NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/comp/graphics/8187

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Path: sparky!uunet!mcsun!ariadne!ntua.gr!theseas!nfotis
From: [e-mail] (Nick (Nikolaos) C Fotis)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics,news.answers
Subject: (27 Jul 92) Computer Graphics Resource Listing : WEEKLY [part 1/2]
Message-ID: <nfotis.712249170@theseas>
Date: 27 Jul 92 14:59:30 GMT
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Nick (Nikolaos) Fotis)
Followup-To: poster
Organization: National Technical Univ. of Athens
Lines: 1510
Approved: [e-mail]

Archive-name: graphics-resources-list/part1
Last-modified: 1992/07/27


Computer Graphics Resource Listing : WEEKLY POSTING [ PART 1/2 ]
===================================================
Last Change : 27 July 1992

Items Changed:
--------------

[ Sorry for the latency, but we have a mass transit strike here in Greece...
Also note that I'll be out of city for my holidays (2-11 August), so be
sure to save your last work...

 I split the list, because inews doesn't like articles larger than 63 KB :-(

 I think to split more intelligently the list, but I want to just get it out
 in this half-baked form. When I have more time, I'll do a more reasonable
 editing (If and when is another matter!) ]

 Merged with another HUGE list, I feel some trimming down is necessary,
 but I need some time
 In general, more clean-up - in the end I'll do a spell check... -- nfotis ]

4. Mail servers
5. Ray-tracing/graphics-related mailing lists
9. Scene generators/geographical data/Maps/Data files
14. Plotting packages
17. Scientific visualization stuff

---

Lines which got changed, have the `#' character in front of them.
Added lines are prepended with a `+'
Removed lines are just removed. Use 'diff' to locate these changes.

========================================================================

This text is (C)Copyright 1992 of Nikolaos C. Fotis. You can copy
freely this file, provided you keep this copyright notice intact.

Compiled by Nikolaos (Nick) C. Fotis, e-mail: [e-mail]

Please contact me for updates,corrections, etc.
Disclaimer: I do not guarantee the accuracy of this document.
Use it at your own risk.

This file is crossposted to comp.graphics and news.answers, so If you
can't locate it in comp.graphics, you're advised to search in news.answers
(The latter group usually is archived in your site. Contact your sysadmin
for more info).

========================================================================

This is mainly a guide for computer graphics software.
I would suggest reading the Comp. Graphics FAQ for image analysis stuff.
It's entitled:
 (date) comp.graphics frequently asked questions.

This article is posted to comp.graphics 3-4 times a
month and is kept in the FTP sites (2 times/month I update these copies)

  cgcr.gsu.edu, tmp/graphics-resource-list
  nic.funet.fi, pub/graphics/misc/graphics-resource-list
  weedeater.math.yale.edu, pub/incoming/graphics-resource-list
and
  gondwana.ecr.mu.oz.au, /incoming/graphics-resource-list

Also, the inria-graphlib mail server mirrors this posting (see under the
Subject 4: Mail servers )

I have included my comments within braces '[' and ']'.

Nikolaos Fotis

========================================================================

Contents of the Resource Listing
--------------------------------

1. ARCHIE
2. Notes
3. Computer graphics FTP site list, by Eric Haines
4. Mail servers
5. Ray-tracing/graphics-related mailing lists.
6. Public domain and cheap 3D graphics editors
7. Scene description languages
8. Solids description formats
9. Scene generators/geographical data/Maps/Data files
10. 3D scanners.
11. Background imagery/textures/datafiles
12. Introduction to rendering algorithms
   a. Ray tracing
   b. Z-buffer (depth-buffer)
   c. Others
13. Where can I find the famous teapot data?
14. Plotting packages
15. Image analysis software - Image processing and display
16. Image annotation software
17. Scientific visualization stuff
18. Molecular visualization stuff
19. GIS (Geographical Information Systems software) [NEW SUBJECT]

Future additions:
[Please send me updates/info!]

========================================================================

1. ARCHIE
---------

The Archie is a service system to locate FTP places for
requested files. It's appreciated that you will use Archie
before asking help in the newsgroups.

Archie servers:
  archie.mcgill.ca or 132.206.2.3         (Canada)
  archie.funet.fi or 128.214.6.100  (Finland/Eur.)
  archie.au or 139.130.4.6             (Aussie/NZ)
  cs.huji.ac.il or 132.65.6.5             (Israel)
  archie.doc.ic.ac.uk or 146.169.3.7  (UK/Ireland)
  archie.sura.net or 128.167.254.179    (USA [MD])
  archie.unl.edu (password: archie1)    (USA [NE])
  archie.ans.net or 147.225.1.2         (USA [NY])
  archie.rutgers.edu or 128.6.18.15     (USA [NJ])

Connect to Archie server with telnet and type "archie" as username.
To get help type 'help'.
You can get 'xarchie' or 'archie', which are clients that call Archie
without the burden of a telnet session.
'Xarchie' is on the X11.R5 contrib tape, and 'archie' on comp.sources.misc,
vol. 27.

To get information on how to use Archie via e-mail, send mail with
subject "help" to "archie" account at any of above sites.

(Note to Janet/PSS users -- the United Kingdom archie site is
accessible on the Janet host doc.ic.ac.uk [000005102000].
Connect to it and specify "archie" as the host name and "archie" as
the username.)

==========================================================================

2. Notes
--------
(Excerpted from the FAQ article by Jef Poskanzer.)

Please do *not* post or mail messages saying "I can't FTP, could
someone mail this to me?"  There are a number of automated mail servers
that will send you things like this in response to a message.

There are a number of sites that archive the Usenet sources newsgroups
and make them available via an email query system.  You send a message
to an automated server saying something like "send comp.sources.unix/fbm",
and a few hours or days later you get the file in the mail.

==========================================================================

3. Computer graphics FTP site list, by Eric Haines
--------------------------------------------------

Ray Tracing related FTP sites (and maintainers), 7/02/92
compiled by Eric Haines, [e-mail]
with help from Nick Fotis, [e-mail]


Some highlights:
----------------

RayShade - a great ray tracer for workstations on up, but you can find
    a PC version, which requires FPU, plus Mac and Amiga versions.
Radiance - a ray tracer w/radiosity effects, a la Greg Ward (who wrote it).
    [ practically, demands UNIX, but some crazy people ported it
    to at least the Amiga -- nfotis ]
DKBtrace - another good ray tracer, from all reports; PCs, Mac II,
    Amiga, UNIX, VMS (last two with X11 previewer), etc.
ART - ray tracer with a good range of surface types, part of VORT package.
PoV - son of DKB trace, written by Compuservers - A Beta version available
MTV,QRT,DBW - yet more ray tracers, some with interesting features.
prt, VM_pRAY - parallel ray tracers.

RTrace - Portugese ray tracer, does bicubic patches and other interesting stuff
    In the current version (7.3) there's also CSG support, 3D text, etc.
VIVID2 - A shareware raytracer for PCs - binary only
    Now it's on version 2, packaged under the name vivid2.zip
    (286/287 binaries). Author: Stephen Coy ([e-mail]).
    The 386/387 (NO src!) version is available to registered users (US$50)
    direct from the author.
RAY4 - Steve Hollasch's 4-dimensional ray tracer.

XDART - A distributed ray-tracer that runs under X11. There are server binaries
    ONLY for DECstations, SPARCs and NeXT. The clients are distributed as
    binaries and C source.
Inetray - A network version of Rayshade 4.0. Needs Sun RPC 4.0 or newer.
    Contact Andreas Thurnherr ([e-mail]) - FTP place below

SIPP - scanline Z-buffer renderer.
VOGLE - graphics learning environment (device portable).
VOGL - an SGI GL-like library based on VOGLE.
REND386 - A *fast* polygon renderer for Intel 386s and up. Version 2 on up.
    [ It's *NOT* a photorealistic, but a real-time renderer!]
VREND - Cornell's Volume Renderer, from Kartch/Devine/Caffey/Warren (FORTRAN).

VISION-3D - Mac modeler, can output Radiance & Rayshade files.
IRIT - A CSG solid modeler, with support for freeform surfaces.
X3D - A wireframe viewer for X11.
SALEM - A GL-based package from Dobkin et al. for exploring mathematical
structures.
GEOMVIEW - A GL-based package for looking and interactively manipulating
3D objects, from Geometry Center at Minnesota.
3DV - 3-D wireframe graphics toolkit, with C source, 3dv objects, other stuff
+    Look at major PC archives like wuarchive. One such file is 3DKIT1.ZIP

SPD - a set of procedural databases for testing ray tracers.
NFF - simplistic file format used by SPD.
OFF - another file format.
P3D - a lispy file format.
TDDD - Imagine (3D modeler) format, has converters for RayShade, NFF, OFF, etc.
    Also includes a nice postscript object displayer.  Some GREAT models.
TTDDDLIB - converts to/from TDDD/TTDDD, OFF, NFF, Rayshade 4.0, Imagine
    and vort 3d objects. Also outputs Framemaker MIF files and isometric
    views in Postscript. If you register (for $25), you get (besides other)
    a TeX PK font converter and a superquadric surfaces generator.
    Ask Glenn Lewis <[e-mail]>
    [ Note : you can spell TTDDDLIB as T3DLIB also ]

RT News - collections of articles on ray tracing.
RT bib - all known (by me) articles on ray tracing, in "refer" format.
RT abstracts - collection of abstracts of many many RT articles.

Utah Raster Toolkit - nice image manipulation tools.
PBMPLUS - a great package for image conversion and manipulation.
FBM - another set of image manipulation tools.
Graphics Gems I-II - code from the ever so useful books.

(*) means site is an "official" distributor, so is most up to date.


NORTH AMERICA (please look for things on your own continent first...):
-------------

princeton.edu [128.112.128.1]:  /pub/Graphics - *Rayshade 4.0 ray tracer (and
    separate 387 executable)*, *color quantization code*, *SPD*, *RT
    News*, *Wilson's RT abstracts*, "RT bib*, *new Utah raster toolkit*,
    newer FBM, *Graphics Gems I & II code*.  Craig Kolb <[e-mail]>
    [replaces weedeater.math.yale.edu - note the capital "G" in
    pub/Graphics]
    There's also the /pub/graphics directory - *SALEM* and other stuff
    Because there's a trouble with princeton's incoming area, you can
    upload Rayshade-specific stuff to weedeater [128.36.23.17]

hobbes.lbl.gov [128.3.12.38]: *Radiance* ray trace/radiosity package.  Greg Ward
    <[e-mail]>

wuarchive.wustl.edu [128.252.135.4]:  /graphics/graphics/objects/TDDD - *the
    TDDD objects and converters*, /mirrors/unix-c/graphics - Rayshade ray
    tracer, MTV ray tracer, Vort ray tracer, FBM, PBMPLUS, popi, Utah
    raster toolkit.  /mirrors/msdos/graphics - DKB ray tracer, FLI
    RayTracker demos.  /graphics/graphics/radiosity - Radiance and Indian
    radiosity package.  /archive/graphics/graphics - George Kyriazis'
    stuff, including bibs, Graphics Gems I & II code, TDDD, OFF, RTN,
    Radiance, NFF, SIPP, Geometry Center stuff, etc etc.
    George Kyriazis <[e-mail]>

geom.umn.edu [128.101.25.31] : pub/geomview - *GEOMVIEW*
    Contact (for GEOMVIEW): [e-mail]

swedishchef.lerc.nasa.gov [139.88.54.33] : programs/hollasch-4d - *RAY4*

zamenhof.cs.rice.edu [128.42.1.75] : pub/graphics.formats - Various electronic
    documents about many object and image formats.

rascal.ics.utexas.edu [128.83.144.1]:  /misc/mac/inqueue - VISION-3D facet
    based modeller, can output RayShade and Radiance files.

alfred.ccs.carleton.ca [134.117.1.1]:  /pub/dkbtrace - *DKB ray tracer*, *PVRay
    Compuserve group ray tracer (or PoV)*.
    David Buck <[e-mail]>

ftp.ipl.rpi.edu [128.113.14.50]:  sigma/erich - SPD images and Haines thesis
    images.  pub/images - various 24 and 8 bit image stills and sequences.
    Kevin Martin <[e-mail]>

ftp.psc.edu [128.182.66.148]:  pub/p3d - p3d_2_0.tar P3D lispy scene
    language & renderers.  Joel Welling <[e-mail]>

ftp.ee.lbl.gov [128.3.254.68]: *pbmplus.tar.Z*, RayShade data files.  Jef
    Poskanzer <[e-mail]>

hanauma.stanford.edu [36.51.0.16]: /pub/graphics/Comp.graphics - best of
    comp.graphics (very extensive), ray-tracers - DBW, MTV, QRT, and more.
    Joe Dellinger <[e-mail]>

freedom.graphics.cornell.edu [128.84.247.85]:  *RT News back issues*, *source
    code from Roy Hall's book "Illumination and Color in Computer
    Generated Imagery"*, SPD package, *Heckbert/Haines ray tracing article
    bibliography*, Muuss timing papers.

ftp.uu.net [192.48.96.2]:  /graphics - *IRIT*, RT News back issues (not
    complete), NURBS models, other graphics related material.
[ was uunet.uu.net ]

life.pawl.rpi.edu [128.113.10.2]: /pub/ray - *Kyriazis stochastic Ray Tracer*.
    George Kyriazis <[e-mail]>

ab20.larc.nasa.gov [128.155.23.64]: /amiga - DBW,
    /usenet/comp.{sources|binaries}.amiga/volume90/applications -
    DKBTrace 2.01.  <[e-mail]>
[ It was shut down. The final contents are at least mirrored at wuarchive.
 I don't know for other sites -- nfotis ]

freebie.engin.umich.edu [141.212.68.23]:  *Utah Raster Toolkit*, Spencer Thomas
    <[e-mail]> or Rod Bogart <[e-mail]>.

cs.utah.edu [128.110.4.21]: /pub - Utah raster toolkit, *NURBS databases*.
    Jamie Painter <[e-mail]>

gatekeeper.dec.com [16.1.0.2]: /pub/DEC/off.tar.Z - *OFF models*,
    /pub/misc/graf-bib - *graphics bibliographies (incomplete)*.
[ The bibliography is so incomplete that was suspended! ]
    Also GPC Benchmark files (planned, but not checked).
    Randi Rost <[e-mail]>

hubcap.clemson.edu [130.127.8.1]: /pub/amiga/incoming/imagine - stuff for the
    Amiga Imagine & Turbo Silver ray tracers. *TTDDDLIB* ask Glenn Lewis
    <[e-mail]>

pprg.eece.unm.edu [129.24.24.10]: /pub/khoros - *Khoros image processing
    package (huge, but great)*.  Danielle Argiro
    <[e-mail]>

expo.lcs.mit.edu [18.30.0.212]:  contrib - *PBMPLUS portable bitmap
    package*, *poskbitmaptars bitmap collection*, *Raveling Img*,
    xloadimage.  Jef Poskanzer <[e-mail]>

venera.isi.edu [128.9.0.32]:  */pub/Img.tar.z and img.tar.z - some image
    manipulation*, /pub/images - RGB separation photos.  Paul Raveling
    <[e-mail]>

ucsd.edu [128.54.16.1]:  /graphics - utah rle toolkit, pbmplus, fbm,
    databases, MTV, DBW and other ray tracers, world map, other stuff.
    Not updated much recently.

castlab.engr.wisc.edu [128.104.52.10]: /pub/x3d.1.5.tar.Z - *X3D*
    /pub/xdart.1.0.* - *XDART*
    Mark Spychalla   ([e-mail])

okeeffe.berkeley.edu [128.32.130.3]:  /pub - TIFF software and pics.  Sam
    Leffler <[e-mail]>
[I'll remove this entry soon]

+sgi.com [192.48.153.1]:  /graphics/tiff - TIFF 6.0 spec & LIBTIFF software
+    and pics.  Sam Leffler <[e-mail]>
+[Supercedes okeeffe.berkeley.edu]

surya.waterloo.edu [129.97.129.72]: /graphics - FBM, ray tracers

ftp.brl.mil [128.63.16.158]: /brl-cad - information on how to get the
    BRL CAD package & ray tracer.  /images - various test images.

karazm.math.uh.edu [129.7.7.6]:  pub/Graphics/rtabs.shar.12.90.Z - *Wilson's
    RT abstracts*, VM_pRAY.  J. Eric Townsend
    <[e-mail]>

cs.uoregon.edu [128.223.4.13]:  /incoming - *TDDD models*, /pub - *Irit solids
    modeller*, *MTV ray tracer*, *RT News*, *RT bibliography*, other
    raytracers (including RayShade, QRT, VM_pRAY), SPD/NFF, OFF objects,
    musgrave papers, some Netlib polyhedra, Roy Hall book source code,
    Hershey fonts, old FBM.
[ It was shut down -- Go to wuarchive for most of its contents -- nfotis ]

ftp.pitt.edu [130.49.253.1]:  /users/qralston/images - 24 bit image archive
    (small).  James Ralston Crawford <[e-mail]>

ftp.tc.cornell.edu [128.84.201.1]: /pub/vis - *VREND*

sunee.waterloo.edu [129.97.128.196]: /pub/raytracers - vivid, *REND386*
[or sunee.uwaterloo.ca]

archive.umich.edu [141.211.164.153]: /msdos/graphics - PC graphics stuff.
    /msdos/graphics/raytrace - VIVID2.

export.lcs.mit.edu [18.24.0.12] :  /pub/R5untarred/mit/demos/gpc -
    NCGA Graphics Performance Characterization (GPC) Suite.

apple.apple.com [130.43.2.2?]:  /pub/ArchiveVol2/prt.

research.att.com [192.20.225.2]: /netlib/graphics - *SPD package*, ~/polyhedra -
    *polyhedra databases*.  (If you don't have FTP, use the netlib
    automatic mail replier:  UUCP - research!netlib, Internet -
    [e-mail].  Send one line message "send index" for more info,
    "send haines from graphics" to get the SPD)

siggraph.org [128.248.245.250]: SIGGRAPH archive site.  Automatic mailer is
    [e-mail] ("send index").

acs.cps.msu.edu [35.8.56.90]: pub/sass - *X window fonts converter into
    Rayshade 3.0 polygons*, Rayshade animation tool(s).
    Ron Sass <[e-mail]>

ftp.cs.unc.edu []: pub/reaction_diffusion - Greg Turk's work on
    reaction-diffusion textures (SIGGRAPH '91)

UUCP archive: avatar - RT News back issues.  For details, write Kory Hamzeh
    <[e-mail]>

EUROPE:
-------

nic.funet.fi [128.214.6.100]:  *pub/sci/papers - *Paper bank project, including
    Pete Shirley's entire thesis (with pics)*, *Wilson's RT abstracts*,
    comp.graphics.research archive, radiosity package from India.
    Juhana Kouhia <[e-mail]>

dasun2.epfl.ch [128.178.62.2]: Radiance. Good for European sites, but
    doesn't carry the add-ons that are available for Radiance.

isy.liu.se [130.236.1.3]:  pub/sipp-2.1.tar.Z scan line z-buffer and Phong
    shading renderer.  Jonas Yngvesson <[e-mail]>

irisa.fr [131.254.2.3]:  */iPSC2/VM_pRAY ray tracer*, SPD, /NFF - many non-SPD
    NFF format scenes, RayShade data files (Americans: check
    ftp.ee.lbl.gov first).  Didier Badouel <[e-mail]>

tolsun.oulu.fi [128.214.5.6]: Moved to phoenix.oulu.fi [130.231.240.17]
    *FLI RayTracker animation files (PC VGA) - also big .FLIs (640*480)*
    *RayScene demos* (Americans:  check wustl first).  More animations to
    come. Jari Kahkonen <[e-mail]>

jyu.fi [128.214.7.5]: /pub/graphics/ray-traces - many ray tracers, including
    VM_pRAY, DBW, DKB, MTV, QRT, RayShade, some RT News, NFF files.  Jari
    Toivanen <[e-mail]>

asterix.inescn.pt [192.35.246.17]: pub/RTrace - *RTrace*
    nffutils.tar.Z (NFF utilities for RTrace), medical data (CAT, etc.)
    converters to NFF, Autocad to NFF Autolisp code, AYTOCAD 11 to
    SCN (RTrace's language) converter and other goodies.
    Antonio Costa ([e-mail])

vega.hut.fi [128.214.3.82]: /graphics - RTN archive, ray tracers (MTV, QRT,
    others), NFF, some models

hp4nl.nluug.nl [192.16.202.2]: /pub/graphics/raytrace - DBW.microray, MTV,
    etc.

maeglin.mt.luth.se [130.240.0.25]:  graphics/raytracing - prt, others, ~/Doc -
    *Wilson's RT abstracts*, Vivid.

ftp.fu-berlin.de [130.20.225.2]:  /pub/unix/graphics/rayshade4.0/inputs -
    aq.tar.Z is RayShade aquarium (Americans:  check ftp.ee.lbl.gov first).
    Heiko Schlichting <[e-mail]>

maggia.ethz.ch [129.132.17.1]: pub/inetray - *Inetray* and Sun RPC 4.0 code
    Andreas Thurnherr <[e-mail]>

osgiliath.id.dth.dk [129.142.65.24]: /pub/amiga/graphics/Radiance -
    *Amiga port of Radiance 2.0*.
    Per Bojsen <[e-mail]>

DOWN UNDER:
-----------

#gondwana.ecr.mu.oz.au [128.250.1.63 - new number 128.250.70.62]:
#    pub - *VORT(ART) ray tracer*, *VOGLE*,
    Wilson's ray tracing abstracts, /pub/contrib/artscenes (ART scenes from
    Italy), pub/images/haines - Haines thesis images, Graphics Gems code,
    SPD, NFF & OFF databases, NFF and OFF previewers, plus some 8- and
    24bit images and lots of other stuff.
    Bernie Kirby <[e-mail]>

munnari.oz.au [128.250.1.21]:  pub/graphics/vort.tar.Z - *VORT (ART) 2.1 CSG and
    algebraic surface ray tracer*, *VOGLE*, /pub - DBW, pbmplus.  /graphics
    - room.tar.Z (ART scenes from Italy).  David Hook <[e-mail]>

OCEANIA
-------
[ Because the connection to NZ is NOT through Australia, I was asked to
 make a separate entry -- perhaps I should add Japanese sites here? ]

ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz [130.216.1.5]:  ftp/mac/architec - *VISION-3D facet
    based modeller, can output RayShade files*.  Many other neat things
    for Macs.  Paul Bourke <[e-mail]>

4. Mail servers
---------------

Please check first with the FTP places above, with archie's help.
Don't overuse mail servers.

There are some troubles with wrong return addresses. Many of these
mail servers have a command like
   path a_valid_return_e-mail_address
to get a hint for sending back to you stuff.

DEC's FTPMAIL
-------------
  Send a one-line message to [e-mail] WITHOUT a Subject: field,
  and having a line containing the word 'help'.
  You should get back a message detailing the relevant procedures you
  must follow in order to get the files you want.

  Note that the "reply" or "answer" command in your mailer will not work
  for this message or any other mail you receive from FTPMAIL.  To send
  requests to FTPMAIL, send an original mail message, not a reply.
  Complaints should be sent to the [e-mail]
  address rather than to postmaster, since DECWRL's postmaster is not
  responsible for fixing ftpmail problems.

BITFTP
------
  For BITNET sites ONLY, there's BITFTP@PUCC.
  Send a one-line 'help' message to this address for more info.

Lightwave 3D mail based file-server
-----------------------------------
  A mail based file server for 3D objects, 24bit JPEG images, GIF images
  and image maps is now online for all those with Internet mail access.
  The server is the official archive site for the Lightwave 3D mail-list.

  The server resides on a BBS called "The Graphics BBS".  The BBS is
  operational 24 hours a day 7 days a week at the phone number of +1
  908/469-0049.  It utilizes a Hayes V-Series 9600 V.42 modem. (soon to
  upgrade to a V.32 modem)

  If you would like to submit objects, scenes or images to the server,
  please pack, uuencode and then mail the files to the address:
  [e-mail].

  For information on obtaining files from the server send a mail message
  to the address [e-mail] with the following in
  the body of the message:
    HELP
    /DIR
  And a help file describing how to use the server and a complete
  directory listing will be sent to you via mail.

INRIA-GRAPHLIB
--------------
  Pierre Jancene and Sabine Coquillart launched the inria-graphlib mail
  server a few months ago.

    echo help | mail [e-mail]

  will give you a quick summary of what inria-graphlib contains and
  how to browse among its files.

    echo send contents | mail [e-mail]

  will return the extended summary.

  As an other example :

    echo send cgrl from Misc | mail [e-mail]

  will return the Computer Graphics Resource Listing mirrored from
  comp.graphics.

Other places
------------
  There are many BBSes that store datafiles, etc.etc., but a guide to these
  is beyond the scope of this Listing (and the resources of the author!)
  If you can point to me Internet- or mail- accessible BBSes that carry
  interesting stuff, send me info!

  Studio Amiga is a 3D modelling and ray tracing specific BBS, [phone].
  24 hours, 105 Meg online.

  Bob Lindabury operates a BBS (see above the entry for "The Graphics BBS")

==========================================================================

5. Ray-tracing/graphics-related mailing lists
---------------------------------------------

Imagine
-------
  Modeling and animation system for the Amiga:
  send subscription requests to [e-mail]
  send material to [e-mail]
  (Dave Wickard has substituted Steve Worley in the maintenance of
  the mailing list)

Lightwave
---------
  (for the Amiga. It's part of Newtek's Video Toaster):
  send subscription requests to [e-mail]
  send material to [e-mail]
  (Bob Lindabury)

Toaster
-------
  send subscription requests to [e-mail] with a *body* of:
     subscribe toaster-list

Rayshade
--------
  send subscription requests to [e-mail]
  send material to [e-mail]
  (Craig Kolb)

Radiance
--------
  Greg Ward, the author, sends to registered (via e-mail) users digests of
  his correspodence with them, notes about fixes, updates, etc.
  His address is: [e-mail]

REND386
-------
  send subscription requests to [e-mail]
  send material to [e-mail]

+Mailing List for Massively Parallel Rendering
+---------------------------------------------
+  send subscription requests to [e-mail]
+  send material to [e-mail]

==========================================================================

6. Public domain and cheap 3D graphics editors
----------------------------------------------

VISION-3D
---------
  Mac-based program written by Paul D. Bourke ([e-mail]).
  The program can be used to generate models directly in the RayShade
  and Radiance file formats (polygons only).

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.

  For further details, call Ms. Carla Moyer at USA (410)-273-7794, send
  E-mail to <[e-mail]>, FAX your letter to USA (410)-272-6763, or
  write to: 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 and X11.
  Includes freeform surface support.

SurfModel
---------
  A solid modeling program for PC written in Turbo Pascal 6.0 by
  Ken Van Camp. Available from SIMTEL, pd1:<msdos.srfmodl> directory.

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
    [phone]
    [e-mail]

  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 ]

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:   [e-mail] (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: [e-mail]

  And their address is:

  Spatial Technology, Inc.
  2425 55th St., Bldg. A
  Boulder, CO 80301-5704
  Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]


NOODLES
-------
   From CMU, namely Fritz Printz and Levent Gursoz ([e-mail]).
   It's based on Non Manifold Topology.
   Ask them for more info, I don't know if they give it away.

MOVIE-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: [phone]
  E-mail: [e-mail]


twixt
-----
  Soon to add stuff about it... If I get a reply to my FAX

VOXBLAST
--------
  It's a volume renderer marketed by:
  Vaytek Inc. (Fairfield, Iowa phone: [phone]) , running on PCs
  with 386+FPU at least.  Call Vaytek for more info.

==========================================================================

7. Scene description languages
------------------------------

NFF
---
  Neutral file format , by Eric Haines. Very simple, there are some
  procedural database generators in the SPD package, and many objects
  floating in various FTP sites. There's also a previewer written in
  HP Starbase from E.Haines. Also there's one written in VOGLE, so you can
  use any of the devices VOGLE can output on.
  (Check in sites carrying VOGLE, like gondwana.ecr.mu.oz.au)

OFF
---
  Object file format, from DEC's Randy Rost ([e-mail]).
[ The object archive server seems to be mothballed. In a future version,
 I'll remove the ref. to it -- nfotis ]

  Available also through their mail server. To obtain help about using this
  service, send a message with a "Subject:" line containing only the word
  "help" and a null message body to: [e-mail].
  [For FTP places to get it, see in the relevant place]. There's an OFF
  previewer for SGI 4D machines, called off-preview in
  godzilla.cgl.rmit.oz.au . There are previewers for xview and sunview,
  also on gondwana.

TDDD
----
It's a library of 3D objects with translators to/from OFF, NFF,
Rayshade, Imagine or vort objects.
Edited copy of the announcement follows (from Raytracing News, V4,#3):

  New Library of 3D Objects Available via FTP, by Steve Worley
  ([e-mail])

  I have assembled a set of over 150 3D objects in a binary format
  called TDDD. These objects range from human figures to airplanes,
  from semi-trucks to lampposts.  These objects are all freely
  distributable, and most have READMEs that describe them.

  In order to convert these objects to a human-readable format, a file
  with the specification of TDDD is included in the directory with the
  objects. There is also a shareware system called TTDDDLIB (officially
  on hubcap.clemson.edu) that will convert (ala PBM+) to/from various
  object formats : Imagine TTDDD (extension of TDDD?), OFF, NFF,
  Rayshade 4.0, or vort. Source included for Amiga/Unix as executables
  for the Amiga. Also outputs Framemaker MIF files and isometric views
  in Postscript.

P3D
---
  From Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. The P3D uses lisp with slight
  extensions to store three-dimensional models. A simple lisp
  interpreter is included with the P3D release, so there is no need to
  have access to any vendor's lisp to run this software.

  The mouse-driven user interfaces for Motif, Open Look, and Silicon
  Graphics GL, and the DrawP3D subroutine library for generating P3D
  without ever looking at the underlying Lisp.

  The P3D software currently supports nine renderers.  They are:
  Painter - Painter's Algorithm, Dore, Silicon Graphics Inc. GL language,
  Generic Phigs, Sun Phigs+, DEC Phigs+, Rayshade, ART ray tracer (from
  VORT package) and Pixar RenderMan.

  The code is available via anonymous FTP from the machines
  ftp.psc.edu, directory pub/p3d, and nic.funet.fi, directory
  pub/graphics/programs/p3d.

RenderMan
---------
  Pixar's RenderMan is not free - call Pixar for details.

==========================================================================

8. Solids description formats
-----------------------------

a. EEC's ESPRIT project 322 CAD*I (CAD Interfaces) has developed a
  neutral file format for transfer of CAD data (curves, surfaces, and
  solid models between CAD systems and from CAD to CAA (Computer Aided
  Analysis) an CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing)

b. IGES [v. 5.1 now] tries to define a standard to tranfer solid
  models - Brep and CSG. The current standard number is ANSI Y14.26M-1987
  For documentation, you might want to contact Nancy Flower at
  NCGA Technical Services and Standards, (USA) 703-698-9600

c. PDES/STEP : This slowly emerging standard tries to encompass not only
  the geometrical information, but also for things like FEM, etc.
  The main bodies besides this standard are NIST and DARPA. You can get
  more information about PDES by sending mail to [e-mail]
  and putting the line
    send index
  in the body (NOT the Subject:) area of the message.

  The people at Rutherford Appleton Lab.  are also working
  on STEP tools: they have an EXPRESS compiler and an Exchange file parser,
  both available in source form (and for free) for research purposes.
  Soon they will also have an EXPRESS-based database system.

  For the tools contact Mike Mead, Phone: [phone] (FAX: x 5893),
  e-mail: [e-mail] or {...!}mcsun!uknet!rlinf!mm or
          [e-mail]

==========================================================================

9. Scene generators/geographical data/Maps/Data files
-----------------------------------------------------

a. DEMs (Digital Elevation Models) as well as other cartographic data
  [huge] is available from spectrum.xerox.com [192.70.225.78], /pub/map.

  Contact:
  Lee Moore -- Webster Research Center, Xerox Corp. --
  Voice: [phone]
  Arpa, Internet:  [e-mail]
[ Check also on ncgia.ucsb.edu (128.111.254.105), /pub/dems -- nfotis ]

  Many of these files are also available on CD-ROM selled by USGS:
  "1:2,000,000 scale  Digital Line Graph (DLG) Data". Contains datas
  for all 50 states. Price is about $28, call to or visit in offices
  in Menlo Park, in Reston, Virginia (800-USA-MAPS).

  The Data User Services Division of the Bureau of the Census also has
  data on CD-ROM (TSO standard format) that is derived from USGS
  1:100,000 map data. Call [phone] for more info or they have
  a BBS at [phone].

b. Many people have written fractal landscape generators. for example
  for the Mac some of these generators were written by
  [e-mail] (Paul D. Bourke).
  Many of the programs are available from the FTP sites and mail
  archive servers. Check with Archie.

c. Vista Pro 2.0 for the Amiga from Virtual Reality Labs -- list price
  is about $100. Their address is:
    VRL
    2341 Ganador court
    San Luis Obispo,
    CA 93401
    Telephone or FAX [phone]

  Scenery Animator (also for the Amiga) is of the same caliber with Vista Pro.
  Check with:
    Natural Graphics
    P.O. Box 1963
    Raklin, CA 95677
    Phone [phone]

  Don't forget to ask about companion programs and data disks/tapes.

  Addition: Vista Pro 2 has just ported to the PCs.


d. CIA World Map II
[  NOTE: this database is quite out of date, and not topologically structured.
  If you need a standard for world cartographic data, wait for the
  Digital Chart of the World. This 1:1M database has been produced from
  the Defense Mapping Agency's ONCs and will be available, together with
  searching and viewing software, on a number of CD-ROMs later this summer. ]

  Check into HANAUMA.STANFORD.EDU and UCSD.EDU (see ftp list above)
  The CIA database consists of coastlines, rivers and political boundaries
  in the form of line strokes. Also on hanauma.stanford.edu is a 720x360
  array of elevation data, containing one ieee floating point number for
  every half degree longitude and latitude.

  A program for decoding the database, mfil, can be found on the machine
  pi1.arc.umn.edu (137.66.130.11).
  There's another program, which reads a compressed CIA Data Bank file and
  builds a PHIGS hierachical structure. It uses a PHIGS extension known as
  polyline sets for performance, but you can use regular polylines. Ask
  Joe Stewart <[e-mail]>.
  The raw data at Stanford require the vplot package to be able to view it.
  (was posted in comp.sources.unix). To be more exact, you'll have to
  compile just the libvplot routines, not the whole package.

e. NCAR data
  NCAR has many types of terrain data, ranging from elevation datasets at
  various resolutions, to information about soil types, vegetation, etc.
  This data is not free -- they charge from $40 to $90 or more, depending
  on the data volume and media (exabyte tape, 3480 cartridge, 9-track tape,
  IBM PC floppy, and FTP transfer are all available).  Their data archive
  is mostly research oriented, not hobbyist oriented.  For more information,
  email to [e-mail].

f. UNC data tapes with voxel data
  There are 2 "public domain" tapes with data for the comparison and
  testing of various volume rendering algorithms (mainly MRI and CT
  scans). These tapes are distributed by the SoftLab of UNC @ Chapel Hill.
  ([e-mail])

g. NASA

  Many US agencies such as NASA publish CD-ROMs with many altimetry data
  from various space missions, eg. Viking for Mars, Magellan for Venus,
  etc. Especially for NASA, I would suggest to call the following
  address for more info:

     National Space Science Date Center
     Goddard Space Flight Center
     Greenbelt, Maryland 20771
     Telephone: [phone]
     Email address:  [e-mail]

  The data catalog (*not* the data itself) is available online.
  Internet users can telnet to nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.10.4) and log
  in as 'NODIS' (no password).

  You can also dial in at (301)-286-9000 (300, 1200, or 2400 baud, 8 bits,
  no parity, one stop). At the "Enter Number:" prompt, enter MD and
  carriage return. When the system responds "Call Complete," enter a few
  more carriage returns to get the "Username:" and log in as 'NODIS' (no
  password).

  NSSDCA is also an anonymous FTP site, but no comprehensive list of
  what's there is available at present.

h. Others

  Daily values of river discharge, streamflow, and daily weather data is
  available from EarthInfo, 5541 Central Ave., Boulder CO  80301.  These
  disks are expensive, around $500, but there are quantity discounts.
  [phone].

  A disk with earthquake data, topography, gravity, geopolitical info
  is available from NGDC (National Geophysical Data Center), 325 Broadway,
  Boulder, CO  80303.  [phone].

  EOSAT (at least in the US) now sells Landsat MSS data older than two years
  old for $200 per scene, and they have been talking about a similar deal
  for Landsat TM data. The MSS data are 4 bands, 80 meter resolution.

  Check out anonymous FTP to ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu in
  UNIX/PolyView/alpha-shape for a tool that creates convex hulls
  alpha-shapes (a generalization of the convex hull) from 3D point sets.

+  The GRIPS II (Gov. Raster Image Processing Software) CD-ROM
+  is available from CD-ROM Inc. at 1-800-821-5245 for $49.
+  Code for viewing ADRG (Arc Digitised Raster Graphics) files is
+  available on the GRIPS II CD-ROM. The U.S. Army Engineer
+  Topographic Labs (Juan Perez) code is also available via FTP
+  ( adrg.zip archive in  spectrum.xerox.com )



==========================================================================

10. 3D scanners
--------------

a. Cyberware Labs, Monterey, CA, manufactures a 3D color laser digitizer
  which can be used to model parts of, or a complete, human body.
  They run a service bureau also.
  Address:
    Cyberware Labs, Inc
    8 Harris Ct, Suite 3D
    Monterey, CA 93940
  Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]

b. Polhemus makes a 6D input device (actually a couple of models)
  that senses position (3D) and *orientation* (+3D) based on electromagnetic
  field interference.  This equipment is also incorporated in the
  VPL Dataglove.
  This hardware is also called ISOTRACK, from Keiser Aerospace.

Ascension Technology makes a similar 3D input device.
There is a company, Applied Sciences(?), that makes a 3D input
device (position only) based on speed of sound triangulation.

[More info?? Phone/Fax #s/ Addresses?? - nfotis]

  Some addresses:

  Ascension Technology
  P.O. Box 527,
  Burlington, VT 05402
  Phone: [phone], Fax: [phone]

==========================================================================

11. Background imagery/textures/datafiles
-----------------------------------------

a. Check in the FTP places that are mentioned in the FAQ.

b. Get a good 24-bit scanner, like Epson's. Suggested is an SCSI port for
  speed. Eric Haines had a suggestion in RT News, Volume 4, #3 :
  scan textures for wallpapers and floor coverings, etc. from doll
  house supplies.
  So you have a rather cheap way to scan patterns that don't have
  scaling troubles associated with real materials and scanning area..

c. Find some houses/books/magazines that carry photographic material.
  Educorp, 1-619-536-9999, sells CD-ROMS with various imagery - also
  a wide variety of stock art is available.
  Stock art from big-name stock art houses, such as Comstock,
  UNIPHOTO, and Metro Image Base, is available.

  In Italy, there's a company called Belvedere that makes such books
  for the purpose of clipping their pages for inclusion in your
  graphics work. Their address is:
    Edition Belvedere Co. Ltd.,
    00196 Rome Italy,
    Piazzale Flaminio, 19
    Tel. [phone], Fax (06)  360-29-60

d. Mannikin Sceptre Graphics announced TexTiles, a set of 256x256 24-bit
  textures. Initial shipments in 24-bit IFF (for Amigas), soon in 24-bit
  TIFF format. Algorithmically built for tiled surfaces. SRP is $40 / volume
  (each volume = 40 images @ 10 disks). Demo disks for $5 are available.

  Contact:
  Mannikin Sceptre Graphics
  1600 Indiana Ave.
  Winter Park, FL 32789
  Phone: [phone]
  FAX: [phone]

e. ESSENCE is a library of 40 (forty) new algoritmic textures for Imagine by
   Impulse, Inc. These textures are FULLY compatible with the floating point
   versions of Imagine 2.0, Imagine 1.1, and even Turbo Silver.
   Written by Steve Worley.

   For more info contact:
   Essence Info
   Apex Software Publishing
   405 El Camino Real Suite 121
   Menlo Park CA 94025 USA

[ What about Texture City ?? ]

==========================================================================

12. Introduction to rendering algorithms
----------------------------------------

a. Ray-Tracing:

 I assume you have a general understanding of Computer Graphics. No? Then read
  some of the books that the FAQ contains. For Ray-Tracing, I would
  suggest:
   An Introduction to Ray Tracing, Andrew Glassner (ed.), Academic Press
     1989, ISBN 0-12-286160-4
  Note that I have not read the book, but I feel that you can't be wrong
  using his book. An errata list was posted in comp.graphics by Eric Haines
  ([e-mail])

There's a more consise reference also:

  Roman Kuchkuda , UNC @ Chapel Hill: "An Introduction to Ray Tracing", in
  "Theoretical Foundations for Computer Graphics and CAD", ed. R.A.E.Earnshaw,
  NATO AS, Vol. F-40., pp. 1039-1060. Printed by Springer-Verlag, 1988.

It contains code for a small, but fundamentally complete ray-tracer.

b. Z-buffer (depth-buffer)

A good reference is:

    _Procedural Elements for Computer Graphics_, David F. Rogers,
    McGraw-Hill, New York, 1985, pages 265-272 and 280-284.

c. Others:
???
[ More info is needed -- nfotis ]

==========================================================================

13. Where can I find the famous teapot data?
--------------------------------------------

I suggest you read the "Displays on Display" column of IEEE CG&A, Jan. '87.
It contains an account from Frank Crow of the whole story, plus the data
and a Pascal program to display them. The data were without structure ie.
polygons.

Jim Blinn had another article in "Jim Blinn's Corner" in the same magazine,
Sep. '87, in which he lists the teapot data as control points for Bezier
patches.

The OFF and SPD packages have these objects, so you're advised to get
them to avoid typing the data yourself.  The OFF data is triangles at
a specific resolution (around 8x8[x4 triangles] meshing per patch).
The SPD package provides the spline patch descriptions and performs a
tessellation at any specified resolution.

==========================================================================

14. Plotting packages
---------------------

Gnuplot 3.2
-----------
  It is one of the best 2- and 3-D plotting packages, with
  online help.It's a command-line driven interactive function plotting utility
  for UNIX, MSDOS, and VMS platforms.  Freely distributed, it supports many
  terminals, plotters, and printers and is easily extensible to include
  new devices. It was posted to comp.sources.misc in version 3.0, plus
  2 patches.
  You can practically find it everywhere.

xvgr
----
  Release 2.07. 2-D ( [I think],  X or OpenWindows. There is a Motif
  version for everyone else (available at v2.06 for now). Check at
  amb4.ese.ogi.edu [129.95.20.76] in pub/acegr/xvgr-2.07.tar.Z

Robot
-----
  Release 0.41 : 2-D and limited 3-D. Based on XView 3, written
  in C / Fortran (so you need a Fortran compiler or the f2c translator).
  Mainly tested on Sun4, less on DECstations. Check at
  astrod.astro.psu.edu (128.118.147.28),  pub/astrod.
  It may work under XView 2.

MacPhase
--------
  Moved to the Scientific  Visualization category below

VG plotting library
-------------------
  This is a library of Fortran callable routines at sunspot.ceee.nist.gov
  [129.6.64.151]

Xgobi
-----
  It's being developed at Bellcore, and its speciality are
  multidimensional data sets analysis and exploration. You can call it
  from the S language also, and it works as an X11 client using the Athena
  widget set (or with an ASCII terminal). It's distributed free of charge
  from STATLIB at CMU.
  To get it via e-mail, send email to [e-mail] and
  in the body area of the message, put the line

  send xgobi from general

  If you want to pick it via ftp, connect to lib.stat.cmu.edu. Log in as
  "statlib" and use your e-mail address as your password. Then type

  cd general
  mget xgobi.*

  Warning: It's about 2 MB sources + large Postscript manual. Read the
  relevant README to decide whether you need it or not.

PGPLOT
------
  Runs on VAX/VMS and supposedly on UNIX. Available at
  deimos.caltech.edu [131.215.139.14].

XMGR (also known as ACE/gr)
---------------------------
  Xy plotting package which runs under X windows.
  It will display a data set and calculate its FFT. It was written by Paul
  Turner and is available via anonymous ftp on amb4.ese.ogi.edu [129.95.20.76]
  in pub/acegr

GGRAPH
------
  Host shorty.cs.wisc.edu [128.105.2.8] : /pub/ggraph.tar.Z
  Unknown more details.

+epiGRAPH
+--------
+  For PCs. Call [e-mail] (Vladimir J. Dmitriev) for details.
+  You can get the program demo or (and) play version, if sent 10 $ to
+
+    1251 Budapest posta fiok 60
+    Hungary
+    ph/fax [phone]  Budapest
+    ph     2017760

==========================================================================

End of Part 1 of the Resource Listing
--
Nick (Nikolaos) Fotis         National Technical Univ. of Athens, Greece
HOME: 16 Esperidon St.,       UUCP:    mcsun!ariadne!theseas!nfotis
      Halandri, GR - 152 32   or InterNet : [e-mail]
      Athens, GREECE          FAX: [phone]