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Newsgroups: comp.graphics,comp.answers,news.answers Path: bloom-beacon.mit.edu!hookup!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!EU.net!news.forth.gr!news.ntua.gr!nfotis From: nfotis@theseas.ntua.gr (Nick C. Fotis) Subject: (31 Mar 94) Computer Graphics Resource Listing : BIWEEKLY [part 4/4] Message-ID: <CnIqyx.7uq@theseas.ntua.gr> Followup-To: poster Lines: 1378 Reply-To: nfotis@theseas.ntua.gr (Nick (Nikolaos) Fotis) Organization: National Technical Univ. of Athens Date: Thu, 31 Mar 1994 07:47:16 GMT Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Xref: bloom-beacon.mit.edu comp.graphics:22740 comp.answers:4358 news.answers:17021 Archive-name: graphics/resources-list/part4 Last-modified: 1994/03/31 Computer Graphics Resource Listing : BIWEEKLY POSTING [ PART 4/4 ] ================================================================== Last Change : 31 March 1994 18. 3D graphics editors ======================= a. Public domain, free and shareware systems ============================================ VISION-3D --------- Mac-based program written by Paul D. Bourke (pdbourke@ccu1.aukland.ac.nz). The program can be used to generate models directly in the RayShade and Radiance file formats (polygons only). It's shareware and listed on the FTP list. BRL --- A solid modeling system for most environments -- including SGI and X11. It has CSG and NURBS, plus support for Non-Manifold Geometry [Whatever it is]. You can get it *free* via FTP by signing and returning the relevant license, found on ftp.brl.mil. Uses ray-tracing for engineering analyses. Contact: Ms. Carla Moyer (410)-273-7794 tel. (410)-272-6763 FAX cad-dist@brl.mil E-mail Snail mail: BRL-CAD Distribution SURVIAC Aberdeen Satellite Office 1003 Old Philadelphia Road, Suite 103 Aberdeen MD 21001 USA IRIT ---- A constructive solid geometry (CSG) modeling program for PC, Amigas and X11. Includes freeform surface support. Free - see FTP list for where to find it. SurfModel --------- A solid modeling program for PC written in Turbo Pascal 6.0 by Ken Van Camp. Available from SIMTEL, pd1:<msdos.srfmodl> directory. NOODLES ------- From CMU, namely Fritz Printz and Levent Gursoz (elg@styx.edrc.cmu.edu). It's based on Non Manifold Topology. Ask them for more info, I don't know if they give it away. XYZ2 ---- XYZ2 is an interactive 3-D editor/builder written by Dale P. Stocker to create objects for the SurfaceModel, Automove, and DKB raytracer packages. XYZ2 is free and can be found, for example, in SIMTEL20 as <MSDOS.SURFMODL>XYZ21.ZIP (DOS only??) 3DMOD ----- It's an MSDOS program. Check at barnacle.erc.clarkson.edu [128.153.28.12], /pub/msdos/graphics/3dmod.* . Undocumented file format :-( 3DMOD is (C) 1991 by Micah Silverman, 25 Pierrepoint Ave., Postdam, New York 13676, tel. 315-265-7140 NORTHCAD -------- Shareware, <MSDOS.CAD>NCAD3D42.ZIP in SIMTEL20. Undocumented file format :-( Vertex ------ (Amiga) Shareware, send $40 US (check or money order) to: The Art Machine, 4189 Nickolas Sterling Heights, MI 48310 USA In addition to the now standard file formats, including Lightwave, Imagine, Sculpt, Turbo Silver, GEO and Wavefront, this release offers 3D Professional and RayShade support. (Rayshade is supported only by the primitive "triangle", but you can easily include this output in your RayShade scripts) The latest demo, version 1.62, is available on Fred Fish #727. For more information, contact the author, Alex Deburie, at: ad99s461@sycom.mi.org, Phone: (313) 939-2513 ICoons ------ (Amiga) It's a spline based object modeller ("ICoons" = Interactive COONS path editor) in amiga.physik.unizh.ch (gfx/3d/ICoons1.0.lzh). It's free (under the GNU Licence) and requires FPU. The program has a look&feel which is a cross between Journeyman and Imagine, and it generates objects in TTDDD format. It is possible to load Journeyman objects into ICoons, so the program can be used to convert JMan objects to Imagine format. Author: Helge E. Rasmussen <her@compel.dk> PHONE + 45 36 72 33 00, FAX + 45 36 72 43 00 [ It's also on Fred Fish disk series n.775 - nfotis ] ProtoCAD 3D ----------- Ver 1.1 from Trius (shareware?) It's at wsmr-simtel20.army.mil and oak.oakland.edu as PCAD3D.ZIP (for PCs) It has this menu layout: FILE File handling (Load, Save, Import, Xport...) DRAW Draw 2D objects (Line, Circle, Box...) 3D Draw 3D objects (Mesh, Sphere, Block...) EDIT Editing features (Copy, Move ...) SURFACE Modify objects (Revolve, Xtrude, Sweep...) IMAGE Image zooming features (Update, Window, Half...) OPTION Global defaults (Grid, Toggles, Axis...) PLOT Print drawing/picture (Go, Image...) RENDER Shade objects (Frame, Lighting, Tune...) LAYER Layer options (Select active layer, set Colors...) Sculptura --------- Runs under Windows 3.1, and outputs PoV files. A demo can be found on wuarchive.wustl.edu in mirrors/win3/demo/demo3d.zip Author: Michael Gibson <gibsonm@stein.u.washington.edu> POVCAD ------ There are 2 versions, one for DOS graphics and the other one is for Windows. This modeler is a 3D wireframe based modeler. The newest version of POVCAD for Windows is 3.0a and it supports PoV, Polyray, RAW data and DXF in/out. Some of the features include - spheres - cones - disc/washer - box - ellipsoid - torus - sweep objects - extruded objects - polygon decomposition - Extrude along a path command - Bezier patches - BSpline and Catmull-Rom curve fitting - etc... POVCAD author wrote the book titled "Adventures in Raytracing" published by QUE. It covers Polyray (raytracer), 3D modeling with POVCAD and animation. Cost is $27.95 (US). Includes a disk with all the software needed to create the scenes in the book. The package is available in Pi Square BBS (see the BBS section for location), TGA BBS, Compu$serve(GraphDev forum). Use Archie to find it in FTP sites. Author: Alfonso Hermida <afanh@robots.gsfc.nasa.gov> b. Commercial systems ===================== Alpha_1 ------- A spline-based modeling program written in University of Utah. Features: splines up to trimmed NURBS; support for boolean operations; sweeps, bending, warping, flattening etc.; groups of objects, and transformations; extensible object types. Applications include: NC machining, Animation utilities, Dimensioning, FEM analysis, etc. Rendering subsystem, with support for animations. Support the following platforms: HP 300 and 800's (X11R4, HP-UX 6.5), SGI 4D or PI machines (X11R4 and GL, IRIX 3.3.1), Sun SparcStation (X11R4, SunOS 4.1.1). Licensing and distribution is handled by EGS: Glenn McMinn, President Engineering Geometry Systems 275 East South Temple, Suite 305 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801) 575-6021 mcminn@cs.utah.edu [ Educational pricing ] The charge is $675 per platform. You may run the system on as many different workstations of that type as you wish. For each platform there is also a $250 licensing fee for Portable Standard Lisp (PSL) which is bundled with the system. You need to obtain an additional license from the University of Utah for PSL from the following address: Professor Robert Kessler Computer Science Department University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 [ EGS can handle the licensing of PSL for U.S. institutions for a 300 $USD nominal fee -- nfotis ] VERTIGO ------- They have an Educational Institution Program. The package is used in the industrial design, architectural, scientific visualization, educational, broadcast, imaging and post production fields. They'll [quoting from a letter sent to me -- nfotis ] "donate fully configured Vertigo 3D Graphics Software worth over $29,000USD per package to qualified educational institutions for licencing on any number of Silicon Graphics Personal IRIS or POWER Series Workstations. If you use an IRIS Indigo station, we will also licence our Vertigo Revolution Software (worth $12,000USD). If you are interested in participating in this program please send a letter by mail or fax (604/684-2108) on your institution's letterhead briefly outlining your potential uses for Vertigo together with the following information: 1. UNIX version 2. Model and number of SGI systems 3. Peripheral devices 4. Third Party Software. Participants will be asked to contribute $750USD per institution to cover costs of the manual, administration, and shipping. We recommend that Vertigo users subscribe to our technical support services. For an annual fee you will receive: technical assistance on our support hotline, bug fixes, software upgrades and manual updates. For educational institution we will waive the $750 administration fee if support is purchased. The annual support fee is $2,500 plus the following cost for additional machines: Number of machines: 2-20 20+ Additional cost per machine: $700 $600 " [ There's also a 5-day training program - nfotis] Contact: Vertigo Technology INC Suite 1010 1030 West Georgia St. VANCOUVER, BC CANADA, V6E 2Y3 Phone: 604/684-2113 Fax: 604/684-2108 [ Does anyone know of such offers from TDI, Alias, Softimage, Wavefront, etc.??? this would be a VERY interesting part!! -- nfotis ] PADL-2 ------ [ Basically, it's a Solid Modeling Kernel in top of which you build your application(s)] Available by license from Cornell Programmable Automation Cornell University 106 Engineering and Theory Center Ithaca, NY 14853 License fees are very low for educational institutions and gov't agencies. Internal commercial licenses and re-dissemination licenses are available. For an information packet, write to the above address, or send your address to: marisa@cpa.tn.cornell.edu (Richard Marisa) ACIS ---- From Spatial Technology. It's a Solid Modelling kernel callable from C. Heard that many universities got free copies from the company. The person to contact regarding ACIS in academic institutions is Scott Owens, e-mail: sdo@spatial.com And their address is: Spatial Technology, Inc. 2425 55th St., Bldg. A Boulder, CO 80301-5704 Phone: (303) 449-0649, Fax: (303) 449-0926 MOVIE-BYU / CQUEL.BYU --------------------- Basically [in my understanding], this is a FEM pre- and post-proccessor system. It's fairly old today, but it still serves some people in Mech. Eng. Depts. Now it's superseded from CQUEL.BYU (pronounced "sequel"). That's a complete modelling, animation and visualization package. Runs in the usual workstation environments (SUN, DEC, HP, SGI, IBM RS6000, and others) You can get a demo version (30-days trial period) either by sending $20 USD in their address or a blank tape. It costs 1,500 for a full run-time licence. Contact: Engineering Computer Graphics Lab 368 Clyde Building, Brigham Young Univ. Provo, UT 84602 Phone: 801-378-2812 E-mail: cquel@byu.edu twixt ----- Soon to add stuff about it... If I get a reply to my FAX VOXBLAST -------- From: boyd knosp <knosp@tessa.iaf.uiowa.edu> ---------------- VOXBLAST from Vaytek is available on SGI, HP, Sun, DEC and IBM RS6000 workstations, Macintosh II workstations and PC compatibles Windows/DOS systems. VOXBLAST is not only a volume renderer, it is an analytical tool for exploring and interogating voxel datasets. It has several segmentation tools built into it and has 3d isodensity surface extraction capability. Contact: -------- Vaytek Inc. (Fairfield, Iowa phone: 515-472-2227) VoxelBox -------- A 3D Volume renderer for Windows. Features include direct ray-traced volume rendering, color and alpha mapping, gradient lighting, animation, reflections and shadows. Runs on a PC(386 or higher) with at least an 8 bit video card(SVGA is fine) under Windows 3.x. It costs $495. Contact: Jaguar Software Inc. 573 Main St., Suite 9B Winchester, MA 01890 (617) 729-3659 jwp@world.std.com (john w poduska) ========================================================================== 19. GIS (Geographical Information Systems software) =================================================== GRASS ----- (Geographic Resource Analysis Support System) of the US Army Construction Engineering Research Lab (CERL). It is a popular geographic and remote sensing image processing package. Many may think of GRASS as a Geographic Information System rather than an Image Processing package, although it is reported to have significant image processing capabilities. Feature Descriptions I use GRASS because it's public domain and can be obtained through the internet for free. GRASS runs in Unix and is written in C. The source code can be obtained through an anonymous ftp from the Office of Grass Integration. You then compile the source code for your machine, using scripts provided with GRASS. I would recommend GRASS for someone who already has a workstation and is on a limited budget. GRASS is not very user-friendly, compared to Macintosh software." A first review of overview documentation indicates that it looks useful and has some pixel resampling functions not in other packages plus good general purpose image enhancement routines (fft). Kelly Maurice at Vexcel Corp. in Boulder, CO is a primary user of GRASS . This gentleman has used the GRASS software and developed multi-spectral (238 bands ??) volumetric rendering, full color, on Suns and Stardents. It was a really effective interface. Vexcel Corp. currently has a contract to map part of Venus and convert the Magellan radar data into contour maps. You can call them at (303) 444-0094 or email care of greg@vexcel.com 192.92.90.68 Host Configuration Requirements If you are willing to run A/UX you could install GRASS on a Macintosh which has significant image analysis and import capabilities for satellite data. GRASS is public-domain, and can run on a high-end PC under UNIX. It is raster-based, has some image-processing capability, and can display vector data (but analysis must be done in the raster environment). I have used GRASS V.3 on a SUN workstation and found it easy to use. It is best, of course, for data that are well represented in raster (grid-cell) form. Availability CERL's Office of Grass Integration (OGI) maintains an ftp server: moon.cecer.army.mil (129.229.20.254). Mail regarding this site should be addressed to grass-ftp-admin@moon.cecer.army.mil. This location will be the new "canonical" source for GRASS software, as well as bug fixes, contributed sources, documentation, and other files. This FTP server also supports dynamic compression and uncompression and "tar" archiving of files. A feature attraction of the server is John Parks' GRASS tutorial. Because the manual is still in beta-test stage, John requests that people only acquire it if they are willing to review it and mail him comments/corrections. The OGI is not currently maintaining this document, so all correspondence about it should be directed to grassx@tang.uark.edu Support Listserv mailing lists: grassu-list@amber.cecer.army.mil (for GRASS users; application-level questions, support concerns, miscellaneous questions, etc) Send subscribe commands to grassu-request@amber.cecer.army.mil. grassp-list@amber.cecer.army.mil (for GRASS programmers; system-level questions and tips, tricks, and techniques of design and implementation of GRASS applications) Send subscribe commands to grassp-request@amber.cecer.army.mil. Both lists are maintained by the Office of Grass Integration (subset of the Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Lab in Champaign, IL). The OGI is providing the lists as a service to the community; while OGI and CERL employees will participate in the lists, we can make no claim as to content or veracity of messages that pass through the list. If you have questions, problems, or comments, send E-mail to lists-owner@amber.cecer.army.mil and a human will respond. Microstation Imager ------------------- Intergraph (based in Huntsville Alabama) sells a wide range of GIS software/hardware. Microstation is a base graphics package that Imager sits on top of. Imager is basically an image processing package with a heavy GIS/remote sensing flavor. Feature Description Basic geometry manipulations: flip, mirror, rotate, generalized affine. Rectification: Affine, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th order models as well as a projective model (warp an image to a vector map or to another image). RGB to IHS and IHS to RGB conversion. Principal component analysis. Classification: K-means and isodata. Fourier Xforms: Forward, filtering and reverse. Filters: High pass, low pass, edge enhancing, median, generic. Complex Histogram/Contrast control. Layer Controller: manages up to 64 images at a time -- user can extract single bands from a 3 band image or create color images by combining various individual bands, etc. The package is designed for a remote sensing application (it can handle VERY LARGE images) and there is all kinds of other software available for GIS applications. Host Configuration Requirements It runs on Intergraph Workstations (a Unix machine similar to a Sun) though there were rumors (there are always rumors) that the software would be ported to PC and possibly a Sun environment. PCI --- A company called PCI, Inc., out of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, makes an array of software utilities for processing, manipulation, and use of remote sensing data in eight or ten different "industry standard" formats: LGSOWG, BSQ, LANDSAT, and a couple of others whose titles I forget. The software is available in versions for MS-DOS, Unix workstations (among them HP, Sun, and IBM), and VMS, and quite possibly other platforms by now. I use the VMS version. The "PCI software" consists of several classes/groups/packages of utilities, grouped by function but all operating on a common "PCI database" disk file. The "Tape I/O" package is a set of utility programs which read from the various remote-sensing industry tape formats INTO, or write those formats out FROM, the "PCI database" file; this is the only package I use or know much about. Other packages can display data from the PCI database to one or another of several PCI-supported third-party color displays, output numeric or bitmap representation of image data to an attached printer, e.g. an Epson-type dot-matrix graphics printer. You might be more spe- cifically interested in the mathematical operations package: histo- gram and Fourier analysis, equalization, user-specified operations (e.g. "multiply channel 1 by 3, add channel 2, and store as channel 5"), and God only knows what all else -- there's a LOT. I don't have and don't use these, so can't say much about them; you only buy the packages your particular application/interest calls for. Each utility is controlled by from one to eight "parameters," read from a common "parameter file" which must be (in VMS anyway) in your "default directory." Some utilities will share parameters and use the same parameter for a different purpose, so it can get a bit confusing setting up a series of operations. The standard PCI environment contains a scripting language very similar to IBM-PC BASIC, but which allows you to automate the process of setting up parameters for a common, complicated, lengthy or difficult series of utility executions. (In VMS I can also invoke utilities independently from a DCL command procedure.) There's also an optional programming library which allows you to write compiled language programs which can interface with (read from/write to) the PCI data structures (database file, parameter file). The PCI software is designed specifically for remote-sensing images, but requires such a level of operator expertise that, once you reach the level where you can handle r-s images, you can figure out ways to handle a few other things as well. For instance, the Tape I/O package offers a utility for reading headerless multi-band (what Adobe PhotoShop on the Macintosh calls "raw") data from tape, in a number of different "interleave" orders. This turns out to be ideal for manipulating the graphic-arts industry's "CT2T" format, would probably (I haven't tried) handle Targa, and so on. Above all, however, you HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING or you can screw up to the Nth degree and have to start over. It's worth noting that the PCI "database" file is designed to contain not only "raster" (image) data, but vectors (for overlaying map information entered via digitizing table), land-use, and all manner of other information (I observe that a remote-sensing image tape often contains all manner of information about the spectral bands, latitude, longitude, time, date, etc. of the original satellite pass; all of this can go into the PCI "database"). I _believe_ that on workstations the built-in display is used. On VAX systems OTHER than workstations PCI supports only a couple of specific third-party display systems (the name Gould/Deanza seems to come to mind). One of MY personal workarounds was a display program which would display directly from a PCI "database" file to a Peritek VCT-Q (Q-bus 24-bit DirectColor) display subsystem. PCI software COULD be "overkill" in your case; it seems designed for the very "high end" applications/users, i.e. those for whom a Mac/PC largely doesn't suffice (although as you know the gap is getting smaller all the time). It's probably no coincidence that PCI is located in Canada, a country which does a LOT of its land/resource management via remote sensing; I believe the Canadian government uses PCI software for some of its work in these areas. SPAM (Spectral Analysis Manager) -------------------------------- Back in 1985 JPL developed something called SPAM (Spectral Analysis Manager) which got a fair amount of use at the time. That was designed for Airborne Imaging Spectrometer imagery (byte data, <= 256 pixels across by <= 512 lines by <= 256 bands); a modified version has since been developed for AVIRIS (Airborne VIsual and InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer) which uses much larger images. Spam does none of these things (rectification, classification, PC and IHS transformations, filtering, contrast enhancement, overlays). Actually, it does limited filtering and contrast enhancement (stretching). Spam is aimed at spectral identification and clustering. The original Spam uses X or SunView to display. The AVIRIS version may require VICAR, an executive based on TAE, and may also require a frame buffer. I can refer you to people if you're interested. PCW requires X for display. MAP II ------ Among the Mac GIS systems, MAP II is distributed by John Wiley. CLRview ------- CLRview is a 3-dimensional visualization program designed to exploit the real-time capabilities of Silicon Graphics IRIS computers. This program is designed to provide a core set of tools to aid in the visualization of information from CAD and GIS sources. It supports the integration of many common but disperate data sources such as DXF, TIN, DEM, Lattices, and Arc/Info Coverages among others. CLRview can be obtained from explorer.dgp.utoronto.ca (128.100.1.129) in the directory pub/sgi/clrview. Contact: Rodney Hoinkes Head of Design Applications Centre for Landscape Research University of Toronto Tel: (416) 978-7197 Email: rodney@dgp.utoronto.ca ER-Mapper --------- ER-Mapper 4.0 is an X11-based package for the Sun. It is designed to display earth resource data such as satellite and airphoto images, aeomagnetic or gravity surveys, seismic timeslices, etc. Vector data from GIS databases is also supported. Images from different sources can be "warped" to a common coordinate system and displayed together onto a single picture. Algorithms for filtering and combining different sensor bands are easily customized, and interfaces for your own C or Fortran filters are built-in. Lots of import facilities for various generations of Landsat, SPOT, airphoto, seismic, etc. Display types include artificial sun, pixel spectrometer, pseudocolor or RGB or HLS, etc. You can import satellite, airborne, geophysical, seismic, and other types of data, and interactively integrate raster, vector, and tabular data. ER Mapper imports data in over 90+ formats, and renders output to 185+ hardcopy devices. The demo CD (450MB) contains 300MB of example images and algorithms for highlighting vegetation, cloud cover, etc from satellite imagery, mineral types from radiometry data, and so forth. San Diego and Australia feature prominently in the example images :-) Package is based on Open-Look toolkit, but works with Motif Window Manager. Can display on multiple X displays simultaneously. Lots of online PostScript manuals displayed with GNU Ghostscript. Documentation is excellent, and includes tutorials and examples. Demo CD is free. Full-use one-month evaluation license is $200, and you can keep the manuals. Full floating license costs vary depending on tax rates, import duties, etc. (ie: read "expensive") Educational license include 5 floating licenses at a 90% discount and restrictions on how the software may be used (Education clients must not compete for commercial contracts with commercial clients ; details of post-grad students and their projects, etc.) Addresses: USA office: Australian office: Earth Resource Mapping Earth Resource Mapping Pty Ltd Suite 900 Level 1 4370 La Jolla Village Road 87 Colin Street San Diego, CA, USA 92122 West Perth, Western Australia 6005 Telephone: +1 619 558-4709 Telephone: +61 9 388 2900 Facsimile: +1 619 558-2657 Facsimile: +61 9 388 2901 email: queries@ermusa.com PC MOSS ------- From: bthoen@teal.csn.org (Bill Thoen) I have recently posted the source code to PC MOSS at csn.org. To get it, ftp to csn.org and look in the COGS/MOSS directory for mosssrc.zip and mosssrc2.zip. It's public domain code and written in FORTRAN. MOSS is a raster-based GIS system widely used by the US BLM and others. The workstation version is several revs ahead of the PC version, and (in case you're wondering) the PC version is no longer being updated. The MOSS source code (and many other GIS-oriented files not on this ftp site) can also be found on GISnet BBS. GISnet's number is (303) 447-0927, (Boulder, Colorado) and you can call anytime at 1200, 2400, 9600 baud. However file downloading from GISnet requires a subscription ($48/yr), but you *can* download the full list of files, and a few other files for no charge. Please don't ask me questions about how to compile, link, etc. or anything about the algorithms involved in this code. I just put this out there because I think it may be of interest, but I can't offer tech support, because I don't know it very well myself. Smallworld ---------- From: Neil Pawson <Neil.Pawson@Smallworld.co.uk> The Unix based Smallworld GIS is written using the object orientated language Magik, which makes the system highly customizable. Includes integrated raster and vector data, version managed database (which allows the storage of multiple versions of all aspects of data, even raster, in a single database), a "virtual database" concept which allows the integration of commercial databases such as Oracle and Ingres), a seamless mapbase and a CASE tool to aid design and development of new applications. The package is popular with utility companies and local governments as non-technical users find it easy to learn and use. email: World.Sales@smallworld.co.uk UK.Sales@smallworld.co.uk Smallworld Systems Brunswick House 61-69 Newmarket Road Cambridge, U.K. Phone: +44 223 460199 Suite 2120 6860 S. Yosemite Court Englewood, CO 80112 Phone: (303) 779-6980 Fax: (303) 796-0545 Chicago marketing office: (312) 482-9431 ========================================================================== 20. User Interface Builders =========================== [ This part is under construction, er editing. In the meantime, send me anything you have on the subject!! -- nfotis ] I'll have *much* work to do on it --- this is an "alpha-0.3" version!!!! [ Here are the thoughts of a netter - do you agree with these categorizations???? Any more suggestions??? Don't forget that I have *very* limited time these days :-( ------ nfotis ] TODO: Add an entry for SUIT (was in the first part of the Listing) -- snip snip -- Your also missing Object Pascal and it's associated libraries. It is with out doubt currently the single most important tap root for the ideas that other systems have. It's class library can be found reimplemented in C++, Smalltalk, et.al. Your entry on Garnet would do well to buffer the comment about it's size with a comment that it is very elegant and constraint based from the bottom up. It is hard to sort out these systems. You might decorate each entry with a keyword list. Here are some suggested keywords: Language the UI designer works in. c++ -- requires C++ fortran -- requires fortran cltl2 -- requires common lisp 2 custom -- aka Hypertalk, et. al. Platforms unix mac win/16 win/32s win/nt etc. Widgets supported buttons charts tables little-text hugh-text Cost free free-but-gnu-license free-but-other no-runtime-license etc. Layer in question rendering -- i.e. display postscript, etc. little-widget-set -- i.e. buttons, dialogs, etc. big-widget-set -- I.e. tables, charts, rich text. authoring-environment -- I.e. Things like hypercard. The layer thing is important to me. I suspect that the majority of UI building that is taking place today, and will take place in the future is in the context of "closed" authoring systems. Hypercard, Excel, the Newton SDK, and the PC database packages are all examples of this trend. Much of the client server software is like this. Most of these have some little language embedded in them. The bottom layer, rendering hasn't stablized yet. Postscript sets a very high bar and we are going to have to read it. The new quickdraw is but one example of this. The little widget layer is to slim to be important, but it is easy enough that a lot of system due just it. The big-widget-set layer is extremely rare, and very hard. --- snip snip --- [ Raw material collected here and there - It needs to receive a whole day editing session :-( ] Xm++ ---- From: ken@grover.lasc.lockheed.com (Ken Wood) --- A user interface builder that comes from the University of Vienna. It is a C++ based class library that really has some nice features. It's only in beta release now (v. 0.51), but seems pretty stable. We got our copy from ipcl.rvs.uni-hannover.de under /ftp1/X11/contrib, and the developers point of contact is xmplus@ani.univie.ac.at. >From: X11 FAQ DIRT ---- A new release of the DIRT interface builder by Richard Hesketh works with X11R5 and includes some support for the Motif widget set. From the README: This builder allows the interactive creation and rapid prototyping of X user interfaces using the X Toolkit and a number of Widget Sets. Dirt generates "Wc - Widget Creation" resource files and this distribution also includes the Widget Creation Library (version 1.06, with the exception of the demos and Mri/Ari source code) with the kind permission of its author David E. Smyth. Check dirt.README, dirt.A2.0.tar.Z, and dirt.PS.Z on export.lcs.mit.edu:contrib. Interviews ---------- The InterViews 3.0.1 C++ toolkit contains a WYSIWIG interface builder called ibuild. ibuild generates code for an InterViews application complete with Imakefile and an X-resource file. Documentation is /pub/papers/ibuild.ps on interviews.stanford.edu (36.22.0.175). ObjectViews ----------- Quest Windows's (408-496-1900) ObjectViews C++ package includes an interactive building tool. DRUID ----- Druid (Demonstrational Rapid User Interface Development) runs on SPARC machines using OSF/Motif 1.0; it is intended eventually to be a full UIMS but apparently now has only support for creating the presentation components, for which it generates C/UIL code. Info: Singh G, Kok CH, Ngan TY, "Druid: A System for Demonstrational Rapid User Interface Development". Proc. ACM SIGGRAPH Symp on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST'90). ACM, NY, 1990, pp:167-177. BYO --- The BYO interface builder is implemented in tcl. Commercial Products =================== These commercial products (unsorted) are available in final or prerelease form [the * following the product name indicates that the product is known to allow the designer to specify for each widget whether a particular resource is hard-coded or written to an application defaults file, for at least one form of output]. Some are much more than user-interface tools; some are full user interface management systems: Product Name Look/Feel Code Output Vendor HP Interface Motif 1.1 C(Xm) HP/Visual Edge Architect/ UIMX OPEN LOOK Express OPEN LOOK C(Xol+ helper lib) AT&T/Visual Edge UIMX 2.0 * Motif 1.1 C(Xm + helper code) Visual Edge 514-332-6430 & distributors VUIT 2.0 Motif 1.1 C/UIL[r/w] DEC (1-800-DIGITAL) X-Designer 1.1 * Motif 1.1 C(Xm); C/UIL Imperial Software Technology, Ltd (+44 734 587055) sales@ist.co.uk ******* From: John Methot <jmethot@vicorp.com> XDesigner is now at version 3.0. It is developed by Imperial Software Technology, Ltd. (UK), but is sold in the US by V.I. Corporation, 47 Pleasant Street, Northampton, MA 01060, (413)586-4144. It generates C (K&R or ANSI) or C++ that is pure Xm/Xt code, or UIL. It also generates resource files and callback stub files. It requires X11R5 and Motif 1.2. It also has several options for code structure (widget hierarchies can be generated into structures, classes or subroutines) that are settable on a per-widget basis. It also includes a compound string editor, a color editor, and a (color) pixmap editor, as well as a graphical layout editor for creating form attachments interactively. A live version of the interface under construction is always visible (no "edit" and "test" modes). A five day training class is available from V.I. Corporation (I teach it). XFaceMaker2 (XFM2) * Motif 1.0 C;C/script (C-like procedural language);C/UIL NSL (33 1 43 36 77 50) requests@nsl.fr Builder Xcessory 2.0 * Motif 1.1 C(Xm); C/UIL[r/w] ICS (617-621-0060) info@ics.com XBUILD 1.1 * Motif 1.0 C(Xm); C/UIL Nixdorf (617-864-0066) xbuild@nixdorf.com iXBUILD Motif 1.1 C(Xm); C/UIL iXOS Software karl@ixos.uucp 089/461005-69 TeleUSE 1.1 Motif 1.1 PCD (like UIL);C + helper lib 089/461005-69 TeleUSE 1.1 Motif 1.1 PCD (like UIL);C + helper lib Telesoft (619-457-2700) ezX 3.2 Motif 1.1 C(Xm +helper lib);C/UIL;Ada Sunrise (401-847-7868) info@sunrise.com Snapix Motif C/Xm ADNT +33 1 3956 5333 OpenWindows Developers OPEN LOOK GIL [-> C/XView] Sun Guide 3.0 GIL [-> C++/XView] GIL [-> C/OLIT] GIL [-> C/PostScript for TNT] ExoCode/SXM Motif C(Xm) Expert Object ExoCode/Plus OPEN LOOK XView 708-676-5555 TAE+ Xw;Motif C(Xw,Xm); C/TCL (TAE Control Language, like UIL[needs helper library]); VAX Fortran; Ada Nasa Goddard (301) 286-6034 [ I have seen the docs; tends to be massive! Call COSMIC for price details ] MOB, XSculptor Motif; OpenLook C/Xm,UIL; C/Xol Kovi 408-982-3840 PSM PM, MSW 3.0, C/UIL Lancorp Motif 1.1.2,Mac Pty Ltd. +61 3 629 4833 Fax: 629 1296 (Australia) MOTIFATION Motif 1.0|1.1.2 C(Xm) AKA EDV +49 (0) 234/33397-0 +49 (0) 234/33397-40 fax [ See below about Motification ] UIB Open Look/Motif C++(OI) ParcPlace +1 303-678-4626 Look for magazine reviews for more complete comparisons of meta-file formats, documentation, real ease-of-use, etc; Unix World and Unix Review often carry articles. In addition, Neuron Data (1 415 321-4488) makes Open Interface, a window-system-independent object toolkit which supports interfaces which are or resemble (supersets of) Mac, Windows, and Motif and Open Look; the package includes an interface builder. GRAMMI ------ The GRAMMI builder supports the development of Ada/X applications using its own set of objects which are planned to have a Motif look. GRAMMI is written in Ada and generates Ada specs and stub bodies. (1-800-GRAMMI-1). non-WYSIWYG =========== These non-WYSIWYG but related products may help for goals of rapid prototyping of the application interface: WCL --- the Widget Creation Library. Basically describes the widget hierarchy and actions in a resources file; available from fine archive servers everywhere, including devvax.jpl.nasa.gov (128.149.1.143) in pub/. Wcl provides a very thin layer over Xt without any internal tweaking. WINTERP ------- An Xlisp-based Motif toolkit allows for interpretive programming. The copy on the R4 tape is outdated; get a copy off export or email to winterp-source%hplnpm@hplabs.hp.com. Serpent UIMS ------------ The Serpent UIMS permits the building of user-interfaces without specific knowledge of coding but with an understanding of attributes being set on a particular [Motif] widget. Beta Release 1.2 is available from ftp.sei.cmu.edu (128.237.1.13) and can be found in /pub/serpent. Serpent is also available on export.lcs.mit.edu (18.24.0.11) in /contrib/serpent. Email questions can go to serpent@sei.cmu.edu. A commercial version of Serpent is available as "Agora" from ASET, 221 Woodhaven Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15228. questions can go to serpent@sei.cmu.edu. A commercial version of Serpent is available as "Agora" from ASET, 221 Woodhaven Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15228. Garnet ------ Garnet is a Common Lisp-based GUI toolkit. Information is available from garnet@cs.cmu.edu. ================= Metacard -------- MetaCard is a hypertext/Rapid Application Development environment similar to Apple/Claris Corporation's HyperCard. It's built on a custom C++ toolkit that works like Motif, but takes a fraction of the memory. You get the whole development environment including the interface builder and an unlimited distribution license for $495 (50% off for educational users). You can anonymously FTP a save-disabled distribution from ftp.metacard.com (directory MetaCard) or ftp.uu.net (directory vendor/MetaCard). We can also email it to you or send it out on a 3.5" floppy disk free of charge. Email to info@metacard.com for more information. KHOROS ------ Animate - Interactive Image Sequence Display Tool Cantata - Extensible Visual Programming Language Concert - A system for distributed X user interfaces (groupware) Editimage - Interactive Image Display & Manipulation Program Xprism2 and Xprism3 - Comprehensive 2D and 3D Plotting Packages Viewimage - A basic interactive program for surface rendering Warpimage - An interactive program for registering and warping images etc.etc. a. Use ftp to connect to pprg.eece.unm.edu. % ftp pprg.eece.unm.edu -or- % ftp 129.24.24.10 ============ >From: keithr@tekig1.PEN.TEK.COM (Keith D Rule) Newsgroups: comp.graphics Subject: Portable GUIs Date: 23 Jun 92 19:49:26 GMT I am interested in finding a portable GUI for a project I'm working on. My current requirements are that the GUI work with MS-Windows 3.1, and X/Motif or X/Openlook on a Sparc. I have found references to four different portable GUIs that initially seem like they may meet my requirements. They are: - XVT Software They are shipping a common GUI library and resource editor for MS-Windows, Macintosh, OS/2, X/Motif on Sparc, and will ship X/OpenLook on Sparc in a couple of months. The library is written in C and has a C++ wrapper available for it. They have training classes, and claim to have several commercial products based on it include Grammatik 5.0 (which is, in my opinion, a good program with an awful looking ui) They have the slickest brochure, and the steepest price. Their solution for 1 PC and 1 Sparc development system is slightly more than $10000. No royalties. - LIANT C++/Views They are currently shipping a MS-Windows version, and plan to ship a X/Motif version in Aug 92. The support includes a C++ library, a C++ browser, and a dialog generator (resource editor?). They claim they will port to other systems including the Apple Macintosh. Price $495 including source for the MS-Windows version, no royalties. Motif is not yet available. - Wndx They are shipping a common GUI and resource editor for MS-Window, OSF/Motif, the Mac, and DOS. Price $495 per platform, no royalties. - ZApp Currently support MS-Windows, will release OSF/Motif versions later this year. Price $195 include source for MS-Windows. No royalties. Motif not yet available. ========== >From: robert@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Robert Inder) Newsgroups: comp.windows.x Subject: Interface Toolkit Survey Summary (300 lines) Date: 31 Jul 92 15:02:00 GMT Earlier this month, I asked people for pointers to information on interface tools or toolkits that I could use for building "evaluation" interfaces for yet-to-be-decided software. Here is the promised summary of the results. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ When I posted the question, I said I thought it was the sort of thing that should be a FAQ, and it is: there is relevant information in the FAQ lists of comp.windows.x and comp.lang.lisp. The Lisp FAQ has one-paragraph descriptions of the following systems: CLX, CLIM (Common Lisp Interface Manager), CLUE (Common Lisp User-interface Environment), CLIO (Common Lisp Interactive Objects), Lispworks Toolkit, CLM (Common Lisp Motif), GINA (Generic Interactive Application), IB (Interface Builder), EW (Express Windows), LispView, Garnet, Winterp, YYonX and Picasso. I have not included any information about systems that were mentioned only in the FAQ answers, although I have extracted the contact addresses or ftp locations. Although comp.lang.prolog does not have interface packages in its FAQ (not least because I don't think it has an established FAQ...) people told me of a number of prolog systems which do have interface packages associated with them. james@uk.ac.ed.caad tells me that Sepia Prolog and Sicstus both have user interface tools which operate as a separate process, communicating with Prolog over a pipe. gs@com.quintus tells me that Quintus also offer ProWindows, an addon interface which is "a much improved version of the PCR interface offered by several other vendors". Finally, ac@sunbim.be tells me that BIM Prolog comes with "Carmen", an interactive interface builder which can produce interfaces for both X and Sunview from a single design. Of the Lisp systems, CLX is said to be the "de facto" standard for obtaining X functionality in Common Lisp, coming free with the distribution of X and providing the functionality of Xlib within Lisp. TI have extended CLX to produce CLUE (Common Lisp User-interface Environment and CLIO (Common Lisp Interactive Objects), both of which are freely available. Clue is a toolkit that provides a range of standard components in an object-oriented way, based on CLOS. CLIO comes with CLUE, and provides definitions for the components that will typically be used in object-oriented interfaces. CLX and CLUE in turn have formed the basis of a spot of development work at University of Stuttgart, resulting in XIT (X User Interface Toolkit), which is described as a "framework for Common Lisp/CLOS applications". They are also used by the LispWorks Toolkit, which is used to build the sophisticated interface to Harlequin's "LispWorks", providing support for Motif, OpenLook and CLIM user interface standards. It includes both libraries and an application interface builder, and there is a version (PC Lispworks) which runs on PCs under Windows. WINTERP (Widget INTERPreter), which also comes free with the X distribution, was mentioned a number of times. Although it is lisp-based, it can be used as a free-standing tool for setting up applications using the Motif widget set. Garnet, from CMU, is a large, resource-hungry package for building interactive interfaces for Common Lisp systems that was mentioned a number of times. It offers a number of highly configurable high-level interface components and interaction drivers, including some support for gesture recognition. It uses its own object system, and includes interface building tools. GMD, the German National Research Center for Computer Science, produce a suite of software. CLM (Common Lisp Motif) is a gateway between Common Lisp and X, used by means of a collection of Lisp functions which communicate with a (possibly remote) CLM process, which in turn communicates with the X server. The CLM process is implemented in C, and is claimed to give good performance. GINA (Generic INteractive Application) embodies the "skeleton" of a CLOS application in CLM, together with a number of demonstration systems. An actual application can be built by adding to the skeleton provided in Gina. Finally, IB (Interface Builder) can be used to build windows for use within the GINA framework. It provides facilities for interactively arranging widgets, and generates code for use within GINA. A number of people mentioned "hypertext-ish" tools, with MetaCard and HyperLook being mentioned more than once. MetaCard is a product of "MetaCard Corporation", and a "save-disabled" version is available by ftp. It offers an interactive interface building environment, supporting a wide range of features, including multiple type faces and sizes, colour images and "visual effects". Event handlers are written MetaCard's scripting language, rather than as calbacks to some other laguage. HyperLook, from the Turing Institute, runs on OpenWindows. It too has an interactive interface builder (including facilities for editing postscript figures), and features the ability to change the interface while the application is running. Callbacks are written in C or other languages. HyperNews---the "pre-productised" version of HyperLook, was also mentioned, and comes with "bindings" (que?) for C, Lisp and Prolog. The Andrew Toolkit (ATK), a substantial X-based package package from CMU, was also mentioned. The fact that the official descriptions emphasise its use for "communication of information" and its suitability for creating "rich, expressive multi-media documents" initially led me to overlook the fact that it is also claimed to be suitable for building graphical interfaces, and indeed includes an Application Development Workbench. CMU have mounted demonstrations of Andrew which can be run over the network, thus allowing anyone interested (and suitably equipped) to try the system very quickly: try "finger help@atk.itc.cmu.edu" for more information. Another system that seems to be other than an interface package is Rendezvous, a package from Bell Communications Research that has been designed with a focus on sharing information between a number of users, but which also includes graphics tools and constraint maintenance and process handling mechanisms. A number of people mentioned Neuron Data's "Open Interface" system, which includes an interface building tool, although I was warned that it was "very expensive". From a single interface specification, which can be build interactively, it is able to produce code with Motif, Open Look, Macintosh or Windows look and feel. "WNDX", from WNDX Inc. in Canada, is apparently capable of similar feats. So too is UCS (Universal Component System), which includes, or will include, libraries and an interface builder for Mac, X and Windows. Software Transformation emphasise the ability of the system to use the native widgets on each platform, which means that the system will automatically adjust to changes in the native look-and-feel. MASAI and AIDA, from ILOG, also received enthusiastic mentions: AIDA is a Graphic widget library and language that allows "high level" widgets to be constructed, and allows them to be presented on X, Windows and OS/2 (The only mention---whatever happened to IBM, anyway:-). Call backes can be in Fortran, C, C++ or Le-Lisp. Masai is an interactive interface builder/animator which can use either pure Motif widgets, or widgets build in AIDA. ICS also provide a widget library/interface builder pair, in the form of Builder XCessory and ICS Widget Databook, and limited numbers of copies are available free to academics. Sun's "Developers Guide" (DevGuide) was mentioned by two or three satisfied users as a simple-to-use and reliable interactive interface builder for building C/C++ systems, although I believe that it can also generate interfaces for Common Lisp via the LispView system. It was criticised on the grounds that it "could have been more clever" about letting users make changes once they had started to flesh out the callback stubs, although it is not clear how DevGuide differs from any of the other interface builders in this respect. X-Designer, another interactive interface builder producing C, was also mentioned, but criticised for having an interface that was hard to get to grips with. Motifation is another interactive interface building tool that supports the Motif Widget Set, producing C code, and claiming in particular to support producing programmer-oriented documentation of the interface, and a make file. **** As a result of your design, you get the complete C-source-code including a Makefile and an Imakefile. If Motifation can't find Callback-functions in the specified file it generates dummy functions (containing a simple printf). Motifation supports the full OSF/Motif Widgets Set. Motifation has several additional features: o integrated hypertext help system (XpgHelp) also available as a separate program o dialog overview (not only 3 generations, but all in one window) o automatically documentation of the interface e.g.: all callbacks are generated to an ascii-file, etc o resolution independance - support (100TH_FONT_UNIT_TYPE, or PIXELS) o optimization to gadgets o shared-dialogbox o links and softlinks o a find-tool o regular expressions for Text-Widgets o a Ressource Selector (Which ressources should go to then AppDefaults-file?) Distributor: Motifation GbR Geroldstrasse 38 4790 Paderborn Tel: +49-5251-602076 Finally, the following were also mentioned or commended:- CLIM (Common Lisp Interface Manager), which is being developed by several Lisp vendors, including Symbolics, Franz, Harlequin and Lucid UIM/X, which is also marketed by IBM as AIXwindows Interface Composer. TCL and the TK toolkit were both mentioned a number of times, with the recommendation to read comp.lang.tcl. Finally finally, people suggested that Unix World, Unix Review and The X Journal would all be good places to look for announcements and reviews of the sorts of tools that I was interested in. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The rest of this message is a list of the systems I have unearthed for which I have either an email address or a ftp site. An email address in brackets indicates that I believe that the individual is associated with the tool, or the company producing it, but may not be the right person to handle queries. Please bear this in mind if you contact these people! For one or two systems, only the documentation is ftp-able: these are marked "-". For some commercial systems, "non-saving" or otherwise "damaged" versions are available free of charge. These are marked "!" AIDA/MASAI ILOG: no email or ftp found Allegro Common Windows info@franz.com Andrew emsworth.andrew.cmu.edu info-andrew-request@andrew.cmu.edu Builder Xcessory info@ics.com Carmen prolog@sunbim.be Dev Guide Sun: no email or ftp found - DIRT export.lcs.mit.edu:contrib in dirt.README and others ezd gatekeeper.dec.com in pub/DEC/ezd (Non-DEC kit also needs Scheme->C, in pub/DEC/Scheme-to-C) ezX info@sunrise.com Garnet: garnet@cs.cmu.edu Gina: ftp.gmd.de (129.26.8.90) in /gmd/gina export.lcs.mit.edu in /contrib (berlage@gmd.de) - CLIM ftp.uu.net in /vendor/franz/clim/clim.ps.Z clim-request@bbn.com CLUE (and CLIO) csc.ti.com in pub/clue.tar.Z CLX export.lcs.mit.edu:/contrib in CLX.... ! HyperLook hyperlook@turing.com in pub/HyperLook-runtime.tar.Z HyperNews ftp.umiacs.umd.edu in /pub/NeWS/HyperNeWS1.4.tar.Z - InterViews interviews.stanford.edu in /pub/papers/ibuild.ps iXBUILD karl@ixos.uucp LispView export.lcs.mit.edu in contrib/lispview1.1 xview.ucdavis.edu in pub/XView/LispView1.1 lispview@Eng.Sun.Com LispWorks works@harlqn.co.uk ! MetaCard ftp.metacard.com in MetaCard info@metacard.com Motifation (poepping@de.uni-paderborn) Open Interface Neuron Data: no email or ftp found. Picasso postgres.berkeley.edu in /pub/Picasso-2.0 ProXT, ProXL, ProWIndows sheywood@aiil.co.uk (for UK) sales@quintus.com (from memory: else post to comp.lang.prolog!) Rendezvous rdh@thumper.bellcore.com Serpent ftp.sei.cmu.edu in /pub/serpent export.lcs.mit.edu in /contrib/serpent TK barkeley.berkeley.edu in /tcl The official Tcl/Tk source site is ftp.cs.berkeley.edu:ucb/tcl The contributed archive is harbor.ecn.purdue.edu. UCS larryh@com.sti UIM/X ??? WCL devvax.jpl.nasa.gov in pub/ Winterp export.lcs.mit.edu in contrib/winterp-???.tar.Z where ??? is the version number winterp-source%hplnpm@hplabs.hp.com. WNDX WNDX, Inc: no email or ftp found. XBUILD xbuild@nixdorf.com X-Designer sales@ist.co.uk XFaceMaker2 requests@nsl.fr XIT ifi.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de in /pub/xit YYonX ftp.csrl.aoyama.ac.jp in YY/ =========================================================================== END of the Resource Listing -- Nick (Nikolaos) Fotis National Technical Univ. of Athens, Greece HOME: 16 Esperidon St., InterNet : nfotis@theseas.ntua.gr Halandri, GR - 152 32 UUCP: mcsun!pythia!theseas!nfotis Athens, GREECE FAX: (+30 1) 77 84 578