COMPUTER SOCIETY

Selecti ve! teSIGGRAPH 87 plans varied program"The place to see the most

advanced work being done in com-puter graphics is SIGGRAPH," saysindustry consultant Carl Machover,who will be a guest speaker at theSIGGRAPH 87 press briefing. "Thetechnology presented at the confer-ence is the basis for the productsyou'll see in the near future."SIGGRAPH 87, the 14th Annual

Conference on Computer Graphicsand Interactive Techniques, is spon-sored by the Association for Com-puting Machinery's Special InterestGroup on Computer Graphics incooperation with the ComputerSociety of the IEEE's TechnicalCommittee on Computer Graphics.The conference will be held July27-31,1987, in Anaheim, California.One of the events at SIGGRAPH

that is generating a lot of interest isJames Blinn's course on the makingof "The Mechanical Universe."Blinn developed the award-winningvideo physics class at Caltech. Ituses over seven hours of computeranimation produced over a four-year period and has been broadcaston PBS as an educational program.

In the SIGGRAPH course, Blinnwill describe the techniques ofmanaging a project of this scope. "Ibasically worked on it seven days aweek for four years, with a week offeach year for SIGGRAPH," he said.Over 140 papers were reviewed by

the SIGGRAPH 87 technical pro-gram committee, and 34 wereselected for presentation at the con-ference."There seems to be a new flurry

of activity in the areas of dynamicsand kinematics," says TechnicalProgram Chair Maureen Stone ofXerox PARC. "We saw a trendtoward increased emphasis onrealistic motion. People are takingsimulation skills into the animationarea.

"The computer graphics field ismaturing to the point that we wereable to accept papers describinghow people are integratingalgorithms into graphics sys-tems.... There's a lot of interestand excitement in special-purposehardware for graphics."The 11 sessions for SIGGRAPH

87 are* Animation* Ray Tracing* Graphics Systems* Surface Rendering* Curve and Surface Algorithms* Volumetric Modeling* Hardware Algorithms* Dynamic Constraints* 2D Algorithms* Texturing and Shadowing* Lighting ModelsThe technical program will be

complemented by 13 panel sessions

providing an alternative format forpresenting the varying views of thepanelists on selected areas of com-puter graphics.One panel will focus on "Com-

puter Graphics in Fashion."According to experts, some applica-tions are already revolutionizing theproduction process, and other,more sophisticated, applicationsare in the developmental stages.The panel covers topics rangingfrom how computers can be used tocut huge stacks of fabric, to dress-ing a robot in a skirt that will fitand move properly, says Panel ChairJane Nisselson of the New YorkInstitute of Technology.For more information on SIG-

GRAPH 87, contact the conferencemanagement office at 111 EastWacker Dr., #600, Chicago, IL60601; (312) 644-6610.

lbshiba and Computervision formCAD/CAM partnership

Computervision Corporation hassigned an agreement with ToshibaCorporation that will enable bothcompanies to take advantage of theexpanding CAD/CAM workstationmarket in Japan.The highlights of the agreement

include Toshiba's purchase of a

minority interest in Computervi-sion's Japanese subsidiary, Com-putervision Japan Ltd.; Toshiba'sassembly of Computervision'sCADDStation workstation; the inte-gration of Toshiba's Kanji modifica-tions to the Unix operating systemsoftware for the CADDStationfamily; and product distribution

through Toshiba's Japanese distri-bution network.Computervision will supply

Toshiba with a complete subassem-bly, including CPU and graphicsprocessing unit for the CADDSta-tion workstation, and Toshiba willbe able to assemble CADDStationsunder license from Computervi-sion. While the Toshiba CADDSta-tions are expected to eventuallycontain a significant amount oflocal content, Computervision'sCADDS 4X applications softwareperformance specifications runningon the Toshiba-assembled worksta-tion will match the US equivalent.

June 1987 69

Desktop-scanner market poised for growth, new study shows

The introduction of Hewlett-Packard's ScanJet desktop scannerhas prompted the release of "Desk-top Scanners: Key to the New Worldof Image Processing," a report byDatek Information Services, a CAPInternational company.The report points out that while

desktop publishing applications arecurrently the hottest segment of thescanner market, 40 percent of therevenues in the US scanner marketwill be derived from sales of mul-tifunctional products by the year1991.According to the study, HP's

ScanJet may do for scanners whatits LaserJet did for the laser printermarket-open up the mass market.The US market is described in the

report as entering a period ofintense growth. It is driven by anew class of equipment, led by theScanJet, which offers dramaticallyimproved price and performance.What's more, the development ofnew applications will spur addi-tional growth as scanners transcendtheir use in document preparationand computer publishing.CAP International estimates that

the market for desktop scannerswill grow from $85 million in 1987to $540 million by the end of 1991,with placements jumping from26,000 units this year to 366,000 in1991. (These estimates include desk-top scanners used in commercialpublishing as well as corporateapplications.) The corporate seg-

ment, with its diversified require-ments for image processing, isexpected to drive overall marketgrowth while creating an arena ofintensified competition."The key attribute of scanners,"

says Charles A. Pesko, Jr., presidentof CAP International, "is their ver-satility. With the addition of soft-ware they can go far beyond theirbasic functions as document inputdevices." Applications for imagescanners currently include publish-ing, communications, image data-bases, and CAD.

For more information, contactDatek Information Services, POBox 68, Newtonville, MA 02160;(617) 893-9130.

TI supports Brown University project

Texas Instruments' university pro-gram is designed to keep professorsand students abreast of the com-pany's technological advances.According to the March issue ofFYI, TI's semiconductor newsletter,this curriculum support, which isoffered in the form of instructionaldevices and materials, has recentlyresulted in a new graphics worksta-tion developed by a student atBrown University.As part of an independent study

course, Brown graduate studentDean Blackketter designed a high-performance subsystem based onTI's TMS34061 Video System Con-troller. Proposed uses of the work-station include image processing,spectral speech analysis, and 3Dgraphics, all displayed in eithermonochrome or color images.Performing these complicated

tasks inexpensively, without sap-ping the strength of the mainprocessor, was a key element in theproject. The controller had to beable to display a wide variety ofcolors, control an array of shades,provide high-resolution displays,operate fast enough to avoid slow-ing down the main processor withscreen updates, and accommodatemultiple timing sequences.The TMS34061 required only the

loading of registers with such infor-mation as the number of pixels perline, blanking time, and sync-pulselocations to generate addresses andassume a variety of control func-tions, according to the article. Fur-ther, when provided with memoryaddress in the frame buffer, the con-troller generated the appropriaterow and column address values,which were sent to the specialTM4161EV4 video RAMs. Videodata was then decoded into displaymemory with continued loading torefresh or repaint screens.Blackketter was able to create a

graphics system whose picturequality was said to be equal to orbetter than that of an older, moreexpensive dedicated system. For thefuture he is envisioning moreadvancements, which include inter-facing a color video camera to theTMS34061 and adding a digital sig-nal processor for additional proces-sor capabilities.Texas Instruments contributes

devices to universities nationwide.For more information, contact JerryLuecke, University Strategy Man-ager, PO Box 655012, MS 478,Dallas, TX 75265.

NCGA explains standards in new release

The National Computer GraphicsAssociation (NCGA) has compiledan overview document, "Standardsin the Computer Graphics Indus-try," which explains the relation-ship of standards and standards-making organizations to other seg-ments of the computer graphicsindustry.The document provides an intro-

duction and reference for individualswith little technical involvement inthe field, according to NCGA. A

general overview of the scope andapplication of standards, proposedstandards and specifications arealso featured.

Prepared under the direction ofNCGA's corporate advisory boardsteering committee, the documentis priced at $8 for NCGA members,$10 for nonmembers. Interestedparties are invited to contact theassociation's membership servicescoordinator at (703) 698-9600.

IEEE CG&A70

NCGA 88 calls for papers and presentations

The National Computer GraphicsAssociation has issued a call forpapers and presentations for itsninth annual conference and expo-sition, scheduled for Anaheim,California, March 20-24, 1988.More than 100 conference ses-

sions and 200 exhibitors areexpected. Conference Director LisleR. Anderson, a division manager intechnical systems development forElectronic Data Systems, isspearheading a push to offer sys-tems integration demonstrations onthe exposition floor.The list of planned conference

areas includes

* architecture, engineering, andconstruction

* artificial intelligence* biomedical applications* business, management, and tech-

nical graphics

* CADD/CAM/CAE/CIM* electronic publishing* future hardware directions* future software directions* human factors and user

interfaces* industry standards* legal issues* mapping* statistical graphics* technical and professional edu-

cation* video technology* visual arts and design

Abstracts are due at NCGA byJuly 15, 1987. The process for sub-mitting abstracts is outlined in anofficial brochure, which is availablefrom the Education Coordinator,NCGA, 2722 Merrilee Dr., Suite200, Fairfax, VA 22031; (703)698-9600.

Growth predicted for holographicproducts and services

Business volume in all areas ofholographic products and servicesis expected to reach $190-$400 mil-lion by 1990, compared with just$23 million two years ago, accord-ing to a report published by Techni-cal Insights, Inc., a worldwideintelligence services company.

Detecting concealed weapons,

testing for flaws in a nuclear reactorpressure vessel, and viewing andevaluating new designs for automo-biles are just a few of the applica-tions cited for holography.Holography: Exploiting the Lead-

ing Edge Developments describesbasic holographic methods and spe-cific industrial, commercial, andresearch applications. It also pro-vides listings of groups involved inholographic research and develop-ment, detailed patent listings, andan introductory bibliography ofholographic literature.The report is available from Tech-

nical Insights, Inc., MarketingDirector, PO Box 1304, Fort Lee, NJ07024; (201) 568-4744. The price is$850 ($885 outside NorthAmerica).

TMS34010 to be examined in seminars

Texas Instruments and its distri-butors are sponsoring day-long tech-nical seminars on the TMS34010Graphics System Processor in morethan 25 cities in the US and Canadaduring June and July.Emphasis will be placed on the

32-bit TMS34010's architecture,instruction set, typical applications,development tools, and third-party

support. Other TMS340 graphicsfamily members, including Mul-tiport Video RAMs, the TMS34061Video System Controller, andTMS34070 Color Palette, will alsobe discussed.For seminar locations, dates, and

specific registration information,phone Texas Instruments at (800)232-3200, ext. 701.

Intelligentcopier/printer marketis growing

By 1991, placements in the intelli-gent copier/printer market will be1.4 million units generating over

$10 billion in revenue, reflectingsubstantial growth from 212,000units generating $2.19 billion in rev-

enue in 1985.This market growth is attributed

to a combination of elements, says

Bob Sherry of CAP International, a

market research and consultingfirm based in Marshfield, Mas-sachusetts. These elements includeproduct availability, competitivepricing, ease of use, and increaseddemand from end users.

High growth is expected in theemerging application areas of officeinformation systems and electronicprinting and publishing. Thedemand for graphics is increasingamong users, and CAP anticipates a

migration from dedicated wordprocessing to the office informationsystems application area, whichcombines text and simple businessgraphics.

Changes announced forNCGA program inAugust

NCGA's Engineering & Manufac-turing 87 has undergone a program

and name change. The conferenceand exposition to be held August17-20 in the Bayside ExpositionCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, isnow NCGA CAD/CAM 87.The program focuses on the

impact of personal computers andworkstations on engineering, manu-

facturing, and AEC environments.More than 30 tutorial and technicalsessions are planned, and vendorswill feature CAD/CAM-relatedhardware, software, and services.Information is available by calling

(800) 225-NCGA or (703) 698-9600.

June 1987 71

Copyright lawsuit defendants file for bankruptcy

Autodesk, Inc., creator ofAutoCAD, reports that the ownersof Softsave Information Services,Inc., the defendants in a Vancouver,British Columbia, copyright infringe-ment lawsuit, have sought protec-tion under Canadian bankruptcylaws. The suit was filed last Decem-ber by six members of the SoftwarePublishers Association, who werelater joined by Autodesk.The lawsuit charged the Softsave

Preview Club and individualsassociated with the company withillegally reproducing copies of soft-ware products. The club allowedmembers to "preview" software for

21 days for approximately $10 perdisk. At the end of that period,members were "required" todestroy the rented disks. The clubhad available hundreds of titles ofIBM PC, Apple II, and Macintoshsoftware. The disks that wererented from Softsave, however, werecopies of original disks, not theoriginals themselves."Autodesk will continue to sup-

port the efforts of the Software Pub-lishers Association in its campaignto protect the rights of softwaredevelopers," said Chris Record, thecompany's general counsel. "Wewill also aggressively pursue

independent legal action againstparties who violate our licenseagreements by distributingunauthorized copies of Autodeskproducts. "

"In this case, both the industryand software consumers won," saidSPA Executive Director Ken Wasch."Softsave was the largest NorthAmerican software counterfeitingoperation we ever encountered. Theoperation not only robbed the soft-ware industry, but also stole fromconsumers who were led to believethat they were receiving legitimatecopies of software."

Roundtable airs problems between VARs and manufacturers

Manufacturers cannot achieveproduct loyalty, a solid profit mar-gin, or sales penetration without aknowledgeable VAR force. At thesame time, many of these outlets donot know very much about theproduct and-worse yet-do notwant to learn.These comments were made by

Joseph Messemer, chairman ofNCGA's VAR program committeeand president of Bartlett Associ-ates, at a roundtable held duringComputer Graphics 87 and spon-sored by NCGA's corporate advi-sory board.Messemer cited three major

failures of manufacturers:* signing up dealers, VARs, sales

representatives, and distributorswho do not know the product

* hiring unqualified regionalmanagers to support the distri-bution network

* overdistribution of the product,which causes street prices todrop and leaves no margin forproduct support from VARs.

The vendor's view is that VARs donot want to be trained. "ManyVARs are not willing to accept thetraining that manufacturers areproviding," said Barbara Preissel, anational sales director at Versacad."A good VAR should be profes-

sional and knowledgeable in techni-cal as well as sales aspects of thebusiness."

Nevertheless, industry analystCarl Machover predicts a promisingfuture for VARs. "Suppliers areeagerly looking for ways to develop

and expand their current distribu-tion channels," he said. "Penetra-tion in the market is only about 10percent because people don't havethe skill to do systems integration.VARs provide the complete turnkeysystems needed by end users."

Task force formed to promote PGL

A series of industry meetings isbeing conducted to encourage per-petuation and improvement ofProfessional Graphics Language, agraphics command language origi-nally developed by IBM for its PGAboard. The meetings are beinghosted by Orchid Technology, man-ufacturer of accelerator andgraphics boards, and Catalyst, Inc.,creator of a software library forgraphics programmers."Although IBM has effectively

discontinued its PGA board, thelanguage continues to be a dynamicinfluence in our industry. Wethought it was time to get industryrepresentatives together to formu-late a plan to perpetuate andupgrade the language for ourmutual benefit," said Randy Ros-coe, graphics product manager forOrchid Technology.The first meeting was held during

NCGA's Computer Graphics 87 inPhiladelphia. The second isplanned for SIGGRAPH in July.The task force is steering away

from use of the word "standardiza-tion. ""The software business is adynamic, evolving business. Com-patibility is the issue. We are nottrying to freeze the design stage, butrather help each other enhance thelanguage," explained Steve Mat-thews, Catalyst founder.

"Eventually, the use of new PGL-compatible commands will allowsoftware developers to take advan-tage of extensions to the PGL with-out having to write drivers for aspecific board. One driver will beable to address all of the extensionsin a uniform way," said Roscoe.For more information about the

PGL task force, contact Catalyst,Inc., (512) 282-6223. U

IEEE CG&A72