Pardon this semi-commercial announcement, but I thought users might be interesd in a program that helps manage 24bit IFF files. It is particulary useful
for textures or backgrounds.
Graphic Imagination Inc. announces the release of a free demonstration of
Still-Store by Randy Carris. This demo of Still-Store is Copyright 1991
Graphic Imagination Inc. It is freely distributable as long as all files
and documentation accompany it.
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 save by optionally utilizing JPEG compression. Still-Store
supports the same (JFIF) file standard as other Amiga image programs use.
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.
Still-Store includes 20 768x482 24bit images suitable for use as
backgrounds or as texture maps in all popular 3D programs.
In this demo, the import and export functions are disabled. It
does include many previews to demonstate most functions of the program, as
well as sample database entries.
Still-Store does not have any system requirements, but a hard drive, 3
megabytes of memory, and a processor accelerator are strongly encouraged.
It has been fully tested under AmigaDos 2 with NTSC systems.
Still-Store retails for $99.95, but until June 30, 1992, the price is
discounted to $79.95 plus $3.50 S&H. Contact Graphic Imagination Inc. for
more information:
Graphic Imagination Inc.
PO Box 661
Marion, IA. 52303
Phone 319-337-8156
This demo will be available for FTP from:
grind.isca.uiowa.edu as /amiga/utils/ssdemo.lha
and hubcap.clemson.edu as /pub/amiga/incoming/graphics.tools/ssdemo.lha
or /pub/amiga/incoming/uploads/ssdemo.lha
Note: The docs in the demo state that we accept MasterCard and Visa. It
should have said we will start accepting them May 22, 1992.
RC
##
Subject: A Wishlist entry...
Date: Sun, 17 May 92 21:18:20 -0700
From: Mark Davis <davis@soomee.zso.dec.com>
I have been designing various geometric objects and I've found myself
wishing, on a number of occasions, that Imagine would list in the titlebar
the name of the object that is current picked. It would save me some key-
strokes when designing complex objects. I also wish there was a way to
load more than one object when using the load requestor besides grouping
multiple objects. I also wish there was some way to disable the centering
of the object when using the find requestor, maybe a toggle or something.
Toggle on - select and center the found object/toggle off - select the
found object. Maybe I'll see a falling star this evening ;) or better
yet model one...
mark
##
Subject: Nintendo Power Glove
Date: Mon, 18 May 92 16:17:04 EDT
From: alan@picasso.umbc.edu (Alan Price)
Howdy. Once again I'm posting a question that departs from Imagine itself,
but BELIEVE ME, it does apply in a sort-of way:
I finally found a good deal ($25) on a Nintendo PowerGlove. It seems
really cool and actually has more 'sensing' control than I had imagined.
I recall some time back a few postings about connecting this thing to
an Amiga and/or source for making use of it.
I do not own a Nintendo so it's a bit hard figuring the pin-outs for the
glove. Can someone lead me in the right direction to find this information
and/or projects that have already been done? Many advance thanks!!
AP.
##
Subject: Re: Female Human Head Obj Wanted
Date: Mon, 18 May 92 10:38:02 PDT
From: grieggs@jpl-devvax.jpl.nasa.gov (John T. Grieggs)
>
> My roommate is looking for a female human head that he can work with as
> a basis for a still. I looked on Hubcap and found "HumanHead" but I
> believe this to be male.
>
I'll bite. What makes a head male or female? Skull shape? Size of
brain? :-) I bet you could use it for either, unless it has a moustache
or you don't want to create hair!
Of course, Mark might feel kind of funny about it... :-)
##
Subject: Re: Female Human Head Obj Wanted
Date: Mon, 18 May 92 17:48:24 EDT
From: dan@cs.pitt.edu (Dan Drake)
> I'll bite. What makes a head male or female? Skull shape? Size of
> brain? :-) I bet you could use it for either, unless it has a moustache
> or you don't want to create hair!
>
Wow, if you can match up a different brushmap to Marks head, then you should
probably go into business in movies. I have never tried it personally,
but you might want to load Marks Head Bitmap into a paint program
(24bit or dctv), modify it into a girls, and then pray to whoever your god is
that everything still matches up. That would seem to be your best bet.
dan.
##
Subject: Re: Female Human Head Obj Wanted
Date: Mon, 18 May 92 18:19:04 EDT
From: Mark Thompson <mark@westford.ccur.com>
> > My roommate is looking for a female human head.
> > I looked on Hubcap and found "HumanHead" but I believe this to be male.
> I bet you could use it for either, unless it has a moustache
> or you don't want to create hair!
> Of course, Mark might feel kind of funny about it... :-)
Ahhh, a virtual sex change. That just might fall into the category of
"doing disturbing things with my head" that I once mentioned.
Actually, "HumanHead" is something else. Mine was labelled "MarkHead"
or something like that. In any event, since Sean actually provided the
SGI machine to actract my head data from the Cyberware tape, he already
I have loaded a Cycle object that works fine, into the Detail Editor and changed
attributes and also the structure of one of the components assigned to a link.
I saved all the components with unique names so that I could take the original
Cycle object, and Deassign the components from the links, and then Assign the
modified ones in their places. This was done in Cell 0* of the Cycle editor.
Quick Renders of the object of the object come out fine.
When I load the object into the Stage Editor, and then render the frames, the
object that was structurally modified seems to have sunk down into the Cycle
object. It's the head of a man and it has sunk down into his chest! The Quick
Renders everywhere don't exhibit this problem.
Any suggestions? It's driving me nuts!
##
Subject: looking for view3.2
Date: Mon, 18 May 92 20:09:14 EST
From: taz!dan@vax.cs.pitt.edu (Dan Drake)
I am looking for the latest version of view, since it seems to be
able to play back animations at decent rates. Could someone either
mail it to me, give me an ftp site where I could find it, or a BMS
site?
Thanks,
dan.
Please mail any binaries to : taz!dan@vax.cs.pitt.edu
##
Subject: Wishlist for Imagine V3.0 - V4.0 Part I
Date: 19 May 92 19:05 +0100
From: Hannes Heckner <hecknerh@informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de>
RFC-822-Headers:
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
==================
This is a mail for all people who are interessted in improving Imagine
to be the best one on the market. So if anyone has additional ideas
to the one mentioned below please add them. First I apologize for
my poor descriptions but english is not the best thing i can do.
Second I want the people at Impulse reply to me via this mailing
list when they get this mail.
This a long wishlist for ImagineV3.0 and further versions.
I wrote this because I want to get Imagine the best raytracer for
the amiga because I don't want to buy any further software like
caligari, raydance etc. etc.
Lets start:
1) Snap axis to grid. This option (in stage and detail) should
place the axis of the current selected objects to the nearest
grid cros-section.
2) One-dimensional movement. It would be handy to have an option
in moving objects that would alow to move objects with the mouse
only along one (!) axis. And what is more in fixed steps say 20 units
or so. So if you want to move your object 40 units along the Y axis
you only have to choose one-dim movement along Y axis (gadget !)
and then do it (perhaps in conjunction with snap axis to grid)
3) Variables in the action editor. It would be great if you could place
names instead of numbers in the frame counter string gadgets.
For example instead of typing 100 in the frames counter you type
"length_of_anim". Then you put a value (in a special editor)
to this variable say: length_of_anim=100. Then you use this variable in all actor-requesters: You define the appearence of a sphere in your scene by : Sphere from 0 to length_of_anim.
At this point i must apologize for my poor english. I hope you'll get what i mean. The use of point 3 is that if you want your anim to be a bit smoother then you only have to change the variable and to all of the actor
requestors. Also it should be possible to do some basic calculation
with it: You could specify a varible for an important point, say
the beginning of a special effect e.g. "explosion=50" means that
an explosion takes place at frame 50. Then you could tell imagine
to start 5 frames later a movement along a path by: explosion + 5.
A third important feature is that all calculation and values should
be displayed (and entered) in frames and time (e.g. seconds) so you
will have a better view of your animation.
(Oh god, describing technical things in english is sooo difficult)
4) Outlining feature:
What about a feature to create an outline of an outline (funny ?).
If you want to build a text-object with the edges reflecting the
light (a much better picture then without) you could do this
(in the detail editor) with outlining an outline of the
converted (ILBM convert) picture of the logo. You make several layers of different size (by outlinng them and then "skin" them together and voila
the object is complete (a nice feature isn't it).
5) Gernal morphing. I know it's difficult but it would be nice if
imagine could morph (smoothly) between objects of different point number
and structure).
6) Scripts and/or Arexx.
Many things in 3-d modelling could be done real quick if you could
build a small script file and then compile it (or something) and
then have imagine execute it. Some suggestions:
- fractal mathematics
- trees (like in raydance, would be real great !!!!!)
- own textures-scripts.
These scripts should be a small programming language with
strucutre elements like: if then else, for next, procedural
subdividing etc. The points of an object should be accessible via
Vectors (example: sphere[100].x = x coord). I know that Glenn Lewis
has programmed a TDDD-Lib where you can access object data via C
programming. But as you see above there should be more than that.
7) Brush-morphing. Another hard thing to do, I know. But it would be
a big thing if one could morph between different brushemaps.
8) Acceleration and Deacceleration. I think a more abstract aproach
would be better: Very morphable thing (changeable by value) in
imagine should be accerable (deaccerable). For this there should
be a new requester independent of all other data in the action
editor. There you specify the velocity of change in a X/Y - axis
diagramm where the X axis is the timeline (in frames or seconds)
and the Y axis is the percentage of the start velocity.
Example: You specify a starting value of 50 and then draw a
sine-like curve into the requester. If you apply this acc/deacc
setting (which should be savable - loadable etc.) to a path then
a object should which is applied to the path should start with
50 units/per frame then smoothly accerlerate and then smoothly de-
accerlerate. I hope you got the point. This is again very hard
to describe for me. This feature should be appendable everywhere
where a smooth change takes place. e.g. in morphing objects,
changing colors, changing alignments etc. etc. This would be
a real great thing to have.
By the way. If anyone at Impulse reads this and gets interessted in
several points but doesn't understands completely what I mean or needs
further description (total descriptions with requesters etc.) then
mail me and I try to work out the points again. Perhaps I could
to tell you the things in german (this would be more easy for me).
But I'll try to say all in english.
So let's finish this first part. If anyone at Impulse gets this mail
please inform me that you got it, because it is stupid to write
wishlists when you don't get them and I have truck-loads of ideas left
to tell you, so please mail me.
##
Subject: Wanted :toaster
Date: Wed, 20 May 92 13:17:58 CDT
From: set@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Toaster Man)
YO fellow Imaginers...
Using Imagine with a 040 is great! Does anyone know when a possible release
of Imagine 3 will be? Also I have over heard that Their might be a possible
release of RenderMan?
Anyway I was wondering if anyone had a used toaster v.1 or v2 they would part
with or know anyone or anyplace that I could aquire a used board?
U> 2) Entries should be in IFF-24, even if the sender
U> can't display the image
U> on his local equipment, he can render it, and that
U> will even out differences
U> in the pictures caused by the image format during
U> judging.
Hmm, I agree with everything you say except for this point. Unfortunatley I am unable to display IFF-24 pictures and if I were to enter the contest (I likely won't but thought I'd say this anyway :) I would certainly like to be able to see the final product I was entering.
Granted there should be no difference (except resolutions) between animations rendered in the different formats, but how many of us have re-rendered something in a higher resolution only to find we wished we had done things slightly different.
Your point about evening out differences due to image format is a good one, but I would suggest you pick the lowest common denominator, as opposed to the highest. I beleive this would ensure the fairest judging.
Keith Suderman
--
Reply to userid@mailbox.bison.mb.ca
##
Subject: contest
Date: Fri, 29 May 92 13:34:46 EDT
From: dan@flash.cs.pitt.edu (Dan Drake)
How is this for an idea. All of the stills, and animations entered, and
the objects too, be put on tape. Everyone who enters gets a copy of the tape.
That's a good point. I entered the AMUG anim contest on tuesday, and I think 99% of the people were so WOW'ed by the Video Toaster stuff, that they didn't even bother to think of the work involved (and to tell you the truth, the VT stuff was pretty poor as far as any kind of story, or anything really hard to animate), in putting together an animation with character movements, and such, like I did. Granted mine wasn't 24bit, it was lores HAM, granted I didn't have enough time to put audio on the tape, but still. Fly spaceships are easy as pie, making things jump, and ride around is quite difficult. Needless to say (so why am I saying it), I lost by one vote. Which doesn't suprise me because the people with the equiptment usually win.
Type to you later...
--
Reply to userid@mailbox.bison.mb.ca
##
Subject: 3.0 wishlist
Date: Sat, 30 May 92 12:24:45 -0700
From: spodell@ucscb.ucsc.edu (66291000)
Here's my one biggest wish. I'd like it for the project I'm on now,
but I'll be done before 3.0 comes out.
I am creating an instruction sheet for a toy called Gearios. They're
like big Legos and they also have gears. The blocks and gears are
fairly complex (.iob files are about 20-30K each). And some assemblies
have an upwards of 70 blocks in them, mostly identical to each other.
Is there some way to optimize the stage/rendering engine so that only
one copy of each type of block needs to be loaded? I lose 2-3megs
each time I enter the stage editor. Renderings often take me down to
100K free (out of 14Megs!). Is this possible?
- Stefon
##
Subject: Re: READ ME! (fwd)
Date: Sat, 30 May 92 12:31:06 -0700
From: spodell@ucscb.ucsc.edu (66291000)
> I think that HAM animations should probably be allowed for submission
> purposes and judging. From there, the winning animations should be
> re-rendered in 24-bit and sent out to tape for final disposition.
> bobl@graphics.rent.com
I think the concern about rendering format is that HAM animations are
aesthetically disadvantaged when up against 24-bit single frame and
even DCTV anims. It's likely, in other words, that no HAM animation
would win an opportunity to go 24-bit.
What if everyone submitted HAM and then the winners were put out on
24-bit? That way the judging is more even-handed, and Impulse gets
impressive demos. Everybody benefits.
- Stefon
##
Subject: Re: Contest
Date: Sat, 30 May 92 18:46:24 EDT
From: dan@cs.pitt.edu (Dan Drake)
Why don't we have seperate catagories for ham, dctv, and 24bit?
If there are not enough entries in a catagory, then merge some together.
I don't think that it would be a problem though.
There are huge differences when doing realtime animations in ham and dctv.
An animation that plays smoothly in ham, may be a bit flaky in dctv
depending on how busy it is, and the size of the deltas.
My opinion on the advertising is "where did this come from?" As I see it,
this contest is just something that Dave (??) thought would be cool to do.
(And fun in my opinion :-) Anyway, if people have really nice looking ham
images, then that is pretty important because everyone with an Amiga can view
the anims/images.
Just remember that this is just a really cool fun thing, and not a matter
of life and death.
dan.
##
Subject: Re: image
Date: Sat, 30 May 92 18:50:45 EDT
From: dan@cs.pitt.edu (Dan Drake)
> as well as inhouse work from Taarna Studios (where i've been hanging out
> the last 6 months or so). Taarna is a proprietary system and runs on SGI
> machines (some may be familiar with a character animation of a piano player
> made sometime ago called "Tony De Peltrie'). Anyway, I have 2 images from
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'd kiss the floor of the place where this was created. Could you send me some
of the dust that collects on the monitors? "Tony" is just about the most
incredible animation that I've ever seen.
> Caligari printed 14x20 , and a slide show running on an sgi indigo elan of
> work that I have done at Taarna (mostly mythological animals..lions, dragons
