I want and need openGL quad buffered stereo in a window!!!
I use it for molecular graphics and 3D microscopy. (PyMol, VMD, Bodil,
VTK)
i want to do this on my department's g4 and g5 computers,
so the scientists can use it
not only on my personal linux box.
Please help us to keep buying you great computers , buy giving us the
tools we need!
thanks
Dr. Daniel James White BSc. (Hons.) PhD
Bioimaging Coordinator
Nanoscience Centre and
Department of Biological and Environmental science
Division of Molecular Recognition
Ambiotica C242
PO Box 35
University of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä FIN 40014
Finland
+358 14 260 4183 (work)
+358 468102840 (mobile)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 17:58:50 -0800
From: "Warren DeLano" <email@hidden>
Subject: vmd-l: Stereo-3D in a Window: Not in MacOS X Tiger?!!
Fellow Visualization Software Users:
My #1 gripe with MacOS X Panther has been the lack of support for
industry-standard stereo-3D graphics (in a window). So far, I and
others
have been unable to convince Apple that this feature matters enough to
their
bottom line to merit implementation. Candid discussions this week at
MacWorld confirmed that Tiger (OS X 10.4) will likewise ship without
this
essential capability at a time when the opportunity for Apple is at
its peak
in this market. I believe this would be a serious error, and that
Apple
must now hear from us on this issue.
If you agree, then please reply directly to me, RIGHT NOW
(mailto:email@hidden) with the words: "Stereo 3D matters to me."
Your
response will be printed, and I will hand-deliver them to Apple
management
in nearby Cupertino at the end of the month. We need AS MANY
responses as
we can get (ideally 1,000+), so please forward this email to all of
your
visualization-oriented colleagues (in any sector), and ask them to
submit
individual emails to me as well. Here's why:
Stereoscopic 3D visualization increasingly matters in science,
medicine, and
engineering. Though arguably the ultimate technical computing
platform, the
Mac remains hopelessly crippled in this key respect when compared to
Sun,
HP, Dell, or IBM workstations running Linux, Solaris, or even Windows.
Dual-Xeon and dual-Opteron systems now ship stereo-3D-ready thanks to
powerful nVidia/Quadro and ATI/FireGL graphics cards. Thus, the
competition
WILL OWN THIS MARKET if Apple doesn't support stereo-3D in a window on
MacOS
X, ASAP. The disruptive market opportunity created by the implosion
of SGI
and the stopgap adoption of "home brew" Linux systems is about to end.
Professional-grade stereoscopic visualization is now a standard OpenGL
capability, it is vendor-supported on a variety of hardware, and it is
present on every platform EXCEPT THE MAC. None of those "amazing
features"
in Tiger matter one bit to technical users whose basic needs remain
unmet.
Stereo-3D inadequacy is a show-stopper for many scientists and
engineers.
The Mac will not have a fair shot at this market unless Apple quickly
follows though on it's assumed responsibility to support all OpenGL
features, including quad-buffered stereo-3D graphics in a window.
Case in
point: my company just spent $5k on a dual-Opteron Sun workstation
instead
of a dual-G5 Mac solely because stereo-3D in a window is absent from
MacOS
X. This pattern will surely be amplified many thousand-fold if Apple
does
not take immediate corrective action.
Responding together, we can insure that Apple understands what this
deficiency means for the future of MacOS X in scientific, medical, and
technical visualization. I do not believe that Apple management has
made an
informed decision regarding stereo-3D, and I think this is our last
best
chance to change things before the issue becomes moot.
Please share your concerns by responding to this email
(mailto:email@hidden). It will only take a second, but the
benefits
could last for years to come if Apple listens well and then acts
decisively.
Input from current Linux and Windows users is especially welcome, since
Apple would love to sell you the visualization platform of your dreams
if
you're willing to help define it. Thank you for your time.
. DeLano Scientific LLC
. 400 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 213
. South San Francisco, CA 94080
. Biz:(650)-872-0942 Tech:(650)-872-0834
. Fax:(650)-872-0273 Cell:(650)-346-1154
. mailto:email@hidden
Dr. Daniel James White BSc. (Hons.) PhD
Bioimaging Coordinator
Nanoscience Centre and
Department of Biological and Environmental science
Division of Molecular Recognition
Ambiotica C242
PO Box 35
University of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä FIN 40014
Finland
+358 14 260 4183 (work)
+358 468102840 (mobile)
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