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OpenGL Development: SGI vs Linux Performance and Cost Comparison By Ricardo Veguilla VS
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SGI vs Linux Linux is quickly becoming the preferred OS for OpenGL and 3D computer graphics development. Today, Linux dominates one of SGI’s most controlled market: Movie Special Effects. Why?
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SGI and Hollywood Special effects production pipeline involves: The graphic workstation – Computers used by the artists to create the models and textures used in the visual effects sequence. The render-farm – A computer cluster dedicated for rendering the images or animations that form the visual effect sequence.
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SGI’s Market dominance SGI dominated the market of 3D graphics solutions during the 80s and 90s. SGI hardware provided excellent performance for rendering calculations combined with a fast video subsystem. The computer special effects market was locked-in to SGI’s hardware. Most of the 3D rendering software was developed for IRIX (SGI’s UNIX OS).
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SGI economics disadvantages SGI’s workstations are expensive. Historically FX houses purchased large amount of SGIs, which were amortized over several movies (usually 5 years).
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The rise of Lintel (Linux+Intel) Causes: The development of Linux (an open source UNIX clone for the PC) during the 90s. The continuous performance increase of the Intel CPUs. The development of consumer-level 3D acceleration hardware for the PC driven by the growing video game market.
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Why the switch to Lintel? Lintel platform provides a higher cost/performance ratio. Linux is a POSIX complaint UNIX clone, porting the software from IRIX is trivial. Linux is open-source and runs in multiple-architectures which greatly limits the possibility of vendor lock-in.
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Lintel economic benefits Using Lintel, a large portion of the hardware costs can be recouped with every movie. Buying a new render-farm for each new movie is economically viable.
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Not just for the render-farm Initially Linux was used for render- farm. Now it is used for the graphic workstation as well. It is even displacing Apple computers as the standard platform for video/film editing and compositing.
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Results? Movies created using Lintel: Titanic Star Wars Prequel Trilogy The Harry Potter Movies The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Shrek and Shrek 2 Practically every movie involving special- effects made after the year 2000
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Lintel on other 3D graphics areas. The Lintel cost/performance also benefits the academic/scientific applications of 3D computer graphics. Heavily used in automotive and aeronautics industries for solid modeling and simulations.
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References: Linux Journal - Industry of Change: Linux Storms Hollywood http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/5472 Computer Graphics World - Linux Invades Hollywood http://cgw.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Sect ion=Articles&Subsection=Display&ARTICLE_ID=118664 http://cgw.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Sect ion=Articles&Subsection=Display&ARTICLE_ID=118664 GU4DEC: Linux at the Movies http://zenii.linux.org.uk/~telsa/Trips/Talks/g4-films.html Millimeter - The Little Engine That Could http://millimeter.com/mag/video_little_engine/index.html Millimeter - Linux in Hollywood http://millimeter.com/mag/video_linux_hollywood/index. html http://millimeter.com/mag/video_linux_hollywood/index. html
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