor 2.0 (1.1.2 on VGX(T)/GT(X)/PI)
To re-install 1.1.2, you will need to use the 1.1.2 CD* to install 1.1.2 into a different location (so as not to ruin 2.0). Please note that you will have to change the Makefiles of programs that will compile and link with 1.1.2 (-I and -l need to point to your safe locations of Inventor 1.1.2). To install Inventor 1.1.2 under a different root directory than /, so that Inventor 2.0 may be installed under /:
# Install 1.1.2 compatibility library from Inventor 2.0 images inst -f inventor_eoe (get inventor_eoe.sw.1_1) # Create a directory to hold Inventor 1.1.2 mkdir /usr/myroot # Fool inst into thinking you have prerequisites installed mkdir -p /usr/myroot/var/inst cp /var/inst/{c,dev,c_dev,gl_dev,motif_eoe,inventor_eoe} /usr/myroot/var/inst # Install Inventor 1.1.2 under your root directory inst -r /usr/myroot -f inventor_dev To make Inventor 1.1.2 sample programs in this new directory: ln -s /usr/lib/libInventor.so.1 /usr/myroot/usr/lib/libInventor.so cd /usr/myroot/usr/share/src/Inventor/examples/PG1 # Add to the Makefile, after the line: include /usr/include/make/commondefs LC++INCS = -I/usr/myroot/usr/include LCINCS = -I/usr/myroot/usr/include LLDOPTS = -L/usr/myroot/usr/lib
To re-install Inventor 1.0.1, install the subsystem "irix4_inventor_dev", found on the Inventor 2.0 or Inventor 1.1.2 CDs. This will install the 1.0.1 headers and libraries under /usr/irix4. You must change your makefiles to use include and link to this new location.
LC++OPTS = +p -Wf,-XNp10000
to:
LC++OPTS = -v2 +p -Wf,-XNp10000
Inventor 1.1.2 and Inventor 2.0 work with C++ 3.*; you must remove the -v2 flag from your Makefiles when you upgrade to those versions of Inventor.
If you receive this error when compiling:
"/usr/include/X11/X.h", line 44: error: Cursor declared as unsigned short [16] and XID
You should rearrange the order in which you #include your files so that the Xt files are included before any file that references the IRIS GL include file. For example, be sure to #include <Inventor/SoXt.h> before <Inventor/nodes/SoTexture2.h>.
We welcome feedback and comments at webmaster@www.sgi.com.