---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SunSoft Extends Solaris Graphics APIs SunFLASH Vol 43 #19 July 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- On July 27, SMCC and SunSoft are introducing XIL, a new foundation library for imaging and video applications. XIL is the imaging component of Sun's Open Graphics Initiative, a strategy for providing software capabilities known as foundation libraries. These libraries address the requirements of application programming interfaces (APIs) as well as applications themselves. XIL is a portable open standard that will run on all systems using a future release of Solaris 2. This release should be available Q1CY93. A limited number of developers can participate in our early access program. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Provides Commerical Imaging and Full-Motion Video SIGGRAPH, Chicago, July 27, 1992 -- SunSoft, Inc. today extended its Solaris graphics APIs by introducing the industry's first foundation imaging library with open hardware and software interface specifications. Called XIL, the new API (application programming interface) provides software and hardware developers with a standard interface for developing imaging and full-motion video products that are portable and scalable across Solaris-based systems. XIL adds to SunSoft's XGL interface for 2D and 3D geometries, increasing the company's graphics offerings for the Solaris environment on the SPARC and X86 platforms. XIL offers users a broad range of software and hardware imaging products in the commercial and technical markets. The API provides the core functionality for defining how imaging and video functions, such as display, manipulation, compression, and decompression, are implemented. By standardizing on the XIL API, software developers can design applications rapidly and cost-effectively, shortening their time to market. For system manufacturers, XIL features a standardized hardware interface specification that simplifies the development of frame buffers and imaging accelerators. In addition, XIL provides the base for other industry-standard APIs, including PIKS, SunIPLib and XIE, allowing applications written to these APIs to run on the Solaris platform. "We're quickly entering the era of collaborative computing where software applications will feature imaging and video components," said Jim Billmaier, vice president of product marketing at SunSoft. "XIL makes it easier for SunSoft's customers to rapidly develop the software and hardware products needed to make the interactive enterprise a reality." Product Highlights SunSoft's XIL is the software interface for imaging applications layered between higher- level programming interfaces and system hardware. It contains three primary components: a programming interface specification for basic imaging functionality; a high-performance implementation of this specification tuned for the reference SPARC system; and the hardware interface specification for Solaris hardware manufacturers to develop XIL imaging accelerators. XIL provides full 30-frames-per-second, 640 x 480 video windows on standard SPARCstation 2 workstations using advanced software video playback techniques developed by Sun Microsystems Computer Corp. (SMCC) for SunSoft. XIL features fast compression/ decompression technology, including support for the JPEG standard, thereby reducing storage requirements by up to 98 percent. XIL also offers functionality for commercial image processing. Commercial imaging includes document imaging, graphics arts and color prepress. These markets require sophisticated technologies for arithmetic and geometric operations, sharpening and deblurring of images, and color manipulation and transformation. Pricing and Availability XIL will be incorporated into future versions of the Solaris system software for the SPARC and X86 platforms. A developer kit will be available in the first quarter of calendar year 1993. Details on pricing and availability will be announced at that time. Product inquiries should be directed to SunSoft at 1-800-227-9227 in the United States. In Europe and Asia, inquires should be directed to local SunSoft offices. SunSoft, headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, Inc. The company has offices in North America, Europe and Asia and is the leading supplier of 32-bit system software solutions for SPARC and 80386/486 architectures. SunSoft's products are targeted at software developers, system administrators, and end users. The products are licensed by SunSoft and distributed through major computer manufacturers and resellers worldwide. XIL Preliminary Questions and Answers Q. What is XIL? A. XIL is a Solaris foundation imaging library that provides the common functions required by all imaging and video applications. It is a software layer for applications, fitting between higher-level programming interfaces and system hardware. XIL defines how imaging and video functions, such as display, image manipulation, compression, and decompression, are carried out. XIL contains three primary components: - a programming interface specification for basic imaging and video functionality, - a high performance implementation of the specification tuned for host systems, - a standard hardware interface, which enables Solaris OEMs and third-party hardware developers to readily support XIL and applications built on XIL. Please note that XIL's proper name is XIL, it is not an acronym. Q. What markets does XIL address? A. XIL will be used by application developers in commercial and technical markets including. . . Compound text, Document imaging, Color prepress Graphic arts, Image and video documents Multimedia Technical imaging Video training, Q. Why would I want XIL? A. XIL has many benefits including. . . - It has standardize H/W and S/W interfaces - It provides a rich collection of basic imaging and video capabilities. - It supports acceleration H/W without changing the application program - It protects software, and hardware developer investments - It will increase the number of application available to end users Q. How does XIL fit with OGI? What is SunSoft doing with OGI? A. XIL is the next component of OGI. As such it joins XGL for graphics and the windowing system which are already available. SunSoft endorses the concept of foundation graphics and will support this concept in the future. Q. Can XIL, XGL, XLIB APIs be used in a single application? A. Yes. They all follow standard X guidelines and are integrated with our current windowing system. Q. XIE(X Imaging Extensions) may become a industry standard imaging API. What are the plans on supporting XIE? Why create another API (XIL) when XIE exists? A. We are committed to supporting industry standards. XIE provides simple image display oriented functionality and is still evolving. It is primarily focused on supporting remote imaging capabilities. XIL provides a rich set of foundation level image processing functions. XIE is strictly a API and library of functions while XIL includes API, function library and a standard hardware interface. Q. What about pricing and availability of XIL? A. XIL is being announced as a technology at Siggraph, and not as a product, so pricing is not being announced. The XIL Developers Kit will be released in early 1993 as a product. Please contact you Sun representative if your are interested in earlier access. Q. Will XIL run on Solaris 1.x? Is it a SVR4 only product? Which Solaris will it be supported on? A. XIL will run on the current versions of Solaris 2 if the run time libraries are available. The run time libraries are part of the developers kit and early access program. The run time libraries will be bundled as part of a future release of Solaris for SPARC based systems available in the first half of 93. Q. Since XIL has color transformation APIs, is it compatible with KCMS (Kodak Color Management System) or other similar systems? Can I do device dependent color transformation using XIL? When? A. XIL can support KCMS and other industry standard color systems. The basic color transformation capabilities (RGC to CMY or CMYK etc.) of XIL provides the necessary functionality to support all the major standard color systems. Specific device control must be provided by the application program. Functionality List ------------------ Arithmetic and Logical Operation add subtract multiply divide and or xor add subtract multiply divide with constant and or xor with constant Geometric Operations scale rotate translate transpose subsample-adaptive (many to 1) subsample binary to gray (1 to 8) Data Types Supported 1-bit 8-bit unsigned 16-bit signed 24-bit true color (3 x 8-bit unsigned) Common IP Operations Min and Max Convolve Dilate Erode Threshold LUT manipulation Read and Write pixel Rescale pixel values Copy and multiple copys Change image data type ROI Functions Digital Video Compression Functions SunSoft's Cell format JPEG CCITT Group 3 and Group 4 standards Color Functions RGB CIE XYZ, CMY, CYMK Presentation Functions dither manipulate color maps painting images blending images Error-Handling Utility Functions For Press Questions -------------------- Laura Ramsey SunSoft, Inc. (415) 336-0739 Emily Wanderer Hi-Tech Communications (415) 904-7000 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, paris.cs.miami.edu, uunet.uu.net, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.