The Open Graphics Initiative launched by Sun Microsystems Inc more than a year ago to provide an interoperable interface between graphics applications and hardware in the Sparc-compatible market, has published its first complete set of foundation libraries for developers. Designed to interface between the graphics application programming interfaces and the underlying architecture, the Open Graphics Initiative supports PHIGS, Graphics Kernel System, Graphics Library, Xlib, Iris Graphics Library and PostScript – Sun says, it intends to add support for PEXlib, XIE and PIKS in the future. There are three components to the open graphics level: XGL, a three-dimensional library for geometry APIs such as PHIGS and XGL; XIL, an imaging library for IPLIB, XIE and PIKS and X11/NeWS window server. Those companies who have signed up to the Open Graphics Initiative include Du Pont Pixel Co, Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp, Tektronix Inc, Vitec Corp, Megatek Inc and Image Manipulation Inc. Du Pont Pixel which has developed the XGL library for Sun, is already rolling out Open Graphics Initiative-compliant hardware and software, and launched its Sbus accelerator board at SunExpo at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre last week. A 24-bit two slot Sbus for the IPX Sparctstation at the cost of UKP3,500, is claimed to outperform Silicon Graphic Inc’s Iris Indigo workstations. Du Pont Pixel says, the Open Graphics Initiative strategy is now operational and Silicon Graphics can’t afford to take their markets for granted any more: with this architecture, once a piece or hardware or software has been modified it will run on full blown Sparcstations, clones, in fact anything that it is Sparc-compatible. Silicon Graphics, which has had the mid- to high-end graphics market pretty muct to itself, will begin to feel the pinch with independent software vendors lining up to modify applications to run on Sparc-based machines, the firm says. Du Pont Pixel has begun modifying Silicon Graphics-based applications and at the show demonstrated an Iris Explorer running on a Sparcstation IPX – this will be available in the first quarter of 1993. The company also showed its Fusion line of graphics accelerators, which will also conform to the Open Graphics Initiative standard. Evans & Sutherland is also expected this week to announce similar Open Graphics Initiative-compliant graphics software aimed at the high-end graphics market.
