3D math rendering

[Michael Gold]

   From: hultquis at nas.nasa.gov (Jeff P. M. Hultquist)
   Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi

   Mathematica on the IRIS provides only a command line 
   interface.  There is no support for the editing of 
   notebooks; unlike "other platforms" such as the NeXT
   and the Mac.

True; however this is easily worked around.  Since I use Mathematica
inside of emacs, I have all the editting capability I need.  Also,
certain shells have built-in command line editting capabilities.  I
hear your gripe, however, and will look into adding this feature for a
future release.  With the possible exception of the NeXT, no other
UNIX implementation of Mathematica provides this feature.

   Remote users of Mathematica have access only to the 
   Postscript graphics.  The shaded-graphics of the GL
   cannot be used remotely.

By "remotely" you must mean on another IRIS, right?  Through the magic
of dgl this should be fairly easy to correct in a future release.  Of
course, what you can do with Mathematica on your console cannot be
done *anywhere else* on *any other* platform.

   Mathematica on the IRIS is _adequate_.

Graphics aside, Mathematica on the IRIS blows doors on the NeXT and
the Mac in pure computational speed.  At a recent trade show, an
attendee came by out booth with a formula for a surface which took
nearly ten minutes to calculate (and longer to draw) on a NeXT
machine.  We typed it in for fun, and a Personal Iris computed AND
drew the surface in less than two minutes.

Apparently you are familiar with the GL extensions.  There is NO OTHER
implementation of Mathematica which allows the manipulation (i.e.
real-time rotations, lighting and shading) of rendered surfaces that
can be done on the IRIS.  This is the functionality in which Mr.
Zeitlin expressed an interest, and I truly believe Mathematica on the
IRIS is the best solution for him.

Despite the apparent defensive tone of my response, I appreciate your
feedback.  You raise good points, and they are noted.

 -- Mike

--
    Michael I. Gold	 	You go your way, I'll go mine,
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