Subject: Imagine 4 Everybody - Results version 0.5!
Date: Wed, 25 May 94 21:30:03 +0200
From: Anders_Lattermann@p24.anet.bbs.bad.se (Anders Lattermann)
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**** Imagine 4 everybody! ****
**** Your chance to make your suggestions in the next release! ****
**** ****
TS, RESULTS, RESULTS, RESULTS, RESULTS, RESULTS, RESULTS, RESULTS, RESULTS,
RES
**** Results Version 0.5 ****
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Ok, guys this is the input so far that have reached me 1994-05-25. Remember
that my email goes on disk to and from sweden, so it normally takes some time.
Well enough blah blah, read and send me the missing stuff, okey?
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Ideas
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*** Project Editor, Ideas ***
# A rendering-spooler! What I would really like is a requester asking which
projects that are in the qeue and in which order they should render. This
Could be a Rendering engine with option to set priority on the rendering and
maby also networking.
# I would like that Imagine could trigger some program when it's done
rendering. Like it's now, I often have to flip screen to see if it ready or
not. A "boing", screenflash or some words from the speech-synth, would be
great.
# Possibility to see how much memory a project will need to render. This way
you can optimise VMem so you will have, say, 1 MB Fastmem to do other things
with.
# Built in VMem (like ImageFX), where you can specify how much fastmem you
want left for other programs. And some good intelligens that swaps things it
doesn't use to VMem and counts in fastmem.
# I would like to have morphable brushmaps. What I mean is that I would like
to apply an anim or series of pictures as my map, the quantity of which match
the frame count of the object etc. in the action editor.
# How about a button or something that would let me set how many frames right
here instead of having to go to the action editor to set the frame count.
# I want multitasking from the project editor! I would like to be able to
start a project and then have control of imagine again to do other things.
#aI would like to have Iconify in the project editor. So I could reduce it
while I use other memory intensive stuff.
# Again. Modularity. Have a menu-like directory to select from a variety of
many more renderers. The hyper-realistic ray-tracer with radiosity variables.
The quick effective scanline with(out) shadows. The wire frame. The solid
frame or shaded frame.
# How about an even quicker rendered to display just a quick estimate of
textures/brushes/colors? How about something quick for use with 2-d style
animation? Let the Imagine program be able to incorporate renders created by
other programmers. It would make rendering to the IBM or other platform eaiser!
# A slick database for all the info to what format to render to. EG: Size x:
320 Aspect x: 6 Colors: 24 mil (selected from a menu of color choices) Size y:
400 Aspect y: 7
# Set Pallete: (No for each pallete seperate, or from a menu of palletes, or "
previous" for previous frame's pall.)
# Dump the anim format stuff. Use a shareware to just compile an anim format
from files produced. Hell, make one with a feature to add each frame to an
anim file inbetween renderings to save memory constraints. But such a program
within the program is very wasteful.
# Don't forget some thing that is VERY useful. CLIP MAPPING!!! Being able to
have an object have clipped edges based off a brush map..Tho a transparency
map can provide an idea of the same thing, there should ALSO be a way to
visualize the clip on the object from the detail editor (other editors too)
because waiting until after a "quick" render is TOO LONG! How about an outline
of the clipp map on the object?
# Another mapping should be displacement mapping. Having the object deform
based off a texture/brush. It would be much more accurate.
*** Detail Editor, Ideas ***
# Better slice function that doesn't give those: "Error - an edge is to near
too an edge or near too a face". If difficult to make better, an explanation
exact where the problem is could also help.
# A possibility to hunt through an object and change an attribute to another
or texture. Like Find/Replace in a wordprocessor.
# That Imagine doesn't flip screen and ask if I wan't to delete the
quickrender, when I'm working with something else during the rendering. And
also the possibilty to see the quickrender directly from Imagine, like a view
quickrender again buttom.
# That newloaded objects in the detail editor and also primitives pops up
where you are, so you can see them in the window and possition you are at for
the moment, and not at some default point. It's so irritating to need to zoom
out every time to find them.
# The possibility to hide objects. Should speed up redrawing when you work
with Grouped objects and also make it easier to see what you are doing.
# That the detail editor requests that there are unsaved objects left. I've
lost objects so many times by going in to the detail editor quickly to just
change an attribute on one object in a grouped object with the result that
only the highlighted newly changed object got saved....
# Possibility to see how many points an object contains.
# I Would like to be able to "link" objects in the detail editor and load them
in the stage there after under just one name and that the stage editor keeps
thier internal position to each other. Example: A driver and a car, you don't
want to group them, but they do go together.
# I want some simple measuring method. There are already cordinates, but I
want to be able to set my own zero point and just measure how long an object
is without needing to count everytime.
# Have all textures in a directory-like window of its own, with maybe an icon
of how each texture might look for quick access (also for brushmaps and maybe
even macros and predetermined objects!). Similar to how ADPRo NOW sets up its
operators.
# Better way to pick colors for each object (maybe a window?) and its
attributes. How about setting a pop-up menu near the BOTTOM of the screen
instead of the middle? How about a icon or display to "preview" how the
attributes would affect an object (say on a globe or square?) (If this is all
on a Workbench-like screen with windows open, it would be easy to have the "
preview" window open or not.)
# To create fog/clouds/fire/water, maybe there's a way to create an object
whose mesh is actually a container for one-point particles to flow in like
gaseous or liguid substances to create non-linear fog/fire/different clouds...
Imagine THAT as a base for particle animation with variables for fluidity,
turbidity, etc. At 100% "filled", the particles could mimic a true "solid"
object. (Of course, there should be a way to make this feasible w/o too much
memory taken or speed taken while rendering).
# There must be a way to create a faster quickscan just to see how colors and
textures will be set, especially now that textures can be tacked. So long as
textures are tacked, can there be a way to show via a "mode" a quick and dirty
version of the tacked texture/brush?
# Splines..There's got to be a way to define spline-based objects in Imagine.
Maybe because everything is defined in triangles is a problem, but can't there
be a way to define a spline and then define how many points divide each spline,
but also re-edit that spline to have more subdivisions or a different shape
even being gone thru the Detail Editor? Would be very interesting.
# More primitives. How about an effective bowl shape or hyperbole or whatever.
If these predetermined objects can be defined via an external file with the
ability to have programmers create more files of mathmatetically based
pretermined object. Then as more files are created, they can be "added" to the
directory of predefined shapes (Look above for that sort of idea of having
directory-like windows). Imagine with MODULARITY! Imagine a predefined object
to create a tree shaped object or starflakes, given defined variables. WOW!
# A Freeform object based off a lasso-like sketch (or a trace using a Wacom
tablet) would be interesting..
*** Forms Editor, Ideas ***
*** Cycle Editor, Ideas ***
*** Stage Editor, Ideas ***
# Think if it was possibly to put a reference mark on the wheels of a car for
instance and Imagine makes shure that the car doesn't sink through the ground.
Would be extremly nice for anims where the car follows a bumpy terrain.
# I want to be able to choose which type of light i just added without needing
to go to the action editor.
# Possibility to chose just a piece of the screen to render. But with the same
other preferences I have put in the project editor. And also the possibilty to
pick an area and just rerender that area and keep the old pixels from the
previous rendering. Very good when you are playing with different attributes/
textures.
# The stage editor interface SHOULD differe from the detail editor interface.
Combine the stage editor interface with the action editor. Have a "Get Info"
feature for each object with the stage editor that opens a menu that tells the
time chart for that object and all that info that is there via the stage
editor. It's BETTER than CONSTANTLY switching from the different editors (
stage/action)
# F/X Modularity!! With an icon explaining what that F/X might do. Also any
way to let other programmers create F/X, like MELT object; IMPLODE; SHRIVEL;
how about TWIST? (twist the object into a corkscrew-like shape) or VIBRATE (
have the object be able to rattle). A better way to EXPLODE or BLOB (to create
blobs like in they were in 0-g)
# Also, the F/X should not just be an object modifier; it should be able to
differ the way Imagine renders an object..(F/X for MOTION BLUR or F/X for LENS
FLARE (this light with this f/x will produce a lens flare!) or F/X to create
an object to "sweat/bleed" ! or an F/X to randomly stretch and squish the
texture or brush on that object..) F/X should describe special F/X! (How F/X
to create "Wind blur" on an object?)
# Depth of Field is always good, but what about filters for the camera? Set u
in a menu directory, of course, how about applying a reddish filter or
postering filter or "antique" filter..or f/x? to mimic maybe a person trying
to hold the camera like a consumer portable cam (shaky and loose)..Back to
filters, a backlight inducing filter (to produce halos?) or a soft filter (to
produce faded image). Again, modularity.
# How about smooting effects on brushmaps to fade the edging..
# Creating Animation: Imagine always seemed to WANTED to go towards creating
very character-like animation (DinoSkin with texture tacking..smells like a
Jurassic thing) so, how's about revolutionary ideas. MODULARITY!
# If you are going to produce physics-like effects, like gravity and collision
detection, you should be able to select which objects will be affected, then
jump into a "Physics Editor", in which you can choerograph how the collisions
will be via physics for the objects selects then, Imagine will calculate all
the paths/positions/rotations for each object and ask the user to save those
calculations for the stage editor. This ALSO includes all the new paths, any
new objects that an object must "morph" to via the physics of it being made of
concrete or glass or rubber or silly putty (such physical properties should be
modular too so any programmer can add on more and more! for plastic being
scratched or dented, or meta being crushed..)..gRanted, the physics editor
will probably make A LOT of new objects and/or paths, but having seen Morpheus
and similar programs, a "physics editor" seems feasible....
# Something also neat about the physics editor idea is to use it for the cycle
editor too (if you wanted to create an a man juggling, physics is involved, so
why make the cycle editor flawed to not take advatange of physics?)
# More better BONES! How can you animate a 3-d object for facial expressions?
Be able to selct points not only so bones can bend from there but create
wrinkles from that point to simulate a lips and sheeks stretching to make a
smile, or clothes folding underneath a crotch area..
# Better use of global backgrounds. Be able to zoom back/zoom in from it. That
includes the starfield. (The mesh as a container idea would make up for a cool
starfield.)
*** Action Editor, Ideas ***
# Possibility to preset your default: Global.map, ambient light, camera
position, lights and so on.
# It's possible to set a star density, fine, but down on earth you'll need
clouds. Density and type of cloud could be nice.
# For lights it's only possible to set "Dimish", I'd like filtering for the
type of diffuse light that comes through the clouds a cloudy day.
*** Spline Editor, Ideas ***
*** Misc, Ideas ***
# New interface: If you've seen ADPro's revision of interface from buttons on
its custom screen to a workbench-like interface, Imagine I think should go
under similar changes. Have different points of view in different windows on
either its custom screen or Workbench screen.
# ASL Requesters for screenmode and directories
# Add arexx, I would like built in requestors and buildable buttons for arexx
routines so I can access the functions of other programs automatically through
an arexx port. for example wihile rendering I would like to select a
deformation type of dither and see how it will look on the first couple of
frames etc.
# rexx, rexx, and more rexx
# I would like to see either screen display database support so that Imagine
can be opened on any 'reasonable' screen size or at least allowing for easy
retargetability of Imagine. Right now, Imagine cannot be retargeted due to
some of the routines being used for displaying and updating objects. Redraw
button has to be repeatedly used if one wants to use one of the new WB
emulation 24 bit cards. Impulse, get one of these cards (e.g. Picasso or EGS
cards) and see for yourselves what I mean.
* Better implementation of DEMs. The same quality as from Vista, so the
objects really looks like they are in the same world as the DEM.
*** Wanted Textures/Attributes ***
# Why isn't test rendering of textures an automated process?. Like pop up a
requester and multiselect the textures or attributes you want to study. Push
the "Go!" button and go to sleep. Wake up in the morning and voila! And think
if we could get the program to put 4-9 spheres/planes on one picture with the
name of the used attributes/textures under. I guess one could cook this up
with ARexx or another macro language. But then again, Imagine doesn't have any.
...
# A texture that does the look of paint that has lost some flakes. Like a
yellow paint on a metal surface and on some places the paint is gone and you
can see the metal underneath.
# Lot's of good pre-made attributes like, snow, skin, etc, etc
Bugs
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< Amiga >
*** Project Editor ***
*** Detail Editor ***
# "Cycletranforms" wrongly spellt in the menu, should say "CycleTransforms"?
*** Forms Editor ***
*** Cycle Editor ***
*** Stage Editor ***
*** Action Editor ***
*** Spline Editor ***
*** Misc ***
< PC >
*** Project Editor ***
*** Detail Editor ***
*** Forms Editor ***
*** Cycle Editor ***
*** Stage Editor ***
*** Action Editor ***
*** Spline Editor ***
*** Misc ***
New Products we want to see from Impulse
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The users says "hi" to Impulse
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Best 3D-program i ever used! / Anders Lattermann
/Anders Lattermann
FidoNet: 2:201/411.24 ! PointBreak - Bg-St-Maurice - France
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InterNet: Latte@p24.anet.bbs.bad.se ! I feel the need, the need 4 speed!
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