🚀 go-pugleaf

I am trying to put together a little demo of the Amiga for science applications
as a cheap graphics workstation.  The intent is NOT to go toe to toe against
Macs (there are scads around here...mostly II and IIcx models) but as a
replacement to the aging bunch of Atari STs.

What I need is some information on the amount of scientific programs out there
in PD that I can use.  I would like something simple like being able to take a 
floating point array and dumping it to the screen...I can download skymaps in
FITS format and strip off the header and pass this R*4 array to whatever
display program I find that can take this data and interpolate it to some
standard palette.

I also need to show that the Amiga can be used as a user station for the ground
system.  For this I need TEK 41xx series emulation and X-Window client
capability.  I know of VLT (where can I get it FTP?  I need to know what FF
disk or whatever it resides in...I poked around a bit last night without
finding one and I suspect I'm looking in the wrong directories.) and heard that
there is a X-Window emulator.  A PD version would be best as this is being done
on my own time and my own money.  Is there a PD TeX out there?

My system is an A500 w/1meg, 2 floppy drives and RSN a Trumpcard 500 w/ST157N
40meg HD.  The objective is to be able to purchase a user work station for
under $1000 (since this can be procured directly under petty cash and skip some
of the procument hassles).  This way, when a project staffs up, new employees
dont have to wait 12 months for a workstation.  I hope that I can do this with
an A500, single drive, 1 meg system (more memory if x-windows requires it...). 
That cost might just be under the $1000 limit with GSA pricing. Otherwise the
next jump is $2500 and I'm sure I can beat that.

Thanks...I'll post whatever the final system config is and how the demo goes.
It really seems that the Amiga can use more scientific programs...I'm going to
talk to people at NCSA to see if they will let me do a port of their Image
program for the Mac...since I'm a new Amiga owner (about 6 mos.) is any one
interested in helping if I can get permission?

Thanks,

NT

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        A| Nigel Tzeng      xrtnt@csdr.gsfc.nasa.gov
     // m| STX Inc.         xrtnt@csdr.span.nasa.gov
    //  i|       
\\ //   g| Standard Disclaimer Applies:  The opinions expressed are my own. 
 \X/    a|             
         | "Hmmmm."
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