Subject: Re: Math Libs (fwd)
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 19:31:04 -0600 (MDT)
From: rudd@plk.af.mil (Douglas Rudd)

Forwarded message:
> From wilks@lbm.com Mon May 30 18:04:21 1994
> Date: Mon, 30 May 94 17:39:21 CDT
> From: wilks@lbm.com (Stephen Wilkinson)
> Message-Id: <9405302239.AA19861@lbm.com>
> To: rudd@plk.af.mil
> Subject: Re: Math Libs
> Cc: imagine@email.sp.paramax.com
> 
> rudd@plk.af.mil (Douglas Rudd) said:
> 
> > I've seen a mixed bag of results on the list. Most seem to share my 
> > experience; that is to say, no speed up what so ever - scanline or 
> > ray trace. I've tested these libs on my GVP 040 (A2000) and GVP 030/50 
> > (A1200) with much the same disapointing results. On a very long ray trace 
> > (6+ hours), the stock libs are actually a couple minutes faster than the 
> > 040 libs with the 882 libs falling in between.
> [snip]
> 
> I would hazard a guess that Impulse compile Imagine to have the 68881/2
> calls directly in the code, rather than opening the system libraries.
> Your time difference (on a '30) would be mostly due to drift from the
> system tasks and other system loads. The upshot of this would be that
> Imagine won't be any faster with new libs. This is what I see on my
> A3000 at home. Anybody got SNOOP-DOS to verify this?
> 
> Stephen
> ____________________________________
> Stephen Wilkinson     wilks@lbm.com      "Programming is like pinball. The
> Software Engineer                         reward for doing it well is the
> LB&M Associates                           opportunity to do it again."
> ____________________________________
> #define OPINION        (myown)
> #define COMPANYOPINION (~myown)
> 
>       This message created using 87% recycled neuro-transmitters
> 
Actually, I think I have confirmed that Imagine.fp does't use these libs. I used
 a less than elegant technique - I removed all four from the Libs directory, the
n rebooted. I found a copy of ARTM and used that to confirm the absence of the m
ath libs. I then ran Imagine.fp with no problems, same rendering times.
 
In fact, VistaPro, Image-FX, ADPro all seem to run without these libs. My guess 
is that only a program like MapleV might make a call to them and infact MapleV d
oing a BorroRing 3D Plot didn't call any of these libs. If the Libs were availab
le to Maple would it use them? Well that's for the Math.Symbolic Newsgroup. 

Can anyone tell me how these libs are used or are they redundant?

D. Rudd


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