Re: Added Pseudocolor Visuals for XFree86?

[Tim Roberts]

Title: Added Pseudocolor Visuals for XFree86?

Bussoletti, John E wrote: At Boeing we have a number of graphics applications that have been developed in-house, originally for various SGI platforms.  These applications are used for engineering visualization  They work well on the native hardware and even display well across the network using third party applications under Windows like Hummingbird's ExCeed 3D.  However, under Linux, the fail to work properly, either natively or via remote display with the original SGI hardware acting as server, due to omissions in the available Pseudocolor Visuals.   Examination of the output of xdpyinfo in the SGI machines shows that the SGI X drivers support Pseudocolor visuals at both 8 bit planes and 12 bit planes.  Similar output under Linux shows support for Pseudocolor Visuals at only 8 bit planes.  These applications were built to take advantage of the 12 bit plane Pseudocolor Visual under the SGI X drivers. To allow use of these graphics applications within a Linux environment, we're contemplating a port of the applications to Directcolor Visuals. But prior to initiating such an activity, I've been asked to ask whether new developments or releases of the XFree86 X drivers might be in the pipeline for future release that might offer a wider variety of Pseudocolor Visuals.  Hence this note. Is there any support for 12 bit plane Pseudocolor Visuals within at least one video card and the XFree86 drivers?  Will there be support for such features in the future? If so, is there an anticipated release date? The problem is not XFree86, the problem is technology.  I'm not aware of ANY commodity graphics chips that support a 12-bit palettized video display mode.  That's mostly because Windows doesn't handle it, and if Windows doesn't handle it, there is no business case for developing it in hardware. Assuming there was such a chip, there are no architectural barriers to supporting it in XFree86.. -- - Tim Roberts, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.