Light ROM 1/LIGHT-ROM 1 (Amiga Library Services)(1994).iso/imagine/text/archive.26

Text File | 1994-10-19 | 185.1 KB | 4,659 lines

IMAGINE archive: collected off of [e-mail]

ARCHIVE XXVI
Aug. 18 '92 - Sep. 9 '92

If you have questions or problems with this file, email Marvin Landis
at [e-mail]

note: each message seperated by a '##'

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Subject: SDH0:
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 13:06:30 -0700
From: Always a rainbow <[e-mail]>

Dale,
I have an external 88 so i dunno about installing it internally.
It requires a standard scsi controller which isnt included. When
installing also be sure to set the scsi number to one that is not
already used or u wont get it recognized.
About the only 'gotcha' I can think of is that I heard they are
coming out with newer models of SysQuest drive, presumably 3.5 inch
ones. (Can any1 confirm that?)


##

Subject: Re: Frame accurate recorders
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 21:51:59 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Alan Price)

I didn't say the price of PSFC cuz I can't remember exactly. Though it
sells for _about_ $360.00. Most other controllers start at $1,500.00.

AP.



##

Subject: MacWorld, 3D Studio, Scrolling
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 22:10:19 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Kevin Kodama)

1. Although I agree this wonderful list should not be a place for
flame wars or mine is bigger than yours arguments, I believe that discussing
alternative platforms, programs etc. relating to 3d is relevant and interesting,
because, since we are all Imagine users, we can get an interesting perspective
on how other packages stack up. This discussion can spur on more creative use
of techniques and ideas for the next Imagine.
2. What i (and probably others too) object to is more the *attitude* of the
posts- not just "3d studio is great Imagine sucks", etc... how about some
real information, given with good comparisons with Imagine or other packages.
The childish "i'm gonna stir up flames blah blah..." posts just irritate,
and don't inform.

3. Macworld has a review of a 3d package, Raydream designer, in this months
edition. You might want to check out the cool "virtual trackball" viewing
window, to see your object with textures etc...Seems more intuitive than
Imagines strange perspective sliders, which need detents or return to center
gadget...:-) Also, check out the rather unimpressive rendering, 7 hours on
a IIcx(a 16mhz 030 i think) , but a mere 45 minutes on SEVEN yes SEVEN
networked Quadras (040's) linked with Ethernet. This seems quite slow to
me, maybe I'll whip up the scene (ala Mark Thompsons lamp_) and see how
fast Imagine can do...

4. Sorry for the long message, but, one more question...Why don't Amiga programs
scroll smoothly ? grab an object in Imagine, move it over to the edge of the
window, why can't you just keep scrolling, ala Mac programs, or even
Toaster paint ? Is it an AMigados thing ?

[e-mail]


##

Subject: Re: Imagine Wish List
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 21:16:32 -0700
From: Jeff Walkup <[e-mail]>

>    Multi-task different editors

Run 2 or more copies of Imagine to do this.  Change the Preference bit
"load all modules" to FALSE, that will save some memory.

>  ! Different color scheme

You can change most (all?) of the colors with the Preferences Editor.

>  ! No more title picture!

I changed mine to a blank (black) screen.  Loads much faster.
(Does Imagine have *the* slowest IFF loader or what?)

>  # Remove .imp and .pix suffixes
>    Automaticly CD to objects/ when of project when opened

The whole way Imagine sets up Projects on disk needs work.  I always
end up with empty "objects" dirs, because I keep all my objects in one
place.  I also usually set it to render somewhere else than the *.imp/*.pix
dir.  Who wants to track thru ten-dozen dirs looking for your graphics?

>  # Return = YES for requestors like 'Overwrite object'

Install "ARQ".  That does it for all the DOS requestors.  Imagine's
own requestors need that option though.  (Or better yet, use DOS
requestors for everything!)

>PREFERENCES
>  ! RGB sliders change values!

They do!  But you have to click on the color-square.

>ACTION
>    Cut, copy, paste of bars
>  Drag bars lengths (no more hit Info then type in start frame & end frame)
> When more frames are added ask if you want animation 'stretched' to fit
> Click on name of object, etc. for assigning paths, objects to track, etc

YES, YES, YES, and YES!!!

-----------                                                       //
Jeff Walkup <[e-mail]> Graphics/Animation Designer \\//
"Violence on television only affects children
whose parents act like television personalities."


##

Subject: Particle System Code
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 23:55:56 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Steven)

I've uploaded the source code to a program I wrote over a year ago: it
uses a particle system to simulate water falling over a cliff by
sending bazillions of little spheres along the path of the water. The
particles and positions are generated from mathematical simulation,
and written out in TTDDD format (now sorta passe with TTDDDlib, but it
still works), and then can be rendered with Imagine.  This is a cute,
very unpolished hack, but several people kept bugging me for the
source so I uploaded it. :-)

The code is on the FTP site hubcap.clemson.edu, in the amiga/TTDDDLIB/contrib
directory. The file is "waterfall.lzh".

This isn't for everyone, but some people will enjoy playing with it! :-)

Keep on rendering!

-Steve

[e-mail]


##

Subject: Re: Opalvision
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 3:33:19 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Aaron Tucker)

>
>
> Does anyone have news or firsthand opinions regarding the new Opalvision
> board?
>
> I've been wavering back and forth over the Firecracker, but I really
> wish I could have a 24-bit DEINTERLACED display (ala GVP's IV24).
> Opalvision's price is more in my range, and they promise a deinterlacing
> add-on in the works. Has anyone heard what this and the other add-ons
> might sell for?
>
Well, I worked for MAST for a few months repairing some of thier products and
other miscellaneous projects. They sold the Colorburst board, but did not
make it. Gary Rayner, an Australian, designed it. Well, when MAST screwed him
over, he sued them and received the rights to Colorburst. OpalVision is a
second generation Colorburst. The hardware is excellent and so is the
software from what I hear. I'll have mine shortly. :-)
    Anyways, the US Distributor, Centaur, is a very good company that is
dedicated to the Amiga. They have a good working relationship with Gary and
his programmers and I forsee this as one of the most popular pieces of video
hardware next to the Toaster. I expect a lot of support real soon now from
most major Amiga companies in videographics.
    They haven't released a price for the other modules, but I don't
expect them to be too much, as most of the important hardware is already on
the original unit.
    Although it does take up your video slot, the advantages clearly
outweigh disadvantages (just like the Toaster). I expect Black Belt Systems
will make an ImageMaster version for it like they have for the Firecracker,
for it also can overlay Amiga graphics onto it's own display.
    Anyways, I think the idea of modular upgradeability is fantastic. I
also expect early support for the PSFC. It should be shipping to all the
major US Distributors by now. Although the store price will be retail or close
to it, it is still a bargain for what you get.

> Oh, for the joy of seeing Imagine renders in all their 24bit glory...
>
Hear hear.

> AP.
>
Juan Trevino
[e-mail]



##

Subject: Re: Frame accurate recorders
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 08:38:27 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

Thanks for the information about SFC's but I think I better back up a
little more.  Some of the replies were over my head. (Seems a lot of
users know what a Sony Jx-945 stroke-50 is, but model numbers and buzz
words are over my head!)

For example, I see alot of talk/ads for the TACO SFC. Now is that
(and other SFC's) all you need to have to record anims?  (somehow I
doubt it) These devices are just "controllers" for recorders right?  I
don't have a recorder {VTR} (That is one buzz word I know!). what good
is a SFC? what else do I need?  And I guess my big question is:
Can I in any way do Single Frame recording for under $500 dollars?

(I haven't been able to read that Avid article yet)

Adam B



##

Subject: Re: Autodesk 3D Studio
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 20:19:02 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Bob Lindabury, SysAdm)

rutgers!cs.pitt.edu!dan (Dan Drake) writes:

> > Your looking at about $5000 minimum for the 3D Studio setup. And the next
> > question that arises is: can the TSENG card output NTSC/PAL video. If not,
> > you better tack on the cost of a scan converter ($$$$$). The Amiga still
> > remains the price performance leader in video and animation by a wide margi
>
> Just recently we needed a way to get vga animations put on a video disk.  The
> animations were done with AutoDesk Animator.  Anyway, to get the vga signal
> converted to a NTSC signal, we had to rent a scan converter from new york.
> (to pittsburgh.)  Anyway, the cost was $1000 for either 1 day or two, I forge
> Anyway, it is quite an expensive piece of machinery.
>
> dan.
>

All you really need is one of the few VGA-NTSC boards available for
the PC.  I own a Willow VGA-TV which does 640x480x256 and outputs
NTSC video.  I just run Autodesk .FLI animations right on out to
tape.  You can also go for the very nice Truevision VGA board. I
forget the name of it but it overlays video and has a key channel.
It cost somewhere in the $700.00 range I believe.

-- Bob

 The Graphics BBS  908/469-0049  "It's better than a sharp stick in the eye!"
 ============================================================================
  InterNet: [e-mail]                | Raven Enterprises
      UUCP: ...rutgers!bobsbox!graphics!bobl      | 25 Raven Avenue
    BitNet: bobl%graphics.rent.com@pucc           | Piscataway, NJ 08854
    Home #: 908/560-7353                          | 908/271-8878


##

Subject: PC Versus Amiga
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 20:09:58 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Bob Lindabury, SysAdm)

rutgers!matt.ksu.ksu.edu!strat (Steve Davis) writes:

> I personally feel that all messages that do not concern Imagine
> running on an Amiga (which the PC vs. Amiga debate certainly does
> not) be declared off topic and the people who persist in this
> discussion be removed from the mailing list.

I certainly don't agree with the above.

> I do not want my mail box flooded with USENET or FidoNet style
> arguing about computer platforms.  I joined the Imagine mailing
> list over a year ago so that I could learn more about Imagine and
> it's uses.

The original post certainly had that bent but it is good to discuss
alternative 3D software so we can all better judge what would be the
best tool to accomplish a given task.  I own Imagine and a Toaster.
Those are just a couple of the tools I use to create my work.  I
don't see a problem with discussing other tools as long as the
discussion relates to Imagine and 3D.

> I personally do not give a damn about PC software, PC hardware, PC
> prices, the PC version of Imagine, or anything else OTHER than
> Imagine running on the Commodore Amiga.

Well then you have a very closed mind.  I suggest you open up a
little and see what else there is in the world of 3D.  Imagine
certainly isn't the end-all-be-all of 3D programs.

> If you can not respect the charter of this mailing list then please
> send mail to Imagine-Request asking to be removed from the list.
> End of discussion.

I somehow think your "end of discussion" statment is a bit out of
place don't you think.  You blabber away at us a about your
"personal" views on a subject and then you give everyone an attitude
and then dismiss any replies with the above statement.  Who made you
the mailing list net-cop?  Take a chill pill and all will be fine.

I'm sure this discussion will fizzle like all the other ones do but I
think we all will have learned something from the thread when it is
finally done.

Hey, I'm enjoying this thread so there. <grin>

> Stratocaster

-- Bob

 The Graphics BBS  908/469-0049  "It's better than a sharp stick in the eye!"
 ============================================================================
  InterNet: [e-mail]                | Raven Enterprises
      UUCP: ...rutgers!bobsbox!graphics!bobl      | 25 Raven Avenue
    BitNet: bobl%graphics.rent.com@pucc           | Piscataway, NJ 08854
    Home #: 908/560-7353                          | 908/271-8878


##

Subject: Single Frame On The Cheap
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 09:37:27 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Wickard)

Adam Benjamin queries:
>Which Month of Avid are you refering to?
>(I think Here in Michigan the magazine hits the stands about 1 1/2
>weeks after everywhere else)
>Everyone talks about articles they have read when I can't even find
>that issue yet!
>Thanks, I will keep my eye's out for the latest Avid. (Assuming that's
>the one you are talking about)

The article was Single Frame Animation On The Cheap by
Karl Fusaris (page 44) of the  July/Aug issue of AVID
(the one with Tim Wilson's "Incarnation" art on the front)

Actually, I have been much happier with AVID since the demise
of INFO. It seems they have taken up some of the slack
market in Amigadom. The issues are brighter, more colorful,
and have a nice mix of pro/amateur information that makes
every issue of some value to just about everyone.


Dave Wickard  [phone]   "Oh my! They're throwing LIVE turkeys!
[e-mail]         They're hitting the ground like sacks
[e-mail]       of wet cement!"  - Les Nessman (WKRP)


##

Subject: Re: Frame accurate recorders
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 9:48:17 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Dale R Rogers)

|Thanks for the information about SFC's but I think I better back up a
|little more.  Some of the replies were over my head. (Seems a lot of
|users know what a Sony Jx-945 stroke-50 is, but model numbers and buzz
|words are over my head!)
|
|For example, I see alot of talk/ads for the TACO SFC. Now is that
|(and other SFC's) all you need to have to record anims?  (somehow I
|doubt it) These devices are just "controllers" for recorders right?  I
|don't have a recorder {VTR} (That is one buzz word I know!). what good
|is a SFC? what else do I need?  And I guess my big question is:
|Can I in any way do Single Frame recording for under $500 dollars?

    Adam,

    I have had a similar question.  Fact is if your going to do single
    frame recording on a video tape machine, no... you won't do it for
    under $500.00.  There are a number of techniques out there for
    getting "close to" single frame recording; plus or minus 2 frames
    or so.  They are mostly mechanical (as opposed to electronic)
    control of your VCR.

    It depends on the quality of the finished product that you want to
    end up with.  I have to warn you that I have not done this yet.  I
    am still in the information acquition stage, as you are.  I may
    have been looking for information a little longer though.  Are
    you wanting to put your animations to tape for your own
    amuzement?  Do you want to make money with it?  Do you
    want consumer quality, industrial quality, broadcast quality?

    Video recorders work differently than film cameras.  Cameras take
    distinct shots.  So as long as you can advance the film by one
    frame, you can shoot the images on your monitor.  Video recorders
    dont have distinct frames.  It is a magnetic medium and therefore
    the SIGNAL is saved to tape in an analog fashion.  That is the job
    of the SFC.  To control your VTR and get the signal to tape in a
    smooth manner.  The process is somewhat complicated and there a
    number of good books on Video Production on the Amiga available
    at your Amiga Store.  They will give you a good foundation on
    "what you need" to go to video tape.

    I read a good article in Avid a number of months ago about a guy
    that was using a Bolex 16mm camera to shoot his scenes to film.
    Then he was transfering his film to any tape format he needed.  He
    said he got broadcast quality for a setup price of about $500.00.
    I have asked a number of people about this posibility and
    although the setup cost would be cheaper, remember that you have
    to buy the film, have the film processed, and then have it
    transfered to another format.  All of those steps cost money
    and you have to wait for all of these steps to happen.  Still as
    a low cost start up, it may be a solution.

    It has been suggested to me to create the animation on the Amiga.
    Create it in wireframe to play it back and get an idea of the
    motion and time.  Render it to DCTV or another 24 bit display to
    check the colors and shadows (be sure to render all the frames).
    Then once I'm satisfied with the results go to a post production
    facility and have them single frame record the stills to
    video tape.  AFter I have landed jobs, and have money coming in,
    buy my own equipment and then the post production will become
    unnecessary.  Many video facilities will work deals with you too.
    If they like your animations, they may do work for your for free
    in exchange for you producing some animations for them for free.

    There are many different ways to get your animations to video
    tape.  But the bottom line is single frame recording IS NOT CHEAP.
    I hope this is what you were looking for.

    Dale





    |
|(I haven't been able to read that Avid article yet)
|
|Adam B
|


       _____________________________^_____________________________
                                  __ __
                                ____ ____
       _____________________________ _____________________________
       dale r. rogers                Email:  ingr!b24a!camelot!dale
                                     Internet:
                                     [e-mail]

                                    .






##

Subject: Re: Cylindrical lights!
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 11:28:51 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Michael B. Comet)

>OK, I've had about enough of this...  you're supposed to be able to limit
>the distance a cylindrical or conical light source sends its light, right?
>A few weeks ago I was having a problem with this and posted a question to

    [STUFF DELETED]

>to it) and I reset the light and turned "Cast Shadows" on, but lo and
>behold, it STILL hits the wall behind.  I just don't know what to do
>with it any more...
>

    Okay.......maybe I misunderstood the question...

    Here is what I meant....


    +===+                      |                  |
    | L |<                     |                  |
    +===+                      | (P1)             | (P2)

    Okay, if L is a light and P1 and P2 are planes or objects of
some sort here's how it works.

    If cast shadows is off.....then the light will actually "go
through" P1 as if it isn't there and it will illuminate P2

        If cast shadows is on ....P1 will have a shadow like a real
shadow on P2, however any area not covered by the shadow will be
illuminated regardless of how far you set the light.  (unless diminish
in intensity is on)

    So if you have X = 25 and Y = 100, a conical light will have a
circle of light at 100 units away with a diameter of 50.....BUT it will
also have a circle of light 200 units away with a dia =100.....

    What this means....(correct me if I'm wrong)....is that the
light will continue past the Y size value...you just use the X and Y
together to get the light type you want.

    Now...if you turn on diminish in intensity...things farther out
will become darker and eventually will not be illuminated.

    So in your case...you may have to play with the Y size and
diminsh in intensity and the location of the light to illuminate just
that object.  If you want the wall illumnated but the shadow of the
object on it just turn on cast shadows.  The problem is your objects are
smaller than the wall...so some light will hit the wall...i'm not sure
if you'll be able to get what you want....depened how close your objects
are to the wall....  anyways...i think the Y value doesn't really stop
the light at that point....it just is used for setting size and letting
the render know where to start the fall off for intensity.

               Michael Comet
               [e-mail]



##

Subject: Autodesk 3d Studio
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 23:07:34 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Kurt Schultz)


Here what it takes to make a decent 3D Studio system. I know because I've
thrown it together at work and use it everyday, along with a lot of other
MSDOS apps that cost a lot and are worth every cent.

Running 3DS through a VGA ( Hi-Color 15 bit or 24 bit ) and using a scan
converter is not the way to go. You can buy cheap ( less than $1K )
VGA-to-NTSC coverter boxes or boards, but they put out an inferior signal.
The way to go is to output via the Targa + board. It has composite and
S-Video, as well as RGB inputs and outputs. A Targa+ clone can be had for ~
$2k. The Targa+ works nicely as a non-NTSC display too, interlaced and
non-interlaced.

You can even get by without single frame equipment. 3DS flics up to
640x480x256 can be played on the Targa+ and recorded directly to tape. Flics
are similar to anims in that they have the same limitations of delta
compression.

So letsee...

50 mhz 486 with 16 meg ram and 200 mg hd, VGA mon          $2700

Targa+ clone ( Visionetics )                                2000

3DS                                                         3000

Animator Pro ( for flic playback )                           595


add yor favorite composite monitor and VCR; the VGA monitor can double
as a RGB display ( non-interlaced ) thru the VGA's feature connector.


If you stackup an Amiga system with similar horsepower, memory and
display capability, and even software, I'd have to say things are pretty
close. I will always keep running my Amiga and Imagine at home as I have
invested $$ over the years to get where it is today and I am quite fond of
its uniqueness. It's unfortunate that there are no display boards that are
as versatile as the Targa available for the Amiga.

Let's face it. Things are happening very fast on other platforms. Currently,
the Amiga's position is sliding rapidly behind in hardware and software.
This makes me very unhappy. Hopefully things will change somewhat by
years' end.


Kurt Schultz
Instructional Communications Programmer
Graduate Student, Electroic Media
Northern Illinois University

##

Subject: Re: Opalvision
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 11:20 EST
From: GREG GRANVILLE <[e-mail]>

>Does anyone have news or firsthand opinions regarding the new Opalvision
>board?

I can't comment on OpalVision yet, cause I haven't seen one. I was
just a bit skeptical when I heard that the OpalVision was a being
made and sold by the same company that sold ColorBurst. I won't go
into detail, but we've had trouble with them in the past.
The company I work for, Design Mirage, Inc. switched from doing
videographics (both 2D and 3D) for broadcast and corporate clients
about 2 years ago. We are now focusing on interactive kiosk systems,
and have been moderately successful so far. On one of our recent
projects (for Hughes Aircraft), I recommended that we try one of
the new 24 bit boards that would allow us to mix 24 bit graphics,
standard Amiga graphics, and live genlock video all on the same
screen. The only real choices were the OpalVision, and the AVideo 24
boards. We called Centaur, but they had no boards available for
shipment. Being under a time crunch, I recommended that we try the
AVideo 24 board. The AVideo board costs about the same as OpalVision
($1000). We got the board federal-express the next morning. The
AVideo 24 is a small daughter-board that plugs into the Denise
socket. The board itself is sparsely populated, but it does have
two large ASIC devices on it. The Denise plugs into the top of
the AVideo board after it is installed. The AVideo board includes
a raw RGB image output to a special connector on a slot-plate.
For our application, we never bothered with this connector. All
outputs, including 24 bit, are available on the Amiga screen.
The display actually has 3 layers and priorities. Amiga graphics
are displayed on top. Any place where color is 0,0,0 allows the
24 bit graphics to show thru. If the 24 bit screen has black
areas, then genlocked video can show thru. This system works
very well for our applications. The image quality is *excellent*,
and the quality of the NTSC output is determined by the quality of
your genlock or encoder.
The hardware comes with a ton of programs, many of which appear to
to a sampling of utilities from various sources. Most of them were
pretty useless to us... Except for the paint program, which is
very, very good in every aspect except speed. Then again, all the
24 bit paint programs I've seen on the Amiga to date are slow...
much slower than Dpaint. Otherwise, it blows away light 24 (the
program that comes with the Firecracker 24), which I also have
experience with. The user interface and key commands are obviously
modeled after DPaint to a certain degree. It supports stencils, has
an excellent color mixer, airbrush, and colorize features. I can't
begin to name all the features right off, but one other nice
feature that I remember noticing is that it supports JPEG as a
direct load/save format. Oh yea, it has good ARexx support.
One feature that I didn't expect is the ability to play back
ram-based 24 bit animations in real-time. The demo that was
provided was pretty basic, just an extruded version of their
logo. However, the shading and sharpness were incredible. It
looked so much better than the 16 luminance levels of a standard
Amiga that it was awesome. Believe it or not, the logo seemed to
be tumbling at close to 30 fps, and looked quite smooth. If I
had to guess, I'd say that it may have been originally rendered
in Caligari. BTW- it was running on a 25mhz 3000.
I haven't had a chance to play back any Imagine animations on it
yet, but I expect to in the very near future. I'm very curious to
see what kind of frame rates I can get with my own animations.
The only real negative comment I have to make so far is that
the thing is VERY memory hungry. Five megs seems to be the
minimum to do ANY overscan work. Seven or more would be better.
If we stick with this board, the quality of our kiosk sustems
will be improved tremendously. We were having a very difficult
time displaying multiple scanned images in 16 color mode with
an acceptable degree of quality. ADPro has allowed us to barely
pull a few jobs off in the past, but we really needed a true 24
bit system that would integrate well with our other hardware.

Greg Granville
[e-mail]



##

Subject: Re: Cylindrical lights!
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 10:49:50 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Michael B. Comet)

>
>> i think the Y value doesn't really stop
>> the light at that point
>
>Apparently not, but it's SUPPOSED to - both the Imagine manual and the
>Worley book say so.  Anyway, thanks for trying.
>
>.                            <<<<Infinite K>>>>
>
>
>

    Yes...they seem to say that in the Imagine 2.0 manual on top of
page 99, but half way down:

    "Unless otherwise set, all lights have a constant radiation.
Unlike a flashlight that seems to diminish over a short distance,
Imagine lights go on __forever__.  If you click on Diminish Intensity
button, the lights will fall off in intnesity over the distance that
they affect the scene that you make."

    (Page 99 Imagine 2.0 Manual, 3rd paragraph)

               Michael Comet
               [e-mail]



##

Subject: More Syquest info
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 10:03:14 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Dale R Rogers)

    Hi,

    Excuse the continued removeable hard drive questions.  My usage
    for the drives will be Imagine animation relevent.

    A number of people have told me that the proper running of the
    syquest removeable drive is dependent on the SCSI controller.  Thanks
    for the responses.  I have a 2500/30.  The 2500/30 is simply a
    2000 with a A2091 SCSI Hard Disk Contoller and a 030
    accelerator card.

    So I guess my question should be does anyone know of anything I
    need to be aware of when purchasing a Syquest 88M removeable hard
    drive for an A2091 SCSI controller?  The manual that came with the
    unit says the A2091 does not fully support removeable media drives.
    It says that automatic sensing of disk change does not occur.
    These drives do work properly if a DISK-CHANGE command is executed
    whenever the media is changed, and if each disk is partitioned
    identically.  Hmmm... I somehow remember my dealer changing out a
    ROM chip on my controler when he upgraded my machine to 2.0 OS.  I
    wonder if the new chip solved that problem.  I would ask my
    dealer, but I try to avoid him as much as possible.  His prices
    are outrageous, and his customer skills are non existent (ask
    anyone in the area).  I'd rather get my answers from the nice
    folks on the Imagine mail list.  Since I have had pricey
    experiences with my local dealer, I would rather do the work
    myself.  I would like to avoid any uneccessary headaches though if
    possible.

    So far it appears that I need an internal SCSI cable (I want an
    internal drive). I connect it to the power supply on the hard disk
    controller.  I need to mount it so that the cpu knows that it is
    out there.  Anything else?  I noticed in Amiga World that Safe
    Harbor Computers sells a Syquest Package.  They advertise that the
    package includes the drive, cartridge, manual, and a dual SCSI
    50-pin cable.  That sounds like everything I'll need; right?  The
    package goes for $559.00.

    Thanks.


       _____________________________^_____________________________
                                  __ __
                                ____ ____
       _____________________________ _____________________________
       dale r. rogers                Email:  ingr!b24a!camelot!dale
                                     Internet:
                                     [e-mail]

                                    .






##

Subject: SysQuest
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 08:59:19 -0700
From: Always a rainbow <[e-mail]>

I haven't any experience with the A2091 and I dunno of any controller
that can sense media change or if its possible at all.
I used a program called scsimounter to remount it each time i change
to a cartridge that is not partitioned the same way, then i decided
its easier to just not partition the cartridges.
I have a 50-to-25 cable for my external unit, for the SyQuest has a 50
pin connector while the external scsi port on the amiga is 25 pin.
Don't know about the internal connectors.
Basically, the items u listed were all I got too. except I paid $689
total for an external unit with 2 cartridges. An internal unit should
cost less.


##

Subject: Re: Frame accurate recorders
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 92 19:12:43 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Gargamel The Smurf killer!)

[e-mail] tell's us about the PSFC but dosn't tell what he
paid for such a unit?  What dose something like this run?  And would it work
with Panasonics r/w lazerDisk machine? :)  Wishing I had 8-9,000 big ones
to toss around!

Aragorn.
I Imagine, Therefor I am! ---([e-mail])


##

Subject: Re: Broadcast SVHS Tapes for Single Framing
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 19:10:31 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Michael B. Comet)

    There was a post somewhat recently asking if anyone knew of any
SVHS tapes less than 30 minutes.

    I believe the 3M SVHS ST Series is available in a smaller time
format....like 10 minutes or 5 minutes.....though I'm not sure exactly.

    Anyways here's the name and number of a place in Columbus, OH
that will ship them out:

    Jimmy Rae Electronics
    (614) 221 - 5884

    Hope this helps! :)

               Michael Comet
               [e-mail]



##

Subject: Re: Imagine Wish List
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 12:08:59 MET DST
From: [e-mail] (Raoul Kaltenhaeuser)

One useful detail I would like to have added is the ability to change
rendering options such as the antialiasing level in each subproject.
I think of an extra button in the 'modify-subproject-requester' named
'advanced options'. A new requester pops up and offers you to change
the alias level, reflection depth, octree level for only this special
subproject. In the gadgets are the preset values defined in the pref.
editor.

As a person you does several different projects with each several
different subprojects at the same time (i.e. rendering one project
while modelling objects in the other etc), I often forget to readjust
these parameters when I jump between the projects.

(Btw: please make the requesters and menues in OS2.0 style, and
make it possible to use different screen resolutions for the editors)

Raoul

      ................................................
      :  Raoul Kaltenhaeuser   /    GrafikMaschine   :
      :  [e-mail]   :
      :..............................................:





##

Subject: Re: Frame accurate recorders
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 09:52:13 EDT
From: Mark Thompson <[e-mail]>

> [e-mail] tell's us about the PSFC but dosn't tell what he
> paid for such a unit?  What dose something like this run?  And would it work
> with Panasonics r/w lazerDisk machine? :)

The latest version of the PSFC is going for around $370. I am not sure if it
has builtin control for the Panasonic recordable video disc unit, but unlike
tape machines, video disc recorders are very simple to control. They only
require an RS232 interface and a simple ASCII string sent to them at each
frame. I use the Panasonic 3031 and I don't even own a single frame
controller. LightWave has a Record window that allows you to send an ASCII
string out the RS232 port at every frame.  While Imagine does not have a
similar function, you should be able to easily write a small piece of code
(Arexx, Basic, C, or whatever) to sequence your images and fire a string out
the RS232 port. This will save you $400 if you don't need all funtionality of
the PSFC.
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|      `       '        Mark Thompson                 CONCURRENT COMPUTER  |
| --==* RADIANT *==--   [e-mail]        Principal Graphics   |
|      ' Image `        ...!uunet!masscomp!mark       Hardware Architect   |
|     Productions       [phone] [phone]   & General Nuisance   |
|                                                                          |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


##

Subject: Archive 25 now available on hubcap
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 10:48:02 MST
From: [e-mail] (Marvin Landis)

Archive number 25 is now available on hubcap.clemson.edu (130.127.8.1) in the
pub/amiga/incoming/imagine/text directory.  Archive 25 contains articles
posted from Jul. 24 - Aug. 18.  As always if you have any problems with the
archives, let me know.

I also posted the following message to the imagine list several weeks ago,
but never saw it show up in my mailbox.  So I am reposting it because I have
had quite a few requests to get the archives to people without ftp access.
I have sent archive 25 to Bob, so it should be showing up there pretty soon
also.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just wanted to inform everyone without ftp access, that Bob Lindabury
(the system administrator of the Graphics BBS) has been kind enough to
make the Imagine mailing list archives available through his file server.
With the service he is providing, those of you who can only get things
through e-mail can now have access to all the files that previously were
only available from hubcap through anonymous ftp.

So for those of you unfamiliar with this service, just send an e-mail
message to [e-mail] with the following lines in the
body of the message:

HELP
INDEX

You will then receive 2 e-mail messages back, one describing all the commands
understood by the file server, and the other a master index list of all
available files on the server.  These messages will tell you everything you
need to know about getting the imagine mailing list archives (as well as MANY
other graphics related files).

For those of you already familiar with the service Bob provides, you will
find the Imagine mailing list archives in /public/amiga/3d/imagine/archives
with the file names imarc00.lzh, imarc01.lzh, ..., imarc??.lzh.

I want to publically thank Bob for making the archives available from his
file server, because I had at least a dozen people contact me about not
being able to access the archives at hubcap.  This should solve the problem
and make the archives accesible to just about everyone.  Thanks Bob!!!

----------------------------
Marvin Landis
[e-mail]


##

Subject: Help with more Imagine problems
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 13:52:20 MDT
From: [e-mail] (Ben Scott)

Well, I still can't get a cylindrical or conical light source to either
stop at a given distance or even seem to begin to fade (after turning on
both "cast shadows" and "diminish intensity", and in full trace mode).
But I'm about ready t give up on this anyway, despite what both the Imagine
manual and the Worley book say.

My current problem is similar - something that's supposed to be relatively
easy and straightforward.  I'm trying to map a series of pictures onto a
plane, like an animbrush effect.  First off I just tried a test - I made
a simple little maze-like thing and had a robot following a curved path
through it.  I rendered 50 frames of this in B/W shade mode, for speed.
Then I took out the robot, and put the camera on the same path.  I also
put a plane on the path with the axis shifted so it'd be in front of the
camera.  The idea is to have a first-person view of going between and
around all these blocks, while a little screen in the corner gives you
a radar-type birdseye view.

No worky.  I have the plane set up with the filename of the picture
series.  Remember, the pictures are Imagine output in the first place,
so they already have the "pic.000n" filenames.  Set the max sequence to
50, made sure the filename said "foo/bar/pic" and not ".../pic.0001",
and tried a quickrender in Stage.  "Error, cannot open file
foo/bar/pic.0001.0001".  AFter a quick recheck that the filename is
in fact not pic.0001 originally, I tryu another quickrender on frame
2.  Now it "cannot open file foo/bar/pic.0002.0001" (no misprint).
It is appending ".0001" AFTER the processed file.  If I add .0001
to the filename (i.e. pic.0002.0001) and have it still look for
"pic" (on frame two) it works.

This is in stage, however.  In Project I can't get it to map at all,
no matter what I try.

What gives?

.                         <<<<Infinite K>>>>

--
.---------------------------------------------------------------------------.
|Ben Scott, professional goof-off and consultant at The Raster Image, Denver|
|Internet [e-mail], or call the Arvada 68K BBS at [phone].|
|--------------------------------------..-----------------------------------|
|"Where are we going??"  "Planet 10!!" ||The Raster Image IS responsible for|
|"When?!" "Real soon!!"-Buckaroo Banzai||everything I say!  ** Amiga Power**|
`--------------------------------------'`-----------------------------------'


##

Subject: THE CONTEST  (Giant File)
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 16:05:52 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Wickard)



                                             August 19,1992




Greetings Amiga users around the world!  :-)

Now, for the first time ever, the IMAGINE Mailing List is proud to
announce... The IMAGINE Mailing List contest!

This text will be distributed across networks, BBS systems, and every
available means until it reaches around the globe. To name just a
few, over 300 sites on the Imagine Mailing List,  the AmigaZone on Portal,
Compuserve, GEnie, USENET, Company wide email lists,
local user groups...and pretty much everywhere that electronic data is
exchanged, viewed and shared. It's a call to arms for all users of
the 3D rendering package IMAGINE, and YOU are invited to join in
the fun and competition and are eligible to win some great prizes!
There is NO COST to enter this contest (except of course postage).


Spread this large text file in it's ORIGINAL form as far as you can.
Do not delete or change any of it's content.


Enclosed you will find several important sections. They are:
1. Reasons for the contest.
2. Contest categories.
3. Dates and methods of entry.
4. The Rules of the IMAGINE Mailing List contest.
5. Contest criteria.
6. Prize lists.
7. Vendor and prize descriptions.
8. Questions and answers about the contest.
9. Information about how *you* can receive the IMAGINE Mailing List.
10. Final Notes.
11. Entry form for the contest.

=========================================================

I.  REASONS FOR THE CONTEST.

     The way this contest came about is fairly simple. After becoming
     administrator of the IMAGINE Mailing List, I started thinking about
     IMAGINE and 3D rendering in a different light than I had previously.
     What were the biggest frustrations in it? What would get users involved
     with creating more of the beautiful images that 3D rendering can
     produce? The biggest frustration that I myself had, was that there
     was a lack of 3D objects that I could download, and place into scenes
     that I created, and give them my own personal spin. I wanted to create,
     but without a lot of objects, I could expect a much steeper learning
     curve than would be otherwise needed. I NEEDED MORE OBJECTS!
     The way to prompt IMAGINE users to begin producing these objects
     was simple...offer *them* something in return...prizes!  Seems simple.
     NO! I needed to  GET the prizes. So then I began calling on different
     vendors whos products in some way related to either Imagine, or to
     image production. Happily, a majority of the vendors were glad to
     contribute a prize or two (or three!). Now, the contest can begin!

===========================================================================




II.  CONTEST CATEGORIES

      1. Original Imagine Objects   (any format- includes textures/wraps)
      2. Original Imagine Scenes   (ILBM-24format)
      3. Original Imagine Scenes   (ILBM-12format)
      4. Original Imagine Animation  (ANIM format)

      Note: While ILBM-12 format leaves  a bad taste in the mouth of most
            higher end users, for the purposes of this first contest,
            I am leaving HAM as an option for those of us not yet
            decided on their platform of entry into the inevitable world
            of 24bit display. Besides, it will give hardware lacking
            newer users a better chance to compete against entries more
            in their expertise league. Naturally, everyone is encouraged
            to enter 24 bit entries when possible for highest quality
            image.As far as the Animation category, make it viewable for
            an Amiga with 8 Meg of RAM. If a 5 Meg machine can view it,
            great, but 8 should be all that is _required_ to see it.
            This should keep us in the ballpark
            of filesizes that are easy enough to transport.


============================================================


III.  DATES AND METHODS OF CONTEST ENTRY


      1. Contest begins on Sept 1, 1992.
      2. All entries must be received on or before December 31, 1992.
      3. Entries MUST be mailed
         via standard postal mail to the following address....

            VISUS
            P.O. Box  191
            Cottage Grove, Minnesota   55016-0191
            USA

      4. Entries via standard postal mail must be in one of two formats:
         a.  3 1/2 " DS/DD diskettes
         b.   QIC-24  Data Cartridge  (must be in standard TAR format)

         Sorry, but due to prohibitive costs, entry media will not be
         returned unless accompanied by self-addressed and sufficiently
         postaged package.

         Responsibility for delayed / lost / or damaged submissions via
         any method of delivery is soley up to the contestant.
         Be certain to allow time in case of bounced mail or postal delay.

============================================================

IV. RULES OF THE IMAGINE MAILING LIST CONTEST


    1. All entries must be generated using Imagine.  Manipulation with
       other packages or image processing is acceptable. However, Imagine
       is the focus here, and must be the basis for all entries.
    2. All entries must be *original*. They may not be a derivative of an
       existing object or scene. Modeling of known objects
       (spaceships, robots, basketballs and Soda cans  ;-)   is
       acceptable.
    3. Entries must not be available via any source either public or
       commercial. Do *not* distribute any entry you make in this contest.
       With sufficient interest, there may be disk set available containing
       contest entries. (See Questions and Answers section about this)
       Publically available entries will NOT be included in the
       distribution.
    4. Contest dates will be strictly enforced. If you wish to be
       included in the contest, please make sure you fall within the
       window of entry. There will be no exceptions allowed.
    5. Entries must follow the format guidelines. (e.g. 24 bit, or ANIM).
    6. Participants *must* *must* *must* be registered users of Imagine.
       Entries that are submitted by non-registered users are NOT
       eligible for prizes. Your registration status is subject to
       verification by Impulse Inc. If your status is in question,
       please be certain clear discrepancies with Impulse before
       your entry.
    7. Contestants are allowed 3 entries per category. If more than 3 are
       received in a specific category, the first 3 will be considered
       your official entry. All subsequent entries are not eligible.
       Also, only one prize is permitted per contestant.
    8. A completed copy of the Entry form (below) must
       accompany all entries.
    9. In that all entries will be submitted "blind" to the judges
       (that is,with only an identifying number assigned by me) do
       not include any identifying signatures or symbols on your
       submission. If you wish to  include a second copy of the
       submission with your identification on it,  please do.
   10. All submissions remain the sole property of the artist and will
       not be distributed in any format or method without permission
       granted on the entry form accompanying each entry.
   11. Entries may be disqualified or exempted at the discretion of either
       the contest administrator, or the judges.
   12. Winner will be announced no later than Feb. 1, 1993.



  (Twelve rules. Not *too* overbearing I hope. Read them carefully.)

==========================================================================


V.    CONTEST CRITERIA

        The judging criteria is the same as for any artwork.
        You are judged on your ability to invoke an emotion in the
        viewer.

        1. THE "WOW" EFFECT
        Show us a twisted mind, or make us laugh, or make us cry.
        Wow us with your use of color.
        Blast us with your vision of how things "could" look.
        Excite us with your perception of reality.
        Make us envy your rendering skills.
        Take us to an alternate reality.

        2. THE "SHOWOFF" EFFECT
        Make us say, "How did they do THAT?"
        Make something that will leave other home computer users
        awestruck and envious.
        Display your mastery of object design.

        3. THE "GOTTA HAVE IT" EFFECT
        Create an image or object that is so compelling, that every
        Imagine user wants it in their library.
        Design something so  blindingly amazing that others
        who would try to duplicate it, can't even begin to figure out
        where to start.


        There are lots of criteria that may come into play, but they
        all have some common ground. Originality, Creativity, and
        design skills. Use those as your springboard.
========================================================

VI.    PRIZE LISTS

        Hey! HERE'S what we've been waiting for. The PRIZES!  ;-)

        Prizes will be distributed as follows:

    1. Imagine Original Objects Category.
        1ST   PRIZE- IMAGEMASTER from BLACKBELT SYSTEMS
        2nd   PRIZE- MORPHUS from IMPULSE INC.
        3rd   PRIZE- THE IMAGINE BUDDY SYSTEM from HELP DISK INC.
        4th   PRIZE- INTERCHANGE PLUS  from SYNDESIS CORP.
        HONORABLE MENTION - IMAGINE 2.0 UPGRADE from IMPULSE INC.

    2. Imagine Original Scene Category  (ILBM-24 format)
        1ST   PRIZE- ESSENCE  from APEX
        2nd   PRIZE- MORPHUS from IMPULSE INC.
        3rd   PRIZE- IMAGINE 2.0 UPGRADE  from IMPULSE INC.
        4th   PRIZE- PIXEL 3D PROFESSIONAL  from AXIOM INC.
        5th   PRIZE- 1 YR. SUBSCRIPTION TO VIDEO TOASTER MAG. from AVID
        HONORABLE MENTION- IMAGINE BUDDY SYSTEM from HELP DISK INC.

    3. Imagine Original Scene Category  (ILBM-12 format)
        1ST   PRIZE- ADPRO 2.0 from ASDG
        2nd   PRIZE- UNDERSTANDING IMAGINE 2.0 from APEX
        3rd   PRIZE- IMAGINE 2.0 UPGRADE from IMPULSE INC.
        4th   PRIZE- 1 YR. SUBSCRIPTION TO AVID MAGAZINE from AVID
        HONORABLE MENTION- VERTEX  (fully operational) from ART MACHINE

     4. Imagine Original Animation Category  (ANIM format)
        1ST   PRIZE- IMAGEMASTER from BLACKBELT SYSTEMS
        2nd   PRIZE- MORPHUS  from IMPULSE INC.
        3rd   PRIZE- PIXEL 3D PROFESSIONAL  from AXIOM INC.
        4th   PRIZE- UNDERSTANDING IMAGINE 2.0 from APEX
        HONORABLE MENTION- STILL-STORE (fully operational) from GRAPHIC
                                                               IMAGINATION


 Other vendors may be contributing to this contest. If more prizes are
 received, they will be distributed by random selection. This will give
 all contestants an equal chance at them.

=======================================================================

VII.  PRIZE DESCRIPTIONS

      This section is done in alphabetical order of the supporting vendor.
      For further information regarding any of  the products listed here,
      please contact the vendor in question. They are more than
      willing to  answer any questions you may have.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------






          PRIZE NAME:  Understanding Imagine 2.0 by Steve Worley
                                                Retail-  $ 29.95
              Vendor -  Apex Publishing
                        405 El Camino Real Suite 121
                        Menlo Park, California  94025
                        USA
                        [phone]

          Description:
          This book has become the bible of Imagine users
          around the world. It lays out in clear, understandable
          text, the different aspects of using Imagine 2.0
          including the Detail, Project, Forms , Cycle and Stage
          Editors. It is 221 pages crammed with all the information
          that Imagine users have been asking about. Also included
          is the diskette "Disk-O-Stuff". Written by noted Amiga
          artist Stephen Worley, it is mandatory reading for users
          of Imagine. It covers frequently asked questions,
          textures and F/X. Two lucky winners will walk away with
          copies of this book!





          PRIZE NAME:  ESSENCE     Retail-  $79.95

             Vendor -  Apex Publishing
                       405 El Camino Real Suite 121
                       Menlo Park, California  94025
                       USA
                       [phone]

        Description:
        Essence is a library of algorithmic textures for users of
        Imagine. All the included textures operate identically to the
        textures from Impulse. They are all new and exciting and can
        give your renderings a whole different look. Some of the included
        textures are: SphereShade, DiamondBump, HexMesh, Counter,
        VeinedMarble, FractalColor, Bozo, BandFract, Swirl, as well as
        others. Essence is for use on accelerated machines only.
        There is a 108 page manual included and further volumes of
        Essence textures promise to expand your texture horizons even
        further!Get in on the ground floor with this wonderful new product
        from Apex co-authored by the Imagine Mailing List's own
        Steve Worley and Glenn Lewis.






          PRIZE NAME:   ART DEPARTMENT PROFESSIONAL 2.0
                                     Retail-  $299.00
               Vendor:  ASDG Incorporated
                        925 Stewart Street
                        Madison Wisconsin   53713
                        (608) 273- 6585

         Description:
         Art Department Pro 2.0 is a standard in the Amiga image processing
         area. It offers image processing with total input, processing and
         output flexibility with full ARexx compatibility. You can read and
         write many image formats. Art Dept pro 2.0 also allows you to
         perform thousands of image processing functions, use JPEG
         compression, print 24-bit data to Preferences printers and many
         other features that are simply too numerous to be listed in the
         alloted space! Art Dept Pro 2.0 now includes animation features as
         well! With the addition of the available Pro Conversion Pack
         module, you also add the capability for input and output of...
         Sun Raster, X Windows, Targa, TIFF and Rendition formats making
         you able to deal effectively in formats used extensively by
           Macintosh  and IBM image professionals. There are also additional
           modules that will act as Film Recorder Drivers for the
           Polaroid CI-3000/5000, the Kodak SC6510, as well as Scanner
           Drivers to integrate the Epson ES-300C, and the
           Sharp JX-100/300/320/450/600 scanners into your total
           professional image enviroment.





           PRIZE NAME:  VERTEX    Retail- $40.00

                Vendor:  The Art Machine
                         4189 Nickolas
                         Sterling Heights, MI 48310
                         USA
                         [phone]


         Description:
         Vertex is an advanced, feature-packed design package which
         no 3D artist should be without. It works equally well as a
         stand-alone object editor or as an object converter.
         Vertex offers-
         Transparent support for most 3D file formats including Imagine,
            Lightwave,Geo, Turbo Silver, Sculpt 3D, and Wavefront.
         Intuitive 3D interface lets you view and transform your objects
            with quick and easy mouse control.
         Unique distortion tools such as Multiply, Scale Map, Twist,
            Randomize and Gravity.
         Other Tools included- bevel fonts, create fractal objects,
            (even in 3 dimensions!), seperate and combine objects,
            window cutting tool, face and edge divisions.
         Fast solid models and "real time" rotating wire frames.
         All standard editing tools (move,rotate,position,scale,size).
         Single Point editing. Global tools to delete duplicate faces
            and edges. Complete AREXX port.
         Fully multitasks and works equally well under 1.3 and 2.0.



           PRIZE NAME:  AVID / VIDEO TOASTER MAGAZINES
                                     Retail - $36.00 each (subscription)
                                              $43.45 each (single copy price)
                Vendor: AVID Publications
                        21611 Stevens Creek Blvd.
                        Cupertino, California  95014
                        USA
                        [phone]
                        Fax:
                        [phone]


        Description:
        AVID and VIDEO TOASTER magazines have one thing in
        common; they are *must* reads for Amiga users. AVID is the
        Journal of Amiga Video. It spans the realm of anything
        video related to Amiga Video from NewTek's Video Toaster
        to anything you can IMAGINE. Any Amiga videographer
        should have AVID on the top of his monthly "Gotta have it" list
        when they march down to the local magazine counter.
        AVID will teach you everything you need to know about becoming
        a better Amiga video artist than you already are. Don't miss the
        great classified section in the back either!
        VIDEO TOASTER USER is AVID's sister publication and
        as the name implies, it caters to the ever-growing legion of
        Video Toaster fanatics. It's called the "Desktop Video Magazine".
        Articles range from commercial production techniques to
        professional use of the Toaster in major film and television
        studios. There are help articles for sharpening your
        understanding  of ToasterPaint as well as Lightwave Mania.
        Every Toaster owner and Toaster owner wanna-be *needs*
        this magazine! AVID Publications has offered up a one year
        subscriptions to both  the AVID Journal and VIDEO TOASTER
        USER to a couple lucky winners in the Imagine Mailing List
        contest. The contest will be mentioned in the pages  of AVID
        as well as a possible exposure  of the winners in the contest,
        in the magazine itself!


           PRIZE NAME:   PIXEL 3D PROFESSIONAL
                         Retail- $194.95  (estimated)

                Vendor:  Axiom Software
                         1221 E. Center Street
                         Rochester, Minnesota  55904
                         USA
                         [phone]


          Description:
          Pixel 3D Professional has not been officially released
          as of this writing, but by the time the contest is
          well underway...P3DPro should be racking up sales at
          your local Amiga software dealer. Scott Thede, author of
          Pixel 3D Pro says that users will be impressed with the
          new and cleaner/fresher user interface. There will be
          colored text on the users screen to brighten up the appearance.
          The Imagine user will be happy to hear that Pixel 3D Pro
          will now properly load and display grouped Imagine objects.
          Scott says "Pixel 3D Pro is easily more than twice the product
          that Pixel 3D was." Some of the "Golly Gee" features include
          support of structured drawing, simple point editing, loading
          and saving in 10+ formats (may be as high as 15), bitmap
          conversions, 6 values for spline fitting for nice sharp bitmap
          conversion, as well as the ability to deal with fonts in an
          easy keyboard manner. AXIOM has offered us 2 copies of
          Pixel 3D Pro upon it's official release sometime this summer.
          Get your entries ready, one of them is waiting for you.




           PRIZE NAME:  IMAGEMASTER    Retail- $ 199.95

                Vendor- BlackBelt Systems
                        398 Johnson Road
                        RR-1 Box 4272
                        Glasgow, MT. 59230
                        USA
                        Info:       [phone]
                        Sales:      [phone]
                        Intl Sales: [phone]
                        BBS         [phone]


         Description:
         ImageMaster is best described as KILLER image processing.
         It's a complete system for manipulating high-color images.
         ImageMaster is seperated into the following broad categories:
         Image Processing.- Change an image using methods chosen out of
                   HUNDREDS of available.
         Imagine Composition- Bring an image into another. Modify
                   transparencies. There are over 60 composition
                   operations.
         Image Analysis- A wide range of operations to examine an image
                   region's density, histogram, average color, etc.
         Painting- Classic Paintbox techniques. Brushes,
                   fonts, palettes, fills.
         Buffer Control-Save/Copy/Rename/Load/Render to various formats,
                   export and import from external applications,
                   you have every tool needed to handle your working
                   environment, the image buffer.
         ImageMaster has the flexibility to deal with JPEG,NASA,GIF,
                   IFF,DCTV,TARGA, HAME, and many more formats.
         BlackBelt Systems has donated 2 copies of ImageMaster to the
         Imagine Mailing List Contest. You have the opportunity to win
         one of them.





          PRIZE NAME:  INTERCHANGE PLUS    Retail- $99.95

                 Vendor:  Syndesis Corporation
                          N9353 Benson Road
                          Brooklyn, Wisconsin  53521
                          USA
                          Phone  [phone]
                          Fax:   [phone]

          Description:
           Interchange Plus is the product of choice to translate objects
           between different 3D modeling programs. You can easily move
           objects between Imagine and Lightwave. Convert multi-object
           hierarchical Imagine objects into Lightwave for Toasting.
           Lightwave objects becomes a sub-object in Imagine.
           Interchange Plus includes the InterFont Converter, a program
           that uses outline fonts and turns them into 3D objects


           quickly and easily! You have scaling, GridSnap, and Point
           Reduce Tools at your disposal. Interchange uses less
           memory to convert an object than to render it.  You
           can purchase Converters and Tools for other formats and
           everything works together. AutoCAD DXF, Wavefront.obj,
           Digital Arts.AOB and more formats to come. NewTek Inc
           chose Syndesis Corps products to be part of the
           Toaster 2.0 system. With Interchange Plus, you can
           now import AND export objects in other formats from
           clients,friends, or add-on 3D object collections.






          PRIZE NAME:  STILL-STORE       Retail- $59.95

              Vendor:  Graphic Imagination Inc.
                       PO Box 661
                       Marion. Ia. 52302
                       Phone  [phone]


          Description:
           If you work with 24 bit images, you might find managing them
           a little tedious.  Still-Store was created to lighten the
           load of image management. Still-Store is an image browser
           for 24bit IFF files. It serves two very useful purposes:
           to save valuable hard drive space, and to save valuable
           time.  Space is saved by utilizing JPEG compression.
           Compression and decompression of multiple files is
           completely automated for your convenience. Time is saved
           by allowing you to browse  through your images quickly to
           locate the ones you need for a given project. Still-Store
           lets you preview your images without having to waste
           time decompressing ones you don't want.  Previews can be
           compared side by side to ease the selection process.
           In addition, Still-Store maintains a database of
           information on your images so you can keep track of useful
           information and perform searches.  Still-Store can import
           any IFF image as well as images already compressed with
           JPEG.  Image sets from other vendors can also be imported
           into Still-Store to provide a complete management
           solution.  The Still-Store package includes 20 -768 by 482,
           24 bit images suitable for use as backgrounds or as
           texture maps in all popular 3D programs.

           Graphic Imagination Inc. announces a new low price on
           Still-Store. Still-store now retails for $59.95, but
           members of the Imagine Mailing list can obtain
           Still-Store for $39.95!



        PRIZE NAME:   THE BUDDY SYSTEM FOR IMAGINE    Retail- $49.95

             Vendor:   Help Disk Inc.
                       13860-12 Wellington Trace
                       Box 200
                       Wellington Florida  33414
                       USA
                       Phone [phone]

         Description:
         Have you ever wished for an Imagine expert to be sitting
         within arms reach when you just can't quite figure out a
         specific problem? Wish no more! Help Disk Inc. presents
         The Buddy System for Imagine- an interactive hypermedia
         tutorial. Now you can imagine, create,model, preview,
         render and animate! The Buddy System for Imagine
         teaches you all the fundamentals of Impulse's Imagine
         3D rendering and animation program through an easy-to-use
         point and click hypermedia interface! Speech narration,
         concise text description, and visually guided
         demonstrations give you a functional and enjoyable
         learning system in a truly hands-on format.
         Over 50 real time, visual demos using  Imagine itself.
         Demos of all functions in all Editor modules are included.
         How to wrap textures and IFF images.
         Use of the action script editor: F/X, staging, and time
         line explained.
         Learn to build objects from scratch; use of all tools in
         step-by-step demonstrations will get you animating
         immediately! Visual captioning  during demonstrations
         as well as speech narration.
         Hypertext reference of all Imagine functions.
         Preset settings that you can load into the
         Attributes Requester for:
           Wood, Glass, Bone, Bronze, Copper, Crystal, and more!
           Immediately use these settings for the look you need.
         In-depth explanations and table of attribute and texture
         settings. Help is always available, interface sleeps until
         you press the HELP key.
         Learn by using Imagine today! It's the Buddy system because:
         Seeing something once is better than reading about
         it 100 times. Also available DeluxePaint IV (v4.1),
         PageStream (v2.2), and AmigaDos (supports both v2.04 and 1.3)
         Help Disk Inc. has donated 2 copies of the Buddy System for
         Imagine to the contest. If your entry is judged to be amoung
         the winners, you just might have a new buddy soon.



           PRIZE NAME:  IMAGINE 2.0 UPGRADE
                                    Retail-$ 99.00 for Imagine owners
                                    Retail-$450.00 for new buyers

               Vendor:   Impulse Inc.
                         8416 Xerxes Avenue No.
                         Brooklyn Park, Minnesota 55444
                         USA
                         [phone]
                         Fax:
                         [phone]
                         Hours:
                         Tech Support- 10am - 3:30pm Central
                         Office        10am - 4:00pm Central


         Description:
         Imagineers hardly need a description to Imagine, do they now?
         Sure!  Here is the latest revision to the 3D rendering
         package that gives your Amiga high powered rendering in a
         low cost environment. Impulse has donated 3 Imagine 2.0
         upgrades to winners of the contest. If you are currently
         working with a 1.1 version (or heaven forbid the 1.0 version)
         or Turbo Silver, this prize will step you into the upper
         reaches of  Imaginedom.  The list of features, options,
         and conveniences and just how they can make your rendering
         easier, quicker and more productive would amaze you.
         Call Impulse or a local Amiga dealer today and  ask them
         to tell you about Imagine 2.0.
         Accept no substitutes or cheap clones. Get into gear with
         Imagine 2.0 from Impulse and visit your own 3D reality, dudes.



        PRIZE NAME:   MORPHUS    Retail- $99.95

               Vendor:   Impulse Inc.
                         8416 Xerxes Avenue No.
                         Brooklyn Park, Minnesota 55444
                         USA
                         [phone]
                         Fax:
                         [phone]
                         Hours:
                         Tech Support- 10am - 3:30pm Central
                         Office        10am - 4:00pm Central


        Description:
        Impulse now takes it's amazing Imagine program one step
        further. Morphus is the Imagine Object manipulation tool that
        allows you to experiment with Morphing to the nth degree.
        Morphus is the latest product out of that amazing little
        company in Minnesota...Impulse. It allows you morph objects
        of different sizes, different points and so on. But morphing
        is only the start. You can twist, shear, and distort your
        objects also! Impulse has donated 3 copies of Morphus to
        lucky winners of the contest.
        At the time of this posting, Morphus hasn't been released
        yet, but by the time the winners receive their copies, it's
        sure to be on every Imagineer's Most Wanted List. Mike
        Halvorson of Impulse says, " Morphus will allow Imagine
        users to monkey around with objects in ways they have
        never been able to before!" Find out what the buzz is
        all about by nabbing your own copy of Morphus free
        in the contest.



================================================================

VIII.   CONTEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS


Q.     I would like to enter the Object category but do not want my
       object released into the public domain. As a working artist,
       I need my work and time to pay for itself. Will you protect
       against this?

A.     Certainly I will. All entries must be accompanied by a completed
       entry form to be valid. On the form, you are asked if you would
       object to your work becoming part of a collection from this
       contest. The collection may take several forms. It may be
       released as an inexpensive disk set sold to recoup prize
       shipping costs associated with the contest. Any additional
       money would then be distributed to all contributing artists
       who's work is included in the collection. If there is
       insufficient interest in this collection, they may not be
       released at all, or they may be released as smaller public
       domain volumes. However, no work will be released or
       distributed  that is not authorized by the  artist on the entry
       form. Be warned however, that if contest winners are highlighted
       in any public forum such as the possible AVID article on the
       contest/winners or any similar venture, that artists who do not
       authorize distribution of their work will not be included.
       This includes all categories...scenes, objects and anims.

Q.     What about the Object category?  Should I include
       everything with it?

A.     Yes, for the Object category, be sure to include all necessary
       parts for judging. Also be sure to include at least one *rendering*
       - NOT just the object. This includes wraps. Best bet would be to
       include a rendering of your object sitting in an uncluttered
       setting. This will show the judges what you have in mind.
       Be sure your object  heirarchy is such that it would be
       easy for the judges to render a copy  of your object just like
       in your included rendering(s) for verification that
       the object is one and the same.

Q.     I am new to Imagine and 3D rendering in general. What are
       my chances against all these professionals?

A.     Pretty good actually.  According to everyone who  should be
       "in the know",  I have accumulated far too many prizes.
       I say they are wrong. I say  Imagine users are brave enough
       to give it a good shot and participate  heavily in the contest.
       I think with thousands of users worldwide, we should have
       PLENTY of work. Let's BURY the judges with our art!  ;-)

Q.     Why is this file so large?

A.     Because I wanted to be sure that people wouldn't miss parts
       of it. I wanted it in one large chunk to make sure if you
       HEARD about the contest through this posting, that you would
       get ALL the info you need.

Q.     Does that mean there will be updates to the rules and such?

A.     Well, to be honest, I have tried to include everything I could
       think of.  However, as we all know, when this hits the world
       outside of my head, there will be hundreds of people thinking
       of loop holes and  situations that never occured to me.
       If you really want to keep up on  any new developments, they
       will always be posted on the Imagine Mailing List.  Join us,
       and watch for them there or where ever you access the List.

Q.     While I am watching the 3 Stooges, and they hit Curly in
       the head, why do they use the sound of pipes clanging
       together?

A.     How did THAT get in here?  :-)

Q.     What formats are acceptable for the ANIMS?  DCTV for instance?

A.     Sorry. The only acceptable ANIM in the contest this time is one
       that can be viewed on your basic Amiga using SHOWANIM or a
       like viewer. There are several reasons. Most importantly, it
       will allow your work to be seen by a larger audience. Next
       contest will probably lean more heavily into higher end work
       using optional hardware or single framed animation entries
       on tape. This time however,  I want everyone to be able to
       participate. This will buy us the exposure and participation
       we need to solicit more prizes and the possibility of making
       it an annual contest. The future of Amiga 3D rendering
       involvement is UP TO YOU and the contest is one way to show
       your commitment to your machine.

Q.      I would like to be involved with contributing another prize
        to the contest. Is it too late?

A.      No!  In fact, I would happily accept any and all prizes.
        They will be announced as additions on the Imagine Mailing
        List and even though the Prize distributions have been set
        already,  your contribution will be given to a randomly
        selected contestant. This means that the vendor will still
        receive the exposure, and every contestant has an equal
        chance of winning all additional prizes!

Q.      I don't own any 24 bit display enhancing equipment.
        Can I still enter 3 times in the 24bit scene category?

A.      Naturally.  If your scene looks great in HAM, it will most
        likely look superb in 24bit. Just re-render it in 24bit mode,
        and take it someplace to make sure it looks acceptable to
        you in 24 bit. If so, by all means..enter it!

Q.      I want to stick my head into a laser scanner and have it
        immortalized in it's full 3D glory and enter it. Is that
        alright?

A.      Certainly. However, recent studies have indicated that
        sticking any body parts into laser scanners leaves the scanee
        impotent. Might be worth one of the prizes though.
        ;-)  heh heh

Q.      I have some scenes currently entered in another contest.
        Can I enter them in the Imagine Mailing List contest as well?

A.      That is no problem provided that your entry in the other
        contest doesn't win and that you have not signed away
        rights for it to be published by the other contest
        sponsor. If it appears anywhere but in this contest,
        it is not exclusive. By the definitions of THIS contest, it
        is no longer original and is thus not eligible for a prize.

Q.      The entry form asks alot of questions. How come?

A.      It may be used for promotional purposes or be used
        just to identify the demographics of users entering.

Q.      What format for scenes is acceptable? JPEG?

A.      Sure. JPEG or IFF is fine.

Q.      I notice you want the entries done without signatures or
        identifying symbols. How come?

A.      As it states, the judging will be done blindly, that is, no one
        will know who the artist is at the time of the judging.  If you
        would like your work signed or stamped in it's distributed form,
        please include a second copy and indicate on your entry form
        which you'd prefer distributed , if any.

Q.      Really? A shot being published in an Amiga Magazine????

A.      Always a chance. This shot at fame could happen to you!
        If you authorize your work to be distributed, either you,
        or your artwork could wind up in the pages or cover of
        AVID or other Amiga related magazines being contacted.

Q.      Can we quit this now and move on to the next section?

A.      By all means.


============================================================


IX.     WHAT'S THE IMAGINE MAILING LIST, HOW TO GET IT


       The Imagine Mailing List is a wide variety of Amiga computer
artists sharing friendship and knowledge. The main thrust of the
List is the Imagine renderer. Subjects discussed though have
varied widely. There are discussions of Imagine and it's competitors,
Imagine wish lists for future versions, 3D rendering principles in
general, single frame recording techniques and many many more.

With first day users thru battled scarred veterans  :-)  there
is someone at your level of knowledge on the List. We are always
glad to see questions from every level of user. So often a simple
and seemingly embarrassingly easy question will lead to an interesting comment on
a related topic.

New products, both hardware AND software, are discussed as to their
relationship with Imagine and Amiga 3D rendering.

Names of Amiga luminaries dot the list, and often join in to lend their
insights without the usual "noise" of a USENET newsgroup.

There are over 300 individual sites receiving the Imagine Mailing
List, and they include many networks, BBS systems, user groups,
and individual computer artists from literally around the globe.
We share one thing. Interest in each other's work with Imagine.

YOU can get the Imagine Mailing List. All you need is access to
Internet mail. Simply mail to the following address:

[e-mail]

and in your subject line, enter the word "subscribe".

If you are reading this from a Commercial System, ask the
Amiga Coordinator to set up an Imagine Mailing List area that
everyone can read.


==================================================================


X.    FINAL NOTES


       Well, congrats. You have reached the end of the blithering.
       I hope that everyone reading this enters the contest and does
their very best to win a prize. I sincerely wish there was some way
every entry could win something, but alas...that just doesn't happen.

       If you are not a regular reader of the Imagine Mailing List,
become one. You won't regret it. It's a very special group.

       The contest only runs for 16 weeks or so,  don't dawdle. Enter!

       In closing, I would like to thank our very kind and generous
supporting vendors.  It is their generosity that has allowed me to
begin this contest.

       And of course I would like to thank Amiga artists from around
the world. Your artwork and vision have thrilled people you will never
know. Don't let the flame die. Keep up that rendering and share the
joy.


Dave Wickard   [phone]      "It's not the SIZE of your image...
[e-mail]             It's how you MANIPULATE it."
[e-mail]           -proverb from the Amiga Kama Sutra

===========================================================


XI.  ENTRY FORM.
      (One copy must be completed and included for each entry)

Name ______________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________
        ___________________________________________
City          _____________________________________
State (Prov)  _____________________________________
Country       ___________________  Zip ____________
Phone     _________________________________________


CATEGORY   TO  ENTER   (ENTRY 1)

_____  OBJECT     _____  SCENE 24BIT     _____ SCENE HAM    ______ANIM

TITLE (IF ANY) OF ENTRY  _______________________________
PRODUCTS USED TO CREATE IT?  ___________________________
TIME SPENT WORKING ON ENTRY?  __________________________


CATEGORY   TO  ENTER   (ENTRY 2)

_____  OBJECT     _____  SCENE 24BIT     _____ SCENE HAM    ______ANIM

TITLE (IF ANY) OF ENTRY  _______________________________
PRODUCTS USED TO CREATE IT?  ___________________________
TIME SPENT WORKING ON ENTRY?  __________________________


CATEGORY   TO  ENTER   (ENTRY 3)

_____  OBJECT     _____  SCENE 24BIT     _____ SCENE HAM    ______ANIM

TITLE (IF ANY) OF ENTRY  _______________________________
PRODUCTS USED TO CREATE IT?  ___________________________
TIME SPENT WORKING ON ENTRY?  __________________________




DO YOU AUTHORIZE THE RELEASE OF ENCLOSED ENTRIES
FOR USE BY THE IMAGINE MAILING LIST FOR POSSIBLE USES
OUTLINED IN THE CONTEST DOCUMENT ABOVE?
_______ YES         __________NO        (YOU MUST CHECK ONE!)

(IF YOU WISH TO AUTHORIZE USE OF ONLY SPECIFIC ENTRIES,
 ENTER THE AUTHORIZED ITEM(S) IN "YES" BLANK AND
 NON-AUTHORIZED ITEM(S) IN "NO" BLANK.)


ARE YOU A SUBSCRIBER TO THE IMAGINE MAILING LIST?  __________
ARE YOU A REGISTERED OWNER OF IMAGINE?             __________
WHAT VERSION OF IMAGINE DO YOU USE?                __________
HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED IMAGINE?                    __________

(Note: If you would like to include a list of likes/dislikes and
          wishes for further releases of Imagine, include it on a
          seperate sheet and I will see that a compilation reaches
          Impulse Inc.)


Please print or copy this Entry Form section and enclose it with
your entry. Mail to:

VISUS
Box 191
Cottage Grove, Minnesota
55016-0191
USA
===============================================================



##

Subject: Archive 25 now available on hubcap
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 15:50:23 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Bob Lindabury, SysAdm)

rutgers!amber.rc.arizona.edu!marvinl (Marvin Landis) writes:

> Archive number 25 is now available on hubcap.clemson.edu (130.127.8.1) in the
> pub/amiga/incoming/imagine/text directory.  Archive 25 contains articles
> posted from Jul. 24 - Aug. 18.  As always if you have any problems with the
> archives, let me know.
>
> I also posted the following message to the imagine list several weeks ago,
> but never saw it show up in my mailbox.  So I am reposting it because I have
> had quite a few requests to get the archives to people without ftp access.
> I have sent archive 25 to Bob, so it should be showing up there pretty soon
> also.

The new archive IS up on The Graphics BBS for file-server access.  As
Glenn stated, you send mail to "[e-mail]" to
request files and indexes.  Alternatly you can request the same from
[e-mail].  This is a new server that has a few
more commands and is a bit more robust than the other server I was
using.

I will also be adding the Christian Imagine archives to the system.
There will be a post made here when those files are made available.

-- Bob

 The Graphics BBS  908/469-0049  "It's better than a sharp stick in the eye!"
 ============================================================================
  InterNet: [e-mail]                | Raven Enterprises
      UUCP: ...rutgers!bobsbox!graphics!bobl      | 25 Raven Avenue
    BitNet: bobl%graphics.rent.com@pucc           | Piscataway, NJ 08854
    Home #: 908/560-7353                          | 908/271-8878


##

Subject: More Syquest info
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 15:28:48 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Bob Lindabury, SysAdm)

rutgers!camelot.b24a.ingr.com!dale (Dale R Rogers) writes:

>     A number of people have told me that the proper running of the
>     syquest removeable drive is dependent on the SCSI controller.  Thanks
>     for the responses.  I have a 2500/30.  The 2500/30 is simply a
>     2000 with a A2091 SCSI Hard Disk Contoller and a 030
>     accelerator card.

I just installed a SyQuest 88 megger in my system today.  However, I
have a GVP SeriesII controller with FAAASTROM.  I installed it in a
case externally but I know about internal installation as I have 2
internal HD drives setup as well as an external HD and the external
SyQuest all on the single controller.

>     So I guess my question should be does anyone know of anything I
>     need to be aware of when purchasing a Syquest 88M removeable hard
>     drive for an A2091 SCSI controller?  The manual that came with the
>     unit says the A2091 does not fully support removeable media drives.
>     It says that automatic sensing of disk change does not occur.
>     These drives do work properly if a DISK-CHANGE command is executed
>     whenever the media is changed, and if each disk is partitioned
>     identically.  Hmmm... I somehow remember my dealer changing out a
>     ROM chip on my controler when he upgraded my machine to 2.0 OS.  I
>     wonder if the new chip solved that problem.  I would ask my
>     dealer, but I try to avoid him as much as possible.  His prices
>     are outrageous, and his customer skills are non existent (ask
>     anyone in the area).  I'd rather get my answers from the nice
>     folks on the Imagine mail list.  Since I have had pricey
>     experiences with my local dealer, I would rather do the work
>     myself.  I would like to avoid any uneccessary headaches though if
>     possible.

Well, since I don't have a A2091, I don't think I can help you much
with that portion of your questions.  However, it seems likely that a
ROM upgrade *should* cure the disk change problems the controller use
to exhibit.


>     So far it appears that I need an internal SCSI cable (I want an
>     internal drive). I connect it to the power supply on the hard disk
>     controller.  I need to mount it so that the cpu knows that it is
>     out there.  Anything else?  I noticed in Amiga World that Safe
>     Harbor Computers sells a Syquest Package.  They advertise that the
>     package includes the drive, cartridge, manual, and a dual SCSI
>     50-pin cable.  That sounds like everything I'll need; right?  The
>     package goes for $559.00.
>
>     Thanks.

Sounds like everything you need.  However, I picked up my SyQuest
bare drive for $399.00 from Manta.  I went to the local electronics
supply store and picked up 3 50Pin ribbon connectors and a hunk of 50
lead ribbon cable for around $10.00 and banged together the dual SCSI
cable in about 5 minutes. (banged is the word since you have to
basically hammer the connectors onto the ribbon cable).  Carts should
be available for around $100.00 here and there.  That would bring
your total to about $410.00 for everything not including tax if
applicable.

Anyone putting multiple SCSI drives on a single controller should be
aware of a SCSI buss length restriction.  I was having all types of
trouble with my drives until I chopped a couple of cables down to
shorter lengths.  Seems that a bus lenght of > 6' will result in some
read/write errors.

As for autosensing, I only currently have a single 88 meg cart so I
couldn't test multiple carts.  I used FAAASTPREP from GVP to prep the
cart and I wrote out a mountlist entry.  I have that entry for SYQ:
in my DEVS:Mountlist file and I mount the SYQ: device in my startup
sequence.  I can boot the system without a cart in the drive.  It
boots up fine and I have SYQ: mounted as a device.  I just pop my
cart in and it reads it just fine automatically.  When I eject it,
the icon disappears from the Workbench just like a floppy drive.  So
far it seems to work just a a very large floppy.  I don't ever plan
on using any carts formatter for anything other than 1 partition
using the entire cart so things should be fine.  Anyone know
anything about this?  I want to be able to pop in carts, format them
and then bring them to the studio I work with for dumping to tape.
They *should* be able to just pop them in and read them.  I shouldn't
have to prep every cart right?  Just a format should do the job?  I
will be testing this configuration in the next few days and will post
my findings here if there is interest.

>        dale r. rogers                Email:  ingr!b24a!camelot!dale

-- Bob

 The Graphics BBS  908/469-0049  "It's better than a sharp stick in the eye!"
 ============================================================================
  InterNet: [e-mail]                | Raven Enterprises
      UUCP: ...rutgers!bobsbox!graphics!bobl      | 25 Raven Avenue
    BitNet: bobl%graphics.rent.com@pucc           | Piscataway, NJ 08854
    Home #: 908/560-7353                          | 908/271-8878


##

Subject: Re: Help with more Imagine problems
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 20:10:52 CST
From: [e-mail] (Isaac Guajardo Leal)

[stuff deleted]
>
> No worky.  I have the plane set up with the filename of the picture
> series.  Remember, the pictures are Imagine output in the first place,
> so they already have the "pic.000n" filenames.  Set the max sequence to
> 50, made sure the filename said "foo/bar/pic" and not ".../pic.0001",
> and tried a quickrender in Stage.  "Error, cannot open file
> foo/bar/pic.0001.0001".  AFter a quick recheck that the filename is
> in fact not pic.0001 originally, I tryu another quickrender on frame
> 2.  Now it "cannot open file foo/bar/pic.0002.0001" (no misprint).
> It is appending ".0001" AFTER the processed file.  If I add .0001
> to the filename (i.e. pic.0002.0001) and have it still look for
> "pic" (on frame two) it works.
>
> This is in stage, however.  In Project I can't get it to map at all,
> no matter what I try.
>
> What gives?
>
> .                         <<<<Infinite K>>>>
>
> --
> .---------------------------------------------------------------------------.
> |Ben Scott, professional goof-off and consultant at The Raster Image, Denver|
> |Internet [e-mail], or call the Arvada 68K BBS at [phone].|
> |--------------------------------------..-----------------------------------|

It's a bug I beleive, the same thing happens to me under Imagine 2.0
-BUT- when I render on the Proyect editor everything works fine ! It
seems it's only affecting the Stage editor. At least for me it always
appends a .0001 on the full filename as you state above. The answer
maybe is to send the program diskette to Impulse for a replacement. I'm
waiting for a mayor bug to send them, anyway 8-). Maybe you should check
the brushmap placement so it would work under the Proyect editor (?).

          Isaac (PSYCHO) Guajardo
         [e-mail]
"The one who dies with the most toys wins!"




##

Subject: Hard wood floors
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 13:42:30 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

Essense is great!
Run out and buy a copy for yourself right away.
I made a really cool world inside a wooden stand over the weekend,
(wish I had more than this 020! 36 hours for 73% of 640x480)

Anyway, kudos aside, I am in need of hardwood flooring.
At first I was going to write Steve and suggest this be put into
Essense2 but then I got to wondering about using the Brick Texture
along with the Wood texture to simulate wood flooring.  Has anyone
tried this?  I guess it wouldn't have nice individually colored
"strips" of wood, but it might pass.

************************************************************
* Adam Benjamin                    [e-mail] *
* Christian Animator           [e-mail] *
* Disclaimer:  Nothing I say means anything to anyone that *
*               might take it to mean something I didn't!  *



##

Subject: Imagine Wish List
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 09:34:59 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

In the hope that the following gets read by the hard-working guys at
Impulse...

I find having more than one editor open at once to be VERY handy - the
Detail Editor and the Project Editor when fine tuning object attributes
for example.  At the moment, this means I have to run 2 copies of Imagine
practically every time I use the program.  This also overcomes the
annoying problem of going into the Stage Editor, just to find that you
forgot to do something in the Detail Editor; and then having to go back
into the Detail Editor and reload your object for the umpteenth time!
                           ^^^^^^                     ^^^^^^^^^
This is a rather wasteful use of memory though - having to load all
the program code twice.  I know you could use the preferences option
not to load all the modules at once, but wouldn't it be a whole lot
nicer if Imagine simply allowed you to have multiple editors open
simultaneously!  Not so you could have one Editor actually doing
something (e.g. Make Preview) while working in the Detail Editor - for
this you would obviously need 2 versions running simultaneously because
this is Amiga multitasking at work. :-)

What I mean is, for example, having the Project Editor and the Detail
Editor open at the same time.  You render the image in the Project
Editor, decide the attributes need just that little bit of tweaking,
and just flip screens to the Detail Editor.  Since the Project Editor
is just waiting for input, it's sitting on a WaitPort().  Why not alter
the program so that WaitPort() covers windows open on multiple Imagine
screens instead of just the one - allowing for you to have as many of the
Editors open at once, limited only by the number of screens you can have
open at once depending on the amount of chip ram in your machine.

Under this scheme, once one of the Editors goes off to do its thing,
the program is no longer simply waiting for user input, and so any
other open Editors merely go dormant.  However, when the program
completes that particular task, the user is not slowed down by having
to close that Editor, re-open another, reload objects, and get into
the mode he or she wants to be in.  Aren't we just saving users'
precious time here, and lots of it!  Isn't increased productivity
why people buy this software in the first place!?

Oh, BTW, one other little gripe... I've grown used to the 3D type menu
items used in Imagine 2.0.  You know, the ones that seem to blur the
menu item and make you think that you've misplaced your glasses. :-)
The ones that are drawn with 2 pens, one slightly offset and down from
the other.  I've gotten used to them, but all the potential users of
Imagine I show the program to haven't; and the first thing they say
is generally along the lines of "Auchhh!, why are the menus so
difficult to read??!"

Any other Imagineers with similar feelings???

   ____ John    ____       Australian Developer   FAX   [phone]
  //      Rowe //          Programmer  Renderer   VOICE [phone]
 // __        //--             3-D Animator
//__//rafix  //__ffects   EMAIL [e-mail]
     OR EMAIL cbmehq!cbmaus!cbmozq!wilson!rowe![e-mail]


##

Subject: converting DXF files
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 17:50:56 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

Does anyone know of any programs that will convert DXF (AutoCAD)
object files into any object format usable by any of the popular Amiga
rendering programs?

In particular, I'm looking for DXF to Imagine format conversion, but
DXF to Sculpt, Turbo Silver, Videoscape, 3D Pro, Lightwave, etc. would
also do.

3D Pro is supposed to do it, but won't work in this case and Pixel3D 2.0
only saves DXF.  I know DynaCADD will do it, but it is BIG BUCKS for
such a simple task!

Can anyone help??

   ____ John    ____       Australian Developer   FAX   [phone]
  //      Rowe //          Programmer  Renderer   VOICE [phone]
 // __        //--             3-D Animator
//__//rafix  //__ffects   EMAIL [e-mail]
     OR EMAIL cbmehq!cbmaus!cbmozq!wilson!rowe![e-mail]


##

Subject: Wishlist cont'd
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 17:44:55 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Alan Price)

While on the subject of wish lists, and if the Folks at Impulse's eye
ARE upon this, I'll throw in a real simple one...

I like the little time-keeper in the menu-bar in the stage editor.
It tells you the duration of your animation in seconds according to
what frame you are on. But I generally always double the number in
me head because I always record frames to video on twos (I thing most
people do, at least if they are not gluttons for punishment. I may
be wrong but it's twice as productive anyway :)

I think it would be simple to make this user-definable in the preferences
editor. Especially since I'll often fo a project for film which, ofcourse,
runs at 24fps rather than 30.

Otherwise it's great for getting your motion timing right. I always
find myself closing my eyes and counting "one thousand one, one thousand
two,..."

What would ALSO help is a "frame rate speedometer" that told you EXACTLY
how fast your preview animation created in the stage editor was playing.
This would give you a good idea what you need to do once you fiddled with
the playback rate gadget to your liking. Which of course leads to wishing
that you could 'expand' timelines in the action editor, etc.......:)

AP.



##

Subject: Re: Opalvision
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 09:57:06 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

>Does anyone have news or firsthand opinions regarding the new Opalvision
>board?
I saw the board demonstrated at the Australian World of Commodore Amiga
(it's actually an Aussie creation you see :-) )on 5th. July.  It looks
like a very good 24 bit display device at this stage with an excellent
paint package.                                               ^^^^^^^^^

It was being demonstrated on a 2000 with a GVP Series 1 28Mhz 030
accelerator, and the speed of the paint package was quite fast.  It
features some revolutionary ideas such as right mouse button undo for
selective undos (you paint with the right down to rub thru to the undo
buffer), colours that can be loaded by name (e.g. metallic blue),
thumbnail versions of pics in the load requestor, built in JPEG,
tolerance fills and brush cutting, very fast magnify, paint on different
types of paper, e.g. sandpaper or with different types of brush e.g.
crayons that tend to smear and break on your paper (these last two
features were not operational at the time of the demo).

Also play Amiga animation between two levels of 24 bit images, so that
the Amiga graphics moves behind of or in front of different parts of
the 24bit pic. (very pretty).

I spoke to OpalTech last week.  They are working on an AREXX interface
at this time as well as Alpha channel painting to be used with their
other add-on items as they become available.

The board should be shipping this week and with luck I'll be able to
check it out first hand soon.  I'll post mail when I've had a look.

   ____ John    ____       Australian Developer   FAX   [phone]
  //      Rowe //          Programmer  Renderer   VOICE [phone]
 // __        //--             3-D Animator
//__//rafix  //__ffects   EMAIL [e-mail]
     OR EMAIL cbmehq!cbmaus!cbmozq!wilson!rowe![e-mail]


##

Subject: Re: converting DXF files
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 18:06:28 EDT
From: Mark Thompson <[e-mail]>

> Does anyone know of any programs that will convert DXF (AutoCAD)
> object files into any object format usable by any of the popular Amiga
> rendering programs?

> In particular, I'm looking for DXF to Imagine format conversion, but
> DXF to Sculpt, Turbo Silver, Videoscape, 3D Pro, Lightwave, etc. would
> also do.

LightWave will read in AutoCAD DXF and write out LightWave format.
Also, Syndesis sells an AutoCAD DXF converter for InterChange Plus.
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|      `       '        Mark Thompson                 CONCURRENT COMPUTER  |
| --==* RADIANT *==--   [e-mail]        Principal Graphics   |
|      ' Image `        ...!uunet!masscomp!mark       Hardware Architect   |
|     Productions       [phone] [phone]   & General Nuisance   |
|                                                                          |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


##

Subject: Dangerous Imagine Bug
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 22:43:10 PDT
From: [e-mail]

I have been getting more involved with Imagine lately andok
have run into some problems. Running Imagine 2.0, I would get
gurus during rendering, and each time, my hard drive would be
corrupted: I would have to reformat and restore the data!
After this happened twice, I realized something was wrong.

It turns out there are MANY versions of Imagine 2.0! The
are NOT labelled, but they are different. The latest
version has a file size of 575700: the one I had before was slightly
different in size. Impulse sent me this new version when I explained my
troubles. This new version seems to render faster, too.

The summary is DON'T USE THE OLD VERSIONS: they can chew up your hard
drive! Get the new one from Impulse, and warn your friends about the danger..
wasted hours and hours and lost many files because of this. Luckily
the new version seems to work great.


##

Subject: DCTV-RGB converter
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 21:08:56 EDT
From: Steve J. Lombardi <[e-mail]>

I know a lot of imagine folks use DCTV, so I thought it might be
appropriate to post a brief review of the long awaited RGB converter.

The unit is about 3X4X1 inchesin size. It plugs into the dctv units
RGB pass thru. your genlock or RGB monitor then Plugs into the
converters pass thru. This leads to a 7 inch growth of cables at
the rear of your machine! This is really my only complaint, and I minor
one at that.

After you hooked up it really doesn't matter that the manual is only
20 pages. It is truely transparent!! No more switching from RGB to
composite. The RGB converter detects the DCTV image and places the composite
data in the RGB stream seamlessly. You can now do slide shows of HAM,
DCTV, and standard IFF files without mode swithing and entirely
glitch free.  And thats only the beginning. With an external genlock
you can now mix your DCTV format Imagine-ations over live video!
If you have a genlock with dissolve sliders you can do convincing
A-B effects for cheap.

A Key level knob on the unit controls the threshold above color 0,0,0
that can become transparent to video. The level of control is reasonably
sensitive making it quite easy to adjust for different projects.

One other control on the unit is a tint knob allowing you to adjust your
RGB display to match your DCTV display.

Aside from the RGB port cancer mentioned earlier the only other
draw back is that I noticed a very mid "Softening" of my
standard RGB display. I have a newer 1084. It is super mild and
after a few minutes working with the unit I no longer even noticed it.

The transparency that the unit offers the DCTV enthusiast is amazing. You
can be working in DCTV paint, popback to workbench, run another program,
and return to DCTV without your hands leaving the mouse. You can even
pull down a screen in front of a dctv image. Both will display
perfectly.

List price is 299$ (I think) but mailorder the unit sells for 229. At
least that's what I paid through MANTA.

Gee. I forgot to mention Image Quality! After the RGB conversion the
colors are quite 'true' realative to the DCTV output (which remains
active of course). It is much easier on the Eye to work in the RGB mode
when painting as well.

Digital creations can be reached at 916-344-4825 if you have
any tech questions about the unit.

One more nifty feature that I haven't tried yet is the Mixed Mode
screen that allows you to mix dctv and standard iff imagery in the
same image. Looks promising but carries a bit of overhead in
setting up the screen



##

Subject: Just the FAQs maam.
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 15:58:38 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Wickard)

Greetings ever'body  :-)


Just sitting around wondering about how we might benefit
Imagine Users in general and I thought that perhaps a
FAQ file would be of interest. We could post it to the List
on rare occassions, and make it an optional request when someone
JOINS the List.

Would anybody (or even two or three) be interested in
generating such a file? We can discuss the specifics in private
mail should you care to author.

Naturally, the people involved would need to be fairly familiar
(or at least MORE so) with Imagine 2.0.

If you'd be interested in being one of the few, the proud,
the Imagineers.... drop me a line we can drum up a
small team to do the deed and carry the FAQ torch.

Thanks.

Dave Wickard  [phone]     "As God is my witness, I thought
[e-mail]           turkeys could fly."
[e-mail]        -Arthur Carlson (WKRP)


##

Subject: Re: Hard wood floors
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 16:21:56 CDT
From: Wayne Haufler 283-4160 <[e-mail]>

> Anyway, kudos aside, I am in need of hardwood flooring.
> At first I was going to write Steve and suggest this be put into
> Essense2 but then I got to wondering about using the Brick Texture
> along with the Wood texture to simulate wood flooring.  Has anyone
> tried this?  I guess it wouldn't have nice individually colored
> "strips" of wood, but it might pass.

> ************************************************************
> * Adam Benjamin                    [e-mail] *
> * Christian Animator           [e-mail] *
> * Disclaimer:  Nothing I say means anything to anyone that *
> *               might take it to mean something I didn't!  *

Adam,

That triggered a memory of an image that I acquired from Hubcap's
pub/amiga/imagine/pics (or something like that)  some time ago (before
Oct 91).  It was called SPIRALST.HAM, and was an image of a room with a
spiral staircase, couch, plant, light from outside windows, and, you
guessed it, wood flooring.  The Readme file for that did mention using
the brick texture along with the wood texture for that effect.

Unfortunately, I have since purged that file.  It is on a backup
tape somewhere, and I may try to recover it.  But if anyone
out there still has it (no longer on Hubcap), esp. its creator
(I don't remember who it was), could you provide at least the
readme file for it?  Thank you.

Oh, good idea for a grand application, Adam.  ;)


         __      Wayne A. Haufler   [Christian/SW Engineer/XWindows/Amigan]
\\ /\\ /\\ //_    [e-mail]    McDonnell Douglas-Houston
 \/--\// \//__    Hobby:"Exploring the Use of Computer Graphics and
     //                  Animations To Support Christian Endeavors"


##

Subject: converting DXF files
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 14:37:24 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Glenn M. Lewis ~)

>>>>> On Mon, 24 Aug 92 17:50:56 EST-10, [e-mail] (John Rowe) said:

John> Does anyone know of any programs that will convert DXF (AutoCAD)
John> object files into any object format usable by any of the popular
John> Amiga rendering programs?   [...]
John> Can anyone help??

    I looked into this, when I made the module for my T3DLIB that
converts Imagine objects to DXF, and noted that most DXF objects consist
of a bunch of polylines & polygons, which would have to be faceted.  A
few DXF objects make use of "3DFACE", but if they aren't three-sided,
they still must be faceted.

    Basically, because it takes a fair amount of time to implement
all the faceting and because my T3DLIB shareware package has received a
dismal number of registered users, I decided not to implement the
conversion.  This might change in the future.  Unfortunately, I can't
blame Essence for taking too much of my time anymore though.  :-)

                            -- Glenn


##

Subject: Imagine Improvements
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 11:05:33 +0200
From: [e-mail] (Catherine Simon)

I am a beginner at using Imagine so I have a different view point on improvements
that should be made.

Here are some things that are on my wish list, that haven't been mentioned
yet :

- give the user feedback (by greying out menus and buttons?), about which
 options are available in the particular mode being used,

- when in the detail editor give the user a warning if he saves only part
 of a grouped object (I have lost some time by being bitten by this one!).

- bundle S. Worley's book with the software!

I think these changes would be a step in the right direction to make the
Imagine learning curve less steep.




##

Subject: Opalvision
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 8:00:01 MET DST
From: Thorsten Ebers <[e-mail]>

Hi,
May someone find out if I can update to Opalvision ?
I have a Colorburst and currently I am not lucky with it,because
I have a A3000 and cannot connect to it with my Eizo 9070 monitor.

Thorsten

--
Thorsten Ebers     email: [e-mail],[e-mail]

Macht Macht Machtbesessene machtbesessenner,
oder macht Macht machtbesessen,oder Macht macht machtbesessen,
was macht Macht.Machtbesessen oder machtbesessenner ?


##

Subject: DXF conversion
Date: 25 Aug 92 13:03:01 EDT
From: "Syndesis Corp/J. Foust" <[e-mail]>

To: >internet: [e-mail]

On Mon, 24 Aug 92 17:50:56 EST-10, [e-mail] writes:
  > Does anyone know of any programs that will convert DXF (AutoCAD)
  > object files into any object format usable by any of the popular

On Mon, 24 Aug 92 14:37:24 PDT, [e-mail] writes:

  > I looked into this, when I made the module for my T3DLIB that
  > converts Imagine objects to DXF, and noted that most DXF objects consist
  > of a bunch of polylines & polygons, which would have to be faceted.  A
  > few DXF objects make use of "3DFACE", but if they aren't three-sided,
  > they still must be faceted.

DXF has dozens of ways to represent things.  It's a terrible format
for 3D exchange.  It has no color or surface info, short of "pen
numbers" that do not correspond to any specific color.  It does not
have a non-ambiguous way to represent a 3D polygon-like entity with
more than four sides.  3DFACEs can have three or four sides.  There
are many other headaches with it, too.

  > Basically, because it takes a fair amount of time to implement
  > all the faceting and because my T3DLIB shareware package has received a
  > dismal number of registered users, I decided not to implement the
  > conversion.  This might change in the future.  Unfortunately, I can't
  > blame Essence for taking too much of my time anymore though.  :-)

Welcome to the world of Amiga development.  With the release of
Essence, I think you'll experience the time-invested versus pay-off
of the Amiga market.  I think it's important to stress the difference
between what you get in a shareware package versus commercial
software.

Syndesis released a DXF Converter about two years ago.  We also
licensed our DXF-reading conversion code to NewTek for inclusion in
Toaster 2.0.  Our new price for the add-on DXF Converter is $150, and
for all those who purchased it in the past, there's a special deal:
they get a free upgrade to InterChange Plus and the new DXF
Converter.

It reads and writes DXF, including the faceting of polygons into 3-
and 4-sided 3DFACEs.  I think it's clear our translator is superior
to the other commercial and shareware translators.  We take a very
serious, professional attitude about DXF translation.  We're
registered Autodesk developers, and we actually use AutoCAD and 3D
Studio on a regular basis.

I wrote an article that appeared last summer in Avid that warned of
the many hassles involved with DXF.  For example, clients will send
objects composed of 2D entities, or disconnected 3D entities, and
expect you to create beautiful walk-throughs - yet the "walls" will
be nothing more than edges hanging in space, or better yet, they give
you a purely 2D drawing with three orthogonal views (top, left and
side) of the building, insisting that it's a "3D" object.

To assist people interested in Amiga 3D and DXF, I've revised and
updated this article.  Syndesis is selling this article and the
entire DXF Converter manual for just $10, refundable when you
purchase the Converter.  In this way, you can get a feel for what our
Converter can do without risking $150.

We're about to release InterChange Plus.  If you'd like a copy of the
newsletter that describes our product line, call or write:

Syndesis Corporation
N9353 Benson Road
Brooklyn, WI 53521
[phone]
[phone]

and give us your address.  If you own a Syndesis product and haven't
registered yet, or have moved since you registered, please send us
your new address.





##

Subject: Re: Hard wood floors
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 92 19:51:29 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Alan Price)

Howdy,
It's kinda nice to be remembered sometimes, thanks! I made the pic
called SpiralStairs.ham that was on hubcap. I still have it on a disk
somewhere but I think the readme file is long gone since it was removed
from hubcap during last spring cleaning.

At the time, I posted it 'cuz I was so proud of the spiral staircase I
made, but the floor was a new trick I find I still use. However last time
I made a wood floor, I used a tiled and mirrored brush map of actual
digitized wood grain, then over that I laid the 'brick' texture. This
proved to be much more effective looking if your camera gets real close
to the floor. (I was never to happy with the results of the wood texture
and favor a brushmap, but perhaps Essence will solve that.) The brick
texture is simply applied with much longer steps along the z axis and
a offset staggering along the x axis. The color of the motor is the color
you want the 'cracks' between the wood planks to be. ( ^^^^^ "mortar"!)
Add a little reflectively to the floor and you've got it waxed and
polished with little effort!

AP.



##

Subject: Help with Essence mold-growing
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 17:42:04 CDT
From: Wayne Haufler 283-4160 <[e-mail]>

I have a few questions about applying Essence.
I've been trying to use three Essence textures - radialfract,
radialturb, and bump - in that order on an object consisting of 3D
letters.  The radialfract and radialturb (using them both for
comparison) are applied in two different places and are applied like
the mold example on page 92 in the manual, but for a rusting effect.

The object used to be one disjointed object, and the spots appeared,
but the colors were wrong; gray spot on green object, instead of
red spot on gray object.  I had thought that the texture color is
the color inside the fractal bound spot, but it is the outside color.
But once I switched them (object color = red, texture color = gray)
I got a green spot on a gray object.  Again green instead of red.
[1] Why?  Are the red and gray combining somehow?  The texture Fade is 0.0.
So shouldn't it completely replace the object's color?

[2] Since the texture color defines the object color (outside the spot)
what would happen if TWO such textures applied to the same object
defined DIFFERENT conflicting colors. Perhaps I'll try it and find out.

A further problem developed once I split the 3D word into separate but
grouped letters.  Incidently, when I asked Imagine 2.0 to slice
this disjointed object, it automatically split the disjointed
pieces (letters) into separate objects and grouped them.  No slicing
plane object was necessary.  I was not aware of this, were ya'll?
That's a convenient feature.  :)

The textures were then applied to the parent object (an axis) and told to
"Apply to Children".  The bump texture appears to have taken, but the
radialturb and radialfract have not.  They are nowhere to be seen.
[3] Why?

Of course, I could apply the textures separately to each letter that
is affected, and I will try that, but I'd like to know why this doesn't work.
Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions?

I'm not complaining.  This Essence set of textures is an AMAZINGLY
POWERFUL TOOL!  Thank you Steve Worley and company.

[4] Another question.  How can I animate a mold-like spot starting
from nothing, widths of zero?  Since there are various widths involved,
would you do it in two phases?  First phase starting out with all widths
set to zero, and ending up set to the desired transition widths.
The second phase would hold the transition widths constant, but just
increase the overall width.  Or is there a better way?

I hope I am making sense.  Thanks for any answers.


         __      Wayne A. Haufler   [Christian/SW Engineer/XWindows/Amigan]
\\ /\\ /\\ //_    [e-mail]    McDonnell Douglas-Houston
 \/--\// \//__    Hobby:"Exploring the Use of Computer Graphics and
     //                  Animations To Support Christian Endeavors"



##

Subject: DCTV & Imagine
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 92 01:30:15 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Michael Linton)

Hello all, I recently went on a spending spree, and picked up a few
goodies I've had on my list for awhile now.  One of which, was DCTV.  I
know there are many people out there that have DCTV, and I would
appreciate it if people could give me a few hints on using it with
Imagine (like I've heard mention of a "letter boxed" screen using
Imagine, to speed up the animation play back).  I've been using it for
the past week or so, and have been more than satisfied with it's
output... Infact, it's better than I ever imagined (I bought it without
ever using it).  The only thing that has me kinda worried, is that the
colour red, no matter how "legal" the colour, gets rather blocky on a
black background.  Instead of looking as if it were in 736x482, it looks
more like it's in 320x200.  Is this a common problem with DCTV, or did I
get a bum-DCTV (like everything else I've ever purchased).  Also, for
those who wanted me to render a 24bit version of "Mask of The Red Oak
Desk" you just might get one, eventually. :)  Also, I faxed Digital
Creations a couple of days back, prasing their paint program, and I also
asked a few questions.  One of which was on the new RGB converter.  If
anyone is interested in reading about it, I have a 2 page fax here
explaining what it is, complete with a diagram, and installation
instructions.  Just say the word.  Anyway, 'nuff said. TTYAL



[e-mail]
The Inquiring Mind BBS, Winnipeg, Manitoba  204 488-1607


##

Subject: Imagine for PC
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 16:19:35 METDST
From: Marco Pugliese <[e-mail]>

Any news about Imagine for PC?
(I just bought a 486-33.....and so....)
                                        Thankyou.
--
                                               CIAO.

===============================================================================
  Marco Pugliese   *| Dipartimento di Scienze |* [e-mail]
  via Roncaglia 13 *|    dell'Informazione    |* [e-mail]
  20146 MILANO     *|        ---------        |* [e-mail]
  ITALY            *|  Universita' di MILANO  |* [e-mail]
===============================================================================


##

Subject: Chrome, how to?
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 08:26:19 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

I am having a lot of trouble getting chrome obects to look "real".
They alway look dull, flat, and gray.  I'm sure it has to do with the
global brushmap in the action editor, I have tried a few different
gradient shade pictures but the chrome things still look, well, boring
I guess.
I am using the chrome attributes from Steve's book, so I think those
are alright.
What do you (all) use for a brushmap when you are dealing with highly
reflective things?  Do you just use gradient maps or do you need real
pictures (sharp colors, contrasts) to make the chrome look like
chrome?  Or am I doing something else wrong?

Thanks,

Adam B.
************************************************************
* Adam Benjamin                    [e-mail] *
* Christian Animator           [e-mail] *
* Disclaimer:  Nothing I say means anything to anyone that *
*               might take it to mean something I didn't!  *



##

Subject: Chrome and metal?
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 12:26:40 MDT
From: [e-mail] (Ben Scott)

Following on the heels of the question about chrome, I was wondering -
how can I get a brushed steel surface?  I'm trying to do a sort of
embossed metal doors like the T2 logo.  I can get metal just fine, and
I'm trying to adapt the Disturbed texture settings to get small enough
to make those little lines but it's not working too well.  Does anyone
have any better ideas?  I'd really like to get the texture so fine that
I get a sort of matte surface - clearly metal, but not specularly
reflective at all.  Simply turning off specular reflection does little.

.                     <<<<Infinite K>>>>

--
.---------------------------------------------------------------------------.
|Ben Scott, professional goof-off and consultant at The Raster Image, Denver|
|Internet [e-mail], or call the Arvada 68K BBS at [phone].|
|--------------------------------------..-----------------------------------|
|"Sing distinctly? We don't wanna! Buy ||The Raster Image IS responsible for|
| our album, we're Nirvana!"- Weird Al ||everything I say!  ** Amiga Power**|
`--------------------------------------'`-----------------------------------'


##

Subject: Re:  P?
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 11:41:30 -0700
From: Jeff Walkup <[e-mail]>

Actually, word is Impulse will be releasing Imagine3.0 for Amiga as soon as
the PC version is out... so it *does* have some relevance to this list.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with Imagine-PC owners joining this list,
after all, it's the same program...


##

Subject: Re:  P?
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 15:35:04 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

In a previous message [e-mail] writes:
>Personally, I see nothing wrong with Imagine-PC owners joining this
>list, after all, it's the same program...

I have to agree, it would be wrong to shut out other Imagineers simply
because they chose a cheaper yet faster platform to render on. {grin}.

************************************************************
* Adam Benjamin                    [e-mail] *
* Christian Animator           [e-mail] *
* Disclaimer:  Nothing I say means anything to anyone that *
*               might take it to mean something I didn't!  *



##

Subject: chrome
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 17:06:26 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Kevin Kodama)

Adam Benjamin asks about getting a decent chrome-
when I want an object to look like "chrome", as opposed to acting
like chrome, (in other words, just look good, not behave in a real
world fashion) I use a global brushmap consisting of a couple of
blurry black blobs on a white background-(actually, lightwave comes
with a very decent black and white blobby image for this)
then set my object for reflective-

The real question is usually, do you want your object to reflect in a
realistic manner, or do you just want it to look good :) ?

There IS a difference ! the black blobby image map is not an accurate
way to model something, in terms of what you would actually see-but it
is very effective in *representing* what you want to see.

sometimes ray tracers can be *too* accurate in how they represent things-
this often results in unwanted or unexpected images...

kevin
[e-mail]


##

Subject: brushed metal
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 17:11:38 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Kevin Kodama)

Ben Scott is looking for a decent brushed steel surface...
in lightwave, brushed metal is fractal bumps elongated greatly along
the x axis-if you have Essence, a similar technique may also be possible.
Steve Worley also mentioned using his very useful "wavebrush.iff" brushmap
(available on the disk with the excellent Understanding Imagine 2.0 book )
and stretching it out as a repeating altitude map-

any other ideas ?

kevin
[e-mail]


##

Subject: Re:P?
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 13:12:45 METDST
From: Marco Pugliese <[e-mail]>

...and, if you don't mind, I am actually a quite wise Amiga's Imagine user, but
anyway, since I own an A2000 and a 486 (with an 32k color display), I'd prefer
producin my animations on my PC!
And, if I can give for the first time my opinion on this bad theme that is
Amiga vs. PC, I just want to say that the only thing that makes Amiga UNDER PC are certain Amiga owners, that treat their computer like a baseball team, not
like a very serious and innovative machine.
                                 Sorry to anyone that can be hurt by my ideas.

--
                                               CIAO.

===============================================================================
  Marco Pugliese   *| Dipartimento di Scienze |* [e-mail]
  via Roncaglia 13 *|    dell'Informazione    |* [e-mail]
  20146 MILANO     *|        ---------        |* [e-mail]
  ITALY            *|  Universita' di MILANO  |* [e-mail]
===============================================================================


##

Subject: Re:  Chrome, how to?
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 09:58 MET DST
From: [e-mail] (Pedro Dias)

(About the chrome attribute)

In most of the cases, whenever working with crome, I've learned that the
thing to do is to seal off the entire scene with walls ans roof, so that the
crome has something to reflect.
Even though my experiments with a global brush and crome are few, I've learned that they do not make justice to the cromed objects.

In those cases, I've found that adding the steel attribute to any brush-map, texturewill give a highly cromed effect, without the loss of reflections or that
crome-feel that you're after.

Pedro Dias, Sweden


##

Subject: Waving Flag
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 09:41:15 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Raoul Kaltenhaeuser)

For the many people who don't have any idea how and for what purpose to use
Igensurf and T3D-Lib (like me two weeks ago:-)I include a little ARexx-Script
which creates a waving flag. Map your preferred emblem onto each object and
morph them in action editor. The listing should not be too difficult to
understand and can be adjusted to fit your needs (i.e. more phases, other
function etc). Feel free to play around with it. (I hereby declare it as public
domain and refuse any responsability for anything:-)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/*      Program creates a sequence of Imagine objects
        which can be morphed and will show a moving flag.
        Igensurf (written Helge E. Rasmussen) and readwrite
        (from Glen Lewis' T3D-Lib) must be in your search
        path.
        Created by Raoul Kaltenhaeuser, GrafikMaschine
        14-Aug-1992
*/

PHASES = 6                              /* Number of objects to create*/

BASENAME = "Flag"
Command:
PATH_I = "T:"                           /* Path for Igensurf-created TTDDD-Files*/
PATH_RW = "Ram:"                        /* Path for ReadWrite's final TDDD-Files*/
OPTIONPRE = "-s 30 -t 1 -p -S 100"      /* Options for Igensurf */

PI = 3.1415927

REC = 1/(2*PI)                                  /* Reciproke of 2*PI */

/* My Version of igensurf does not accept "*" in the commandline(!?!), so I have to
divide s by the reciproke of 2*PI (later in EXPRESSION) instead of multiplying */

INTERVALL = 2*PI/PHASES

ADDRESS command

DO i=1 to PHASES
        NAME = BASENAME||i
        EXPRESSION ='"x(s,t)=s; z(s,t)=t; y(s,t)=sin(s/'||REC||'+t-'||INTERVALL*i||')/5"'
                                                /* Formula to create flag */
        OPTIONS = OPTIONPRE||" -e "||EXPRESSION||" -o "||PATH_I||NAME||" -n "||NAME
        say OPTIONS
        igensurf OPTIONS
        readwrite "-t "||PATH_I||NAME||" "||PATH_RW||NAME||".iob"
        delete PATH_I||NAME
END
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I would suggest that other people that have interesting scripts (e.g. for
ADPro/ImageMaster etc) that are not too big should publish them so everybody can
learn of them.  (Actually this is one purpose of this mailing list.)

BTW, next week I am flying from Germany to New York. I want to do a six week
hitch hiking tour through the states (east to west and back) and I am interested
in meeting other members of this list personally. If you email me your address
and I come through your town, perhaps I'll drop in.

Greetings, Raoul

      ................................................
      :  Raoul Kaltenhaeuser   /    GrafikMaschine   :
      :  [e-mail]   :
      :..............................................:



##

Subject: Essence
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 92 12:37:37 PDT
From: [e-mail] (don hirschfeld)

For those who are waiting for Steve Worley's Essence to come out, I
talked to him last night. Because of printing problems with the cover,
shipments to retailers will be delayed for another 1-2 weeks. I bought a
copy from him, but have not used it much since I got home late last
night.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[e-mail] (don hirschfeld)
Micro-Medic BBS                                                [phone]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


##

Subject: WOC in pasadina
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 14:19:54 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Jonathan Trachtenberg)


How many others are going to be at the show in Pasadina. Rumor says they'll be
introducing the A4000 and the AA chip set there. I'd love to met other Imagine
list members there, who's going?

  ___________________________________________________________________________
 /  [e-mail]                                          |     //         \
|Oh, you're just gettin weird...and that results in creativ-|    //Only Amiga |
|ity" -Joel MST3K|Virtual Reality is the future of safe sex.|\\ //  makes it  |
 \__________________________________________________________|_\X/___possible_/


##

Subject: At last, a fix for Imagine's Menus
Date: 01 Sep 1992 17:49:04 -0600 (MDT)
From: John Zollinger <[e-mail]>

Greetings Fellow Imagineers,

I recently came across a little program on Portal that fixed a problem
that had been bugging me for quite some time.  The biggest thing about
Imagine 2.0 that bugged me was the unreadable menus...GAG!  I just
uploaded "SiliconMenus.lha" and "SiliconMenus.doc" to hubcap.  The
lha file contains the doc file.  The files are quite small, only 12K.

The program in a nutshell, replaces the regular Amiga menus with some
spiffy 3D'ish ones like those you would find on a Silicon Graphics
machine.  (So the docs say, I personally have not been fortunate enough
to have worked on one.)  One nice feature of the menus is that they
fix the annoying blurred text in Imagine.  The text still has a shadow
to it, but the colors are very contrasting and it looks very nice.
(I am using the default colors).  The menus also pop to where the mouse
is at so you don't have to move to the top,  among some nifty other
things.  Anyway, check it out.  It is in the "wbench2" directory.

John Zollinger
[e-mail]

P.S.  I found that I had to remove the CPUBlit program that I was using
      to get it to work.


##

Subject: WOC in pasadEna
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 15:39:37 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Jonathan Trachtenberg)


Ack, Pasadena, sorry about that. In response to Andy I believe it is next weekend
(11-13).

  ___________________________________________________________________________
 /  [e-mail]                                          |     //         \
|Oh, you're just gettin weird...and that results in creativ-|    //Only Amiga |
|ity" -Joel MST3K|Virtual Reality is the future of safe sex.|\\ //  makes it  |
 \__________________________________________________________|_\X/___possible_/


##

Subject: Re:  WOC in pasadina
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 19:39:12 MDT
From: [e-mail] (Ben Scott)

I will be at the World of Commodore and I'm working on organizing a Usenet
get-together there.  If/when I finalize the details (the idea right now is
to meet somewhere nearby for pizza, around noon Saturday) they will be
posted on comp.sys.amiga.announce.  I'm sure we can sort out Imagine list
members while there - maybe just all wear nametags listing our affiliations.

.                            <<<<Infinite K>>>>

--
.---------------------------------------------------------------------------.
|Ben Scott, professional goof-off and consultant at The Raster Image, Denver|
|Internet [e-mail], or call the Arvada 68K BBS at [phone].|
>------------------------------------------..-------------------------------<
|"Doesn't know when he's beaten, this chap,/\The Raster Image IS responsible|
|doesn't know when he's winning, either..."| \for everything I say!  *Amiga*|
`------------------------------------------' `------------------------------'


##

Subject: Essence Pix
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 21:02:56 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Steven)

A quick note: If any of you have any pictures you've made with
Essence, I would LOVE to see them. Sure, you all know that I can make
cool pix myself, but you would be surprised how little time I have to
render anymore! :-(

So I'm looking for nice examples, possibly even for $$$! Send me a
JPEG, post it to Hubcap, or even give me a phone call at Apex
(415-322-7532).  I'm sure a lot of people would like to see how far
you can push these textures!

Thanks!

-Steve
[e-mail]


##

Subject: Re: Essence Questions
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 20:59:24 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Steven)

Wayne A. Haufler  writes:

Wayne: I have a few questions about applying Essence. I've
Wayne: been trying to use three Essence textures -
Wayne: radialfract, radialturb, and bump - in that order on an
Wayne: object consisting of 3D letters.  The radialfract and
Wayne: radialturb (using them both for comparison) are applied
Wayne: in two different places and are applied like the mold
Wayne: example on page 92 in the manual, but for a rusting
Wayne: effect.

Wayne: The object used to be one disjointed object, and the
Wayne: spots appeared, but the colors were wrong; gray spot on
Wayne: green object, instead of red spot on gray object.  I
Wayne: had thought that the texture color is the color inside
Wayne: the fractal bound spot, but it is the outside color.

Yup: the outside is colored, in order to keep consistent with the
way the Impulse texture "Radial" works. So you make the default
color of the object the color you want applied to the center.

Wayne: But once I switched them (object color = red, texture
Wayne: color = gray) I got a green spot on a gray object.
Wayne: Again green instead of red.

Wayne: [1] Why?  Are the red and gray combining somehow?  The
Wayne: texture Fade is 0.0.  So shouldn't it completely
Wayne: replace the object's color?

Yes, it should! I didn't have any problem doing this with my
version. There is one explanation though: Essence gives you a
feature that allows you to "turn off" a channel of color by setting
the color parameter to -1. Actually, if you set the value <0 or
>255 it will turn off color application. If you set a gray color
but accidentally set (say) red =277 or -100, the gray will become
aqua-green, since red+green+blue=gray but green+blue=aqua.

Here's a quick test: take a default plane (10 by 10 sections, default
parameters.) Set the surface color to 255 0 0 (bright red.)  Add the
Radialfract texture. Change the added color to 100 100 100.  This is
exactly your "Red object with gray outside" example you are trying to
create. I get a nice ragged red spot dead center on the square with
grey outside when I quickrender: this is what you would expect. If
your copy of Essence doesn't do this, something REALLY screwy is going
on. But my guess is that one of the color parameters is misset.

Wayne: [2] Since the texture color defines the object color
Wayne: (outside the spot) what would happen if TWO such
Wayne: textures applied to the same object defined DIFFERENT
Wayne: conflicting colors. Perhaps I'll try it and find out.

Well, "object color" is a very vague descriptor.  But yes, the
Radial textures define the color OUTSIDE a ragged radius.  If you
added two textures, two things might happen: if the second texture
had a LARGER radius than the first, you'd see the center with the
original object color, a ring of the color added by the first
texture, then everyting outside a second ring colored with the
second color. If the second texture had a radius SMALLER than the
first texture, it would cover it up: you'd see just two colors,
with the original object color still at the center.

It's like layers of paint, added with a stencil: you can cover up any
area you want to leave unchanged, and spray the rest with opaque color.

Wayne: A further problem developed once I split the 3D word
Wayne: into separate but grouped letters. The textures were
Wayne: then applied to the parent object (an axis) and told to
Wayne: "Apply to Children".  The bump texture appears to have
Wayne: taken, but the radialturb and radialfract have not.
Wayne: They are nowhere to be seen.

Wayne:  [3] Why?

It DOES apply to the child objects. But the texture axis (which
defines the center of the texture for ALL the objects) does not
change for each object. That is, if you have the texture adding a
ragged ring of color around the letter "O", you won't get a ring
around each of the letters: the other letters will be completely
outside the radius where the transition is being applied, since
they are so far from the "O". They will be colored with the texture
color, but they won't have the ragged boundary.  Since the Bump
texture doesn't have a "radius of influence" like the Radialturb
texture, it applies to all surfaces equally.

The upshot: if you want a turbulent ring on each letter, you'll
have to put a turbulent ring on each letter. :-)

Wayne: Of course, I could apply the textures separately to
Wayne: each letter that is affected, and I will try that, but
Wayne: I'd like to know why this doesn't work.  Does anybody
Wayne: have any ideas or suggestions?

Wayne: I'm not complaining.  This Essence set of textures is
Wayne: an AMAZINGLY POWERFUL TOOL!  Thank you Steve Worley and
Wayne: company.

You are more than welcome. :-)

Wayne: [4] Another question.  How can I animate a mold-like
Wayne: spot starting from nothing, widths of zero?  Since
Wayne: there are various widths involved, would you do it in
Wayne: two phases?  First phase starting out with all widths
Wayne: set to zero, and ending up set to the desired
Wayne: transition widths.  The second phase would hold the
Wayne: transition widths constant, but just increase the
Wayne: overall width.  Or is there a better way?

Yup, you can do it in two phases like that, and that's probably a
good way of doing it. You might even morph the Fade value for that
first step, too, so the introduction is very smooth.  Another way
of starting a sudden transition "birth" might be to set up the
standard "sweep" by moving the texture axis, but then restrict the
texture to a subgroup. Only when the texture hits that subgroup
will the effects be shown, and that way you don't have to futz with
two sequential morphs.

Wayne: I hope I am making sense.  Thanks for any answers.

No problem! Have fun rendering!

-Steve
[e-mail]




##

Subject: Re: Essence Questions
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 10:30:54 CDT
From: Wayne Haufler 283-4160 <[e-mail]>

Steve Worley writes,

> It's like layers of paint, added with a stencil: you can cover up any
> area you want to leave unchanged, and spray the rest with opaque color.

Yes, that's a good analogy.  So the order of the textures is important,
I keep forgetting.

> It DOES apply to the child objects. But the texture axis (which
> defines the center of the texture for ALL the objects) does not
> change for each object. That is, if you have the texture adding a

Oh, of course.  That makes sense of what I saw.

> The upshot: if you want a turbulent ring on each letter, you'll
> have to put a turbulent ring on each letter. :-)

Yep, that's what I ended up doing.  A bit of a pain, but it worked.
So, if I want one mold spot to start at one letter and grow over to another,
I would need to add the same texture, with the axises in the same place,
to both letters, even though the texture axis is outside of the second
letter.  I tried this and it did not seem to work, but I need to look
at it again.  Perhaps it did not grow far enough.

Thanks, Steve,  for your excellent-as-always explanations.

> A quick note: If any of you have any pictures you've made with
> Essence, I would LOVE to see them.

Sure, once I am satisfied with it.
I also am working on a Pillar of Fire object and animation,
as an extension of the sun corona example in the manual.
Its "way cool", as they say, but needs a lot of tweaking.


         __      Wayne A. Haufler   [Christian/SW Engineer/XWindows/Amigan]
\\ /\\ /\\ //_    [e-mail]    McDonnell Douglas-Houston
 \/--\// \//__    Hobby:"Exploring the Use of Computer Graphics and
     //                  Animations To Support Christian Endeavors"


##

Subject: Essence
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 12:37:58 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Elizabeth E Sack)

Steve,

Any plans to do Essence/Toaster??

I would like that :)


##

Subject: Silicon Graphics Menus?????
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 12:36:17 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Elizabeth E Sack)

A couple of letters ago someone posted about a new menuing system for the Amiga.
He said that it cleared up Imagine's requesters.  The letter said that the
archive was put up at wuarchive.wustl.edu

Well, I have looked and looked and looked--and I can't find it.

Of course you wuarchive's directory tree is GAWD AWFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can the poster please tell me the *EXACT* menu it is in.  I will need the
entire path--from root down---or I will probably miss it.  Or can you plese
(er please) just post it up at amiga.physik.unizh.ch   so it will be
mirrored everywhere.


Jeff


##

Subject: Animbrushes
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 15:43:49 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Thomas E. Smith [LORAL])

I'm trying to animate a brush that I have (pic.0001 to pic.0015) in a 30 frame
animation. According to Steve's book Understanding Imagine 2.0 he write's:

  If you render more frames than the "Max Sequence Number," the brushes
  will repeat themselves starting from the beginning again.

This is what I want the animated brush to do, but what happens is that it
uses each picture for 2 consecutive frames of the animation, ie
 1 1  2 2  3 3  4 4 ...
instead of
 1 2 3 4 ... 1 2 3 4 ...

Can anyone shed any light on this?

                                                Tom the Smith


##

Subject: Re: P?
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 10:14:13 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Wayne Summer)

:...and, if you don't mind, I am actually a quite wise Amiga's Imagine user, but
:anyway, since I own an A2000 and a 486 (with an 32k color display), I'd prefer p
:roducin my animations on my PC!
:And, if I can give for the first time my opinion on this bad theme that is Amiga
: vs. PC, I just want to say that the only thing that makes Amiga UNDER PC are ce
: rtain Amiga owners, that treat their computer like a baseball team, not like a v
: ery serious and innovative machine.
:                                 Sorry to anyone that can be hurt by my ideas.
:
:--
:                                               CIAO.
:
:===============================================================================
:  Marco Pugliese   *| Dipartimento di Scienze |* [e-mail]
:  via Roncaglia 13 *|    dell'Informazione    |* [e-mail]
:  20146 MILANO     *|        ---------        |* [e-mail]
:  ITALY            *|  Universita' di MILANO  |* [e-mail]
:===============================================================================
:

I bash IBMs every chance I get.  Why?  Because I own one as well as two A2000s
and I much prefer using my Amiga, except some things have to be done on the IBM
because of software.  I use the machine that does the best job.

I do think that we will have to stop bashing the IBM clowns since imagine will
soon be available for the IBM and there will be a lot of users reading this list.

There is NO need for for this list to degenerate into flame wars!

Wayne

 |=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^=^|
 | Wayne Summer        //        AMIGA - Simply the Best.       |
 | Palm Bay, FL.     \X/                                        |
 | 407/724-6305                 [e-mail]    |
 |=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v=v|


##

Subject: Twisting in the cycle editor.
Date: Thu, 03 Sep 92 14:05:12 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

I was working for the first time in the cycle editor and I wanted to
do a simple rotation (exactly like wheels turning on a car.) I got the
cycle all set up (with an extra axis to get the rotation correct)
but I was wondering how do I get the rotation to be smooth when I
can't tell the link how much to twist?  It would be simple if I could
make 2 keys of 120 degrees each, but I see no provision for keyboard
input.  Won't the rotation be jerky or uneven if the twist isn't the
same for each keyframe?  Also Steve's book mentioned a bug whereas you
couldn't get cycle to work with axis only assignments.  Where does
this show up? In the cycle editor it seems to work ok for me?
(I have 2.0)
Thanks again for your continued help!
This list is great!

*************************************************************
* Adam Benjamin                     [e-mail] *
* Spokesmen for Club Paradise    [e-mail]*
* Members ONLY (John 3:3)     NOT a spokesman for Zenith D. *
*************************************************************



##

Subject: re COMPETITION
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 19:11 GMT
From: Gary Whiteley - Amiga Shopper <[e-mail]>

As the first mailing got eaten by the recent hard drive collapse
I'll try again!

With regard to the Imagine competition, I was wondering what
resolution PAL users should render their animations/pix in,
since they are likely to be larger in dimension than their
NTSC counterparts and may cause display problems on the judging
machines.

Any comments or suggestions?

Gary Whiteley


##

Subject: Morphing HELP!@#
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 17:47:46 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Toaster Man)

Fellow Imagineers...

Im just moving off of LIghtwave 2.0 to Imagine.. I had to sell my VT :(
Any Im having some probs with imagine..  Its a bit complicated than lightwave
I think.. Altho I bought SW book understadning Imagine 2.0 which he does a good
job explaining things.. But their is this little paragraphics on pg 104
about morphing which just doesnt seem to be sinking in my head.

:(

anyway im doing that kinda T2 morph when the t1000 comes up out of the
checkecer floor.
Im doing a simple animation first with just a simple head and after i figure
a few things out its off to a complex scene..

anyway...

I have 2 objects.. stretchedhead and head.  The strechtedhead has been sized
down the y-axis so that its flat then I sized x,y,z to make it a flat plane.
Now I load the strechedhead into the stage editor and set up my lights and
camera.  Then off to the Action editor. how do i get obj1 to morph with obj2.
I know its probably something simple but im missing it :( ugggg

whats a good frame rate for morphing?


Steve Tietze
VisioNary Graphics.



##

Subject: Re: WOC in pasadina
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 13:56:34 PST
From: [e-mail] (**)

In <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Jonathan Trachtenberg) writes:
>
> How many others are going to be at the show in Pasadina. Rumor says they'll be
> introducing the A4000 and the AA chip set there. I'd love to met other Imagine
> list members there, who's going?
>
>   ___________________________________________________________________________
>  /  [e-mail]                                          |     //         \
> |Oh, you're just gettin weird...and that results in creativ-|    //Only Amiga |
> |ity" -Joel MST3K|Virtual Reality is the future of safe sex.|\\ //  makes it  |
>  \__________________________________________________________|_\X/___possible_/
>

I'll be there!  I to hope to meet A bunch of you guys. :)



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[e-mail]        Amiga Animator, President of PSI Animations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------



##

Subject: Silver Attribute
Date: 03 Sep 92 23:14:35 MDT
From: [e-mail]

I doubt this got out the first time, so here it goes again..  If anyone has
succesfully done a silver attribute, PLEASE let me know what settings you used!
Basically, I want a silver, that will reflect, (well, any silver will do even) but not require anything else in the scene to make it reflect.  Any/all help/info will be
apprieciated!



##

Subject: Re: Morphing HELP!@#
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 92 09:47:56 EDT
From: Mark Thompson <[e-mail]>

> Im just moving off of LIghtwave 2.0 to Imagine.. I had to sell my VT :(

If it's not too late, get that Toaster back or else when you see LightWave
3.0 you will kick yourself silly!! It is awe inspiring and will redifine
what you think of as PC based animation. By all means, continue to learn
Imagine....but don't sell that Toaster. Best-o-luck on your morph.
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|      `       '        Mark Thompson                 CONCURRENT COMPUTER  |
| --==* RADIANT *==--   [e-mail]        Principal Graphics   |
|      ' Image `        ...!uunet!masscomp!mark       Hardware Architect   |
|     Productions       [phone] [phone]   & General Nuisance   |
|                                                                          |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


##

Subject: Re: Silicon Graphics Menus?????
Date:     Fri, 4 Sep 1992 10:20:35 -0400
From: John J Humpal <[e-mail]>

Silicon Menu is actually on hubcap in pub/amiga/incoming/wbench2 and is
called something like Silicon.lha.  I just d/l'ed it last night and it
looks very nice.

--
-John

John J. Humpal -- [e-mail] -- short .sig, std. disclaimer



##

Subject: The Definition
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 92 15:54:15 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Wickard)

After my recent posting asking for volunteers for the
Imagine Mailing List FAQ team, I got a few notes asking
me what a FAQ actually *is*.

Pardon me, it is my fault for assuming that everyone knew.

A FAQ file is a frequently-asked-questions file.
It's purpose is to cut down mail volume since people can
keep the file on their own drive and look up common problems
quickly.

The most likely way for us to generate a Frequently Asked Question
file would be to take the entire Imagine Mailing List archives,
and sift through them searching for keywords. This would take
several people most likely.

The work could be divided up by subject matter, or by
dates, or whatever. Naturally, the Imagineers working on
this glorious endeavor ;-) would receive full credit for
their efforts as well as the thanks of trillions of people
in generations yet to be born. MOST helpful would be
people willing to continue the upkeep of the FAQ
in a quarterly or semi-annual update.

If you were hesitant to volunteer before...I promise
it won't hurt a bit. It will also give you a chance to
work with, and get to know a couple other members of the
List.

Drop me a line if you'd like to help.

Dave Wickard  [phone]  "Jerry, those sidewalk ramps aren't for
[e-mail]        skateboards, they're for the handicapped."
[e-mail]     "Well that's even WORSE! Handicapped people
                               are the LAST ones who should be on skateboards!"
                               -Jerry Hubbard and Barth Gimble- America 2 Nite



##

Subject: Contest Update
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 92 15:27:45 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Dave Wickard)

Gary Whiteley erupts:    ;-)

>With regard to the Imagine competition, I was wondering what
>resolution PAL users should render their animations/pix in,
>since they are likely to be larger in dimension than their
>NTSC counterparts and may cause display problems on the judging
>machines.
>
>Any comments or suggestions?

Well I figured this was something that only the
judges themselves could decide, so I gave Mike
Halvorson of Impulse a call a few minutes ago.

He told me that there would be no problem with
PAL format at all. Tell them to do it however
they'd like, is the exact quote.

-----------------------------------------------------
About the large 44K Contest description file,
if you have distributed it, would you be kind enough
to drop me a line telling me where you placed it?

It would be nice to be able to make sure that it
covers at least all the major nets and systems.
-----------------------------------------------------

Dave Wickard  [phone]  "In America, all you need
[e-mail]        to make it is an idea!"
[e-mail]     "Well, I'm licked then."
                               (from the Simpsons)


##

Subject: Waves? (animation)
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 92 17:55:46 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Toaster Man)

hello..


I have a question for imagine gurus.  How do I creat waves?  I have a good
wave texture but i dont know where to go from their.  any help..

Steve



##

Subject: Argh!!!
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 92 12:09:14 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Andrew Denton)

       I thought ide vent some nightmareish  frustration on The imagine
mailing list...  So if all else failes, delete this message now, before
your head explodes alont with mine....

       I'm Sick of imagine!!!!!! Its a great program for the money, but
Ive reached its limits and I'm loosing hope on it.... Zack Knudsen <sp>
wherever you are... Please help me with my insanity!!!  Imagine needs
real image mapping, not image projection on some surface!! Also the effects
and clean rendering of Lightwave is BLOWING away Imagine, its neato things
like lense flare and hundreds of nice qirks are driving my insane!!! I
personaly would love to get Lightwave and am at the point of buying a toaster
to get it.... BUT I have 2 amigas, and would have to buy 2 toasters for
them to render on both.... I was chatting with allen hastings <he Liked my
raytraces and my modeling and said i should be makeing money with my stuff
wich i find is a great compliment, but going comercial isnt my goal>
and his and newtek's support are verry nice... As a matter of fact im fre
idns with several people that work for newtek... but I use imagine because
of the price and the lack of needing a toaster... I home imagine 3.0
<err hope> will improve some things like its image mapping, just to
releave some of my obvious insanity... Especialy when Allen told me
that the new Lighwave will be able to move objects animated without
segmentation or morphing and the image mapping will follow like a second
skin.... ARGHH!!!!!! I admit, ive gotten my 260$ worth out of Imagine,
but unless 3.0 is a major improvement, I'm sad to say lightwave will be
far and away the BEST...
       <ooh yea, real time camera alighment would be nice>

  <right now the only good thing Imagine has is Steven Worley and Glenn
   Lewis>      Zack Knutsen, where you are, please hear my plea!

--


##

Subject: Help w/Hubcap
Date: Thu, 03 Sep 92 09:24:54 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Bob Lindabury, SysAdm)

rutgers!terapin.com!samworf (Sam Worf) writes:

> HELP
> INDEX
>
> Message to Hubcap's file server to request help with getting files w/out FTP.

As far as I know, there is no Hubcap file-server.

The file server mentioned on this list was The Graphics BBS
file-server.  Here is the help file for those interested in such
things:


                G R A P H I C S  F I L E  S E R V E R
                    [e-mail]

GFS's command language for incoming mail messages is short:  three
commands: HELP, /DIR, /GET <filespec>.  More than one command may be
specified in an incoming message.  Commands appear in the body of the
message; the "Subject:" line, if any is ignored.  Blank lines are
ignored.

Lines beginning with anything but one of the recognized commands (or
a blank line) is reported as an error.  After a number of detected
errors, GFS quits interpreting commands and flushes the remainder of
the message.

The HELP command must appear in an input stream beginning in column
one. The command must be upper case. Anything after the HELP on the
line is ignored.  The file configured as the response to HELP by the
SYSOP is inserted in the session transcript following the HELP
command.

The /DIR command must appear in an input stream beginning in column
one.  The command must be upper case, with the leading slash.
Anything after the /DIR on the line is ignored.  The /DIR command
causes GFS to send a sysop defined help file to the originator of the
message.

The /GET command must appear in an input stream beginning in column
one.  The command must be upper case, with the leading slash.  The
syntax for the /GET command is:

        /GET <filespec>

<filespec> is required.  <filespec> may be lower case.  Anything on
the line after <filespec> is ignored.

<filespec> may specify a path, but without a drive specification or a
leading slash.

For example:

        /GET catax
        /GET text/decind.txt

are syntactically correct.

        /GET c:/autoexec.bat
        /GET /GFS/src/GFSreqst.c

is not syntactically correct

For our server all files reside on a virtual drive and because of
this, ALL requests should omit the "public/" or "files/" prefix.

For example.  To request file /public/ibm/utils/pkz110.exe you would
type in the following command:

/GET ibm/utils/pkz110.exe

Filenames with the file extension ".TXT" are sent "plaintext".  That
is, they are mailed, as is.  Filenames with any other extension
(including no extension) are mailed in uuencoded form.

// end help.

-- Bob

 The Graphics BBS  908/469-0049  "It's better than a sharp stick in the eye!"
 ============================================================================
  InterNet: [e-mail]                | Raven Enterprises
      UUCP: ...rutgers!bobsbox!graphics!bobl      | 25 Raven Avenue
    BitNet: bobl%graphics.rent.com@pucc           | Piscataway, NJ 08854
    Home #: 908/560-7353                          | 908/271-8878


##

Subject: Silicon Menus Revisited
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 92 08:27:43 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Jeff Hanna)

I have been using Silicon Menus for a few days now, and have experienced no
problems--except for 1.

The WORKBENCH/BACKDROP command will not work with Silicon Menus.  You can
select it until you are blue in the face, but workbench will stay in whatever
mode it is currently in (either window or backdrop).  You can toggle it on
and off with the right AMIGA-B combination, though.

I know this is a very minor bug, since backdrop mode is pretty useless.  I was
just wondering if anybody had an explanation as to why it doesn't work.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+|----------------------|+|------------------------------|+
+|                      |+|  Studio J Video Productions  |+
+| Jeff Hanna           |+|  PO Box 3086                 |+
+| Animation Consultant |+|  West Lafayette, IN 47906    |+
+|                      |+|  [phone]              |+
+|----------------------|+|------------------------------|+
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+|-----------------|+|-----------------------------------|+
+| GEnie: J.HANNA5 |+| InterNet: [e-mail] |+
+|-----------------|+|-----------------------------------|+
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


##

Subject: Re: Silicon Menus Revisited
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 12:45:21 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Jeff Walkup)

This program wreaks total havoc on my system.
Looks nice, but totally unusable.
My other complaint with it, and this applies to all the pop-up menu systems
I've seen, is that it's horribly S L O W, and garbage appears on the screen
just before the menus appear.  (And I'm using an A3000/25).


##

Subject: si menus
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 92 13:37:57 -0700
From: Always a rainbow <[e-mail]>

i also have a 3000.25 and havent had any problem with si menus (except for
'backdrop'). i dont see how it can be slow on a 3000


##

Subject: Surface examples for ICP
Date: 06 Sep 92 20:07:12 EDT
From: "Syndesis Corp/J. Foust" <[e-mail]>

To: >INTERNET: [e-mail]

I'm preparing the final master disk for the shipment of InterChange
Plus.  Part of InterChange Plus is the "Surface File," a way to
represent surface attributes in an easily portable, easily editable
ASCII file.

I'm looking for sample LightWave and Imagine surface descriptions that
we could include on the disk in the form of Surface Files.  I only
need a very small object to grab these attributes...  one polygon
will do.

Please 'uuencode' your object files and send them to this address on
Compuserve through the Internet.  If we include your surface, we'll
give you credit within the Surface File itself.

Although InterChange Plus can't swap magical attributes like those
possible in Essence, or in mapped bitmaps, we can represent useful
surface attributes such as metals like gold, silver, chrome, etc.
and plastics, or even useful palettes of colors.


Also, I've been receiving a lot of mail about the upcoming
InterChange Plus release.  How do you get it?  How do you upgrade?
Can we confirm you're registered?  Unfortunately, it's not feasible
for me to take addresses online; instead, please send your address on
a postcard to Syndesis at N9353 Benson Road, Brooklyn, WI 53521, or
call [phone], or FAX [phone].

The manuals are done, the flyers are done, it's a matter of
last-minute testing, the mailing itself, production and shipping.





##

Subject: Re: si menus
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 18:22:34 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Jeff Walkup)

>From pwappy Sun Sep  6 18:20:40 1992
From: pwappy
To: Always a rainbow <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
Subject: Re: si menus
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 18:20:40 -0700

It's much slower than the normal menus, at least on most screens (like my 8-c
color WB screen).  Haven't tried messing with the options though... can't
stand waiting for that ugly 3D menu to come up (really, what was this guy
thinking??)

It crashed my system at least four times though, so I won't be using it,
regardless.  I'm one of those funny people who doesn't mind the new Imagine
menus... ;-)  Must be my monitor.



##

Subject: CPU
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 92 19:54:38 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Marcelino Vilaubi)

Can anyone tell me the exact settings to use with CPU or SetCPU?
I am running an A3000/25. I just turn everything on (Data Cache,
Instruction Cache, Data Burst, etc...). How about moving VBR and SSP
to FastMem and enabling the MMU with CPU-Control? Thanks.

Mars


##

Subject: S Menus again
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 92 19:48:39 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Marcelino Vilaubi)

I have been running silicon menus for about a week with no problems.
I have an A3000/25 and it runs no slower than the normal menus. It sure
makes the new Imagine menus more readable. I don't get any screen noise
either. It doesn't work with backdrop, but that's it. I have been using
an SGI Personal Iris for a few days, and it seems that the 3D flying
interface from SMenus is a straight port of a demo on the Iris called
"buttonfly". Of course it looks better and is much quicker on the Iris.


##

Subject: simenus
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 92 20:26:00 -0700
From: Always a rainbow <[e-mail]>

> It's much slower than the normal menus, at least on most screens (like my 8-c
> color WB screen).  Haven't tried messing with the options though... can't

I have a 8 color 2048X800 WB yet have no complaint.

> stand waiting for that ugly 3D menu to come up (really, what was this guy
> thinking??)

He was thinking maybe the users would turn off the 3d menu.

>
> It crashed my system at least four times though, so I won't be using it,
> regardless.  I'm one of those funny people who doesn't mind the new Imagine
> menus... ;-)  Must be my monitor.
>
dont blame u. its certainly not worth corrupting the HD to use it.


##

Subject: Large Iff Backdrops
Date: Mon, 07 Sep 92 05:40:36 PDT
From: [e-mail] (don hirschfeld)

I want to render at 640x480 resolution so I can convert the image to TGA
and display it on my 24bit PC card. Imagine requires the backdrop to be
the same resolution as the image, so I scaled the iff to 640x480.
However, when I render, I get a message "error cannot find backdrop ...".
Is there something I'm doing wrong or does Imagine have an IFF size
limitation?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[e-mail] (don hirschfeld)
Micro-Medic BBS                                                [phone]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------


##

Subject: Yes MORE of my crumy art!
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 92 11:58:58 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Andrew Denton)

     I just KNOW youve been going.... hey, where is more of andrews art?
where where where??? Well its on hubcap! its an Wuarchive! ahem... alright
so maybe you wernt thinking that... well anyway i shoved another frame from
the animation im working on,Chimera on hubcap, Chimera2 <Briliant name, ehh?
also youll find another new one, called Anguish... Anyway... I have a double
reason for posting this, <Well, not including the "Andrew's makeing more
annoying posts again" reason> I was soon thinking of haveing some of my
stuff printed onto Transparancies, then blown up to posters! This has been
on my mind for a while, but Ide have to print ALOT to make myself break even
And was wondering if anyone would like one, if so.... What print would you
like??? would you pay 7-12 dollars for a full sized poster of it? Would you
coat yourself with jello and scream showtunes for it? Would you give up a
klondike bar for it? well.. the latter 2 questions are optional but please
respond to my privately with atleast
  A: What print
  B: What price
  C: there is no C:
  D: the larch

    This endevour is going to cost me ALOT because the more i print, the
cheaper they are, so to even come close to breaking EVEN i gotta print
a ton of them and sell them in shops etc.. <or mail order if your like on
this list>
                                    Take care! and Thanx for your response
                                      <If you responded that is> B)
                                        [e-mail]

--


##

Subject: Re: Si / FOG objs.
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 14:12:08 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Jeff Walkup)

<Sigh.>  Let me explain a little bit here.  I have a 3000/25 with SCRAM,
all caches & bursts on.  I also have the real 2.04 ROM installed, and
almost never use the "FastROM" translation becuase I need every byte of
memory I can get for 3D rendering.  Sillycon Menus is most certianly
slower than the real Workbench menus on this setup.  Trust me. ;-)

It also crashes my system.  Yes, I *do* have CPUBlit installed.  No,
I do *not* want to remove it because it makes text scrolling almost
*twice* as fast, in addition to killing that ugly color-flashing in
ANSI terms.  I've had no other incompatiblilites with CPUBlit and
any other programs.

Tests with AIBB4.58 confirm the speedup, the "TGTest", the one that
scrolls a bunch of colored text, takes 3.80 seconds with CPUBlit ON,
and it takes 6.33 seconds without it.  AIBB says my machine does this
test 1.62 times faster than a 'normal' A3000/25 (and Mr. Koop's test
machine was using FastROM, mine is not).

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

OK, with that out of the way, I have an Imagine issue here. ;^)

I'm having trouble rendering FOG objects with a background picture
in the scene.  Whenever I use a backdrop, my fog objects disappear!

This scene contains an Earth and a Sun.  The Earth is a sphere with
a color-mapped photo of the Earth on it.  Around the Earth is another
sphere with fog attributes, to simulate the atmosphere.  The Sun is
similar, a sphere (Bright and Light-casting) inside a fog object.
When this scene is rendered with the backdrop (an IFF24 of some stars)
the Sun completely disappears, and the 'atmosphere' around the Earth
disappears, but the Earth remains visible, with the fog covering it
but *not* extending outside the boundries of the inner sphere.
Wierd huh?  If I remove the background pic, everything renders fine
(but looks funny without any stars ;^) ).

I am scanline rendering here.  It is *not* a low-memory problem, I
have more than 2 megs of fastmem free during both the initializing
and rendering phases.

Whazzup with this?  It seems like my backdrop is 'covering' the
fog objects, somehow.  How could this happen?

-----------                                                       //
Jeff Walkup <[e-mail]> Graphics/Animation Designer \\//


##

Subject: 640x480 backdrop
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 92 15:25:02 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Marcelino Vilaubi)

Greetings.
In regards to:
>I want to render at 640x480 resolution so I can convert the image to TGA
>and display it on my 24bit PC card. Imagine requires the backdrop to be
>the same resolution as the image, so I scaled the iff to 640x480.
>However, when I render, I get a message "error cannot find backdrop ...".
>Is there something I'm doing wrong or does Imagine have an IFF size
>limitation?


I just tried the same thing with absolutely no problems. A common problem
I have with rendering backdrops is that I convert the backdrop to a
different size and rename it in the process. When I go to render the image
Imagine can't find it because it has been renamed or saved in a different
directory. Try going into the action editor and checking to see if the path
in the backdrop string is correct. I have also found that for 640x480 it is
good to use a pixel aspect ratio of 11x13 X to Y.
Hope it helps.

Mars


##

Subject: Backdrops and 640x480 screens
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 92 17:30:03 -0600
From: [e-mail] (Charles Cazabon (186-003-526))

There has been a little conversation lately about problems with backdrops...
re:

>I want to render at 640x480 resolution so I can convert the image to TGA
>and display it on my 24bit PC card. Imagine requires the backdrop to be
>the same resolution as the image, so I scaled the iff to 640x480.
>However, when I render, I get a message "error cannot find backdrop ...".
>Is there something I'm doing wrong or does Imagine have an IFF size
>limitation?

As another person said (see below), it is probably a filename/path problem.
Make sure you hit return after changing the info in the globals requester!
If you don't hit return, Imagine doesn't remember the changes!

directory. Try going into the action editor and checking to see if the path
in the backdrop string is correct. I have also found that for 640x480 it is
good to use a pixel aspect ratio of 11x13 X to Y.

The above person is a bit wrong here...for 640x480 (PC) modes, the correct
pixel aspect ratio is 1 to 1, not 11 to 13.  That is, 640x480 uses
SQUARE pixels.


--Chuck Cazabon, [e-mail]
* alternate address:  [e-mail]
* In the immortal words of JFK..."I am a jelly donut!"
I went to Israel on holiday, and all I got was this lousy gunshot wound.


##

Subject: Vertex requests
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 07:43:24 EST
From: [e-mail] (Alex Deburie)


For anyone who may be interested, the lastest demo of Vertex has been
released on Fred Fish Disk #727. This is version 1.62, and it has some
nice new features: Multitasking (finally), Imagine objects saved with
the QuickDraw flag set, Circle primitives, and a few more nice changes.

I'm now hard at work on the next version, and I hope to have a better
shading routine, allowances for more than 255 objects, and 2.0 viewmode
support (super-hires at least). If anyone has suggestions for things
they'd like to see in future versions, then please pass them along.

To date, I've had two popular requests which are path support and
hierarchies. I am working on both of these right now, but if you have
other features you'd like to see, then let me know.

I'm also looking for example Arexx scripts any of you have put together
with Vertex. I've done a couple myself, and one I really like - It's a
simple animation creator where I can plug a logo in and do a camera
sweep around the logo - but I'm also looking for others. If you send me
one, and you don't mind me distributing it on the Vertex disk, then
put a little note in it about yourself.

Finally, if you have any objects you've made with Vertex that you
wouldn't mind releasing to the public, I'm sure many users would
appreciate seeing what others have been doing with Vertex. (And me
too;^)

********************************************************************
 The Art Machine               "You code 16 k, and what do you get,
 ===============             Another day older and deeper in debt."
 Alex Deburie                              -- Tennessee Earnie Ford
 [e-mail]                                    (sort of)
********************************************************************



##

Subject: Re: Si / FOG objs.
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 92 08:20:06 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

>OK, with that out of the way, I have an Imagine issue here. ;^)
yay!
>I'm having trouble rendering FOG objects with a background picture
>in the scene.  Whenever I use a backdrop, my fog objects disappear!

Seems like someone mentioned this "feature" in Imagine before...

Why not use Essense turbfilter on the second sphere to simulate
atmosphere? (assuming you have it)

Why not use the stars ability from the global information of the
Action editor?
>-----------                                                       //
>Jeff Walkup <[e-mail]> Graphics/Animation Designer \\//

Ok, so I wasn't much help, it's puedo-monday morning right now!
************************************************************
* Adam Benjamin                    [e-mail] *
* Christian Animator           [e-mail] *
* Disclaimer:  Nothing I say means anything to anyone that *
*               might take it to mean something I didn't!  *



##

Subject: Re: Si / FOG objs.
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 08:37:32 MDT
From: [e-mail] (Paul Johnson)

> From [e-mail] Mon Sep  7 17:12:40 1992

 Lots of non-Imagine stuff deleted

> OK, with that out of the way, I have an Imagine issue here. ;^)
>
> I'm having trouble rendering FOG objects with a background picture
> in the scene.  Whenever I use a backdrop, my fog objects disappear!
>
  As others may have already pointed out via email, fog or transparency
does not work with backdrop. The only option is to make your own
using a brushwrap of the desired image on a place and put it behind
your objects. This is a pain to get the perspective right, but it's the
only way.

> Whazzup with this?  It seems like my backdrop is 'covering' the
> fog objects, somehow.  How could this happen?
  Actually, the fog object does not get rendered. Try a simple test,
put a plane behind part of the fog object and re-render. The part of
the fog object in front of the plane is fine, the part "in front" of
the backdrop is gone.

>
> -----------                                                       //
> Jeff Walkup <[e-mail]> Graphics/Animation Designer \\//
>

PAJ



##

Subject: FOG & Backgrounds
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 13:12:57 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Jeff Walkup)

Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]> suggests:

> Why not use Essense turbfilter on the second sphere to simulate
> atmosphere? (assuming you have it)

I will have to check that out.  But if it works like the regular
Imagine Filter-map, might it also not work?


> Why not use the stars ability from the global information of the
> Action editor?

Oh yuck oh yuck oh yuck.  Have you ever seen what that looks like
in NTSC??  Can you say "ugly multi-colored chroma-noise-nastiness"?

Seriously, the stars are too small.  Instead, I use a hand-drawn
star-field, which I then run thru Imagemaster's "Make Shine" and
"Asterize", and "Anti-Alias" functions.  Then it looks suitable
for video.  The next thing I'm going to try is using the output
from Distant Suns as the source for the starfield.  Then it will
be accurate!


[e-mail] (Paul Johnson) said:

> put a plane behind part of the fog object and re-render. The part of
> the fog object in front of the plane is fine, the part "in front" of
> the backdrop is gone.

Well this is interesting.  You see, my original scene was similar to
this.  It had a normal object "behind" (actually, inside) a FOG object.
Funny thing is, the part of the fog-object in front of the Earth
rendered fine, but the Sun didn't render AT ALL.

Guess I'm going to have to do the plane thing.  I did this before,
actually, back in Imagine 1.1.


  Dear Impulse,
     There is a bug in Imagine 2.0 .....

-----------                                                       //
Jeff Walkup <[e-mail]> Graphics/Animation Designer \\//


##

Subject: Re: si menus
Date:     Mon, 7 Sep 1992 12:59:14 -0400
From: Jason B Koszarsky <[e-mail]>

The animated 3D object is slow but it can be disabled.  Check the doc file.
The menus themselves are just as fast as the normal menus, perhaps faster
since you aren't required to go to the top of the screen.

JK


##

Subject: Re:  si menus
Date:     Sun, 6 Sep 1992 18:00:33 -0400
From: Jason B Koszarsky <[e-mail]>

SM isn't slow or troublesome on my A3000/25.  I'm also running several other
utility programs in the background and haven't had any conflicts there either.
'Backdrop' doesn't work correctly but I don't use it anyway.

Jason K.


##

Subject: Which Imagine has the bug?
Date:     Mon, 7 Sep 1992 12:07:26 -0400
From: John J Humpal <[e-mail]>

Okay, I've had my G-Force 030 for a little while now, so I've just
begun to test the limits  of the FP version of Imagine and I've run
up against a bug.  Here it is:

When I to TRACE a scene with a refractive (transparent) object with
any amount of depth AND two shadow-casting lights (or more), I get
a software failure.  The crash will *not* occur for a SCANLINE
render, nor with only one shadow-casting light, nor with a single-unit
deep transparent object.

Is this the infamous early ImagineFP bug?  Has anyone else experienced
this?  My ImagineFP file size is 595636 bytes.

--
-John

John J. Humpal -- [e-mail] -- short .sig, std. disclaimer



##

Subject: si menus
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 17:15:43 MDT
From: [e-mail] (Christian M. Reisch)

    The backdrop works fine if you move the mouse into the menu
bar and select backdrop from there.  Popup menu programs can't execute that since technicly they are an active windw in the workbench.

    BTW I've had no problems at all using Si Menus on my 3000/25

Christian Reisch
[e-mail]


##

Subject: Editing 24bit pics with DCTV paint
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 92 15:22:23 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Michael Linton)

Hello everyone, I recently finished my latest picture, and would like to
sign my name (as do all artists :).  I have 2 versions here, one 24bit,
the other Laced HAM.  Putting text in the laced HAM pic is no problem,
but the 24bit file is another story.  I have DCTV, and of course DCTV
Paint.  MY question is, if I add my signature to the 24bit file using
DCTV paint, and then save the file back as 24bit, will the edited file
have all the clairity of an RGB 24bit pic when displayed on somehthing
like a FireCracker?  Or will the picture be downgraded a bit when I save
it back as 24bit (i.e. will DCTV paint save it with a poorer quality than
the orginal file)?  Forgive me if this is a silly question, but I don't
want to edit this thing, then release the pic only to find out it looks
bad on other display devices.  :)  Thanks a lot.




[e-mail]
The Inquiring Mind BBS, Winnipeg, Manitoba  204 488-1607


##

Subject: Essence
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 00:32:15 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Ryan C. White)

    I just got back on the mailing list and I heard people talking
about Essence.  I was told it was not yet availiable.  I did buy Steve's
book and have been a member of the list for some time.  Can someone
give me some information on it and this Silicon Graphics program you have
been speaking about.  Thanx

 Chris White





##

Subject: Re: Editing 24bit pics with DCTV paint
Date: Tue,  8 Sep 92 21:19:26 PDT
From: [e-mail]

>Hello everyone, I recently finished my latest picture, and would like to
>sign my name (as do all artists :).  I have 2 versions here, one 24bit,
>the other Laced HAM.  Putting text in the laced HAM pic is no problem,
>but the 24bit file is another story.  I have DCTV, and of course DCTV
>Paint.  MY question is, if I add my signature to the 24bit file using
>DCTV paint, and then save the file back as 24bit, will the edited file
>have all the clairity of an RGB 24bit pic when displayed on somehthing
>like a FireCracker?  Or will the picture be downgraded a bit when I save
>it back as 24bit (i.e. will DCTV paint save it with a poorer quality than
>the orginal file)?  Forgive me if this is a silly question, but I don't
>want to edit this thing, then release the pic only to find out it looks
>bad on other display devices.  :)  Thanks a lot.
>
>
>
>
>[e-mail]
>The Inquiring Mind BBS, Winnipeg, Manitoba  204 488-1607

While working on your picture did you at any point save it out as
DCTV display format? Or did you you only saveit out as IFF24?
If you add your signature in DCTV paint, the results when viewed on
an Analog RGB 24 bit display such as a FireCracker will vary depending
on your answer to the first question and also what size font you use.
DCTV display format induces a lot of chroma crawl when you use small/thin
fonts in the paint program, especiall if it's saved out in DCTV display
format. While DCTV is nifty keen, this is one of its major drawbacks.
Since acquiring a FireCracker, I only use my DCTV for digitizing now
(from a Xapshot still video camera). I save my Xaps out of DCTV in
IFF24 format, and then do further editing on them either using ADPro
or Light24 (the FC24's "free" paint program) both of which can
add text to the image without any degredation, even using the
smallest fonts, with fine lines.

For a quick'n'easy example of what DCTV display format does to
a picture when saved that way, create a picture with some detail
in it and save it in both IFF24 and DCTV display format. Load the
IFF24 back into DCTV Paint and go into magnify mode. Looks pretty clean.
Now load it in the DCTV display format version of the same picture
and go into magnify mode. Looks like an explosion in a zipper factory.

Harv


##

Subject: Re: Lightwave mailing list
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 92 09:51:53 EDT
From: Mark Thompson <[e-mail]>

>     Does anyone know the E-mail addressess of the Lightwave Mailing
> list?  I just started using my dad's toaster for LW and i have a couple
> of questions...

To get on the Lightwave mailing list, send your request to:

[e-mail]

This is not the mailing list address but the address to get added to the
list. Just fire away with those LW questions.
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
|      `       '        Mark Thompson                 CONCURRENT COMPUTER  |
| --==* RADIANT *==--   [e-mail]        Principal Graphics   |
|      ' Image `        ...!uunet!masscomp!mark       Hardware Architect   |
|     Productions       [phone] [phone]   & General Nuisance   |
|                                                                          |
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


##

Subject: Imagine 3.0 and Real 3D
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 08:41:19 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

Does anybody know anything about Imagine 3.0?

How close is it?  What new features does it have, or is it rumoured to
have?  Is it real or soon to be real???  8-)

Also, does anyone know the specs regarding the new version of Real 3D?
It is supposed to have a "Renderman Interface", whatever that means...

BTW, I know virtually nothing about Renderman, but it generally seems
to be spoken of in hushed and awed tones as a sort of 'Holy Grail' for
the Amiga rendering community to aspire to.  Why?

I also heard that the new version of Real 3D was demonstrated at a
recent show, and it has gravity + a limited object interaction ability.
Specifically, I heard that using this feature a sphere was placed on
top of a cylinder.  The cylinder was moved and the sphere 'fell down'
of its own accord!  :-()  Does anyone have the lowdown on this?

Can anyone enlighten me please??

   ____ John    ____       Australian Developer   FAX   [phone]
  //      Rowe //               Christian         VOICE [phone]
 // __        //--          Amiga Programmer, Renderer, 3-D Animator
//__//rafix  //__ffects   EMAIL [e-mail]
     OR EMAIL cbmehq!cbmaus!cbmozq!wilson!rowe![e-mail]


##

Subject: Essence & The List
Date:     Wed, 9 Sep 1992 10:55:30 -0400
From: "Christopher Stevenson" <[e-mail]>

Greetings

I've been a list member for many months, now, and have of course seen
all kinds of posts on the list regarding Steve's Essence.  What I still
don't know is if list members are entitled to a discount... before I
negotiate purchasing the product, I really should find out. Many thanks.

The Electric Monk


##

Subject: Re:  FOG & Backgrounds
Date:     Wed, 9 Sep 1992 12:03:45 -0400
From: Jason B Koszarsky <[e-mail]>

I had a problem with Fogs, spheres, and stars.  I made a simple spherical
fog with a starfield background, yuck but I was just experimenting.  I didn't
expect the stars to show through the fog but some did, I figured they wouldn't  since they don't with glass.  Anyway, I put a solid sphere inside the fog
sphere, I thin layer of fog now surrounded the solid, atmosphere if you like.
But the stars still came through where the solid should have blocked them.

JK