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SUN INTRODUCES NEW GRAPHICS SOFTWARE LIBRARY FOR SOPHISTICATED GRAPHICS 

SunFLASH Vol 15 #9 					 March 1990 
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2-D/3-D Accelerated Graphics Library Boosts
Graphics Performance In OpenWindows Environment
 
ANAHEIM, Calif.--March 19, 1990-- At the National Computer Graphics
Association (NCGA) '90 conference today, Sun Microsystems expanded its
graphics product family with the introduction of XGL(TM), a graphics
software library that increases the performance of Sun's family of
2-D/3-D graphics workstations.

XGL allows software developers to create high-speed graphics
applications in Sun's OpenWindows(TM) application environment.
OpenWindows combines the X11/NeWS    Window System with OPEN LOOK(TM),
an intuitive, easy-to-use graphical interface.  XGL is designed to meet
the needs of 2-D and 3-D mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD) and
electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) applications and is optimized
for Sun's graphics hardware.

XGL is the latest addition to Sun's broad graphics software family that
includes industry-standard libraries such as SunPHIGS(TM) and
SunGKS(TM), XLib(TM) and PostScript(TM).  Underscoring its commitment
to graphics users, Sun also today unveiled SunVision(TM), a
comprehensive visualization and image processing software package.

As standard libraries, PHIGS and GKS provide data management by
including a pre-defined display list structure.  However, XGL gives
developers the freedom to create and maintain their own display list
within the application.  Thus they can protect their software
investment by easily porting their existing display list application to
XGL.

XGL has a consistent programming interface for both 2-D and 3-D
applications.  For demanding 3-D applications such as MCAD, animation
and simulation, XGL can render images with advanced features such as
shading, depth-cueing and multiple light sources.  For 2-D applications
such as ECAD and mapping, XGL has a separate 2-D rendering path that
eliminates 3-D overhead.

Competitive products do not offer this degree of functionality and
development flexibility, thus these features make XGL especially
attractive. More than 20 vendors, including Cadence, CAMAX, Excellon
Photonics, General Dynamics, Ithaca Software and McDonnell Douglas
Corporation, are currently porting their applications to XGL.


Performance Of GX-Based Workstations Enhanced

XGL software has been optimized to take full advantage of Sun's GX
graphics accelerator and will also run on all of Sun's future graphics
hardware.  XGL running on the SPARCstation(TM) 1GX further improves its
speed by more than 440,000 2-D vectors per second and boosts 3-D
performance to 220,000 3-D vectors per second (10 pixel transformed,
clip checked, rendered).  It can also process up to 200,000 2-D
flat-shaded polygons per second (100 pixel transformed, clip checked,
rendered).

This fast rendering speed lets a system display smooth dynamic motion
of 2-D/3-D wireframe objects.  XGL is unique in that it provides
lighting, shading and hidden surface removal on the GX without the need
for special 3-D solids modeling hardware.


According to Shrikant Sathe, director of hardware vendor relations at
Cadence Design Systems, Inc., "Cadence customers running their software
on a Sun GX graphics workstation can confidently expect at least a 50
percent performance enhancement compared to a corresponding non-XGL
Cadence application.  Based on our experience with XGL thus far, we see
this new Sun product as a major contribution to the development of EDA
applications."


High-Performance Graphics In OpenWindows

XGL is the first implementation using Sun's breakthrough Direct
Graphics Access (DGA(TM)) display technology.  DGA works in the
OpenWindows environment, managing access to the screen between the
graphics library and the windowing system.  This allows graphics
applications to realize the full potential of hardware acceleration
while benefitting from the industry-standard X Window System.

XGL, priced at $1,500 is supported on all SPARC(TM) and Sun-3(TM)
systems.  XGL will be shipped in 90 days.

Sun Microsystems, Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a
leading worldwide supplier of network-based distributed computing
systems, including professional workstations, servers and UNIX(R)
operating system and productivity software.

###

X11/NeWS is a registered trademark and XGL, SunPHIGS, SunGKS,
SunVision, OpenWindows, DGA, SPARC, XLib and Sun-3 are trademarks of
Sun Microsystems, Inc.  OPEN LOOK is a trademark and UNIX is a
registered trademark of AT&T.  PostScript is a trademark of Adobe.  All
other products or services mentioned in this document are identified by
the trademarks or service marks of their respective companies or
organizations.

For reader inquiries, telephone 1-800-821-4643 ouside California.
Inside California, call 1-800-821-4642.

Press Contact:
Carrie Dillon (415) 336-3564

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Sunflash is an electronic mail news service from Sun Microsystems,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Please address comments to John McLaughlin
(sun!sunvice!johnj or johnj@sunvice.sun.COM). (305) 776-7770.