Steema Central

In a post a while ago I saw that you are headed to an OpenGL UI, which when I Googled it, it looks like it has a strong potential, and I am excited to see what you are going to do with it.

1) Will it require a DLL installed with my app?

2) Also, are you going to have any images of what is to come?

3) Is your .NET ahead of the VCL version and the VCL is catching up or is the VCL playing leap frog and will jump ahead of the .NET?

4) Will there be a beta?

5) Will the class structure change significantly or is it mostly focused on the rendering of the charts with the same class structure?


Thank you,

Edward Dressel

Hello Edward,

OpenGL will form a part of the next version of TeeChart, extended beyond current OpenGL support for improved rendering and with an improved object paradigm for Chart elements. We do not expect to migrate the principle TeeChart user interface to OpenGL. It will remain an additional branch of the overall Chart offering.

Re 1.
OpenGL will form a separate package/dll.

Re 2.
We have no images to date though they will be published when avalable. Current OpenGL functionality is an indication of general rendering techniques that we hope to improve upon for the next version.

Re 3.
VCL and NET versions are taking a slightly different path for the next version. The NET version will offer support for WPF and Silverlight, both offer interesting alternatives to OpenGL rendering. Improved OpenGL will form a part of the NET offering later in the year. The VCL version will principally work upon existing rendering technqiues and a stronger implementation of OpenGL. Both versions will offer Flex/Flash output.

Re 4.
Yes there will be betas. When the beta for the next TeeChart version becomes available OpenGL advances will be included from as early stage as possible. See the roadmap at: http://www.steema.com/files/public/Stee ... p_2009.pdf

Re 5.
Charting class structure should remain largely unchanged. Rendering differences will be achieved by intermediate layers that should permit the same Charting code to render to different formats without affecting core-code.

Regards!
Marc Meumann

Marc wrote:OpenGL will form a separate package/dll.

Package *or* DLL? if it's in a package, as I understand it, my app would have to be build with packages, and I really don't want to do that.

Marc wrote:Both versions will offer Flex/Flash output.

I am not sure what this would be used for... if there is something already out there on the web as a sample of what you mean, I would be interested in looking at it.


Thanks,
Ed Dressel

Hello Ed,

Use of packages are optional. Applications in VCL will be compilable from the dcus and/or sourcecode as with current versions. The NET implementation includes OpenGL functionality as a separate (optionally referencable) dll.

We'll put up some demos created with TeeChart for .NET's Flex/Flash functionality when it is released as beta, very shortly. TeeChart will work in conjunction with the free-of-charge Adobe Flex SDK (http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/).

Regards,
Marc