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                                                        The Florida SunFlash

               Graphics APIs Technical White Paper

SunFLASH Vol 43 #4					           July 1992 
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This article is basically the table of contents from a white
paper that is available from your local Sun sales office. I hope that
this TOC will help you decide if you need to contact your local
office to get a copy. Note that limited quantities are shipped to
each office. -johnj
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                           Publication Date December 1991
                                Order # FE320-01/20k



CONTENTS

  1.  Graphics APIs........................................................1-1
       1.1  Introduction...................................................1-1
            Overview.......................................................1-1
       1.2  Selecting a Graphics Interface.................................1-3
            Dispay-list vs. Immediate-mode.................................1-3
            Feature Set....................................................1-3
            Coordinate System: 2-D or 3-D..................................1-4
	    Performance....................................................1-4

  2.  Graphics in Open Windows.............................................2-1
       2.1  X11/NeWS Server Capabilities...................................2-1
       2.2  Graphics Interface Inter-operability and Independence..........2-2
       2.3  Architecture of Sun's Graphics APIs............................2-2
  
  3.  Sun's Graphics Interfaces............................................3-1
       3.1  SunPHIGS.......................................................3-1
            Overview.......................................................3-1
            Features and Description.......................................3-2
            Internationalization..........................................3-16
       3.2  SunGKS........................................................3-18
            Overview......................................................3-18
            Features and Description......................................3-18
            Rendering Pipeline............................................3-25
            Internationalization..........................................3-25
       3.3  XGL...........................................................3-28
            Overview......................................................3-28
            Features and Description......................................3-28
            Interface Description.........................................3-39
            Rendering Pipeline............................................3-39
            Internationalization..........................................3-40
       3.4  SunIPLib......................................................3-42
            Overview......................................................3-42
            Features and Description......................................3-42
            Interface Description.........................................3-43
       3.5  SunART/RenderMan..............................................3-50
            Overview......................................................3-50
            Level of Compliance with the RenderMan Specification..........3-50
            The Renderman Interface: Features and Decription..............3-51
            Using the RenderMan Interface.................................3-52

  4.  OpenWindows Window System APIs.......................................4-1
       4.1  Graphical User Interface Toolkits..............................4-1
       4.2  The NeWS/PostScript Language...................................4-2

  5.  Graphics/OpenWindows Integration.....................................5-1
       5.1  Distributed Graphics through X Windows Protocols...............5-2
            The X Protocol.................................................5-2
            The PEX Extension to the X Protocol............................5-3
            Direct Graphics AccessTM (DGA).................................5-4
       5.2  Toolkit and Window Manager Considerations......................5-6

  A.    Document References................................................A-1

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