[GRASS-dev] GRASS and GPGPU

[Benjamin Ducke]

> 
> The above point coupled with single precision floating point, and a reliance 
> on the commercial compiler (NVIDIA only)-- might make this entire thread a 
> moot point. 

Maybe at this point, but the developments need to be monitored.
When the first accelerated graphics cards for PCs came up, even the
basic 2D stuff needed chip specific drivers to do anything useful. Now
you have VESA, OpenGL, ...

I don't  think it is reasonable to assume that GPU-based processing will
consolidate and produce generic open source tools at some point in the
future.

> 
> I would like to be proved wrong and see a GPU-accelerated GRASS module though!

You are not alone!

> 
> Cheers,
> 

-- 
Benjamin Ducke
Senior Applications Support and Development Officer

Oxford Archaeological Unit Limited
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Oxford, U.K.

Tel.: ++44 (0)1865 263 800
benjamin.ducke at oxfordarch.co.uk