From: stasko@cc.gatech.edu (John Stasko)
Subject: Re: XTANGO: Where to get?
Reply-To: stasko@cc.gatech.edu (John Stasko)
Organization: College of Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 20:03:15 GMT

In article <1992Dec8.041709.8598@nuscc.nus.sg> isc10295@nusunix1.nus.sg (QUEK KENG OEI) writes:
>
>	Apologies if this is a FAQ but where can I get a copy of Xtango?
>I'll also like to know its licencing policy.
>	Thanks in advance.
>


Below is a little info blurb about xtango.  It has ftp info, etc.
Please note that I will be putting a new release of the system on the
ftp around the end of December.  Version 1.42 is currently there, 1.43
will be the new one.
--John


------------
XTANGO is a general purpose algorithm animation system that supports
programmers developing color, real-time, 2 & 1/2 dimensional, smooth
animations of their own algorithms and programs.  The focus of the
system is on ease-of-use.  XTANGO utilizes the path-transition
animation paradigm which helps move animation design to an abstract,
high level.  Programmers need not be graphics experts to develop their
own animations.

The basic process of animation consists of implementing the algorithm
in C (another language can be used, but it must just produce a trace
file which is read by a C program driver) and then deciding on the
important events to be portrayed during the execution of the
algorithm.  These events then activate animation routines implemented
in a separate file using the XTANGO animation package to create and
manipulate objects (circles, squares, lines, and so on).  Transitions
on objects include movement, color change, resizing, and filling, as
well as others.  For example, the animation for binary search consists
of a series of rectangles, each representaing one of the elements
being searched.  A bouncing circle hits the current dividing element,
which changes color.  The ball then bounces to the next dividing
element and continues to do this until the desired element has been
found.  To learn more about XTANGO, see the September 1990 issue of
IEEE Computer which has an article about the TANGO system, a
descendant of XTANGO.

XTANGO is implemented on top of UNIX and the X11 Window System.  It
can be run on either color or black-and-white monitors.  XTANGO is
available for use via anonymous ftp from par.cc.gatech.edu
(130.207.119.254).  To acquire it, do the following:

% ftp par.cc.gatech.edu
login: ftp
password: yourname@yoursite

> cd pub
> binary
> get xtango.tar.Z
> quit

Then uncompress the file (% uncompress xtango.tar.Z) and tar it out 
(% tar xvf xtango.tar).  This will create a directory called xtango with
all the appropriate files.  From there, examine the file README in
that directory and just follow directions from there.  The
distribution includes source, documentation, and a directory of over
40 sample animations.  Over 400 sites have accessed the system since
it was set out for anonymous ftp in early 1991.  To be put on a
mailing list about the system, to suggest new algorithms to be
animated, or to just ask questions about XTANGO, please direct
correspondence to John Stasko via the address below.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Stasko, Assistant Professor              
Graphics, Viz., and Usability Center
College of Computing                                       (404) 853-9386
Georgia Institute of Technology            Internet: stasko@cc.gatech.edu
Atlanta, Georgia  30332-0280                  uucp:  ...!gatech!cc!stasko

Newsgroups: comp.windows.x.apps,comp.os.linux,comp.os.linux.announce,comp.unix.bsd,comp.unix.pc-clone.32bit