A Generic 3D Graphics Kernel (V1.5)

Current graphic systems (traditional or object-oriented) offer a certain amount of functionality but also prescribe a lot of impli- cations, constraints and may not fit a given task. The result is that in many cases people start from scratch, implement the basic graphics stuff again and again.

The objective of the announced project is to develop a generic 3D graphics kernel "G" that may be used to implement an own system by deriving the generic one. By aggregation and inheritance the interfaces and implementations of the generic kernel may be used. The generic kernel shall offer a wide functionality consisting of unrelated classes that may adaptively be integrated into a specialized system without run-time and memory overhead.

The principal functionality of the system will be [is]:

The generic kernel is provided with all sources and documentation, and may be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects without restrictions. For papers discussing the concepts of the G kernel see The generic kernel itself is available via ftp: Derived kernels until now are: Kernels in work: To join the G mailing list send a mail with subject "subscribe GENERIC mailing list".

Special thx goes to Nguyen Duc Cuong (TU Dresden, Germany), Frank Wicht, Jochen Pohl, Michael Bauroth, Heiko Fischer, Mario Ruebsam, Christian Martin (all EasternGraphics, Germany), Pavol Michalik, Thomas Petzke (both TU Ilmenau), Malte Zoeckler, Roland Wunderling (both ZIB Berlin) and EasternGraphics GmbH.

Comments, extensions and discussions are always welcome.

Copyright 1996 Ekkehard 'Ekki' Beier.