Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 13:35:35 +1100 From: "Murray Taylor" <MTaylor@bytecraft.com.au> To: "Dan Charrois" <dan@syz.com>, <freebsd-small@freebsd.org> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: RE: Question about programming graphics Message-ID: <04E232FDCD9FBE43857F7066CAD3C0F1054028@svmailmel.bytecraft.internal>
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> -----Original Message----- > From: owner-freebsd-small@freebsd.org=20 > [mailto:owner-freebsd-small@freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Dan Charrois > Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 8:22 AM > To: freebsd-small@freebsd.org > Subject: Question about programming graphics >=20 > Hi there. I'm not sure if this is the appropriate FreeBSD mailing =20 > list to use - if not, please let me know where this question=20 > would be =20 > more appropriate. >=20 > I'm in the early conceptualization stages of developing avionics for =20 > amateur-built aircraft, and would like to use FreeBSD as the core OS =20 > to develop on, likely using a couple of small single board computers =20 > cross-checking their results for redundancy. It would be using a =20 > flash-based filesystem for ruggedness. >=20 > In any case, I need to be able to output graphics to an LCD display, =20 > but for efficiency reasons would like to avoid XWindows (all the =20 > overhead of providing moveable windows, pointing devices, etc. is =20 > useless since the configuration of the various display elements on =20 > the screen would be fixed. I suppose that the user would be able to =20 > choose between various display configurations, but they wouldn't be =20 > using a regular user interface in the true sense of the word. Have =20 > you ever tried to drag a mouse around, or even use a touchscreen, in =20 > heavy turbulence? :-) >=20 > Since the avionics would consist of both the hardware and=20 > software as =20 > a bundle, I don't have to worry too much about thousands of=20 > different =20 > possible configurations. >=20 > In any case, what options do I have? I'll be programming in regular =20 > C (not C++, though I could if I absolutely had to). Ideally, I'd =20 > like to know if there is a library or something that would let me =20 > initialize the display to a given resolution and then just=20 > use simple =20 > functions to draw lines, circles, etc., in different colors. An =20 > OpenGL implementation without requiring XWindows might be cool too, =20 > if it would let me render three dimensional objects at fixed =20 > positions on the screen. >=20 > I've done a lot of command line programming in FreeBSD, but=20 > so far no =20 > graphics programming, in XWindows or otherwise, so I may be missing =20 > something basic here. It just seems like a full-blown XWindows =20 > implementation is completely overkill for my purposes and I'm=20 > looking =20 > for something simple to use and set up. Or is there an XWindows =20 > "lite" configuration that lets you output simple graphics to the =20 > screen in fixed places without the user interface component? >=20 > If anyone can point me in the right direction (or really, any =20 > direction for that matter) it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! >=20 > Dan > -- > Syzygy Research & Technology > Box 83, Legal, AB T0G 1L0 Canada > Phone: 780-961-2213 > _______________________________________________ > Dan, It seems that you basically want a "window like" cursor addressable display system ncurses is the bees-knees for this as it supports pretty much all of your needs and is a linkable library to your C / C++ programs. And it is part of the baseline install -- try=20 % apropos curses=20 and you will get all the man pages you kneed ;-) BTW freebsd-questions would also be a place for a general question like this=20 also. ( I ahev copied this to there also for you to seen any other comments arise ;-) mjt --=20 A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet and in e-mail? Murray Taylor Bytecraft Systems P: +61 3 8710 2555 F: +61 3 8710 2599 D: +61 3 9238 4275 E: mtaylor@bytecraft.com.au --------------------------------------------------------------- The information transmitted in this e-mail is for the exclusive use of the intended addressee and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, re-transmission, dissemination or other use of it, or the taking of any action in reliance upon this information by persons and/or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please inform the sender and/or addressee immediately and delete the material.=20 E-mails may not be secure, may contain computer viruses and may be corrupted in transmission. Please carefully check this e-mail (and any attachment) accordingly. No warranties are given and no liability is accepted for any loss or damage caused by such matters. --------------------------------------------------------------- ***This Email has been scanned for Viruses by MailMarshal.***
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