Kansas Geological Survey, Computer Contributions 36, originally published in 1969

GRAFPAC, Graphic Output Subroutines for the GE 635 Computer

by F. James Rohlf

University of Kansas

Originally published in 1969 as Kansas Geological Survey Computer Contributions 36.

Introduction

The graphic Output Subroutines described here are a set of subroutines to communicate graphic output information from a compiler-level language (FORTRAN) to a graphic output device. The fOrm of many subroutines follows specifications set by the SHARE Standard Graphic Output Language Committee, and thus the description of many routines follows closely their report. The package of the Standard Graphic Output Subroutines is called "GRAFPAC".

The routines are designed so that FORTRAN programs written using GRAFPAC to produce plots on one device require minimal changes where other graphic output devices are available. Whereas GRAFPAC has been written to allow use of different plotting devices in the same program the addition of another graphic output device will require changes in several routines. The changes are not made in advance because they will differ slightly for different devices and because I wished to minimize the "overhead" involved if one had in fact only a single graphic output device.

The names of the routines that are a part of GRAFPAC have been chosen in an attempt to select ones that hopefully will conflict as little as possible with names of other subroutines. All names have a five character nemonic followed by a terminal "G", which stands for GRAFPAC.

Not all subroutines proposed by the SHARE committee have been implemented (because they corresponded to facilities not available at The University of Kansas) and some additional routines have been added. The subroutines proposed by the committee are marked with an "*" in the following list.

The graphic output subroutines may be placed into six broad groupings:

1. Display Environment—Included in these types of routines are specification of line width, line color, allowable surface to be used on the drawing board, etc. In addition, there are further capabilities that deal with the characteristics of outputting one logical plot at a time. These are features analogous to writing logical files of information onto a conventional type of output device. The routines and capabilities that are placed in this category are
   1. The AMODES array and MODESG*
   2. DEVONG*, DEVOFG*
   3. SUBJEG*, OBJECG*
   4. CSIZEG*
   5. ADVANG*
   6. FINISG*
   7. FORMSG*
   8. XINCHG, YINCHG
   9. XUNITG, YUNITG
   10. SUBJ3G
2. Point and Line Drawing Capabilities—The routines and capabilities in this category are
   1. POINTG*
   2. LlNESG*
   3. SEGMTG*
   4. CIRARG*
   5. ARCITG
   6. HAXESG*, VAXESG*
3. Character Outputting Capabilities—Included here are facilities to draw characters of different size, as well as different fonts. Routines are provided to print text information as a part of an output display. Other routines will print identification information of use to the installation operations people. The routines and capabilities in this category are
   1. LEGNDG*
   2. IDENTG*
4. Utility Routines—Included here are a number of subroutines which are not a part of GRAFPAC but which are useful in programs setting up information to be plotted.
   1. ANGLEG
   2. ANGPLG
   3. CIRTRG
   4. MINMAX
   5. ROTAXG
   6. BOX
   7. TRANSG
   8. FPTBCD
5. Internal Routines—The routines are used to create the computer and device dependent plotting commands. The ordinary user of GRAFPAC need not be concerned with these; They are listed here only for completeness and because they will appear in the storage map.
   1. INCRPG
   2. BLPLTG
   3. ERRORG
   4. ICHARG
   5. PLTITG
   6. SYMPTG
   7. TABDVG
   8. TRACBK
   9. UNPAKG
6. Specialized Application Routines
   1. FXYPLG

Acknowledgments

The set of routines was designed following many suggestions outlined in "GRAFPAC, Specifications for Standard Graphic Output Subroutines" proposed by the SHARE Standard Graphic Output Language Committee in their report (prepared by P. Pickman) dated 8 August 1966.

Mr. Ron Bartcher did most of the original coding of the routines and his help is gratefully acknowledged. The routines INCRPG and BLPLTG which actually prepare the pen command codes and output them on to tape for the B/L plotter at The University of Kansas were based on routines prepared by Mr. P. F. Smith.

This work was supported, in part, by a grant (GM 11935) from the National Institute of Health to Dr. R.R. Sokal. Computer time was made available by the Computation Center at The University of Kansos and a Bensen-Lehner plotter was made available through a gift from the Cities Service Oil Company to the Kansas Geological Survey.

The complete text of this report is available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file.

Read the PDF version (10.9 MB)

Kansas Geological Survey
Placed on web Sept. 9, 2019; originally published 1969.
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