GIG reference manual

Release notes on GIG 3.2

Introduction

These release notes give an overview of the 3DGO and GIGVIZ 3.2 software release from GIG Technology. This document contains the following chapters:: 1. Improvements and new features; 2. Platform specific release notes; 3. Fixed bugs; 4. Known bugs and workarounds

1. Improvements and new features

1.1 Linux port

The 3DGO and GIGVIZ software is now available on Personal Computers running the Linux 2.0 operating system. This is exactly the same program as the 3.2 release for Unix (SGI, HP and Sun) workstations, so no additional training is necessary to use it. Models and files are fully exchangable, allowing you to distribute render jobs over a network of PCs.

1.2 Volume rendering

With the 3.2 release of 3DGO and GIGVIZ it is now possible to do volume rendering. Volume rendering means that a solid has a transparancy value and color all through its interior, as compared to normal rendering where the colors are calculated only at the surface.
Volume rendering allows you to create effects like swirling smoke and light beams through a dusty room. All you have to do is create a cube the size of your room, or a cone the size of the light beam, and add a volume attribute with the right map.
Volume attributes can also be applied to particle systems, often with spectacular results.

1.3 3D RaySketcher

A special 3D file format has been developed that is independent of solids or polygons, and that allows real-time interactive inspection of your textured, lighted model. The viewer tool for this file format, called the 3D RaySketcher, is started with the new show3d button in the render menu.
A render3d button has been added to the render menu as well. This function will create a 3D RaySketch file for your model.

1.4 Improved animated texture maps

Instead of a static image, it is possible to connect a sequence of images to a texture. This effectively sticks an animation as a texture map onto a solid. Up till now, there had to be one image for each frame in the animation.
This is no longer necessary. It is now possible to define the behavior of animated texture maps. The options (start frame, end frame, continuus looping etc.) are explained in the attributes menu.

1.5 New facetter

A new facetting algorithm has been added to the program. Next to the old 'evaluate' buttons in the edit menu, a new polygonize function can be found in the edit poly submenu. The 'polygonize' function replaces the model with polygon sets that approximate the original model. It is more robust than the 'evaluate' algorithm, but the results are somewhat less smooth. The polygon sets are also written to an intermediate output file, comparable to the 'export active' function.
The 'evaluate' button in the edit menu remains unchanged. Evaluating a polygonized object will not change this object any further.
The 'export active' button now writes an intermediate .ivdat file that can be used by the output channels. It will ask you whether you want to write a .gog file as well: these files are necessary for the 'DXF out' channel, but require an (automatic) 'evaluate' action on your model.

1.6 Converters

New converters have been added to convert your model to VRML or Inventor format. To do this, either 'polygonize' your model or choose 'export active'. In both cases you have to give a file name that you can select when you start 'Inventor out' or 'VRML out' from the channels menu.
Note that VRML requires polygonal models, whereas Inventor can handle all kinds of solid geometry.
The procedure to convert your model to DXF format has slightly changed. First, either 'polygonize' or 'evaluate' your model. Then, 'export active', give a file name and answer yes to the question whether you want an evaluated model. Choose 'DXF out' from the 'channels' menu and select the name you specified during 'export active'.
A converter has been added to read in VRML 1.0 files.
The IGES 5.2 converter has been certified in the HP Solid Designer CAP certification program, as the first of its kind.
The plug-in converters for SDRC's IDEAS package have been upgraded to support IDEAS release 4.0.
The plug-in converters for Varimetrix have been transferred from the GIG releases to the Varimetrix release 5.1 CD.
The OMF conversion tool has been upgraded to support release 2.0.1 of the OMF libraries.

1.7 Render job scripts

The old RenderManager tool has been replaced with a simple set of command line scripts. With these you can distribute and control render jobs over a local network.

1.8 Color picker

A graphical color picker tool has been added to the color selection menu. With this tool you can select a color from a HSV space by clicking on the color you want.

1.9 New animation features

auto coi: the center-of-interest follows the camera position track automatically, with a certain user-definable time offset.
local stretch: to locally change the timing of you animation sequences and/or timecurves.
play/rewind: playing does not auto-rewind anymore, there's a seperate button for rewind now.
no simulation: simulation can be ignored during playback in the animation menu.

1.10 Transparancy in matte/alpha

A matte option has been added (in the render options submenu) to include transparancy and volume rendering information in the alpha channel. Without this option, the matte information is either opaque or completely transparent.

1.11 Online manuals in HTML format

The GIG Online manuals have been modified to make them readable with your favorite Web browser. You can still use the Online tool, of course. If you decide to use a generic Web browser, it is useful to create bookmarks to:

The manual cover page: ../index.html
The manual contents page: ../manualContents/manualContents.html
The alphabetical index page: ../manualIndex/manualIndex.html

1.12 Miscellaneous

Texturemapping in flatshaded mode for some SGI workstations (see the SGI specific issues below).
A help screen has been added that pops up when GIG can not find a valid password, telling you how to obtain and install a password.
A command line script systemreport has been added that will extract all kind of hardware and software information from your workstation; this info will be asked for in the event that you encounter a bug.
The aniutil tool can now be used together with tiffmerge.

2. Platform specific release notes

2.1 SGI

This release runs under IRIX 5.2, 5.3, 6.2 and 6.3. Systems with r3000 CPU's or older are no longer supported.
SGI machines with an R8000 CPU are not supported, nor are SGI workstations running IRIX 6.4.
The default executable uses the GL libraries. An 'X' only implementation is no longer supported.
The Parallel Raytracer uses a maximum of 16 CPU's.
SGI workstations that support texture mapping in GL (either hardware or software), will show a representation of the diffuse and reflection attributes as a texture map in flat shaded mode. On workstations that do not have hardware supported texture mapping, this can slow down interaction in flat shaded mode considerably: you can turn it off by typing:
```
setenv NOGIGTEXTUREMAPS 1
```
in your Unix shell before starting GIG.

2.2 HP

This release will run under HP-UX 9.0.5 and up.
The HP executable uses the PEX libraries. An 'X' only implementation is also supported.
HPs with 8 bit displays are no longer supported.
The 3.2 release for HP currently does not support flat-shading.
Machines with HP-UX 10.20 sometimes have a wrong link to one of the PEX libraries. If startgig aborts with the error message /usr/lib/dld.sl: Can't open shared library: /usr/lib/PEX5/cge_utilities/libPEXUt.sl then you will have to repair the link yourself. To do this, log in as root, and type:
```
ln -s /opt/graphics/PEX5/lib/libPEXUt.sl /opt/graphics/PEX5/utilities/cge/libPEXUt.sl
```
After this you will have to restart your window manager.
If you find that the 'text' solid does not work, then perform the steps described in workaround 4.6 of the 3.1 release notes.
See also the HP specific items in the 3.1 release notes.

2.3 Sun

This release runs under Solaris 2.4 (SunOS 5.4) and up.
On UltraSparc workstations, an executable will be installed that has been optimized for the Ultra. Users are advised to run GIG under the OpenWindows window manager. The CDE (Common Desktop Environment) window manager on Sun Ultra has been known to cause problems that are not specifically related to GIG products.
The default executable uses the PEX libraries. An 'X' only implementation is also supported.
The 3.2 release for Sun currently does not support flat-shading.
The Parallel Raytracer will use a maximum of 16 CPU's.
See also the Sun specific items in the 3.1 release notes.

2.4 Linux

This release runs under Linux 2.0.0 (ELF binaries) and up. You will also need X11R6 and a Linux-supported ethernet card.
Although not strictly necessary, it is highly recommended that you use a three-button mouse.
We recommend that you use the fvwm or twm window manager. The use of the fvwm95 window manager is discouraged.
3DGO/GIGVIZ 3.2 for Linux has only been tested with Intel Pentium and Intel Pentium Pro processors. 3DGO/GIGVIZ 3.2 will not run on Linux systems with Dec Alpha processors, MIPS processors or Motorola processors. 3DGO/GIGVIZ 3.2 may or may not run on Cyrix, AMD or IBM processors.
NFS (Network File System) can be rather slow under Linux. Sometimes a rendering will appear to take a long time, while actually the delay is caused by the writing of the image file to disk. In this case, rendering to a local directory will speed things up.
If you find that you cannot choose a new font for your 'text' solid, then you will have to perform the steps described in workaround 4.6 of the 3.1 release notes for HP fonts. See also the text font manual page.
Installation of Linux on a PC is not supported by GIG Technology.

3. Fixed bugs

3.1 Solved bugs from the official bug report list

1756: IRIX 6.3: problem with ISOLatin characters in 3rd party fonts
1755: SGI High Impact: view points in edit poly does not work
1748: Sun 'no-password warning' returns negative system ID
1712: Online crashes under HP-UX 10.20
1705: shading input box in edit poly menu sometimes has wrong value
1692: particle points invisible on SGI O2 workstation
1679: Startupscreen hangs if GIG is started in demo mode
1676: cut & paste, in 'view tree', does not work on groups
1673: crash in main GIG when starting the Converter/Flipbook tool
1672: Inventor out: torus not implemented
1671: IGES in: problem reading Viewpoint IGES file
1666: the wireframe flipbook in Particles & Organic crashes on 24 bit
1661: startgig does not always start automatically after login
1660: a '/usr/tmp/render_interp' file is left on the system
1659: make Online better accessible
1654: add 'single/double buffered' option to GL version of Flipbook tool
1653: add 'show sgi/rgb' to Converter and ProjectManager tools (SGI only)
1633: add solid based model-out channel
1632: Flipbook tool hangs when selecting invalid project
1630: port to IRIX 6.2 and 6.3
1629: GIG crashes when rendering a Nurbs surface from Alias 7.0
1626: an idle GIG interface no longer eats up CPU resources
1624: crash in rendering animated SB cylinder
1617: update OMF tools to release 2.01
1610: render bug with Particles in combination with an animated map
1607: 'anicam' does not respond immediately in Organic/Particles
1606: 'save ani' messes with transformation of active object
1604: IGES in: solid/hollow flag cannot be changed
1600: Flipbook tool: cannot abort loading files
1598: 'copy' in View Tree doesn't copy side attributes
1595: domain error when rendering with spherical lens on HP
1591: Sun installation fails if 'whoami' command not in path
1590: 'get intercol' will not read files with '.' in them
1583: domain error when resetting the camera on HP
1580: no outline of subwindow visible using PEX (Sun or HP)
1573: Flipbook: the positioning of the animation in Flipbook is too high
1560: error during HP installation (link command not found)
1413: Texture Editor: no warning when overwriting textures or attributes
1402: add 'end of install' warning
1320: imported Illustrator eps files do not create a solid extrusion
1300: the '1', '2' and '3' hotkeys have unpredictable results
1271: add Inventor (resp. Keystone) in/out channels
1266: ambient lights cannot be animated
1134: singular transformation when scaling to zero in animation
1039: ProjectManager: rename option on individual files
1038: ProjectManager: back-up to tar file
1025: save camera positions
1015: add realistic particle effects such as smoke and fire

4. Known bugs and workarounds

4.1 Known bugs from the official bug list

1827: Bump map does not appear on the closing caps of swept Nurbs
1823: Organic/Particles on SGI's O2: wireframe flipbook shows nothing in pale yellow
1821: The PEX version on HP workstations sometimes has its clipping planes set wrong. This causes parts of the wireframe display to become invisible. Resetting the camera ususally helps
1802: The UNIX command provided to the aniutil utility should not end with a # or ? symbol
1801: The Linux version of Organic sometimes has a line clipping problem when displaying spline-skin objects
1800: The Linux versions of Particles and Organic sometimes display "\x04 " after the tag-names in the tag boxes - this is harmless
1799: The playback window of the Linux Flipbook is not centered
1742: The gigrs script has problems on multiprocessor Linux systems (probably a Linux bug)
1731: The gig_omf tool cannot handle tiff files which contain alpha info
1688: GIG returns bogus render times on multiprocessor Linux 2.0.0 (Linux 2.0.0 bug)
1613: The Sun version of Flipbook displays only part of an image
1587: Switching a lot between GIG modules on a Sun Ultra Sparcstation can result in an error message
1585: Fix event of a HSV color with zero Saturation results in an undefined Hue
1565: Input with the numeric keypad might not work on Sun Ultra workstations

4.2 Lack of swap space on SGI workstations (bug 1551)

Because of a peculiarity of the SGI operating system, virtual swap space is not cleaned up from time to time. This can result in out of swap space or cannot fork child process error messages. Especially the configuration of swap space on SGI Indy workstations with 32 MB internal memory is known to cause problems. (At least 100 MB swap space is recommended to run 3DGO or GIGVIZ.)

If out of swap space or cannot fork child process error messages appear on an SGI workstation, the first thing to do is to check whether virtual swap is switched on. As root, type:

chkconfig

If the chkconfig listing shows a line that says vswap off, type:

chkconfig vswap on
/etc/init.d/swap start

If vswap was already on, you can increase your virtual swap space. As root, type:

cd /
mkdir /swap
/usr/sbin/mkfile 1m /swap/swap1

Now you can do two things. First type:

/sbin/swap -a -p 5 -v 204800 swap1

This will increase your virtual swap space with 100 mega-bytes. You'll have to do this each time after the machine is rebooted. If you want this to happen automatically after each reboot, add the following line to the /etc/fstab file:

/swap/swap1 swap swap  pri=5,vlength=204800 0 0

Reboot your machine. You'll have 100 Mbytes extra virtual swap space available.

4.3 Font file names on HP and Linux

On HP workstations and Linux PCs it is possible that the default installation of GIG can not read the font files (as necessary for, e.g. get eps). The problem is caused by the distinction between the fontname and the fontfilename.

The workaround: rename the Postscript fonts on your system. This can be done in the following way:

Become superuser.
Go to the fonts directory (known as $GIG_D_FONTS in your GIG account)
on HP:
cd /usr/lib/X11/fonts/type1.st/typefaces
by default on Linux:
cd /usr/X11R6/lib/fonts/Type1
If the fonts in your Linux installation are in some other directory, make sure that the GIG_D_FONTS environment variable is set correctly. E.g. if your fonts are in /usr/lib/my_fonts then do:
setenv GIG_D_FONTS /usr/lib/my_fonts
cd $GIG_D_FONTS

Execute:

grep FontName *.pfa

You should get a list like:

UTBI____.pfa:/FontName /Utopia-BoldItalic def
UTB_____.pfa:/FontName /Utopia-Bold def
UTI_____.pfa:/FontName /Utopia-Italic def
UTRG____.pfa:/FontName /Utopia-Regular def

Now, link the fontfiles to the proper fontfilenames like this:
ln -s UTBI____.pfa Utopia-BoldItalic.pfa
etc.

Your fonts should now be available in GIG.

4.4 Colortable problems on Linux

We recommend that you use enough video RAM to run GIG in 24 bits display, at a resolution of 1024x768: 2 Mb will work, 3 Mb is recommended, 5 Mb is better.

Otherwise, GIG will start up in 8 bits mode, showing dithered images and using a colortable. Because the GIG tools also use color tables, it is sometimes not possible to run GIG and a tool at the same time, in 8 bits mode. In this case, save your model, leave GIG, and start the tool from the command line.