The CPU performance of our SPARC based 
workstations runs from 12.5 to 22 MIPS and from 
1.2 to 3.8 double precision MFLOPS. 
3.2. Image acquisition 
DIPS II allows a variety of options for image 
acquisition: 
• Direct acquisition with CCD cameras through 
the DATACUBE system in mono and stereo 
mode. 
• Direct acquisition with CCD cameras via video 
tape recorders and a PC-AT based MATROX 
MVP-AT board. So far a maximum 
configuration of three CCD cameras and 
simultaneous recording on three video-tape 
recorders has been used in projects like turbulent 
flow measurements and biomechanical human 
movement studies (see section 4 and 
Papantoniou, Maas, 1990; Baltsavias, 
Stallmann, 1990). 
Intermediate video-tape storage in analogue 
form and subsequent digitisation is also possi 
ble with data coming from a JVC GR-S77E (S- 
VHS) video camera. 
• Image conversion by using CCD cameras as 
digitising devices at the analytical plotters 
WILD AC1 and PRIME WILD S9-AP (Wilkins, 
1990a). Each of these analytical plotters is 
retrofitted with mounts which accept CCD 
cameras at both stages. For the AC1 acquisition 
the DATACUBE system is used, while for the 
S9-AP acquisition new, separate framegrabbing 
devices are planned for future installation. 
• Direct acquisition by means of a still video 
camera CANON RC701 and an associated video 
recorder (Novak, 1988). This system will soon 
be replaced by a camera of higher resolution. 
33. Image display and image handling 
The image display is based on the Sun Pixrect 
functions for maximum performance and is 
embedded in the Sun View window system. The 
framebuffers supported are the 8 bit deep 
framebuffer as used on most workstations as well 
as the 10 bit deep framebuffer of the Sun-3/110 and 
Sun-3/E workstations. The Sun Workstations use a 
framebuffer of 1152 x 900 pixels, providing for the 
display of several small (512 x 512) or one large 
image within a window. The typical memory size 
of our workstations varies from 8 to 32 MB. Very 
large images thus require that the operating system 
places part of the data through the paging/swapping 
mechanism in the “swap space” on disk and reloads 
it to memory when needed. When using a “virtual 
memory technique” for handling large images the