INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Tue,  7 Nov 89       Volume 89 : Issue 616
 
Today's Topics:
              3D-Reconstruction on the ST. NMR Imaging.
                     atari ABC  yea or nay  ????
               Atari Support -- a different perspective
          Binaries distribution within BITNET/EARN/NETNORTH.
               CMI update...  I got screwed royally...
                    Concatenation of multiple TSRs
            Definition of MIPS (was Re: UNIX -- ATW Speed)
                               Monitors
                           Printing Files.
                        Prolog 10, Common LISP
                              smalltalk
                             Trip-a-Tron
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 7 Nov 89 14:15:10 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!harrier.ukc.ac.uk!jbww@uunet.uu.net  (J.B.W.Webber)
Subject: 3D-Reconstruction on the ST. NMR Imaging.
 
In article <8911011128.AA28149@nimsn41.> n-waters@NIMR.MRC.AC.UK (Nick Waterson)
 writes:
>Hi there,
> I am trying to find out if there are any 3D-reconstruction packages available
> either commercially or in the PD. These packages are primarily used to
> a series of sections cut
> through a cell or leg! to give an overall image of the   object before it was
> sectioned. Other capabilites usually include the ability tomeasure cross
> sectional areas, volumes and other morphometric measurements.
>
> I would also like to know if there are any other ST'rs out there who use these
> machines in a scientific environment, if so, what do you use them for?
>
 
I was also working up to posting a similar query, as I was thinking it would
make sense if we were not all dupilcating each others work.
 
O.K. I will kick off :
 
Field:
My main field is in using NMR to measure diffusion and motion induced
relaxation in solids; we have for a number of years also been looking
at NMR imaging in solids.
I also help out other groups, i.e. simulation studies of molecular dynamics.
 
Software:
Over a number of years, I have written a variety of routines for these;
the ones particularly relating to imaging including various of the standard
surface plots, 3D transformations and projections, stereoscopic pairs, etc.
Currently (well, from time to time) I am doing a set of routines to start
with a 3D volumetric set of data, and generate shaded surface views
of features. (Interesting results so-far, but NOT finished - perhaps now I
have a 4MByte machine ...).
 
Languages:
I program in a mix of languages, using each where suitable -
i.e. :  Shell, using Sed to fire up a command setup to run Apl (where the
        bulk of the array massaging is done), which may call compiled routines
        created in perhaps C or Fortran , or do requests on Maple (the
        algebraic manipulation language).
Currently I am still tranfering this to the ST; much of the Apl transfered
painlessly (just a simple translator - in Apl of course); still can not afford
a copy of Maple for the ST, and the only copy of Maple 4.2 on the campus is
on a VMS system (any one know how to do an equivalent of piping under VMS ??).
 
Device Drivers:
In the past I have driven other devices :
 - i.e. Sigma graphics, Tek, XY scope, Transient recorder, Epson Colour JX80
but the interest here is in  ST screen:
have been slowly implementing a set of windowd graphics for the ST;
 - line, shaded+coloured bit map, shaded surface.
Don't have much time for it, but this is where my recent query on
firing up desk acessories came from.
 
Glossary:
  NMR - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
        (NOT high energy physics - actually just uses radio frequencies)
        looks at the nuclei precessing in a magnetic field, as a sensitive
        probe as to what is happening in the material. (Freq = gamma x Field)
 
  NMR Imaging
        Now a routine tool for medicine (Imaging without X rays) - they
        look at the water in the body; tissues show up well, bones (they
        are solid!) don't. O.K. solids are harder; that is what we do
        (no, we can't do whole bodies yet, no we can't do bones well yet
        - this is physics research.)
 
 
Question:
        Any NMR (Diffusion,Imaging) routines you are willing to share ?
        (I would have to get an OK on swapping mine).
        Any ST graphics or imaging routines ?  (as above).
 
Sorry to write so much
 
        beau webber     jbww@ukc.ac.uk
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 6 Nov 89 17:52:36 GMT
From:
 mcsun!ukc!tcdcs!csvax1.cs.tcd.ie!swift.cs.tcd.ie!vax1.tcd.ie!dbearly@uunet.uu.n
et  (BIG BAD DOM)
Subject: atari ABC  yea or nay  ????
 
I have previously sent this posting to the boys at the pc dept. but the didn't
seem to know anything about the machine,so I come to you  :
 
 
I am seriously thinking of buying a PC at the moment and I have basically
decided on one of two models,
 
                1)ATARI ABC
 
                2)AMSTRAD 2086
 
Both cost around the same,and both include a 30mg hard disk.The Atari uses a
286 micro-processor however and thus seems the obvious choice.The only trouble
I am having is getting info/reviews on this machine.Does anyone have/know of
the machine and if so could someone please offer me advice on buying it?
 
All replys will be muchly appreciated,
 
                        Big Bad Dom.
 
 
                                dbearly@vax1.tcd.ie
 
********************************************************************************
 
please send me as much info on the atari ABC (if it indeed exists,as my dealer
assures me!!)
 
                        again any help would be appreciated,
 
                                        B.B.D.
 
 
even info on the reliability of atari machines in general would be
helpful,especially their range of pc compatibles!!
********************************************************************************
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 89 10:15:30 EST
From: csrobe@cs.wm.edu (Chip Roberson)
Subject: Atari Support -- a different perspective
 
We have all seen the moaning and groaning about Atari's support that
has been taking up net bandwidth.  I will be the first to agree that
Atari's delivery record has left me feeling lacking, but I would like
to accentuate a positive point.  If it had not been for this network
in general and Atari employees like Allan Pratt, Ken Badertscher,
et al. clearing up rumors and providing solutions, my view of Atari
and the ST would be quiet different.
 
As it stands, I am willing to pay the $100 (when I get it) for
Rainbow-TOS and I am even considering the TT/X down the road (I am a
diehard Unix nut).  Don't get me wrong, I have my share of gripes
with Atari, its just that support from people-in-the-know like these
have muted the effects.  In the long run, what will decide if I stay
with Atari products is how the rest of the company comes around.
I'm sure it is no revelation when I say that I expect reasonably
priced products, a supportive dealer network, and expandability.
 
Atari has given me a powerful machine (in its day) at a reasonable
price that has served me for over 4 years.  The market has changed
since then and users demand more -- hopefully, the TT/X is Atari's
answer to that demand.
 
To keep from wasting more bandwidth, I want to re-iterate that
Atari's online/network presence has mad a difference with this
customer and I wish to thank them for that.  I hope that Atari
sees the importance in such user contact and maintains them as we
see the new products hit the streets.
 
cheers,
-c
-=- Charles S. Roberson          ARPANET:    csrobe@cs.wm.edu           -=-
-=- VA Remote Sensing Study      UUCP:       ...!uunet!cs.wm.edu!csrobe -=-
-=- Dept of Comp. Sci.           Compu$erve: 71500.2056@compuserve.com  -=-
-=- College of William and Mary  BIX:        csrobe                     -=-
-=- Williamsburg, VA 23185       Ma Bell:    (804) 253-4393             -=-
 
 Fur Comment:  Today thousands of animals will be killed
               just for what they are wearing.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 89 13:21
From: "Thomas Koenig"
 <UI0T%DKAUNI2.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Binaries distribution within BITNET/EARN/NETNORTH.
 
Chuck Reid wrote:
> All the good binaries are being kept on a FTP server somewhere but
> that does all of us no good! The amount of PD binaries that are
> making it to any of the EMAIL accessable servers is literally a
> trickle compared to what is out there.
 
Luckily, there is a way to get at FTP-servers from BITNET. Send mail
to BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET with the command HELP in the first line of the
body of the text. A warning: BITFTP delivers the files it retreives
from the FTP - servers in NETDATA - format (IBM's own), so that there
is probably little use requesting files from outside BITNET...
 
> I really wish that someone would (out of the goodness of their
> hearts) start shipping this stuff out of GENIE and into
> distribution (like Volker has done) or send it to Panarthea. Life
> would be grand, then.
I agree.
 
There is one thing I like to see, too: can somebody tell the net
what FTP servers are available for ATARI ST stuff and in which
directories it is stored (using BITFTP is not exactly interactive,
as you have to use mail to get there)? I'm sure many people would
appreciate that.
 
Thomas  Koenig                   UI0T@DKAUNI2.BITNET
                                 UI0T%DKAUNI2.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
(soon: new address, old machine) UI0T@IBM3090.RZ.UNI-KARLSRUHE.DBP.DE
'Ich dachte nicht, ich untersuchte.'            Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 7 Nov 89 02:46:38 GMT
From: hp-sdd!ncr-sd!tw-rnd!johnl@hplabs.hp.com  (John Lindwall)
Subject: CMI update...  I got screwed royally...
 
In article <4424@druwy.ATT.COM> med@druwy.ATT.COM (Myron E. Drapal) writes:
>
>I do suspect, however, that you may have slightly better luck getting
>your ounce (I guess I should say pound ;-)) of flesh from CMI, since
>they still sell in the Amiga market as well (unless they've really
>gone belly up).
>                                       Myron Drapal
 
Bad news folks.  There are similar rumblings among amiga folks in
comp.sys.amiga.  I haven't seen anyone give a definitive answer to the
question "Did CMI disappear?", but I have seen several postings where CMI
customers are asking why CMI's phones are disconnected, etc.
 
I hope they are still alive - they make some neat stuff
 
 
--
John Lindwall                     |   "Not my employer opinions; mine"
johnl@tw-rnd.SanDiego.NCR.COM     |   a man, a plan, a beer, reeban alpa nama
----------------------------------+--------------------------------------------
Amiga PenPal V1.2 for sale: $75. All original disks, manual, box. Registration.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 7 Nov 89 14:30:50 GMT
From: mcsun!hp4nl!nikhefh!n62@uunet.uu.net  (Klamer Schutte)
Subject: Concatenation of multiple TSRs
 
In article <111500054@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> glk01126@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
>       Does anyone see a problem with the following program concept:
>
>       Take a list of .TOS files (.PRG in auto\)...
>       Create one file with the following:
>               (pseudo code)
>               JSR program1
>               JSR program2
>               ...
>               RTS
>       Pack the @#%$#er
 
>       -G.M.L-K
 
Yes, there is a problem:
Probably program 1 will do an exit(2) (or, the GEMDOS counterpart of this
U*IX call) and the rest is not executed.
 
Besides, some of your programs may go resident -- at this way there will
be multiple copies resident; this may not be what you want.
 
To do what you want, disassemble the programs, look at these two points,
(simulating exit() by a jmp (probably with saving of SP)), and reassemble.
 
Klamer.
 
--
_____________________Yes, mail address changed again :-(________________________
Klamer Schutte        mcvax!nikhefh!?n62,Schutte?        ?Schutte,n62?@nikhef.nl
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 6 Nov 89 20:26:41 GMT
From:
 snorkelwacker!spdcc!merk!alliant!linus!cvbnet!jdonsbac@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
 (Jeff Donsbach)
Subject: Definition of MIPS (was Re: UNIX -- ATW Speed)
 
From article <1767@atari.UUCP>, by kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher):
>
> MIPS == Meaningless Indications of Processor Speed
> --
>    |||   Ken Badertscher  (ames!atari!kbad)
>    |||   Atari R&D System Software Engine
>   / | \  #include <disclaimer>
 
or
 
  MIPS ==  Meaningless Information Provided by Salesmen
 
  :-)
 
-Jeff
 
==========================
Jeff Donsbach, Graphics Development, Computervision , Bedford, MA
UUCP: ?decvax|linus|sun?!cvbnet!jdonsbac | Internet: jdonsbac@cvbnet.prime.com
Computervision: The name (if not the magic) is back!
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue,  7 Nov 89  10:23:02 EDT
From: BAILEYS%FSU.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU
Subject: Monitors
 
Hey,
 
    Anybody out there ever made their own monitor switchbox?  I wish
to add a monochrome monitor to my color system, and I am trying to save
as much money as possible.  I am also interested in (but probably not
prosperous enough for) interfacing a Muli-sync monitor to my system.  I
have seen an Omnimon (sp?) setup like this, and it is very nice.  The
color setting yields superior rendition to my color (not by much, but it
is perceivable).  The monochrome is not quite as sharp as the Atari mono,
but this is even less perceivable that the color differece.  All in all,
probably worth it to rid one of two monitors cluttering up the desk.  The
only problem is cost:  it is only sold as a monitor/interface package (to
my knowledge).  If anyone knows different, or if anyone has built either
a multi-sync interface or a monitor switchbox, I would certainly like to
hear about it.
 
 
 
___________________________________________________________________________
                             
      Bob Marley               "To err is human, to compute devine,
                                  trust your computer, but not it's
      FSU Comp Sci                  programmer."  - Moris Kingston -
                             
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 89  15:06 GMT
From: Jan Ameij <AMEIJ%vax.oxford.ac.uk@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK>
Subject: Printing Files.
 
Dear Gang,
 
Does anyone out there know a good way of printing files (ie transferring a
file to a printer) from within a program, in C? The file is an HPLJ+ binary
file, from DVI2HP, so it has lots of font downloading and is therefore as
unpleasant as they come...
 
fopen/fgetc/fputc/fclose keeps falling over (it sees end of files in the
input) as does open/_read/_write/close.
 
Advice and particularly examples would be much appreciated. Is there a way of
calling the Gem/Tos routine which does printing, 'cos clicking on the icon
and choosing Print works a treat?
 
Thank 'ee, people.
 
Jan Ameij,
Department of Applied Metaphysics,
Oxford University.
 
-------------------------------------------------------------
Go on, try to sue Oxford University, we didn't train half the
Judges in Britain for nothing. Nyaaaaaah!!!!!
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 7 Nov 89 12:10:55 GMT
From: mcsun!hp4nl!ruuinf!piet@uunet.uu.net  (Piet van Oostrum)
Subject: Prolog 10, Common LISP
 
In article <89Nov4.072332est.57669@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>, MEGGIN@vm (David
 Megginson) writes:
 `I address this especially to continental European ST users:
 `
Not all continental Europeans are German
--
Piet van Oostrum, Dept of Computer Science, University of Utrecht
Padualaan 14, P.O. Box 80.089, 3508 TB Utrecht,  The Netherlands.
Telephone: +31-30-531806      Internet: piet@cs.ruu.nl
Telefax:   +31-30-513791      Uucp: uunet!mcsun!hp4nl!ruuinf!piet
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 7 Nov 89 17:33:44 EDT
From: <FITSILIS%GRPATVX1.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: smalltalk
 
Has anybody out there heard anything about Smalltalk for Atari ST ?
I am in desperate need of some information
                                                CHARLIE
 
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Tue,  7 Nov 89  10:33:25 EDT
From: BAILEYS%FSU.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU
Subject: Trip-a-Tron
 
Netters,
 
     In a vintage (dec 88) issue of ST Action, a british publication, I
noticed a piece of software for sale that sounds right up my alley.  It is
called Trip-a-Tron, and is a "light synthesiser".  Basically, a neato
moving color graphics creator that can be driven by MIDI signals.  It also
states that Trip-a-Tron has it's own control language, for programming the
demos.  I am VERY interested in this package (Trip-a-Tron, FM modulator,
and a Kloss Vidio Beam would make a dandy wall-sized distractor at a night
club).  Does anyone out there have this package?  Does it work on US
machines (very important)?  Is there a used copy I might liberate from some
individual?  The add states that it is made by Llamasoft.
 
 
___________________________________________________________________________
                             
      Bob Marley               "To err is human, to compute devine,
                                  trust your computer, but not it's
      FSU Comp Sci                  programmer."  - Moris Kingston -
                             
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #616
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