Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) implemented a graphics system designed to support one user interface for all graphics devices in all operating environments at LASL. The Common Graphics System (CGS) will support Level One of the graphics standard proposed by the ACM/SIGGRAPH Graphic Standards Planning Committee. CGS is available in six operating environments of two different word lengths and supports four types of graphics devices. It can generate a pseudodevice file that may be postprocessed and edited for a particular graphics device, or it can generate device-specific graphics output directly. Program overlaying and dynamic buffer sharing are also supported. CGS is structured to isolate operating system dependencies and graphics device dependencies. It is written in the RATFOR (RATional FORtran) language, which supports control flow statements and macro expansion. CGS is maintained as a single-source program from which each version can be extracted automatically. 1 figure.

A low cost intelligent graphics terminal for developmental work consisting of a Tektronix storage tube terminal and an ALTAIR 8800 microcomputer is described. The microcomputer system is used to develop and debug customized intelligent terminal configurations and features before a production model is finalized and fabricated. This allows flexibility in terminal design and allows changes to be tried easily before final versions are built. The customized terminal features that are described are the abilities to process a segmented display file, to provide refresh of up to 130 characters or vectors, to control accessory devices such as a flexible disk and a graphics tablet, to provide data compression of over 60% on large pictures, and to provide a local debugging utility.