From: nfotis@theseas.ntua.gr (Nick (Nikolaos) C. Fotis)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: WEEKLY POSTING: Computer Graphics Resource Listing
Date: 7 Apr 92 12:30:55 GMT
Organization: National Technical University of Athens


WEEKLY POSTING: Computer Graphics Resource Listing
===================================================
Last Change : 7 Apr. 1992

Items Changed:
--------------
3. Computer graphics FTP site list, by Eric Haines
7. Scene description languages
13. Where can I find the famous teapot data?

From this version:
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: nfotis@theseas.ntua.gr

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

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

This is a guide for computer graphics image synthesis 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
  princeton.edu, pub/Graphics/Incoming/nfotis.resource.list
  nic.funet.fi, pub/graphics/misc/nfotis.resource.list
and
  gondwana.ecr.mu.oz.au, /incoming/nfotis.resource.list

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, mainly under X11
15. Image analysis software
16. Image annotation software

Future additions:
[Please send me updates/info!]
17. Graduate schools for Comp.Graphics study/research
18. Scientific visualization stuff


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

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 128.184.1.4             (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'.

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), 1/16/92
	compiled by Eric Haines, erich@eye.com
	[ Last Changed: 4/1/92 by nfotis@theseas.ntua.gr ]

Some highlights:

RayShade - a great ray tracer for workstations on up. Cur. version: 4.0.6
DKBtrace - another good ray tracer, from all reports; works on PCs & Mac II.
	[ UNIX and VMS (with or without X previewer) and Amiga also -- nfotis ]
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 ]
VORT,QRT,MTV,DBW - yet more ray tracers, some with interesting features.
RTrace - Yet another ray tracer, this time from Portugal and with interesting
	features like bicubic patches, etc. Runs on PCs, transputers and Unix.
prt, VM_pRAY - parallel ray tracers.
VOGLE - graphics learning environment (device portable).
VOGL - an SGI GL-like library based on VOGLE (usually found in
	the same places).
VIVID - A shareware raytracer for PCs - binary only

SIPP - scanline Z-buffer renderer.
REND386 - A *fast* polygon renderer for Intel 386s and up.
VREND - Cornell's Volume Renderer
IRIT - A CSG solid modeler, with support for freeform surfaces (from v. 3.0)
X3D - A wireframe viewer for X11

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

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.
FBM - another set of image manipulation tools.
Graphics Gems I and II - code from the ever so useful books.

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

weedeater.math.yale.edu [130.132.23.17]:  /pub - *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 <cek@princeton.edu>
[ Note: the weedeater archive is phased out. The files stored here are also
  available on princeton.edu (128.112.128.1) in pub/Graphics ]

princeton.edu [128.112.128.1]: pub/Graphics -- the weedeater archive
 
rascal.ics.utexas.edu [128.83.144.1]:  /misc/mac/inqueue - VISION-3D facet
	based modeller, can output RayShade and Radiance files.

asterix.inescn.pt [192.35.246.17]: pub/RTrace - *RTrace*
+	nffutils.tar.Z (NFF utilities for RTrace), medical data (CAT, etc.)
+	converters to NFF, and other stuff.
	Antonio Costa (acc@asterix.inescn.pt)

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.

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 <pdbourke@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz>

alfred.ccs.carleton.ca [134.117.1.1]:  /pub/dkbtrace - *DKB ray tracer*, *PVRay
	Compuserve group ray tracer*.   David Buck <david_buck@carleton.ca>

hobbes.lbl.gov [128.3.12.38]: *Radiance* ray tracer/radiosity package.
	Greg Ward <gjward@lbl.gov>

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

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, P3D.
	Juhana Kouhia <jk87377@cs.tut.fi>

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

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

ftp.ee.lbl.gov [128.3.254.68]: *pbmplus.tar.Z*, RayShade data files.  Jef
	Poskanzer <jef@ace.ee.lbl.gov>

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 <badouel@irisa.irisa.fr>

wuarchive.wustl.edu [128.252.135.4]:  /mirrors/unix-c/graphics - Rayshade ray
	tracer, MTV ray tracer, Vort ray tracer, FBM, PBM, 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, etc etc.  Tracey Bernath <tmbernath@tiger.waterloo.edu>

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 <hole@phoenix.oulu.fi>

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 <joe@hanauma.stanford.edu>

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.tc.cornell.edu [128.84.201.1]: *VREND*

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

castlab.engr.wisc.edu [128.104.52.10]: /pub/x3d.1.1.tar.Z - *X3D*
	Mark Spychalla   (spy@castlab.engr.wisc.edu)

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 <toivanen@jyu.fi>

life.pawl.rpi.edu [128.113.10.2]: /pub/ray - *Kyriazis stochastic Ray Tracer*.
	George Kyriazis <kyriazis@turing.cs.rpi.edu>

ftp.ipl.rpi.edu [128.113.14.50] : /sigma/erich - Eric Haines' dissertation
	pics, and other stuff(in other directories).

ab20.larc.nasa.gov [128.155.23.64]: /amiga - DBW,
	/usenet/comp.{sources|binaries}.amiga/volume90/applications -
	DKBTrace 2.01.  <ftp@abcfd20.larc.nasa.gov>

munnari.oz.au [128.250.1.21]:  pub/graphics/vort.tar.Z - *VORT 2.1 CSG and
	algebraic surface ray tracer*, *VOGLE*, /pub - DBW, pbmplus.  David
	Hook <dgh@munnari.oz.au>

gondwana.ecr.mu.oz.au [128.250.1.63]:  pub - *VORT ray tracer*, *VOGLE*,
	*VOGL*,  furniture objects for VORT's ray tracer, SPD, NFF & OFF
	databases, *IRIT*, Graphics Gems code. Wilson's ray tracing abstracts.
#	NFF and OFF previewers, plus some 8- and 24bit images and a lot of
#	other stuff.
	Bernie Kirby <bernie@ecr.mu.oz.au>

freebie.engin.umich.edu [141.212.68.23]:  *Utah Raster Toolkit*, Spencer Thomas
	<thomas@eecs.umich.edu> or Rod Bogart <rgb@caen.engin.umich.edu>.

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

gatekeeper.dec.com [16.1.0.2]: /pub/DEC/off.tar.Z - *OFF models*,
	/pub/misc/graf-bib - *graphics bibliographies (incomplete)*. 
	Also GPC Benchmark files (planned, but not checked)
	Randi Rost <rost@granite.dec.com>

hubcap.clemson.edu [130.127.8.1]: /pub/amiga/incoming/imagine - stuff for the
	Amiga Imagine & Turbo Silver ray tracers.  ask Glenn Lewis
	<glewis@pcocd2.intel.com>

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

expo.lcs.mit.edu [18.30.0.212]:  contrib - *pbm.tar.Z portable bitmap
	package*, *poskbitmaptars bitmap collection*, *Raveling Img*,
	xloadimage.  Jef Poskanzer <jef@well.sf.ca.us>

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
	<raveling@venera.isi.edu>

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.

okeeffe.berkeley.edu [128.32.130.3]:  /pub - TIFF software and pics.  Sam
	Leffler <sam@okeeffe.berkeley.edu>

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

sunee.uwaterloo.edu: /pub/raytracers - vivid, *REND386*

research.att.com [192.20.225.2]:  login as "netlib", or
	netlib automatic mail replier:  UUCP - research!netlib, Internet -
	netlib@ornl.gov.  *SPD package*, *polyhedra databases*.  Send one
	line message "send index" for more info, "send haines from graphics"
	to get the SPD.
	It also accepts anonymous ftp.

UUCP archive: avatar - RT News back issues.  For details, write Kory Hamzeh
	<kory@avatar.avatar.com>

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

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

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

a. DEC's FTPMAIL

  Send a one-line message to ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com 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.
[ Or, is this ftpmail@gatekeeper.pa.dec.com ?? -- nfotis ]

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

c. 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:
  server@bobsbox.rent.com.

  For information on obtaining files from the server send a mail message
  to the address file-server@graphics.rent.com 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.

c. 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!)

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

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

a. Imagine modeling and animation system for the Amiga:
   send subscription requests to spworley@athena.mit.edu
   send material to imagine@athena.mit.edu
   (Steve P. Worley)

b. Lightwave (for the Amiga. It's part of Newtek's Video Toaster):
   send subscription requests to lightwave-request@bobsbox.rent.com
   send material to lightwave@bobsbox.rent.com
   (Bob Lindabury)

c. Rayshade:
   send subscription requests to rayshade-request@cs.princeton.edu
   send material to rayshade-users@cs.princeton.edu
   (Craig Kolb)

d. 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: gjward@lbl.gov

e. REND386:
   send subscription requests to rend386-request@sunee.uwaterloo.edu
   send material to rend386@sunee.uwaterloo.edu

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

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

VISION-3D
---------
  Mac-based program written by Paul D. Bourke (pdbourke@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz).
  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.

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
        (801) 575-6021
        mcminn@cs.utah.edu

  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:   marisa@cpa.tn.cornell.edu (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.
[ Address/Phone/Fax #??]

NOODLES
-------
   From CMU, namely Fritz Printz and Levent Gursoz (elg@styx.edrc.cmu.edu).
   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 fairnly old today, but it still serves some people in
   Mech. Eng. Depts. It runs on various platforms.

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

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 (rost@granite.dec.com).
  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: object-archive-server@decwrl.dec.com.
#  [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 . Also there are previewers for xview and sunview,
+ also on gondwana.

TDDD
----
It's a library of 3D objects with translators to  OFF, NFF,
Rayshade, 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
  (worley@updike.sri.com)

  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 utility called TDDDconv that will
  convert the binary objects into either OFF, NFF, Rayshade, or vort
  objects.

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. 3.0 ??] tries to definea a standard to tranfer solid
   models - Brep and CSG. The current standard number is ANSI Y14.26M-1987

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 ntpserver@cme.nist.gov
   and putting the line
	send index
   in the body (NOT the Subject:) area of the message.

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

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: +1 (716) 422 2496
   Arpa, Internet:  Moore.Wbst128@Xerox.Com
[ 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 (301) 763-4100 for more info or they have
   a BBS at (301) 763-1568.


b. Many people have written fractal landscape generators. for example
   for the Mac some of these generators were written by
   pdbourke@ccu1.aukuni.ac.nz (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 (805) 545-8515

   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 (916) 624-1436

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

d. CIA World Map II
   Check into HANAUMA.STANFORD.EDU and UCSD.EDU (see ftp list above)

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 ilana@ncar.ucar.edu.

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.
   Call Graham Gash (gash@cs.unc.edu)

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.
   (303) 938-1788.

   A disk with earthquake data, topography, gravity, geopolitical info
   is available from NGDC (National Geophysical Data Center), 325 Broadway,
   Boulder, CO  80303.  (303) 497-6958.

   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: (301) 286-6695
	Email address:  request@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov

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

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: (408)373-1441, Fax: (408)373-3582

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.

Ascension Technologies 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]

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

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. (06) 360-44-88, Fax (06)  360-29-60

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

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
  (erich@eye.com)

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, mainly under X11
---------------------------------------

a. Gnuplot 3.1 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 a patch.
  You can practically find it everywhere.

b. 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

c.  Robot release 0.38 or higher: 2-D [I think]. 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.

d. Plotting subroutines: take a look at the vg library of Fortran callable
  routines at sunspot.ceee.nist.gov      129.6.64.151

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

15. Image analysis software
----------------------------
[ Here I include a half baked  list from ritley@uimrl7.mrl.uiuc.edu (Kenneth
 Ritley) on such softare, plus additions ]

a. Richard Berry's CCD imaging book for Willamon-Bell contains (optional?)
   disks with image manipulating software.  Source code is included [For PCs?].

b. IMDISP Written at JPL and other NASA sites. Can do simple display,
   enhancing, smoothing and so on. Works with the FITS ad VICAR/PDS
   data formats of NASA. Can read TIFF images, if you know their dimensions
   [PC and Macs]

c. IMAGINE-32 It's a 32 bit package [I suppose for PCs] called "Imagine32"
   or "Image32" The program does a modest amount of image processing --add,
   subtract, multiply, divide, display, and plot an x or y cut across the image.
   It can also display a number of images simultaneously.
   The company is CompuScope, in Santa Barbara, CA. 

d. MIRA: Nothing known besides its name. Anyone to add here info?

e. IRAF: is free you can ftp it from noao.edu and complement it with
   STSDAS from stsci.edu. Email to iraf@noao.edu for more details.
   Apparently this is one of the _de facto_ standards in the astronomical
   image community.
   [also they seem to support very well their users. Works with VMS also last
    I heard, and practically has its own shell on top of the VMS/Unix shells]

f. NIH IMAGE : available at ALW.NIH.GOV (128.231.128.251). It has painting
   and manipulation tools, a macro language, tools for measuring distances and
   angles, and for counting things. It can record sequences to be played back
   as a movie. You can invoke user-defined convolution matrix. Needs a Mac
   that has at least an 8-bit color screen and a FPU.
   You can check at sumex-aim.stanford.edu in the /info-mac/app directory
   (the binary) and at /info-mac/source directory (the Think Pascal source).

g. ALV, a Sun-specific image toolkit.  Version 2.0.6 posted to
   comp.sources.sun on 11dec89.  Also available via email to
   alv-users-request@cs.bris.ac.uk.

h. PC Vista was announced in the 1989 August edition of PASP.  It is known to
   be available from Mike Richmond, whose email addresses have been

	richmond@bllac.berkeley.edu
	richmond@bkyast.berkeley.edu

   and his s-mail address is:

   Michael Richmond,Astronomy Department, Campbell Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720


   To receive the documentation and nine double-density (360K) floppies
   (or three quad-density 3-1/2 inch floppies (1.44M) with everything on them,
   just send a request for PC-Vista, together with your name and a US-Mail
   address, to 

	Office of Technology Licensing
	2150 Shattuck Ave., Suite 510
	Berkeley, Ca. 94704

   Include a check (Traveller's Checks are fine) or purchase order for $150.00
   in U.S. dollars, if your address is inside the continental U.S., or $165.00
   otherwise, made out to Regents of the University of California
   to cover duplication and mailing costs.


i. Vista tself is available via anonymous ftp from lowell.edu.  Email to
   vista@lowell.edu for more details.  Total size less than 20Mbytes.

j. LABOimage 3.1: (version 4.0 soon for X11) It's written in C, and currently
   runs on Sun 3/xxx, Sun 4/xxx (OS3.5, 4.0 and 4.0.3) under SunView.
   The expert system for image segmentation is written in Allegro Common Lisp.
   It was used on the following domains: computer science (image analysis), 
   medicine, biology, physics. It is distributed free of charge (source code).
   Available via anonymous FTP at ads.com (128.229.30.16), in
   pub/VISION-LIST-ARCHIVE/SHAREWARE/LaboImage_3.1.tar.Z

k. SOFTWARE TOOLS : It's a set of software "tools" put out by Canyon State
   Systems and Software. They are not free, but rather cheap at about $30 I
   heard. It will handle most all of the formats used by frame grabber
   software. 

l. MIRAGE : It's image processing software written by Jim Gunn at the
   Astrophysics Dept at Princeton. It will run on a PC among other platforms.
   It is a Forth based system - i.e. a Forth language with many image
   processing displaying functions built in. 

m. IMAGE from Stanford : Try anonymous ftp from sumex-aim.stanford.edu
   It has pd source for image v2, and ready to run code for a mac under
   image v3.

    Khoros, a huge (~100 meg) graphical development environment based on
    X11R4.  Khoros components include a visual programming language, code
    generators for extending the visual language and adding new application
    packages to the system, an interactive user interface editor, an
    interactive image display package, an extensive library of image and
    signal processing routines, and 2D/3D plotting packages.  Available via
    FTP as pprg.eece.unm.edu:pub/khoros/*.

n. KHOROS :  available via anonymous ftp at pprg.eece.unm.edu (129.24.24.10).
   cd to /pub/khoros to see what is available. It is HUGE but good.
   Needs Unix and X11R4. Freely copied (NOT PD), complete with sources
   and docs. Very extensive and at its heart is visual programming.

   See comp.soft-sys.khoros on Usenet for more info.... 

   It's considered of a more generic class (Scientific Visualization) than
   the rest of its category.

p. DATA TRANSLATION SOURCE BOOK : The Data Translation company in
   Massachusetts publishes a free book containing vendors of data analysis
   hardware and software which is compatible with Data Translation and other
   frame grabbers. Surely you can find much more stuff in it.

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

16. Image annotation software
-----------------------------

a. Touchup runs in Sunview and is pretty good.  It reads in
   rasterfiles, but even if your image isn't normally stored
   in rasterfile format you could use screendump to make it a
   rasterfile.

b. Idraw (part of Stanford's InterViews distribution) can handle some
   image formats in addition to being a MacDraw like tool.  I'm not
   sure exactly what they are.
   You can ftp the idraw's binary from interviews.stanford.edu.

c. Tgif is another MacDraw like too that can handle X11 bitmap (xbm)
   and X11 pixmap (xpm) formats.  If the image you have is in formats
   other than xbm or xpm, you can get the pbmplus toolkit to convert
   things like gif or even some Macintosh formats to xpm.
   Tgif's sources are available in the pub directory on cs.ucla.edu
   as tgif-2.11-tar.Z, tgif-2.11-patch1, and tgif-2.11-patch2.

d. Use the editimage facility of KHOROS (see above).
   This is just one utility in the overall system- you can essentially do all
   your image processing and macdraw-type graphics using this package

e. You might be able to get by with PBMPlus.  pbmtext gives you text output
   bitmaps which can be overlaid on top of your image.

f. 'ice' requires Sun hardware running OpenWindows.It's a PostScript-based
   graphical editor,and it's available for anonymous ftp from Internet host
   lamont.ldgo.columbia.edu (129.236.10.30).
   ice means Image Composition Environment and it's an imaging tool that
   allows raster images to be combined with a wide variety of
   PostScript annotations in WYSIWYG fashion via X11 imaging
   routines and NeWS PostScript rasterizing.


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

End of Resource Listing
-- 
Nikolaos Fotis                National Technical Univ. of Athens, Greece
HOME: 16 Esperidon St.,       UUCP:    mcsun!ariadne!theseas!nfotis
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Newsgroups: comp.graphics