Benchmark Program, 1979

In 1979 there was an effort to analyze how much computing resources were being expended on graphics output. This information was desirable in and of itself, but was also of value in planning exercises. One day the entire graphics film output from the dd80 cameras (the only available hardcopy output at the time) was duplicated. This output consisted of some 30,000 images and Tom Wright (an early NCAR Graphics developer) and Lofton Henderson went through this by hand and picked out what they considered 100 typical frames. From this Tom wrote a benchmark program to produce those 100 frames. The idea then was to note the computer time it took to produce those 100 frames and then use that to extrapolate the computer time required to produce the daily film output. This folder contains a printed output of the benchmark program as well as copies of the 100 frames produced. This program was utilized for various purposes for many years.