Overview
ISO/IEC 9592-1:1997 is the international standard that provides the functional description of the Programmer’s Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System (PHIGS). As Part 1 of the PHIGS standard series, it defines the architecture, concepts and expected behaviour of a retained-mode computer graphics API used for structured, hierarchical scene definition and interactive image processing. The document describes conceptual models for structures, traversal, output primitives, attributes, the rendering pipeline, workstations, coordinate systems and graphical input.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard covers a wide range of technical topics relevant to implementers and users of PHIGS-based systems. Important areas include:
- Structures and traversal: structure elements, networks, posting, traversal rules, conditional traversal, editing, archival and generalized structure elements (GSE).
- Output primitives: polymarkers, polylines, curves, text, surface primitives (fill areas, B‑spline surfaces), cell arrays and generalized drawing primitives.
- Primitive attributes: geometric and non‑geometric attributes, viewing and rendering attributes, colour specification, implicit attributes (normals, facet orientation), name sets, highlighting and stability.
- Rendering pipeline: alpha and data mapping, texture mapping, lighting models, shading and interpolation, colour models, depth cueing and alpha application.
- Workstations and resources: workstation characteristics, configuration, display control (retained/non‑retained updates), device clip regions, hidden-line/hidden-surface removal, image and traversal resources.
- Coordinate systems and transformations: modelling/viewing transforms, handedness, clipping, workstation transforms and input coordinate transformation.
- Graphical input model: logical input devices, operating modes, measures and input utility functions.
- Specification and conformance: notation, registration and conformance concepts are documented to guide consistent implementations.
Applications and practical value
ISO/IEC 9592-1:1997 is directly applicable to:
- Developers of graphics libraries and PHIGS-compatible APIs implementing retained-mode scene graphs.
- CAD/CAM, scientific visualization and simulation software that need structured, hierarchical scene management and standardized rendering behaviour.
- Systems requiring deterministic traversal, attribute inheritance and sophisticated rendering controls (texture, lighting, shading).
- Vendors and integrators building workstation displays or graphics subsystems conforming to international PHIGS behaviour.
Using this standard helps ensure interoperability, predictable rendering results, and a clear model for scene construction, editing and interactive input.
Who should use this standard
- Graphics API implementers and engineers
- CAD/visualization application developers
- System integrators and workstation manufacturers
- Standards bodies and quality/conformance testers
Related standards
ISO/IEC 9592-1 is Part 1 (functional description) of the PHIGS documentation series. Users should consult other parts of the PHIGS series and related ISO graphics standards for protocol, bindings and conformance details when implementing or certifying PHIGS-compliant products.
Keywords: ISO/IEC 9592-1, PHIGS, computer graphics standard, rendering pipeline, texture mapping, hierarchical graphics, output primitives, graphics workstation, scene traversal.
Open preview (PDF)Information technology — Computer graphics and image processing — Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System (PHIGS) — Part 1: Functional description
