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Subject: Re: Questions For NewTek... Again
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Date: Thu, 11 May 95 00:13:30 PDT
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>> Date:          Wed, 10 May 95 11:30:00 PDT
>> From:          DawsonX Schaffer <[e-mail]>
>> To:            [e-mail]
>> Subject:       Questions For NewTek... Again
>
>I'm no Lightwave authority, but I spent some time at NAB with some of
>the NewTek guys.  Their comments at the time differ wildly from some of
>the things you say, so I thought I'd just put in my 2 cents.  Bear in
>mind that what they're willing to talk about and what they're willing
>to commit to customers are probably pretty different, as they should
>be :-)
>
>> 1) I am running in 1024 x 768 64K color mode and the only render preview
>> available seems to be nothing more than a postage stamp size on my
>> screen.  I cannot seem to change its size regardless of the render
>> resolution.  There is a setting for Render Frame Buffer, but I have no
>> selections available.  What are available?  What will be available?,
>> etc.  I would very like to be able to generate a fuller screen render
>> with out having to render to a file and then load it into an display
>> program (I could use REXX to do this, but that is no longer available).
>> Will the capability be in the final 4.0 release or is planned (if at
>> all) for a future version?
>>
>> NewTek: What frame buffer?  Never seen that option.
>>
>
>A version that NewTek encouraged us to show LW users at NAB had a
>mode that allowed frame-by-frame preview at the real pixel size of
>the render.  It did, indeed, live in the "Render Frame Buffer" menu.
>
>> 2) The controls for generating and ANIM file are in the PC version but
>> when selected they inform you that ANIMs can only be generated on an
>> AMIGA.  What about PC FLIC or more appropriately AVI (Video for Windows)
>> format.  Why not generate and AVI file.  It would still be nice to get
>> some idea of what a color render would look like.  I realize the VT4000
>> is not there and that precludes the 30fps Toaster preview, but I have
>> some 320 x 200 AVI with a lot of motion that play at 30fps.  I would
>> like to see this ability in LW.  Is this planned, a plug in, etc.?
>>
>> NewTek: What is an AVI?  Have never heard of Video for Windows...  No just A
N
>IMS
>> and only on the Amiga and no plans to every support it (so much for full PC
>> support).
>>
>
>Someone from NewTek told me that AVI support was going to be put
>into LW as part of a set of different compressed video formats.  I
>can't remember the name of the technology they said they were going
>to use to implement this, but it might have been something like ?HIB?
>I'm sure I could remember if my brain were either (1) larger or (2)
>free of the congestion of remembering the dialog to every episode of
>"Spenser: for Hire"  :-)
>
>
>> 3) The wireframe previews in Layout.  They play at most 10fps and I
>> cannot seem to get them to go any faster.  I also have a beta copy of
>> TrueSpace (Caligari) and their wireframe preview can be played full
>> screen at 60fps in all video modes (LightWave is still by far my favorite 3D
>> package). What is my problem?  Are there plans for variable sized previews s
o
>
>> that the 30fps can be obtained.
>>
>> NewTek: Wow, haven't heard of that one before...  It doesn't sound like a LW
>> problem (since we've never heard of it).  Sorry there is not much we can do.
>>
>> "If I cannot event preview a wire frame test at 30fps, LW becomes nothing mo
r
>e
>> than a very strange CAD package!!!"
>>
>
>We got 30 fps with no problems on our MIPS and Alpha workstations.
>It could simply be an issue of processor power.
>
>> 4) The manual and box mention several plug-ins for rendering and loading
>> and saving.  My pre-release copy did not come with any plug-ins (I have
>> searched the CD).  With these plug-ins, will I be able to texture map
>> with JPG, TIFF, etc.?  How about rendered file; JPG, TIFF, etc.?  It
>> would be very nice to have all those file formats available for both
>> texture mapping and rendering (saving).  What are the plans.
>>
>> NewTek:  They will be released with the Final 4.0.
>>
>
>No Clue.
>
>> 5) Screamer Net.  I do not have Screamer Net, but I have already
>> purchased a 120MHz Pentium system and I plan to buy another copy of
>> LightWave for it.  Since they will be networked together with the Win95
>> networking (WinSOC), will I be able to cooperatively render with the two
>> machines.  If not, it seems silly to have to buy additional software
>> when I already have to FULL blown copies of LW.
>>
>> NewTek:  No idea (and can't seem to find out)!
>>
>
>Not sure, but I always heard that LW 4.0 would be able to distribute
>any renders between identical processor architectures (i.e.
>X86-to-X86, Alpha-to-Alpha).  Talking about Win95 instead of NT
>throws some interesting wrinkles into the whole mess, though.
>
>> 6) Are there any plans to support some of the new video boards that are
>> coming out with 3D rendering capability (i.e. - Matrox Video
>> Impression).  These boards will automatically be support when Win95
>> ships with the OpenGL (note: OpenGL will most likely be added after
>> Win95 ships, as a patch or update).  I realize Win95 is still unreleased
>> but what are the LightWave plans for these standards(OpenGL?) and the
>> newer video boards?
>>
>> NewTek:  No!
>>
>
>I heard people who were supposed to know say with confidence that
>OpenGL would absolutely be added, albeit sometime after 4.0 ships its
>final version.  Note that this will not involve support for any
>particular graphics card, but instead a port to the OpenGL standard.
>It is the add-in-card vendor's responsibility to bridge the gap between the Op
e
>nGL
>standard, Microsoft's driver spec,  and the add-in-card.
>
>On my personal soapbox, I would say that NT is a better bet than
>Windows 95 for any particular piece of functionality, since NewTek's
>software engineers have been working with a *released* NT operating
>system for over two years, now.  While NT may still have its kinks,
>it is much better put together than Windows 95 could hope to be at
>the same point in time.  End soapbox.
>
>
> > 7) There is no mention in the
>documentation regarding the textures Steve > Worley (APEX) did for
>LW 3.5.  Are there plans to include more of his > textures as
>plug-ins for the final release?
>>
>> NewTek:  Steve who?, APEX who?...  Textures are what you see is what you'll
g
>et
>> in Final 4.0.
>>
>
>No idea.
>
>> 8) The final release.  There was no mention in the package of what was
>> as yet missing from the pre-release.  Can I/we get some idea of what the
>> final package will include.
>>
>> NewTek:  No official list (some items covered above)..
>>
>> 9) This may seem like a long list, but if LightWave wasn't my favorite
>> 3D/Art/Creative package I wouldn't take the time.  Finally, THANKS for
>> releasing LW in a pre-release form.  It really has helped to get my
>> hands on it now.
>>
>
>From the LW users I talked to at NAB, I gather that NewTek is doing a
>pretty good job at implementing features that people think are
>important.  I think that LW 4.0 catches them up to a lot of the
>things that LW users have been complaining about for a while.  Now
>the accordion effect will kick in and people will need to find new
>flaws to complain about :-)
>Blaise Fanning
>Chief Technology Officer
>Deskstation Technology
>[phone]
>[e-mail]
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