Version 2.2 of the Benchmark Interchange Format (BIF) Specification has been released by the Picture-Level Benchmark (PLB) project group. The BIF defines the format of benchmark files used by the PLB. This version has been issued to reflect the way the PLB is currently used by project group members. It supersedes the Version 1.2 specification, dated December 1991; it also incorporates the Addenda to that specification, which were released between March 1992 and June 1994.

The following major changes have been made since the Version 1.2 specification:

• Several entities and optional data groups whose purpose is to provide support for texture mapping have been added.

   

• Several modifications have been made to examples and tutorial sections to reflect current usage notes and changes in BIF capabilities.

   

• A new STROKE_ANTIALIASING keyword has been added to the CONFIGURATION entity.

   

• A new NORMALIZING_FACTOR optional data group has been added to the BEGIN_TEST entity.

   

• Clarifications and additional usage suggestions regarding the SHAPE_HINT entity have been added.

   

• A description and example regarding the use of viewing dynamics in a test have been added.

   

• The list of BIF entities and optional data groups not allowed in a 2D test has been revised to be less restrictive and to improve consistency.

   

• The number and type of approximation criteria have been changed for the BIF entities CURVE_APPROXIMATION_CRITERIA and SURFACE_APPROXIMATION_CRITERIA.

   

• Suggestions regarding the use of facet normals and colors have been added.

   

• Restrictions on the placement of the TRIMCURVE_APPROXIMATION_CRITERIA entity have been added.

   

• Changes have been made to the rendering descriptions for GEN_SPHERE3, GEN_CIRCLE, and GEN_CIRCLE3.

   

• Several changes, mostly in the nature of clarifications, have been made to the rules for literal and optimized tests in Appendix C.

   

• Caveats in Appendix A regarding BRF content statistics have been revised.

   

• The PIXEL_MAP3 entity (as well as the PIXEL_ARRAY3 entity originally intended to replace it) has been deleted from the BIF. The entities added little utility to the BIF and varied greatly in their implementation from vendor to vendor.

   

• The nominal line width has been explicitly defined in the LINE_WIDTH entity.

The BIF Specification can be ordered in print form or downloaded via anonymous ftp.