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Arthur Llewelyn retires from CAD centre
!
Graphics standards progress
After years of little but amiable and infrequent discussion, standards for computer graphics software has suddenly become a burning issue. The fire was lit by the BSI (British Standards Institution) with a proposal put before ISO that GINO-F be considered as a standard for graphics software, and fuelled by the French with a meeting sponsored by IFIP WGS.2 at Seillac near Paris in May 1976. The BSI pressed home its initiative and persuaded ISO to form a working group to look at graphics, convening and organizing meetings in London in February 1977 and Toronto in August 1977. ISO has now accepted the working group as an ongoing exercise under the label ISO TC97/SCS/WG2and responsibility for the secretariat has passed to the NNI (Netherlands). Nonetheless despite these and other European developments the initiative now rests firmly in the hands of the The Director of the CAD Centre, Americans. They, more than any other Arthur Llewelyn, retired in December. group, left Seillac revitalized. Through He was associated with the Centre right ACM SIGGRAPH they have recently from the start of its life, and took over invested several man-years of work on as the first Director in 1970, a few standards for computer graphics. They months after the official opening. created the GSPC (Graphics Standards Starting with about 12 people, Planning Committee) and this in turn Arthur built up the Centre into the spawned five subcommittees. One of multidisciplinary organization that these, the Core System Definition Subexists today with a staff of more than Group, has been particularly influen100. tial. It has produced a series of draft Looking back over the last seven years reports culminating in what is often years, Arthur Llewelyn seesthe major referred to as 'the CORE report' in the achievements of the CADC as the comFall 1977 issue of ComputerGraphics pletion of a development programme (Vol 11 No 3), the quarterly report of of modular software, the successful ACM SIGGRAPH. This document now realization of this research into a useful represents the cornerstone of the whole product for industry, with the pleasing subject and, together with its preceding result of helping small companies drafts, has dominated both meetings of survive and compete by using these CAD TC97/SCS/WG2held so far and rightly and computing techniques. SO. The immediate plan for retirement Now ANSI is beginning to inherit is a long holiday, but Arthur will still the work~f ACM SIGGRAPH and it keep in touch with the CAD scene. He is clear that the CORE report is going is Chairman of a session at CAD 78 and to be the foundation of the first ANSI he hopes in the future to write a book standard on computer graphics software, on CAD. which even the pessimists amongst the All the staff of the CAD journal wish Americans are anticipating in three him a long and happy retirement. years time. Taking over as Director is Dr Paul Freeman, who comes from the Ship The American effort is strong, and Marine Technology Requirements vigorous, well organized and flourBoard of the Dol, where he held the ishing, and it is unlikely that many other post of Chief Executive. national organization can compete.
Arthur Llewelyn retires from CAD Centre
volume 10 number 2 march 1978
The Germans (DIN) are the only challengers, but fortunately they do appear to be working along similar lines and coming to similar conclusions overall to the Americans. Hence the emphasis is not on rivalling the Americans, but on assisting them and bringing influence to bear that will guide and encourage them to adopt a generally more satisfactory standard. The most influential group should be the one representing all the other nations, that is ISO TC97/SCS/WG2. Most national standards bodies are organizing themselves to reflect in some way the committee structures of ISO and ANSI, for this clearly makes communication and representation much easier. The BSI's equivalent of TC971SCSIWG2,for example, is to be a new working group labelled DPS/13/ WGS. This working group will cover much the same ground as its ISO equivalent and will also assume responsibility for the UK's representation on TC97/SCS/WG2. In addition, some national bodies are trying to augment the ACM and ANSI work on graphics. The Netherlands, for example, are trying to refine the criteria governing graphical input and the UK plans to expand the NAG (Numerical Algorithms Group) Library by one chapter to cover high-level general-purpose graphical routines. A byproduct of the latter is likely to be the specification of an elementary passive 2D graphics system that will reflect a tiny but valuable subset of the SIGGRAPH CORE report. These and all other relevant developments are due to be reported to the next meeting of TC97/SCS/WG2 on 27 - 29 September 1978 in Bologna, Italy. Communications between the separate groups is good and is organized through the ISO working group. Nonetheless September seems a long way away, for one wonders where the Americans will be by then. Anyone interested in the standards work, BSI committee DPS/13/WG5 or the graphical additions to the NAG Library is asked to get in touch with the author.
D L Fisher ComputerLaboratory University of Leicester, UK
151
Graphics standards progress
After years of little but amiable and infrequent discussion, standards for computer graphics software has suddenly become a burning issue. The fire was lit by the BSI (British Standards Institution) with a proposal put before ISO that GINO-F be considered as a standard for graphics software, and fuelled by the French with a meeting sponsored by IFIP WGS.2 at Seillac near Paris in May 1976. The BSI pressed home its initiative and persuaded ISO to form a working group to look at graphics, convening and organizing meetings in London in February 1977 and Toronto in August 1977. ISO has now accepted the working group as an ongoing exercise under the label ISO TC97/SCS/WG2and responsibility for the secretariat has passed to the NNI (Netherlands). Nonetheless despite these and other European developments the initiative now rests firmly in the hands of the The Director of the CAD Centre, Americans. They, more than any other Arthur Llewelyn, retired in December. group, left Seillac revitalized. Through He was associated with the Centre right ACM SIGGRAPH they have recently from the start of its life, and took over invested several man-years of work on as the first Director in 1970, a few standards for computer graphics. They months after the official opening. created the GSPC (Graphics Standards Starting with about 12 people, Planning Committee) and this in turn Arthur built up the Centre into the spawned five subcommittees. One of multidisciplinary organization that these, the Core System Definition Subexists today with a staff of more than Group, has been particularly influen100. tial. It has produced a series of draft Looking back over the last seven years reports culminating in what is often years, Arthur Llewelyn seesthe major referred to as 'the CORE report' in the achievements of the CADC as the comFall 1977 issue of ComputerGraphics pletion of a development programme (Vol 11 No 3), the quarterly report of of modular software, the successful ACM SIGGRAPH. This document now realization of this research into a useful represents the cornerstone of the whole product for industry, with the pleasing subject and, together with its preceding result of helping small companies drafts, has dominated both meetings of survive and compete by using these CAD TC97/SCS/WG2held so far and rightly and computing techniques. SO. The immediate plan for retirement Now ANSI is beginning to inherit is a long holiday, but Arthur will still the work~f ACM SIGGRAPH and it keep in touch with the CAD scene. He is clear that the CORE report is going is Chairman of a session at CAD 78 and to be the foundation of the first ANSI he hopes in the future to write a book standard on computer graphics software, on CAD. which even the pessimists amongst the All the staff of the CAD journal wish Americans are anticipating in three him a long and happy retirement. years time. Taking over as Director is Dr Paul Freeman, who comes from the Ship The American effort is strong, and Marine Technology Requirements vigorous, well organized and flourBoard of the Dol, where he held the ishing, and it is unlikely that many other post of Chief Executive. national organization can compete.
Arthur Llewelyn retires from CAD Centre
volume 10 number 2 march 1978
The Germans (DIN) are the only challengers, but fortunately they do appear to be working along similar lines and coming to similar conclusions overall to the Americans. Hence the emphasis is not on rivalling the Americans, but on assisting them and bringing influence to bear that will guide and encourage them to adopt a generally more satisfactory standard. The most influential group should be the one representing all the other nations, that is ISO TC97/SCS/WG2. Most national standards bodies are organizing themselves to reflect in some way the committee structures of ISO and ANSI, for this clearly makes communication and representation much easier. The BSI's equivalent of TC971SCSIWG2,for example, is to be a new working group labelled DPS/13/ WGS. This working group will cover much the same ground as its ISO equivalent and will also assume responsibility for the UK's representation on TC97/SCS/WG2. In addition, some national bodies are trying to augment the ACM and ANSI work on graphics. The Netherlands, for example, are trying to refine the criteria governing graphical input and the UK plans to expand the NAG (Numerical Algorithms Group) Library by one chapter to cover high-level general-purpose graphical routines. A byproduct of the latter is likely to be the specification of an elementary passive 2D graphics system that will reflect a tiny but valuable subset of the SIGGRAPH CORE report. These and all other relevant developments are due to be reported to the next meeting of TC97/SCS/WG2 on 27 - 29 September 1978 in Bologna, Italy. Communications between the separate groups is good and is organized through the ISO working group. Nonetheless September seems a long way away, for one wonders where the Americans will be by then. Anyone interested in the standards work, BSI committee DPS/13/WG5 or the graphical additions to the NAG Library is asked to get in touch with the author.
D L Fisher ComputerLaboratory University of Leicester, UK
151