Subject: OS/2 port of REND386 -Reply

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 1993 15:23:08 -0700

Everybody keeps talking about limits to polygons due to memory.   I
think a lot of benefit could come by going to a full 32-bit OS.  OS/2
does support x mode vga.  I am thinking about trying to port it.  Has
anybody else thought about it?
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I have thought about it.  I think it could be structured like this:

(object trees or whatever)
-------------------------------
(rend386 engine)
_______________________________
(BMP|metafile output routines)       ===> 4 memory buffers.

One thread runs the rend386 engine to each buffer in turn.  Your PM
thread simply paints each finished buffer to the screen.  Having more
than 2 buffers will give you some lee-way in timing it all.  Then a
third thread could handle animation concerns.

I think you could get good perfomance from such a system.  I looked
at the release 5 code, but couldn't really figure out how to replace
the render back end to produce something PM would understand (OK, I
really have not graphics programing experience at all.)  But I am
willing to help with Development and Testing of such a port.

=rando=
(I speak only for myself)