OPENGL and 2.23.04

From: Stefano Bettelli (bettelli@tn.infn.it)
Date: Fri Oct 22 1999 - 16:08:42 MEST


This is a list of remarks which I accumulated in the last two weeks.

-> A few words on OPENGL support in version 2.23.04: 

        1) The GL.C macro never comes with the standard distribution; 
        I had it once from a roottalk post and I never changed it, but I
        think it should be provided along with the distribution,
        maybe with a different name (GL.C.example) and some documentation
        lines into it. I never found a note in the installation notes
        which spoke about this script.

        2) The installation notes don't explain very well how to setup
        ROOT for a compilation with OPENGL. Keep in mind that most Linux
        boxes use the Mesa library which puts its libraries and header
        files in standard places; therefore the correct sequence is:
                > cd $ROOTSYS
                > mkdir opengl
                > cd opengl
                > ln -s /usr/include include
                > ln -s /usr/lib lib
        insted of: (stated in AA_INSTALL)
                > cd $ROOTSYS
                > ln -s <pathname>/Mesa-2.2 opengl (Mesa 2.2 or higher)
        
        3) I have found that in the new release, if a pad is not editable,
        then you cannot use OPENGL functions (I mean you can open the 
        view window, but you can't rotate, zoom, go to wireframe mode ...).
        Moreover, it is the current pad (i.e. the pad with the current 
        focus) which must be not editable, and not the pad from which the
        OPENGL view originates. If, after having spawned the view, you click
        onto a non-editable pad, you lock the view. This is very annoying 
        if you have, say, two pads, one with pictures and one with buttons.
        If the action graphic_pad->x3d("OPENGL") is issued by pushing a
        button in the former pad (which AFAIK must be not-editable), then,
        whatever pad you cd in the action, after the view is spawned the
        control goes back to the button pad and the view is locked.
        Luckily for me I use a script with a global TTimer, so I can 
        circumvent the problem, but I think it is not that good to lock
        also the OPENGL view for non-editable pads.

-> The compilation stage goes smooth after Fons suggested to patch
        2.23.04's $ROOTSYS/src/Make-macros line:
        "$(SOFLAGS)" libX3d.$(SOEXT) $@ "$(X3DO)" into
        "$(SOFLAGS)" libX3d.$(SOEXT) $@ "$(X3DO) $(X3DDO)"
        so I think you can add change RedHat 6.0 into RedHat 6.0/6.1
        in the availability page. The only thing which I can't get
        working is "true type fonts" which didn't work from the very
        beginning of my ROOT experience.

-> About the benckmark I provided: I made some investigation about my hard
        disk (FUJITSU MPC3102AT E, ATA DISK) and I found that the benchmark
        could be far from truth (so, maybe better if you remove it).
        -> the disk should be 10.2 Gb but it is recognized as 9.6 Gb
        -> the driver reports 0Kb for cache, although the specs say 256Kb.
           but I found a post in a newsgroup stating that these disk 
           actually lie about their cache (the cache is there, but they 
           state it has zero size).
        -> benchmarking disk-writes with "hdparm -tT" I found a transfer
           rate of 6-7Mb/s; after playing with hdparm parameters I could
           achieve 10-11Mb/s and the ROOTMARKS went up from 133 to >150.
           specs anyway say that the disk transfer rate should be 12-19Mb/s !!!

Best regards,
                                                Stefano Bettelli

----------------------------------------------------------
E-Mail: Stefano Bettelli <bettelli@tn.infn.it>
WWW   : http://meitner.tn.infn.it



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