Interfaces and Data Formats for Transfer and Communication in Computer Graphics Systems

A Graphics System may be seen as a computer-aided environment supporting the application program. The basic elements associated with it are: - Operator (User) - Graphics Support System (Services) - Other User Interface Support System (Services) - Application Functions - Generic Action Routines - Data Base The kernel for the communication between the different parts of such a system is composed of the different data items associated with the communication elements. From the point of view of the user operating such a graphics support system, a simple functional model may be given showing the functional decomposition of the model. The Graphics System is then based on the following basic functional components: - User (Operator of the Computer-Aided Environment based on a Graphics Support System) - Graphics - Graphics Viewing - Request Processing - Graphics Metafiles - Model - Model Metafiles (Design Data) - Model Data Management - Application - Control - Heuristics This model implies a clean separation between application system, application control, graphics support system and model data management functions. This functionality again is based on the transfer of the associated items stored in the corresponding metafiles (graphics, model)