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CONTACT: Nicholas C. d'Arbeloff
         Public Relations Specialist
         (617) 256-6600,  x4499
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FOR RELEASE JUNE 11, 1984
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{!APOLLO INTRODUCES NEW GRAPHICS ARCHITECTURE!}
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CHELMSFORD, Massachusetts, June 11, 1984 -- Apollo Computer Inc.
today introduced the Graphics Metafile Resource (GMR),
a new graphics architecture for its family of
DOMAIN workstations.  The new software combines a sophisticated set of graphics
capabilities with high graphics throughput, and is designed
to accomodate emerging industry standards such as GKS, PHIGS, and VDM.
As a standard feature on all Apollo workstations, GMR
provides an advanced foundation for application 
development -- at no added cost.
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GMR combines both graphics database and advanced
graphic display routines into one integrated
package.  While other graphics systems are limited
by a division between
compute power and display subsystems, GMR takes full advantage of the 
integration offered by Apollo's graphics workstations.  
With GMR, graphics entities are stored in a Graphics Metafile,
which can be shared among
applications, and viewed on any Apollo workstation within a
DOMAIN local-area network.  
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The Metafile, a virtual file capable of
storing up to 256 Megabytes (MB) of data,
is structured for speed, and the GMR package boosts throughput with
specialized graphics hardware whenever possible.
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"GMR's unique integration of graphics, text, and data
into one coherent, high-level system provides
an unprecedented combination of
throughput and functionality," said Bill Warner, product
manager.  "This
greatly simplifies development of the highly interactive, tightly-integrated
graphics applications that the engineering and scientific marketplace demands."
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The Graphics Metafile, an  editable, tree-structured database,
is the focal point of GMR.
GMR provides a comprehensive set of routines that lets the
application developer build and edit complex models.  Graphics data
is stored directly in world coordinates, and can be viewed
on all DOMAIN workstations.
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GMR's segmented graphics database supports nesting and instantiation.
Nesting allows segments to contain other segments, while instancing 
reduces storage requirements for repetitive data.
In addition, segments can store
non-graphic data or reference data in other files.
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Metafile data can
be displayed in multiple viewports within a given window, and GMR handles all
scaling, translation, windowing, and clipping.  Changes
to the Metafile are reflected in all viewports simultaneously.
Attributes
can be associated with viewports or instances to control
a wide range of display parameters including
color, linestyle, and fill pattern.  
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GMR also provides a powerful set of "pick" capabilities and 
input/output functions, facilitating interactive program
development.  GMR also simplifies hardcopy generation by
creating a printable bitmap of a metafile.
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GMR's rich set of capabilities, such as viewports, segmentation,
and device-independent metafiles, encompases key concepts
of the GKS and VDM standards.  Furthermore, GMR's advanced features,
such as nesting and instantiation, are designed for compatibility with
future standards such as PHIGS.  
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The Graphics Metafile Resource broadens Apollo's
software family of DOMAIN Graphics Resources (DGR),
a comprehensive set of graphics support tools.
For applications requiring maximum flexibility,
Apollo's Graphics Primitives Resource (GPR)
offers program developers a rich set of 
graphics routines;  for application portability,
DOMAIN CORE provides a complete set of SIGGRAPH CORE
functions for 2D and 3D graphics.
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The Apollo Graphics Metafiles Resource 
is a standard feature on
all Apollo DOMAIN workstations, 
and will be included at no extra
charge beginning in August. Upgrades
are available to existing customers by contacting
their local Apollo sales and service office.
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Apollo Computer Inc. manufactures dedicated, high-performance,
32-bit professional workstations, which operate in a distributed, local-area
network. Nearly 4000 workstations have been shipped worldwide for use in a
wide variety of engineering and design applications.
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