RFC 192 (rfc192) - Page 1 of 19

Some factors which a Network Graphics Protocol must consider

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Network Working Group                                          R. Watson
Request for Comments: 192                                        SRI-ARC
NIC: 7137                                                   12 July 1971


      Some Factors which a Network Graphics Protocol must Consider

   After reading some of the RFC's on a network graphics protocol it
   seems that many are not providing general enough mechanisms to handle
   attention handling, picture structure, and other higher level
   processes involved in interactive graphics.

   Therefore for what it is worth I am sending out these rough
   introductory notes which contain ideas that I think any network
   graphics protocol must come to grips with.

   The network graphics protocol should allow one to operate the most
   sophisticated system with more general data structures and concepts
   than those described in these notes and allow very simple systems to
   function also.

Introduction

   It is our contention that, if computer graphics is to be widely
   useful, the graphics terminals must be just another type of terminal
   on a timesharing system with minimal special privileges.  In these
   brief notes we outline the basic features which we feel must be
   available in a graphics support package to allow easy interactive
   graphics application programming.

   If one examines the types of tasks in industry, government and
   universities which can avail themselves of timesharing support from
   graphics consoles, one can estimate that the large majority can
   effectively utilize quite simple terminals such as those employing
   storage tubes.  I would estimate 75% of the required terminals to
   fall in this class.  Another 15-20% of terminals may require higher
   response and some simple realtime picture movement, thus requiring
   simple refresh displays.  The remainder of terminals are needed for
   high payout tasks requiring all the picture processing power one can
   make available.  In this talk we are not considering support for this
   latter class of applications.

MAIN ASSUMPTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR SYSTEM DESIGN

   The main assumptions and requirements underlying the interactive
   graphics are the following:





Watson
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