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- Hey all, Jason Hoerner (Grey Cat/ CORE) here.
-
- Files that come in the zip file:
-
- technon.exe --The main executable
- technon.doc --This file
- file_id.diz --Some bad ASCII crap
-
-
- To enjoy this demo:
-
- 386 required, 486 recommended
- VGA required, Local bus recommended
- GUS or SB for music (no sound option also available)
- 550K convential, 2 megs of extended memory
-
- The demo searches for the environment string of the
- sound device specified, and if no environment string
- is found, then you will be prompted for the port
- and IRQ.
-
- If you have problems running this demo with a GUS, try
- running "ultrinit" before running the demo. If you
- have problems otherwise try a clean boot. The demo has
- worked on a wide variety of systems, ranging from a
- 386SX33 to a P5-90 and a 486DX4-80 MHz. The demo was
- developed on a 486SX25 and 486DX33.
-
- WARNING: This demo uses PMODE, which can have problems
- with certain types of software:
- 1. QEMM, and maybe other EMS drivers
- 2. Smartdrv (careful, this might hose your disk!)
- 3. Other active real mode drivers
- 4. Windows (major interrupt and sound problems)
-
- You run this demo at your own risk! We are not
- responsible for any damage, loss of data, or anything
- else caused by use or misuse of this demo. This demo
- is FREEWARE and is NOT to be sold and may not be included
- in any PD/Shareware pack.
-
-
- Comments about the demo:
- ════════════════════════
-
- This entire demo was created by only two people, both of which
- are coders (this explains the poor quality of the music and the
- complete lack of graphics art!). Technon was released at
- NAID '95, and this is the competition version. We have decided
- not to release another version (this one works pretty good).
-
- The demo was coded in 100% assembly under PMODE. Many completed
- routines did not make it into the demo due to lack of time (such
- as glenz vectors, gouraud shading and texture mapping). All the
- code is 100% original, except for a few helpful ideas for the
- sound code were taken from the gusplay source by Robban of Cascada.
-
- The vector engine in the demo is very generalized, and can do
- flat shaded, glenz, texture, gouraud, z-plane intersection, and
- geometric intersection, although for this demo, we focused
- on making cool vector objects. The engine is a scanline algorithm
- which can handle arbitary polygons (non-simple, non-convex,
- arbitrary number of sides).
-
- There is absolutely no pre-calculation in the vector sequences
- which explains the slowness of some of the sequences (especially
- the world routine which has over 2200 polygons, all of which are
- individually tested for backface removal or z-plane intersection
- for elimination of stuff behind the viewpoint). Note also that
- most of the polygons are four sided (if our engine only did
- triangles, there would be over 3500!).
-
- The vector objects were created in a 3D vector editor known as
- "Vecedit", coded by myself, the latest version of which will be
- released in the middle of May 1995 or so. The new version has a
- GUI-like interface and a cross-referenced complete online help
- system. The editor can only support 1000 polygons due to real
- mode limitations (I am planning a port to protected mode this
- summer which will remove this barrier). The editor is FREEWARE,
- so check it out! I will upload it to:
-
- <x2ftp.oulu.fi>
- <hornet.eng.ufl.edu> (and it's mirrors)
-
-
-
- Comments about NAID:
- ════════════════════
-
- We were very disappointed that our demo did not place at NAID.
- Our demo was the only demo at NAID to have virtual reality
- vector sequences (moving viewpoint stuff). Also, our demo was
- the only demo to have complicated original vector objects.
-
- We felt that one reason our demo did not place was that it was
- too serious (the winning demos appealed to the average crowd
- rather than to a coder or 3D designer). I don't think the judges
- realize how difficult it is to design objects like we did,
- compared to the creation of the fairly simple effects in many
- of the other demos! I was amazed at how the crowd went nuts
- over some really simple Z-buffer intersection of a couple small
- textured cubes in the crowd voted first place demo at NAID, but
- did not even applaud our bug sequence, which has around 800 shaded
- and animated polygons which completely fill up the screen!
-
- A second reason our demo did not place is the lack of variety in
- the effects (we have a lot of vectors which probably drag on too
- long). The crowd seemed to get bored after a while.
-
- A third reason our demo did not place (this is the big reason)
- is the lack of design. We had no graphics art to speak of,
- poor music, and no common theme in our demo :(.
-
-
-
- Contact Information:
- ════════════════════
-
- If you think this demo is cool or if it sucks, send us your
- comments! If you have more questions about my vector editor,
- feel free to ask away!
-
- Also, if you are a musician or graphic artist and would like
- to join CORE, contact us! Someday CORE is going to be famous!
-
-
- Jason P. Hoerner (Grey Cat/ CORE)
- SNAIL: 256 Eagle Pt. West
- Lake Ozark, MO 65049
- USA
- EMAIL: jhoerner@umr.edu
-
-
- Paul Schlegel (Geronimo/ CORE)
- SNAIL: 402 E. 1st
- Rolla, MO 65401
- USA
- EMAIL: schlegel@umr.edu
-