From: lauger%ssdvax.decnet@mdcgwy.mdc.com (John Lauger)
Subject: Re: Conversion of CGM graphics files?
Organization: McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Company
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.apps
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 15:17:59 GMT
X-Posted-From: c106941.mdc.com
X-Posted-Through: sol.ctr.columbia.edu




In article <92226.145950ICH530@DJUKFA11.BITNET>, ICH530@DJUKFA11.BITNET
wrote:
> 
> Is there any graphics application on the Mac that can read CGM graphics
> metafiles?  Or is there a translation/conversion routine to put the file
> into a format that MacDraw (something like that) can use?
> 
Canvas 3.0.4 has a built in CGM translator.  I've used it with some limited
success with CGM output from our Unigraphics CAD program.  You might also
look at MacGPlot from the Pittsburg SuperComputing Center. I believe it's
up to version 1.1.  The following is the README file from version 1.0:

        Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center MacGplot
        -----------------------------------------

     	    Release 1.0 of MacGplot Available


MacGplot is Gplot running on the Apple Macintosh system. It is built
using MacApp which is Apple Computer's object-oriented application
framework.  The MacApp class library adheres to Apple's Human Interface
Guidelines and Macintosh compatibility guidelines.  This means that 
MacGplot presents the standard Macintosh User Interface and should run 
unchanged on present and future versions of Macintosh hardware and system 
software.  

A useful feature of MacGplot is the ability to save a Gplot image from a 
CGM file as a PICT file for use with other graphics software.

MacGplot can be used to "capture" a cgm's rendered pages, and then
playback those captured images. When the capture button is hit, the
rendered image is replaced briefly by the captured version. The first
"capture" window defines capture size.  Animation is initiated via a
menu button.For fastest animations, animate in a window exactly the
same size as that for first capture. Going between a full screen window
and the first capture window is easily done using the window's zoom box.
Cycling through captured frames continue until a mouse button is pressed.
 
Three binary versions of MacGplot, "macgplot", macgplotmacII and
"macgplotfpumacII", are available via anonymous ftp. "macgplot" will
run on any Macintosh running System 6 with Color Quickdraw routines.
"macgplotmacII" requires a Macintosh II with or without a floating
point co-processor (FPU). "macgplotfpumacII" runs on a Macintosh II with
FPU.

The binaries are stored in two formats, "macbinary" and "binhex4.0".

For example, on a Macintosh IIci, get the binary "macgplotfpumacII.bin" :

     	ftp to 'calpe.psc.edu' (128.182.62.148) as user anonymous 
	ftp> cd pub/macgplot/bin
	ftp> get macgplotfpumacII.bin  (transfer mode: macbinary)

This should get  APPL "macGPlot FPU macII".

On a Macintosh IIsi, to get the binary "macgplotmacII.hqx" :

     	ftp to 'calpe.psc.edu' (128.182.62.148) as user anonymous 
	ftp> cd pub/macgplot/bin
	ftp> get macgplotmacII.hqx  (transfer mode: binhex4.0)

This should get APPL "macGPlot for MacII".

On a Macintosh Plus, to get the binary "macgplot.bin" :

     	ftp to 'calpe.psc.edu' (128.182.62.148) as user anonymous 
	ftp> cd pub/macgplot/bin
	ftp> get macgplot.bin  (transfer mode: macbinary)

This should get APPL "macGPlot".

Two sample CGM files are also located in the macgplot directory.
        
	ftp> cd pub/cgm
 	ftp> get car.cgmb    	(transfer in binary mode)
	ftp> get smpl07.cgmc 	(transfer in ascii mode)
	ftp> get jet.cgmb       (for animating, transfer in binary
mode)

Known Problems:
   Line type (Ex: dash) is not correctly rendered for non-horizontal lines.

Please:
   Send all comments and bug reports to Anjana Kar (kar@a.psc.edu). 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps