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Re: IDL graphics w/ no display [message #41411 is a reply to message #41405] Mon, 25 October 2004 03:20 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
David Fanning is currently offline  David Fanning
Messages: 11724
Registered: August 2001
Senior Member
KM writes:

> So I am producing images in IDL in Z buffer, writing PNGs to disk,
> and then telling the frontend (via a socket) that the image is
> ready. It reads it in and display it in a mac/win-like UI.
>
> But there are some limitations to this model.
>
> 1) Z buffer is limited to 256 colors. This is not a major
> limitation, but it does exist

You could use a pixmap rather than the Z-buffer.
That would solve your color limitations, anyway.

> 2) Z buffer text looks terrible.

I'm not sure the pixmap will be much better. Perhaps
if you do the blow up * 4 trick here with true-type fonts,
you might have better luck.

But, really, you need to write a nice note to RSI and
tell them a lot of us, nay, MOST of us, still use direct
graphics and we could use some nice looking fonts over
here, too. :-)

> I cannot use the "blow up * 4" trick for Z buffer text
> [http://dfanning.com/graphics_tips/zfonts.html] because it is too
> slow. I am using a very fast machine, but doing all the map stuff x4
> introduces a 1 second lag.

Could still be a problem. How are you resizing? Using
REBIN and not CONGRID, I hope. :-)

> I think I cannot use object graphics because I am working with map
> projections, map_continents, etc. and these don't work with object
> graphics, right?

There is some controversy about this, but in any case,
I think IDL 6.1 is required.

> I don't think callable IDL would help. That could replace the socket
> and file->disk part, but it wouldn't help with the display. Plus, it
> sounds complex.

I don't think it is anymore complex than what you are doing.
A lot of people serve IDL images up from web page interfaces
with reasonable speed and resolution. I think this should
be possible to do.

Cheers,

David

--
David W. Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting, Inc.
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http:/www.dfanning.com/
Phone: 970-221-0438, IDL Book Orders: 1-888-461-0155
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