Difference Between PHIGS and GKS in Computer Graphics

Graphics software plays a fundamental role in the development of computer graphics, there are many modern software and applications which are used for generating graphics in computers. developing these types of software is a complex task and requires the use of various types of graphics graphics standards.

For the development of computer graphics two graphics standards are mainly used which are PHIGS and GKS, discussing these graphics standards is important to understanding computer graphics.

PHIGS (Programmer’s Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System)

PHIGS is a computer graphics standard used for creating and managing graphic models it stands for Programmer’s Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System, there are two general classes of graphics software: General programming packages, and Special-purpose applications packages. in the case of general graphics programming packages, it provides a large set of functions that includes graphics libraries and they can be embedded into high-level programming languages like FORTRAN or C programming.

There are many general graphics programming packages which are available, one of the popular packages is GL which stands for graphics library and is used in silicon graphics. some of the basic functionality that exists on the general package includes the generation of picture components such as straight lines, polygons, circles, etc.

Applications of PHIGS

Mentioned below are some of the applications of PHIGS:

• It can be used in the CAD systems for the purpose of designing various mechanical parts.
• It is also used in the scientific visualization of various applications for complex type of data sets.
• It is used in flight simulators to train pilots and test the aircraft designs as well.
• It can be used in VR (virtual reality) environments for creating 3D objects.

GKS (Graphical Kernel System)

Graphical Kernel System is used to create two- dimensional graphics and it is also the first graphics standard that was adopted by the ISO or international standard organization, GKS supports the feature for drawing vector graphics which are two dimensional, for example, the graphics for charting, etc. the two-dimensional computer graphics in GKS has six different output functions.

GKS (Graphical Kernel System)

Applications of GKS

Below are some of the applications of GKS:

• It is used for creating GUI or graphical user interface in software
• It is also used in other data visualization tools to create graph, bar chart etc.
• It can be used for rendering and analyzing geographical data.
• It is used in educational software for the purpose of teaching computer graphics.

Difference Between PHIGS and GKS

PHIGS	GKS
PHIGS is a graphics standard that is designed to provide various sets of functions for creating and manipulating graphical images.	GKS is a different type of graphics standard that focuses on the representation and communication of graphical objects.
PHIGS supports a hierarchical model for organizing the graphical objects.	GKS does not support hierarchical structures for the graphical objects.
PHIGS provides a set of functions for graphical operations such as rendering, defining the transformations, and managing the input devices.	GKS also provides a set of functions for rendering and managing the attributes, but it does not provide a large set of capabilities as compared to PHIGS.
PHIGS can be more complex to implement and use because it supports hierarchical structures.	GKS is easier to implement and use as compared to PHIGS.
It has been used a lot of times as a graphics standard in industries such as CAD/CAM, aerospace, etc.	GKS has also been used particularly in applications where simpler graphics are required.
PHIGS can also be extended through vendor-specific implementations and other extensions.	GKS can also be extended through vendor-specific implementations, but may not offer the same level of flexibility as the PHIGS standard.
Implementation of PHIGS varies from hardware to hardware because of its complex nature.	GKS is considered more flexible and consistent as compared to PHIGS.
PHIGS refers to the ISO/IEC 9592 standard for graphics specifications required.	GKS also refers to the ISO/IEC 9592 standard for graphics specifications required.
Usage of PHIGS standards is becoming lesser because of more modern graphics standards.	GKS has also seen lesser usage because of other graphics standards such as OpenGL etc.
PHIGS is mostly used when there is a need for creating 3D graphics.	GKS standard is not as capable as compared to PHIGS in 3D graphics.
PHIGS provides more support for event handling and interaction for the graphics.	GKS may have more limited capabilities for handling user interactions as compared to PHIGS

Conclusion

Both these computer graphic standards are designed to serve the needs of the development of computer graphics but these standards are different from each other and works for different types of graphical development in computer graphics. understanding the difference between these two standards helps to understand how these standards are different from each other.

Frequently Asked Questions on PHIGS and GKS – FAQs

What is the full form of GKS in graphic design?

GKS stands for graphical kernel system and it is commonly used in graphic designing in computers.

What is PHIGS in computer graphics?

PHIGS is a programming interface API which is a standard which is used in the rendering of 3D graphics in computers.

What are the advantages of PHIGS over GKS?

Both of the standards are important for computer graphics but when PHIGS is compared to GKS then we understand that PHIGS has more better modeling of 3D data as compared to GKS.