High Performance Graphics in Linux

Since early 1997 NASA Ames has sponsored an investigation into the feasibility of supporting real-time 3-D graphics in a Linux / X-Windows environment. An overview of the history of this project may be found here.

Present development efforts involve two 3DLabs products: the mid-range Glint 500-TX and the entry-level Permedia 2. A paper on this work, presented at Linux Expo in May 1999, is available in both .ps and .pdf formats and describes the state of the project as of January 1999.

Significant improvements in the domain of interoperability with X Windows have been made since January 1999.
In addition to the capabilities described in the paper it is now possible to:

- Run multiple graphics application processes concurrently;
- Move and resize graphics windows while real-time rendering proceeds;
- Iconify and restore graphics windows;
- Create multiple graphics windows within a single process.

The bounce benchmark shown below was created by former graduate student Dante Treglia who is now with Nintendo. It runs doubly buffered at over 40 frames per second on a Permedia 2 with a CPU utilization of about 35% on a 500 MHz Pentium III.

Acknowledgments:

> Funding for the development of the TX-500 and Permedia 2 software was provided by NASA's Ames Research Laboratory. 3DLabs, GLINT and Permedia are registered trademarks of 3DLabs Inc. Ltd. Pentium is a registered trademark of the Intel Corporation.

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