Amiga Tools 3/Amiga Tools 3.iso/grafik/raytracing/imagine/tips/arc29.txt

Text File | 1993-03-12 | 130KB | 3,526 lines

IMAGINE archive: collected off of [e-mail]

ARCHIVE XXIX
Oct. 28 '92 - Nov. 18 '92

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

note: each message seperated by a '##'

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

Subject: Re: Forms editor - modeling a car
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 92 10:00:15 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

Paul Miller writes:
:To add the parking light insets and air scoop in the front, do I need to
:perform a boolean operation to cut it out or is there another way?

If at all possible, avoid the use of the boolean slice operation on
anything but the simplest of objects.  It is an endless source of
frustration when trying to slice into complicated objects.  Even when it
works in such cases, it adds heaps of points along the sliced edge, and
consquently many faces that have one tiny edge; greatly increasing the
editor's redraw time.  I find I then have to painstakingly optimize the
edge by joining and eliminating unnecessary points.  It also stuffs up
object naming and subgrouping on the sliced objects.  It even stuffs up
object grouping I think, as it groups all of the sliced and slicing
objects under the axis it creates when slicing.

If you want to use slice, give it very simple tasks to perform and on
simple objects, and MAKE SURE you save your latest changes before using
it.

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

##

Subject: Re: Syndesis mailings
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 92 08:08:06 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

>John Foust, Syndesis Corporation writes:
>
>[e-mail] (John Rowe) writes:
>
>> Impulse told me it's their policy not to send newsletters overseas.
>
>...At Syndesis, we make a point of sending our international customers
>every mailing we do...
>...We've got dozens of letters from international customers who say
>"I've never received anything from a US Amiga company before."  They
>also order our product at a rate greater than our US customers, in part
>I'm sure to this extra attention.
>
>John Foust
>Syndesis Corporation

Well John, I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but I'm also a registered
owner of Interfont, Interchange and the Turbo Silver conversion modules
since July '91 and I've never received a mailing from Syndesis either.
:-(

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

##

Subject: Re: Lighting woes...
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 92 09:36:19 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

Paul Miller writes:
:I'm having some trouble with LIGHTING...
:             ...I want to play around with textures and brushmaps and
:such, and want to be able to do all this in the detail editor with
:quick render...
:How can I approximate something in terms of ambient lighting so I can
:best see the effects of my texture tests on the cube, without these
:dramatic lighting problems?

The Detail Editor's lighting configuration controls are VERY primitive.
I you want to see anything but the results from the simplest lighting
setup, you're really making life harder for yourself by trying to get
the results you want in the Detail Editor.

:I figured I'd ask, just in case there is a simple solution...

There is!  Run 2 copies of Imagine!  Have the Detail Editor open in one
and the Stage Editor open in the other.  I do this constantly and it works
great.  You can then have the most sophisticated or subtle lighting setup
you want in the Stage Editor - it is designed to handle it.  Make your
object modifications in the Detail Editor, save the object, swap screens
to the Stage Editor and hit quickrender.  As I recall, the Stage Editor
reloads the objects in a frame as part of the quickrender process so you're
always assured of seeing the latest version of your object in the
quickrendered image.  I then just rename the quickrender file in RAM: with
DiskMaster 2 so I can keep a track of the quickrenders I've done in the
session if I want to test which slight object modificaton I've done looks
best.

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

##

Subject: Long Time, No Type  :-)
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 09:56:14 CST
From: [e-mail] (Dave Wickard)

Greetings once again Imagineers!  :-)

Several little items to drop on ya.

1. The new product from Impulse is called "Visionaire".
   I told you Mike had informed us that the product
   would be titled "Visionary". Nope. Even though I had it
   in my notes TWICE...it seems I had it wrong according
   to Mr. Halvorson.

   Anyway, it's Visionaire.

   Also, I have been informed that technically...Impulse is
   the PUBLISHER, not the DISTRIBUTER as I had said.
   Impulse states that Visionaire will DEFINITELY be of
   superior quality and will meet or exceed everything
   we expect from an Impulse product.

   My my, serve me up a plate of crow, mom.

2. We are counting the days until Imagine-PC's release on the
   fingers of one hand now. Should be interesting alright.

   As we have discussed and had answered on the List, it will
   be fully compatible with our Amy version and will "do"
   IFF files. This will make a handy rendering engine out of
   any lil clones you have sitting around. Registered Imagine
   owners get a price break on Imagine-PC, so there's something
   to keep in mind.

3. Contest News-  The IML Contest is underway now. There are about
   8 weeks left until the closing date for entries. If you have
   any questions...either zap them directly to me, or plop them
   up on the List. They will be answered as quickly as I can.
   Recently, Mr. Comet asked me about the copyrights to your
   artwork and such. Here is the way I'd like to run it.

   Contest Winners-  I am going to send all of the contest winners
   as a package to AVID, to AmigaWorld, and to Amazing for
   possible publishing. If anything is given for this artwork,
   the money will be split evenly amoungst all the winning entrants.
   (For these purposes, I consider myself an entrant to account
   for shipping of the prizes, renting a PO Box and such)
   If we release a collection of the winners for public purchase or
   as shareware, or whatever... again...any income will be split
   amoung the winning entrants. The individual entries though...
   remain your posession even though I ask that you do NOT
   distribute them. It would be nice to be able to distribute them
   as exclusive promotion of both the artists skills, and our List.
   Since they are still your copyright, naturally I don't have
   any legal right to stop you from distributing it. Like I say...
   "it would be nice". And of course if you do not give
   authorization on your entry form, your work will not be distributed
   by the List in any form, anywhere.


   NON-Winners-  You keep the copyright in this instance also.
   The real difference here is that entrants who do NOT win are
   encouraged to promote their art where they see fit. Sell it
   to magazines (non-winners will NOT be automatically sent out to
   the above magazines), put it on FTP sites, upload it to networks.
   Please note however, that I will release a collection of
   non-winning entries to the Contest as a freeware set.
   The artwork in this collection remains the copyright of the
   individual artist.


4. If anyone is interested in seeing a JPEG rendition of the
   "Exotic Cars Vol 1 and 2" objects that AmiGrafix donated as
   prizes, please let me know. I can either put them up on Hubcap
   or perhaps Bob could put 'em up on his server or something
   if many people would like to see them, or...if it's only a
   couple of you, I can just UUencode them and mail to you.
   Drop me a line if you are interested.

5. Remember! The address of the IML is gonna be changing real soon now.

   The new addresses are:

   [e-mail]    (subscribe and unsubscribe and
                                            private questions)

   [e-mail]            (posts to the List itself)

   [e-mail]                (personal mail to me- seen every
                                            weekday once an hour)

   [e-mail]               (If the above bounces)

   [e-mail]               (seen every night of the week)


   The date of the big address changeover is November 1, 1992.
                                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
   Scrawl it on your kids foreheads...write it in the dust on your
   clone monitor's  screen  ;-)


6. "Beyond The Mind's Eye" arrived last night. I will be doing a
   showing of it tonight, and will let you know how it looks
   within a few days. Has anyone else here on the List already
   seen it? If so, what did you think of it. Share your opinions
   with us.

7. I watched "LawnMower Man" last night also. Hmmmmm. Although
   lots of people I know seemed to be quite thrilled by it, I guess
   it didn't really do much for me. The graphics were sufficiently
   neat, but nothing really knocked me out of my seat like I was
   kinda hoping for. It gave me the impression that someone had
   a few minutes of nice 3D graphics sitting around, and decided
   they could incorporate it into a movie. Nothing overwhelming.
   Not Imagine related, but heck...I love 3D graphics.  :-)

8. Speaking of 3D graphics, has anyone been doing any projects
   that would be interesting to share with the List?  Tell us about
   what you're using 3D graphics for. I know most of us would be
   interested in hearing a description. Take a few moments and
   let us hear about your ongoing work.



Well, that's about it for today.
Thanks for all the personal notes.


Dave Wickard  [phone]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]


My opinions are not necessarily supported by the Unisys Corporation.
In fact, they seem to take great pride in doing the opposite of
what I feel best for the company. This explains their dismal and
wretched business outlook.

##

Subject: Sex! Drugs! Rock and Roll!
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 10:15:15 -0800
From: [e-mail] (Andrew Denton)


     Now that I have your attention... Hi!!! Ive been shoveing images on
hubcap and Amiga.physik and ide like to say I shant litter the place with
my stuff anymore...

                                       NOT!!!!!!!
     Ive just released an Image that took me about a day to model, but believe
it or not, Its still pretty neat-o.. its H.R. Giger style Alien, with the
Eggs and everything!!!!   Im releaseing a Close up also, just so you can see
how cute and lovable my little double hinged jawed baby is.... It took all 18
megs of my memory, 16 hours to raytrace on my 040... but its still lovable to
look at, kissably adorabl creature.. B) B) B)

      The Files are AlienJPG.lha and AlienHAM.lha
               and  KissJPG.lha and KissHAM.lha

       I'm going to generate an anim and single frame record it with this
creature... so take a look at my madness, never look for a method B)))))

                                                        Andrew Denton


##

Subject: 3D object FTP site announcement...
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 21:14:00 PST
From: [e-mail] (Virtually Here)

Okay, okay!  I know what you're all saying: "Scott, why the heck are
you wasting my time telling me this?  Hubcap already is a 3D
archive."  Well, I'm telling you all this because a new archive site
has just opened up on a machine at Chinalake. (Yes, that's right,
the weapons test place...lots of Military objects!)  It has all the
objects Hubcap has, plus LOADS of military objects....all in .OBJ
(Wavefront) format. :-(

Before I tell you the address...I better say what I have to,
otherwise nobody will read it. ;-)

We need an OBJ <-> TDDD (or TTDDD) or an OBJ <-> OFF converter. (And
then OFF->TTDDD).  Anybody willing to write one?  The specs for the
OBJ format are on the ftp site...

Okay..here's the info I got about the site...

P.S. Glenn Lewis, drop me some E-mail...

-------
(Grabbed off the net)

Ok... it's set up and ready to go! The address to go to is:

avalon.chinalake.navy.mil    (129.131.31.11)

There won't be much on it to start with (we've put all our local stuff
plus what I was able to find thru the usual ftp/archie searches). Anything
you have to offer, please upload. I'm sure everyone will appreciate it!

Below is the README file from the archive:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the README file for the anonymous ftp server avalon.chinalake.navy.mil
We are running the experimental ftp server software developed by Chris Myers.

This ftp site was created to be a 3D object "repository" for the net. We
archive 3D object files in various formats, utilities to convert between
the different formats (among other things), and documents explaining the
file formats for those daring enough to write their own converters (which
we hope they will share with everyone else by uploading them here). This
site was created because there was a need and demand for a centralized
place to get objects. We do not carry PD renderers because those are
already archived elsewhere. See the file pub/FAQs/graphics-resource-listing
for more information on where to find them.

We are running this server on an overworked Sun SparcStation. People need
to use this machine M-F from about 7am to 6pm (PST), so if you can, please
limit big transfers to times outside this schedule.

Everything is in /pub. Directories there include:

        pub/FAQs          FAQ documents from the comp.graphics newsgroups
        pub/format_specs  Documents that explain the different 3D object
                          file formats available.
        pub/incoming      Directory for incoming stuff. See below.
        pub/misc          Anything that doesn't belong anyplace else.
        pub/objects       3D object files. Subdirectories exist for
                          different formats.
        pub/utils         Any utilities that help manipulate, view or
                          convert between the different object formats.

The pub/incoming directory is where you can put any new stuff you wish to
add to the archive. We check this directory for new files, sort them out,
and put them away in the other directories on a regular basis. This archive
is what only as good as what people upload, so if you know of something you
think we should have here, go ahead and upload it!

The file pub/INDEX is a listing of the archive directories. For now it will
just be in "ls -lR" format, but we hope to include descriptions in there
sometime in the near future.

Please refer all questions/problems/suggestions and comments regarding this
archive via email to: [e-mail]. Thanks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...so there you are. I just got the file format description for the .obj
files. It's in the /pub/format_specs directory. There are PostScript and
ASCII versions available. If anyone has or can write OFF <-> Wavefront .obj
converters they would be most appreciated! Happy ftp'ing...

--
Francisco X DeJesus  ----- S A I C -----  [e-mail]
disclaimer: "Opinions expressed here are mine. Typos and errors are all yours."

   /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  //  Scott Ellis //  IRC: ScottE // WARNING: This signature warps   //
 //    [e-mail]     //  time and space in its vicinity //
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


##

Subject: Imagine in gemany
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 12:14:02 +0100
From: [e-mail]

> I want to know if it is possible to order the PC version of Imagine
> from Germany. I am a registered user (I bought it from Memphis Computer)
> The only problem is that these people from Memphis do not respond
> to my questions if they can provide the PC Version. Therefore I plan
> to order it directly from Impulse

I asked the guys from Memphis computer on the Computer Shopper Show in
Cologne and they told me that they would send a message with all
necessary informations about Imagine 3.0 and ImaginePC in some weeks.

They told me, Imagine 3.0 would come out in germany in Jan/Feb 93
and ImaginePC would come out this year.


Bye
   Oliver


##

Subject: Domino-review (long)
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 12:09:36 +0100
From: [e-mail]

Hi imagineers!

Maybe you have already heard about the DOMINO graphics board from XPert.
Some weeks ago I purchased one and now I wanne report my impressions.

First things first:


SCREEN MODES
------------

(ni = non-interlaced, i = interlaced):

    Multiscan-monitors with 31 kHz              Multiscan-monitors with 57 kHz
    (like my Eizo 9060 or a NEC 3D)               (like Eizo 9070 or NEC 4D)

Resolution   Colors    Palette   Hertz      Resolution   Colors    Palette  Hertz
--------------------------------------      --------------------------------------
 640 x  480  2,16,256  262144    67 ni       640 x  480  2,16,256  262144   72 ni
 640 x  480  32768      32768    67 ni       640 x  480  32768      32768   67 ni
 800 x  600  2,16,256  262144    60 ni       800 x  600  2,16,256  262144   81 ni
 800 x  600  32768      32768    60 ni       800 x  600  32768      32768   60 ni
1024 x  768  2,16,256  262144    87 i       1024 x  768  2,16,256  262144   70 ni
                                            1120 x  832  2,16,256  262144   65 ni
                                            1152 x  900  2,16,256  262144   60 ni
                                            1280 x 1024  2,16      262144   87 i


PRICE
-----

The board costs between 600 DM and 700 DM (1 US$ == 1.40 DM).
The TV-Paint version for DOMINO is about 300 DM.
I bought both, but the TV-Paint version needs 8 MB RAM which I don't have.


WHAT IT DOES
------------

First, you can run your Workbench on a Domino-screen. I do it in 800 x 600 and it
looks nice, even the mousepointer is in high resolution. The drawback here is the
scrollspeed of textwindows, but I'll explain this later.

If you want to view nice pictures, there's a little program (ViewDom) included which
will display all normal IFF-pictures exept 32-color images (strange enough). I never
tried halfbright-pics, but HAM-pictures are displayed quite well. The most
interesting feature is of course ViewDom's ability to display IFF24-images. The
pictures are displayed in 15 bit (32,768 colors) on a Domino-screen. The disadvantage
is that they are not dithered. Especially ray-tracing pictures sometimes look a bit
ugly in undithered 15 bit. My hope is the AdPro-driver mentioned later.

The most interesting feature of Domino is it's ability to run (almost) any program on a
Domino-screen: Each time a program wants to open a custom screen with max. 16 colors,
a requester pops up. It asks, if you want to run the program on the domino-screen
or not. A nice feature here is that you can store the settings for the screen-name.
For example: Each time the Imagine-screen opens, it will run automatically (without
requester) on the Domino. The problem is that some programs open screens without
names, so the setting cannot be stored.

"Well, now I have a large screen, but will the program recognice and use it?"

Hm, that's the point: Most programs run on the Domino, but they will not use the
higher resolution.

BUT: There are some execptions: IMAGINE (yeah!!!), CygnusEd, PageStream, ProCalc, etc.


WHICH PROGRAMS RUN?
-------------------

I tried quite a lot and here are the results:

Programs that run on Domino-screens but don't use the higher resolution:
3D-Pro, ImageLink, IntroCAD, Pixel3D 1.0, Real3D, Reflections, Videoscape 3D,
BeckerText I, Calligrapher, Datamat.

Programs that run on Domino-screens AND use higher resolution:
Imagine, MaxonCAD, BeckerText II (uses only larger height), FontDesigner, ProfCalc,
MaxiPlan 1.8 (uses only larger height), SuperBasePro IV, LSE, DevPac 3.01, SuperJAM,
Cinemorph (I saw it in Cologne), and CygnusEd.

Programs that don't run on Domino-screens:
AudioMaster III, Audition IV, AMax II+, ImageMaster, AdPro (the mainwindow does not run
on a Domino-Screen, but the Visual-operators do it and they use the higher res.)


HOW ABOUT IMAGINE?
------------------

Okay, now it's getting interesting:

All imagine-editors use the higer resolution :-))))))

Project and Action-editor only use the higher number of lines, but not the higher
number of columns.

The other ones use the complete screen. I run Imagine 2.0 on a 800x600 screen in 60 Hz.
(If I'd have a larger monitor I could run it on a 1024x768 screen).

Well, there some disadvanages, too:

The speed. Line-drawing is quite a lot slower than before :-(
The mouse. The "hot spot" of the mousepointer is not in the middle of it, but in the
  upper left corner. You have to click about 0.5 cm below and 0.5 cm right of your
  target. (very strange, but I'm almost used to it)
The redraw. Sometimes the redraw is a bit confused, but it's only a minor problem,
  because pressing ALT-R can fix it.
The images. At the moment I can't view my rendered 24bit-images directly in Imagine.
  There is a driver announced, but I don't have it yet. ILBM24-pictures created
  by Imagine CAN'T be loaded directly to ViewDom. You can load them with AdPro
  and save them again as IBLM24 and it works. The ILBM24-pic saved with AdPro is
  some kilobytes larger than the one stored with Imagine. (strange, strange)


SOFTWARE-DRIVERS:
-----------------

There are some drivers announced:
Imagine, AdPro, ImageMaster, Real3D, VistaPro.

With the drivers you can display directly on the Domino-scrren.


FUTURE:
-------

There will be two updates:
- An update for 24bit-ability (about 200 DM)
- An update for 24bit-ability AND an own blitter -> FAAAST ("Far under 1000 DM", I was
  told.)


THE DRAWBACK:
-------------

The drawback is the scrollspeed in shellwindows: If you wanne have a shellwindow
as large as your whole screen, the scrolling is dogslow. Normally I open shellwindows
with about 300x100 pixels and it is okay.

The scrollspeed depends on your processor-speed. I use a Como 2630-board.


AN ADVANTAGE
------------

Domino-screens don't need chipmem.



COMPETITORS:
------------

On the CSS (Computer Shopper Show) in Cologne, where I purchased the board, there
were some other interesting graphic-boards:

- EGC from GVP.
  24 bit.
  Fast.
  Very fast.
  Extremely fast.
  2700$.

  The demo at the GVP-booth was very impressing: On the background there was a "little"
  24 bit image (terminator II in 1024 x 768) on the screen. In the foreground there
  were four smaller windows (each about 200x200), each with a 24-bit-animation in it.
  And everything in 30 fps!!! It was amazing. Of course, the Workbench and many more
  programs can run on the EGS-screen.

- Retina from MacroSystems.
  This sounds nice: It has almost the same colors and resolutions as Domino, but
  additionally it has a 24 bit mode (it's in 640x480 I think). It also has it's
  own processor. Retina is between appr. 550 DM and appr. 800 DM (depending on the
  amount of videoram).

- OmniBus from ArMax.
  The same resolutions and colors like the Domino, but it's a bit cheaper and
  scrolling seemed a bit faster. Dunno.


That's all for today. I'll mail again, when I receive my ordered drivers for AdPro,
ImageMaster and (of course) Imagine.



Bye
   Oliver

__________________________________________________________________________
     /// Oliver Eichhorn, CS student at FH Darmstadt
    ///  Fraunhofer Institute Of Computer Graphics, Darmstadt (FhG/IGD)
\\\///   eMail:[e-mail],  voice:(06151) 48200 or (06022) 7752
 \XX/    "Things are more like they are now than they ever were before"



##

Subject: Aladdin texture Question
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 13:54:22 CST
From: [e-mail] (Toaster Man)

hi..

I just took a look at the aladdin demo raytraces pics.  I was pretty impressed
with their textures especially the spheres ones.  Im sure this is possible
to have textures like that in Imagine?

the one im most interested in was the Water one?  I have been trying to re-
create it in imagine with no luck.  Can Any one help me out or point me
in the right direction?  Also would it be possible to animate a sphere like
that with the ripples moving?

For those of you that havnt seen Beyond the Minds Eye

I suggest that you go out and buy it.  Its very impressive.

ViSioNary Graphics
Steve


##

Subject: Detail Lights
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 14:44:01 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Alan Price)

> Paul Miller writes:
> :I'm having some trouble with LIGHTING...
> :             ...I want to play around with textures and brushmaps and
> :such, and want to be able to do all this in the detail editor with
> :quick render...
> :How can I approximate something in terms of ambient lighting so I can
> :best see the effects of my texture tests on the cube, without these
> :dramatic lighting problems?

> The Detail Editor's lighting configuration controls are VERY primitive.
> I you want to see anything but the results from the simplest lighting
> setup, you're really making life harder for yourself by trying to get
> the results you want in the Detail Editor.

> :I figured I'd ask, just in case there is a simple solution...

> There is!  Run 2 copies of Imagine!  Have the Detail Editor open in one
> and the Stage Editor open in the other.  I do this constantly and it works
> great.  You can then have the most sophisticated or subtle lighting setup
> you want in the Stage Editor - it is designed to handle it.
 [ some more interesting stuff from John Rowe deleted. ]


Another possibility is to add two or more axes in your detail editor, move them
up and out of the way over your 'shoulders', and make each a light source using
their attributes requester. Then, when you quickrender, just click the 'no light'
option and you'll see the effects of only the lights you placed.

This, of course does not allow you to use the 'ambient' light found in the
stage editors global setting, but you can place multiple light axes whereever
you wish to simulate light coming from various directions (along with luminence
level variation). Just put the lights off in places where they won't get
confused with the object you are working on. Doing it this way allows for more
precise placement of the light in the detail editor, and saves on memory overhead
for those of us that can't quite afford to have Imagine running twice at the
same time.

AP.



##

Subject: Imagine Anims
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 92 17:09:53 MST
From: [e-mail] (Desmnod Bradley)

I am trying to put together Imagine 1.0 pics into anims.  Which pd animbuilder(s) can handle multi-palette anims? Must work under WB 2.0.

Thanks

--- Via UCI v1.15 (C-Net Amiga)

Desmond Bradley.   Usenet [[e-mail].]
Come and dream with us
        in
     R'lehy


##

Subject: Re: Aladdin texture Question
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 92 0:33:27 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Aaron Tucker)

> the one im most interested in was the Water one?  I have been trying to re-
> create it in imagine with no luck.  Can Any one help me out or point me
> in the right direction?  Also would it be possible to animate a sphere like
> that with the ripples moving?
>
One of the hardest things to do in Imagine is water (for me) because Imagine
does not have any specific facilites for creating water. I know Lightwave
does. I tried copying Mark's (Avid?) water tutorial in Imagine and it did
not turn out as good.

> For those of you that havnt seen Beyond the Minds Eye
>
You might also call some big 3D software companies (ie Wavefront) and get
demo tapes from them. I have a Wavefront demo tape that is very impressive
considering it is 4 years old.

> Steve
>
Juan Trevino
[e-mail]

##

Subject: PC version
Date:     Sat, 31 Oct 1992 10:08:06 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Troy Hacker)

Hi all,

Do anyone know if the PC version of imagine is out?
--
Troy Hacker -- 32 Trothen Circle, Markham, Ont., L3P 4H5  VOX: [phone]
  INTERNET: [e-mail]  [e-mail]  [e-mail]
    BITNET: [e-mail]              UUCP: ...web!becker!courier!troy
COMPUSERVE: [e-mail]


##

Subject: Re: Aladdin texture Question
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 92 4:46:52 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Aaron Tucker)

>
> > You might also call some big 3D software companies (ie Wavefront) and get
> > demo tapes from them. I have a Wavefront demo tape that is very impressive
> > considering it is 4 years old.
> >
> Do you happen to have their number? Is there a charge for the tapes?
>
The number for Wavefront Technologies is 1-800-545-WAVE.
I know they currently have ads running for Video Composer, a package for SGI
machines to do desktop video. Ask for that tape while you are at it. :-)

> --
> [e-mail] (don hirschfeld)
>
Juan Trevino
[e-mail]




##

Subject: ICP Reviews
Date: 29 Oct 92 14:20:44 EST
From: "Syndesis Corp/J. Foust" <[e-mail]>

To: >internet: [e-mail]


Special Offer for Amiga User Groups

Buy InterChange Plus, review it in your user group newsletter, and
you'll receive an Antic Object disk - worth $30 - free!

If you publish a review of InterChange Plus in your user group
newsletter, we'll send you an Antic Object disk containing dozens of
3D objects in Amiga-compatible formats, chosen from the Microbot
Design, Architecture Design, Human Design and Future Design disks.
(Supplies are limited, but we'll try to match your request.)

To be eligible for this offer, the review must be at least 500 words
and published in a newsletter that reaches at least 25 people.  Send
us a copy of the newsletter in which the review appeared.  You must
be a registered InterChange Plus owner.  The offer is limited to one
person per user group.

Syndesis is also interested in advertising in your user group
newsletter.  Please call us!

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




##

Subject: Re:: Syndesis mailings
Date: 29 Oct 92 14:17:45 EST
From: "Syndesis Corp/J. Foust" <[e-mail]>

To: >internet: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (John Rowe) writes:
>Well John, I'm sorry to rain on your parade, but I'm also a registered
>owner of Interfont, Interchange and the Turbo Silver conversion modules
>since July '91 and I've never received a mailing from Syndesis either.

Maybe that's because we hadn't done a mailing for quite a while.  We
hadn't done one between July '91 and until just a few weeks ago, when
we released InterChange Plus.  We did lose several hundred dollars
when the Post Office suddenly decided that our mailing wasn't
suitable for international air mail.  (We did a four-page,
folded-over 8.5 x 11 page...  hmm, sorta like Impulse's
newsletter....)  So our most recent international mailing was
delayed.  It's being mailed out this week, only a couple weeks behind
the US customers.





##

Subject: Problems with spiral ...
Date:     Mon, 26 Oct 1992 20:09:23 +0100
From: Hannes Heckner <[e-mail]>

Hi render-folks ,

I have a big problem with spirals. The problem is that I can't model
them. I want to build them with spline paths. But I just can't produce
any spiral. Has anyone yet performed this ?

Could anyone post me some alignment infos of the different knots ?

Any help greatly appreciated

Hannes



##

Subject: Wavefront .obj, 3D object CD-ROM
Date: 30 Oct 92 11:33:48 EST
From: "Syndesis Corp/J. Foust" <[e-mail]>

To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (Virtually Here) writes:

> We need an OBJ <-> TDDD (or TTDDD) or an OBJ <-> OFF converter. (And
> then OFF->TTDDD).  Anybody willing to write one?  The specs for the
> OBJ format are on the ftp site...

Syndesis sells a Wavefront .obj Converter for InterChange Plus.  It
sells for $395, and includes InterChange Plus if you don't have it
already.  Since InterChange Plus can read and write TDDD files, you
could convert these objects.

Our Wavefront Converter reads and writes the geometry files as well
as the material (surface attribute) libraries, meaning it would
preserve all your Imagine colors, specular and filter settings, etc.
as well as read any existing material libraries on the archive site.

I know, whenever I mention a price like that on Usenet, I get a
half-dozen messages from starving students who tell me they can't
afford tools like that, and would I please sell it to them for an
educational price of $50?

And whenever I mention our prices to professionals using workstation-
or PC-based programs like AutoCAD or 3D Studio, they say, wow, $400,
so cheap, I can pay for that in one job, how do you make any money?

We recently reduced the price of our DXF Converter from $295 to $150
due to increased demand.  I'd consider a price drop on the Wavefront
Converter if I thought I could sell more than three of them.  Keep in
mind that there are actually only about 300-400 Wavefront sites in
the world.

We've been looking into producing a CD-ROM of freely-distributable
objects.  We'll take all the objects we can find, convert them all to
the other formats we support, and put them on one CD-ROM.  Is there
an Exabyte on this repository, or someone who has one who'd make a
'tar' tape for us for the CD-ROM?

John Foust
Syndesis Corporation




##

Subject: WaveFront OBJ Conversion
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 92 16:30:19 PST
From: [e-mail] (Virtually Here)

Hello Everybody!

I've got some good news, and some bad news.

Good news:

VERTEX, a shareware 3D modeling program can load and save WaveFront
OBJ objects, such as those found on the avalon FTP repository.

Bad news: VERTEX is shareware

Good news: Shareware registration is relatively cheap

Bad news: If you want a useable object in Imagine TDDD format,
Vertex won't do it.  If you load an OBJ object into Vertex, and then
save it as TDDD you won't get any faces, just edges. :-(

Good news: There's a workaround

Bad news: The work around is to buy YET ANOTHER program, Pixel 3D.
You can use Vertex to save the object in LightWave format, then use
Pixel 3D to load the lightwave object, and save it in Imagine
format.

Good news: This works great!!!!  Find a friend with either/both of
these programs and convert away!

Bad news: Takes FOREVER to reduce the number of surfaces.

Good news: You get some GREAT objects when done.

Okay...get the picture?

   /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  //  Scott Ellis //  IRC: ScottE // WARNING: This signature warps   //
 //    [e-mail]     //  time and space in its vicinity //
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


##

Subject: Alien pics!
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 92 20:17:11 CST
From: [e-mail] (Toaster Man)



I just took a look at guardians alien pictures..  Man their awesome!
The modeling of the Alien creature is very well done.  He even did a close
up pic. of the aliens face. :)  This is a really good object and i heard
that it didn't take him more than a day to model.

I incourage every1 to take a look at it your selfs.

it can be found on hubcap.

Steve
ViSioNary Graphics



##

Subject: Modeling my Miata - the body-panel groove
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 92 21:41:12 EST
From: Paul Miller <[e-mail]>

Thanks to all who suggested how to go about starting my Miata model.
Fortunately I do have a plastic model Miata to look at, and I've
done some sketches of what it should look like (no wheel-wells, so this
is a bit easier).

Now, I'm having problems with the grooves which run down the sides. If
you've seen one you may have noticed this groove, which, if you ignore
the wheel-wells, goes all the way around the car. The rear
bumper is molded right in with the back of the car, and this groove
is a problem with the increasingly tight slices here. Is there a way
to get the groove the same size and vertical position for ALL my key
slices? This needs to be "global," because the groove in the rear
slice (the very back of the bumper) is at the top of the slice, and
the groove in most of the other slices in near the lower middle.

Am I wasting my time? Anyone know of one I can ftp?

--
* Paul Miller                         |Nobody cares about my opinion anyway*
* INTERNET: [e-mail] |    - Have a JOLT and a smile! -    *
* "What IS it, man?"                                "Happy Happy, Joy Joy" *


##

Subject: Vertex 1.73 is shipping
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 92 02:54:31 EST
From: [e-mail] (Alex Deburie)

Just to let everyone know, Vertex 1.73 is now shipping. They left here
about 3 days ago, and should be on all the registered users doorstep in
a matter of days.

This is a pretty big update -

    Complete Arexx support (you can run macros from within Vertex now)
    Support for larger screens (Finally!)
    Math functions can be entered in most transform functions
        (ie. to rotate 1/57th of a complete turn just enter 360/57
        and Vertex will happily figure that out to be 6.315789474 ;^)
    2 New functions, Combine and Align, allow fusing points which are a
        certain distance apart
    New file formats have been added - 3D Professional and RayShade
        (Basic support only)
    Making faces all point the same direction with the "Clockwiser"
        tool eliminates the need for saving surfaces with the 2-sided
        flag set (for lightwave users)
    Object limits have been increased to 512
    A New selection tool, Select Wild, lets you select objects
        based on a wildcard pattern.
    A better rendering method with lightsource was added
    And a lot more, including some fixed bugs in the Arexx port, a new
        distortion tool and correct Imagine size conversions.

Still only $40. ;^) However, this will be the last free update
available. The Art Machine will be working hard on a professional
version for future release, which all registered users will be getting
at a discount.


Alex D. Deburie
President, The Art Machine
Makers of Vertex




##

Subject: TDDD Tools
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 92 08:36:18 +0100
From: [e-mail] (mendez Marc)

[e-mail] wrote :
:We need an OBJ <-> TDDD (or TTDDD) or an OBJ <-> OFF converter. (And
:then OFF->TTDDD).  Anybody willing to write one?  The specs for the
:OBJ format are on the ftp site...

Somebody heard you a few months ago ... You'll find this tool on a
Fred Fish Disk. It's called WriteTDDD. There is in the package a
ReadTDDD tool as well.
If you can't get it, tell it to me. I'll send it to you via E-mail.


----------------------------------------*----------------------------------
MENDEZ Marc                |
E-Mail :[e-mail]    |
----------------------------------------*     Licence d'informatique
Residence Le Mail            |     UFR d'informatique
Batiment B, Appartement 414        |     Universite de BORDEAUX 1
Rue Louis JOUVET            |     351, cours de la Liberation
33600 PESSAC                |       33405 TALENCE, FRANCE
FRANCE                    |
Home Phone : [phone]        |
----------------------------------------*----------------------------------

"The trouble with computers is they do everything we tell them to do, but not
 what we would like them to do."

##

Subject: Re: Aladdin texture Question
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 92 09:55:53 EST
From: Mark Thompson <[e-mail]>

> > the one im most interested in was the Water one?
> One of the hardest things to do in Imagine is water (for me) because Imagine
> does not have any specific facilites for creating water. I know Lightwave
> does. I tried copying Mark's (Avid?) water tutorial in Imagine and it did
> not turn out as good.

The techniques in my article that Juan mentioned should produce reasonable
results in Imagine but I have never tried it. The real key for animation
however is a good procedural ripple operator for bump mapping. The one
in LightWave is adequate for a fairly good simulation but a more complex
wave model would be nice. Steve Worley was toying around with some code for
such a model but compute time was a little high for most practical use.
With a little bit of optimization, I would think that wave generation times
could be dramatically improved. I haven't seen Steve's source but then
this stuff really isn't rocket science either. Anyone with some college
level math/physics should be able to wip this together. I'd say ask Steve
to let ya take a look at his code but I think he is planning on using it
in the next go round of Essence. There are also several Siggraph papers
which cover this topic (some more applicable than others). As a side
note, keep a look out for "One Stormy Night with Fred Floaty" (my latest
film). In it there are several different examples of animated water
including rain, rain puddles, the ocean, and a pool.
%~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~%
%      `       '        Mark Thompson                 CONCURRENT COMPUTER  %
% --==* RADIANT *==--   [e-mail]        Principal Graphics   %
%      ' Image `        ...!uunet!masscomp!mark       Hardware Architect   %
%     Productions       [phone] [phone]   & General Nuisance   %
%                                                                          %
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


##

Subject: Brushmapping
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 92 13:20:07 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

I am trying to wrap a big 2 color brush in Imagine2.0
it's says I don't have enough ram to load the brush?
help!
The brush is large 150K 2 bitplane  I can't remember the dimensions.

What is Imagine trying to do to my picture? Convert it to 24bitplanes?
does it have to fit in CHIP ram?

ADVthanksANCE

************************************************************
* 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: Brushmapping
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 92 17:20:09 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Michael B. Comet)

>
>I am trying to wrap a big 2 color brush in Imagine2.0
>it's says I don't have enough ram to load the brush?
>help!
>The brush is large 150K 2 bitplane  I can't remember the dimensions.
>
>What is Imagine trying to do to my picture? Convert it to 24bitplanes?
>does it have to fit in CHIP ram?
>
>ADVthanksANCE
>
>************************************************************
>* Adam Benjamin                    [e-mail] *

    Hmmmm....firstly, how much ram do you have?  and also how big is
the image?

    All of it and objects and stuff is supposed to go into FAST ram,
but if you've ever watched imagine closely, it seems like if it runs our
of fast, it is smart enough to get it from chip.

    Anyhow, even if it is only 150K compressed, it has to be
uncompressed which is why the size is important.  Also, it wouldn't
suprise me in the least to find out that everything gets converted to an
uncompressed 24 bit image.

    Actually, with the above theory it would be interesting to take
a full color 24 bit image and wrap it, and to then use adpro or
something to convert the same pic to 2 colors and to render it again on
an object and to see if you notice any memory differences.  If not, then
imagine may be converting to 24 bit.

               Michael Comet
               [e-mail]


--
+======================================================================+
|  Michael B. Comet - Computer Programmer / Graphics Artist  - CWRU    |
|  [e-mail]  - "Render now or forever mesh your polygons!"      |
+======================================================================+


##

Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1992 13:17:11 EST
From: [e-mail]

Have any of you fellow Imagineers had a problem with rendering large TRACES
in Imagine... I don't mean the computer crashing... I mean.....

                Odd and strange graphical garbage on the main
                CLI screen, some how tied in with imagine

                The system clock being accelerated until it's
                rammed to the limit and craps out?  I've had
                my clock accelerated twice... but no problems
                with any other program... ???

I'm lost... :(

Steve
--
"I'm not tense,         Steven Lam
 just terribly          ST:TNG #1 and the only one
 alert!"                [e-mail]

:O :) B) P) |) +) =) -=) *) :-) :p %) :\ :/ #:) (:) :^) %^} :} ;) B:) *:) +:)



##

Subject: Re: TDDD Tools
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 92 08:38:00 PST
From: [e-mail] (Glenn M. Lewis - ICD ~)

>>>>> On Mon, 2 Nov 92 08:36:18 +0100, [e-mail] (mendez Marc) said:

Marc> [e-mail] wrote :
:We need an OBJ <-> TDDD (or TTDDD) or an OBJ <-> OFF converter. (And
:then OFF->TTDDD).  Anybody willing to write one?  The specs for the
:OBJ format are on the ftp site...

Marc> Somebody heard you a few months ago ... You'll find this tool on
Marc> a Fred Fish Disk. It's called WriteTDDD. There is in the package
Marc> a ReadTDDD tool as well.

    Wait!  I am the author of TTDDD, which included "ReadTDDD" and
"WriteTDDD", and this package is out of date now, with the advent of
Imagine.

    Please ftp to "hubcap.clemson.edu" [130.127.8.1] and grab the
latest version of T3DLIB (aka TTDDDLIB) in the directory:
/pub/amiga/incoming/imagine/TTDDDLIB.  There are some useful files in
the "contrib" subdirectory too.

    The new program that replaced the two mentioned above is
called "ReadWrite" (clever, eh? :-)  and will read either a TTDDD or a
TDDD object from its standard input, and by default write a TTDDD
file, and with the "-tddd" switch, will write an Imagine TDDD file.
There are a couple other options, like "-merge" that will optimize the
number of points and edges by removing reduncancies (an O(N^2)
processs... i.e. "slow").  Anyway, there are a lot more fun goodies in
the package for you to play around with, and I am continuing to work
on new-and-cool programs to add to the library.

    Executive summary of T3DLIB: It is package that contains a
number of filters and utilities the operate on 3D object files (and
convert between a few formats), as well as a library for programmers
that wish to manipulate or generate 3D objects algorithmically (maybe
to do animations using dynamic constraints, for example).

    Enjoy.  By the way, it is Shareware, and I would appreciate it
if you register the package with me if you find it useful.  Thanks.

                            -- Glenn


##

Subject: Re: WaveFront OBJ Conversion
Date: 02 Nov 92 15:28:28 EST
From: "Syndesis Corp/J. Foust" <[e-mail]>

To: >internet: [e-mail]
Errors-To: [e-mail]

[e-mail] (Virtually Here) writes:

> Bad news: The work around is to buy YET ANOTHER program, Pixel 3D.

Didn't I mention that InterChange Plus is much less expensive than
Pixel, includes more formats, and converts those formats with more
accuracy and less limitations than Pixel 3D?

And if you have our Wavefront Converter, it reads and writes material
libraries (collections of surface descriptions) as well as the
geometry.  Without this, and full support for Wavefront surfaces in
your translation, do you really plan on re-coloring those huge
objects face-by-face, by hand?

##

Subject:      DCTV animations
Date:         2 Nov 92 19:35:37 CST6
From: "Mike Jiang"  <[e-mail]>

Hi,

    I was wondering, is it possible to animate full screen DCTV
animations at 30 fps?


Mike Jiang----------------------------------------------------------------------
| "Cognito cognito ergo cognito sum." | email==> [e-mail]  |
| "I think I think,                   | or    [e-mail]  |
|  therefore I think I am."           |                              |
----------------------------------------------------------------------


##

Subject: Re: WaveFront OBJ Conversion
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 92 18:50:06 PST
From: [e-mail] (Virtually Here)

Syndesis Corp/J. Foust just said:
>
> To: >internet: [e-mail]
> Errors-To: [e-mail]
>
> [e-mail] (Virtually Here) writes:
>
> > Bad news: The work around is to buy YET ANOTHER program, Pixel 3D.
>
> Didn't I mention that InterChange Plus is much less expensive than
> Pixel, includes more formats, and converts those formats with more
> accuracy and less limitations than Pixel 3D?
>
Yes, but I already have Pixel.

> And if you have our Wavefront Converter, it reads and writes material
> libraries (collections of surface descriptions) as well as the
> geometry.  Without this, and full support for Wavefront surfaces in
> your translation, do you really plan on re-coloring those huge
> objects face-by-face, by hand?

Yes. ;-)    I may lose a lot of surface detail in the conversion,
but I save almost $400. ;-)

   /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  //  Scott Ellis //  IRC: ScottE // WARNING: This signature warps   //
 //    [e-mail]     //  time and space in its vicinity //
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


##

Subject: objects
Date:     Mon, 2 Nov 1992 18:02:19 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Troy Hacker)

Does anyone know were I can get a hold of some nice island objects?
--
Troy Hacker -- 32 Trothen Circle, Markham, Ont., L3P 4H5  VOX: [phone]
  INTERNET: [e-mail]  [e-mail]  [e-mail]
    BITNET: [e-mail]              UUCP: ...web!becker!courier!troy
COMPUSERVE: [e-mail]


##

Subject: Good News/Bad News
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 05:41:56 EST
From: [e-mail] (Alex Deburie)

In a message dated <Sun, 1 Nov 92 16:30:19 PST>, [e-mail]
(Virtually Here) writes:
> Hello Everybody!
> I've got some good news, and some bad news.

Well, I've got some good news, and some bad news, too ;^)

First, Vertex will load and save the objects you want, but you may have
to apply some tricks to get it to work correctly.

When you load the initial .obj file, you will probably have a number of
named parts which are connected.

The bad news is that when you go to save the file in Imagine format,
Vertex finds these connected objects - which chokes the Imagine
file format. (Imagine needs to have separate objects - they cannot be
combined)

The fix is pretty easy, if you don't mind a little mouse work. Or, if
you want, you can write a short Arexx script to handle it for you.
However...

> Good news:
> VERTEX, a shareware 3D modeling program can load and save WaveFront
> OBJ objects, such as those found on the avalon FTP repository.
> Bad news: VERTEX is shareware

What's so bad about that? Maybe where you come from some programmers
spit out 15,000+ lines of code and give it away. However, some of us
have to eat.

> Bad news: If you want a useable object in Imagine TDDD format,
> Vertex won't do it.  If you load an OBJ object into Vertex, and then
> save it as TDDD you won't get any faces, just edges. :-(

I've never run across, nor has anyone mentioned, Imagine files being
saved from Vertex without faces. Not 2 minutes ago I loaded a
Wavefront .obj file, and saved it in Imagine format without a hitch.

> Good news: This works great!!!!  Find a friend with either/both of
> these programs and convert away!

Better yet, why don't you buy the software yourself? Doing so may even
surprise you with quick a responce from the programmer of at least one
of these packages, who would be willing to add the features you want.

> Bad news: Takes FOREVER to reduce the number of surfaces.
> Good news: You get some GREAT objects when done.
> Okay...get the picture?

Yes, I get the picture. It sounds like you have a pirate copy of
Vertex. What is the serial number on your copy of Vertex?

I'd be more than happy to help, work with, or listen to any registered
user - but as far as I'm concerned, unregistered people using
registered copies of the software can continue to reap the benefits of
"the bad news". I didn't spend a year and a half programming Vertex to
have it "freely distributed" to anyone who wanted it.

"Find a friend with either/both..." sounds suspiciously like piracy.
I've come to expect more from the IML, and until now I've never run
across an attitude like this on the list. I assumed most people here
were either attending school or using the net for professional
reasons.

Maybe I'm mistaken.

     -- Alex Deburie
        [e-mail]



##

Subject: Re: Good News/Bad News
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 9:07:06 PST
From: [e-mail] (Virtually Here)

Alex Deburie just said:
>
> In a message dated <Sun, 1 Nov 92 16:30:19 PST>, [e-mail]
> (Virtually Here) writes:
> > Hello Everybody!
> > I've got some good news, and some bad news.
>
> Well, I've got some good news, and some bad news, too ;^)
>
> First, Vertex will load and save the objects you want, but you may have
> to apply some tricks to get it to work correctly.
>
> When you load the initial .obj file, you will probably have a number of
> named parts which are connected.
>
Actually, I didn't.  I figured a load of named parts might be the
case, but it only found 1 part....but Vertex had no problem
rendering it.

> The bad news is that when you go to save the file in Imagine format,
> Vertex finds these connected objects - which chokes the Imagine
> file format. (Imagine needs to have separate objects - they cannot be
> combined)
>
> The fix is pretty easy, if you don't mind a little mouse work. Or, if
> you want, you can write a short Arexx script to handle it for you.
> However...
>
> > Good news:
> > VERTEX, a shareware 3D modeling program can load and save WaveFront
> > OBJ objects, such as those found on the avalon FTP repository.
> > Bad news: VERTEX is shareware
>
> What's so bad about that? Maybe where you come from some programmers
> spit out 15,000+ lines of code and give it away. However, some of us
> have to eat.
>
Okay, maybe "Bad news: It isn't free" would have been better. I
surely support the shareware concept.  Lose the attitude buddy.

> > Bad news: If you want a useable object in Imagine TDDD format,
> > Vertex won't do it.  If you load an OBJ object into Vertex, and then
> > save it as TDDD you won't get any faces, just edges. :-(
>
> I've never run across, nor has anyone mentioned, Imagine files being
> saved from Vertex without faces. Not 2 minutes ago I loaded a
> Wavefront .obj file, and saved it in Imagine format without a hitch.
>
I have never used vertex before this instance...see below.

> > Good news: This works great!!!!  Find a friend with either/both of
> > these programs and convert away!
>
> Better yet, why don't you buy the software yourself? Doing so may even
> surprise you with quick a responce from the programmer of at least one
> of these packages, who would be willing to add the features you want.
>
Not to be cruel or anything, but mainly because the product seems to
be shit.  Sure, it has some good features, such as load/save OBJ
files, but Pixel3DPro will do that to.  I already OWN P3D 2.0, so am
just waiting for my upgrade to pro.

> > Bad news: Takes FOREVER to reduce the number of surfaces.
> > Good news: You get some GREAT objects when done.
> > Okay...get the picture?
>
> Yes, I get the picture. It sounds like you have a pirate copy of
> Vertex. What is the serial number on your copy of Vertex?
>
You are right in that I don't own vertex.  I also don't have it on
my machine.  Unlike you, some of us HAVE friends.  Unlike you, some
of our FRIENDS do 3D work too.  Unlike you, some of our FRIENDS have
vertex, and offer to try and help when they can do something I need.
In this case, I had no way to convert OBJ -> TDDD.  A FRIEND
mentioned he had Vertex, and it might work.  Sure enough, it works,
albeit in a round about way.

> I'd be more than happy to help, work with, or listen to any registered
> user - but as far as I'm concerned, unregistered people using
> registered copies of the software can continue to reap the benefits of
> "the bad news". I didn't spend a year and a half programming Vertex to
> have it "freely distributed" to anyone who wanted it.
>
I'm not complaining.  My friend tells me that he uses Vertex fo
object creation and manipulation, and it works fine for him.  He has
no complains..well, at least not about the TDDD saving. ;-)

> "Find a friend with either/both..." sounds suspiciously like piracy.
> I've come to expect more from the IML, and until now I've never run
> across an attitude like this on the list. I assumed most people here
> were either attending school or using the net for professional
> reasons.
>
What exactly is your point?  Most people I know translate "Find a
friend with either/both..." into "If you don't already have the
software you need for this, use a friends machine who does have it,
as it's not worht buying just for this one project."

It really seems like you got up on the wrong side of the pasture
today.  Maybe if you weren't such a jerk, you would have more
friends willing to let you use their software when you need to.

> Maybe I'm mistaken.

I most certainly think you are!  Get a better outlook on life, will
ya!  Go outside!  Take a swim!

   /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  //  Scott Ellis //  IRC: ScottE // WARNING: This signature warps   //
 //    [e-mail]     //  time and space in its vicinity //
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////



##

Subject: Lighting effects
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 15:34:24 EST
From: [e-mail] (Peter Mancini)

Ignore the '>' as I missspeld [e-mail] and had to
edit the bounced mail... --pete (note lowercase 'p')

>
>     finally, a news group worth subscribing to for life!  Well,
> since joining this conference about 2 weeks ago I dug out my copy of
> Imagine 1.1 which I've had for a long time (year, more?).  When I first
> got it I wasn't able to do a damn thing with it.  The 'manual' was
> useless for people like me who had no 3D experience, and the tutorials
> were just plain wrong.  Since this past weekend I graduated from finally
> being able to get a spherical ball with a checker pattern on it to
> modeling a Soviet PBR (riverine boat with a lot of guns on it).  All
> this advancement happened with the help of the Imagine Companion and
> this group.  Now perhaps you can enlighten me (pardon the pun) on how to
> make things look like they are glowing brightly enought to illuminate
> the landscape.
>
>     I noticed that lightsources are invisible so they aren't the
> answer to what I want.  To give you an idea of what I am looking for I'd
> like to have a render with something like the SUN image on the cover of
> the latest Video Toaster User cover.  Even just little glowing points of
> light in the terminator's eyes would be a start.  Has anyone here done
> this?
>
> P.S.  This news group just earned Impulse $100, I am upgrading to 2.0
> ASAP.
>
> --Pete
>
> P.S.  I loaded the Mig 27 image from Avalon onto my SGI PowerSeries with
> Personal Wavefront and rendered it with a camo texture on the fusalage
> and wings.  It seemed to be missing a lot of panels from the nose and
> cockpit area.  Is there a file with the objects that go inside of this
> model?  I assume they are there to reveal internal components as we do
> the same thing with models of the pharmacutical plants we build at work.
>  Sorry, I can't up load those models, they are 1/2 a million polygons
> anyway and would just kill even the A4000 with 32megs ram.  They kill
> the SGI as well.
>



##

Subject: Looking for Steve's 1.1 book
Date: 03 Nov 92 19:04 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Green, M David)

I'm an Imagine 1.1 user, waiting for 3.0 before upgrading mostly because I can
see that I have barely begun to scratch the surface of this program's
capabilities, and I don't want to spend $100 just to have access to an even
more powerful program until I am already doing what I can with what I have.

So, to make that first scratch, can anyone tell me where to get a copy of
Steve's book for the 1.1 version of the program.  (And yeah, I'd prefer to get
one from another reader used and save the $12 or so I might otherwise have had
to spend for a new copy when it was available.  Sorry Steve--I'd have bought it
new, but I'm coming into the 1.1 game late.)

Thanks.

-David



##

Subject: Imagine 1.x --> 2.0 upgrade?
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 18:14:27 -0800
From: [e-mail]

Is this upgrade still available?  If so, when does this offer expire
and how much is it now?

Thanks!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian M. Aljian                                                 // Only Amiga
[e-mail]                                           // makes it
"Procrastinators do it tomorrow."                           \\// possible...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


##

Subject: Re: Island Objects
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 92 0:04:32 CST
From: "Scott Jones (Dr. Jones)" <[e-mail]>

Troy Hacker writes-

>
> Does anyone know where I can get some good island objects?
> --
>

You should try Vista Pro 2.0.

This prog will generate a 3D object in Turbo Silver format that you can
use in your favorite modeler.  VistaPro uses DEM (digital elevation maps)
to make it's models.

The program is a whole lot better than just this though, but it is one of
the features I have noticed

Hope this helps..
Scott..



##

Subject: Re: Good/bad
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 92 07:22:05 EST
From: [e-mail] (Alex Deburie)

In response to the juvenile remarks made by Scott Ellis:
(Sorry for this everyone, but it's short)

Look, I'm not going to get a flame-fest going with you - I have much
more fulfilling things to do. If you have any other childish comments
to pass along - take it to personal mail.

I was responding to your statement that your plan was a feasible
solution to a particular problem. Part of your solution invloved getting
copyrighted software from a friend. Whether that sounds like piracy or
not is a personal judgement. I feel it is.

For now, you can rest assured you "burned" me real good. I'm sure
that will make great conversation for Rhetoric 101. But, as far as I'm
concerned, you can take your sophomoric bullshit and go swim in it.

-- Alex DeBurie
   [e-mail]




##

Subject: NEED plant, tree, and house.
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 92 12:35:27 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

I am in need of a few objects.
I tried to get the POTTED_PLANT and PINE_TREE files from wu but they
fail CRC checks when I un-lharc them.  Does anyone know the author??

I need a plant, a pine tree and would like a little house object.
(It's for a Christmas picture I'm working on)

Adam B



##

Subject: brush mapping
Date:    Wed, 4 Nov 1992 18:01:53 -0500 (EST)
From: [e-mail]

Well, I've also had trouble with brushmaps, and I called Impulse.
Guess What!  Imagine DOES use chip mem for its brushmaps!  So, if
you are having problems with big brushmaps, or with brushmaps
behaving unexpectedly, maybe you're out of CHIP.

uugh.. more money b4 happy rendering..
Scott


##

Subject: Objects ? Have anybody made a snail ?
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1992 21:42:43 +0100 (MET)
From: Johan Andersson <[e-mail]>

    Hello fellow Imagineers !

  I have been working on some different small projects lately and is right
  now involved in the problem of making a snail, yes the kind that crawls
  very slowly :)

  I have been trying to use the formseditor to make it, the shell of the
  snail that is, the slug itself isn't all that hard.

  I was thinking that the forms editor would be a good choice, but after
  the discussion about spirals here lately I have been wondering if that
  might not be a better idea since it really is a spiral anyway.

  Does anyone has suggestions of wich way I should go now, the results
  I've gotten do far doesn't really look good *sigh*.

  The manual for the 1.1 version of Imagine isn't very good as most people
  know, and the small booklet I have about it is also not that supergood
  help that I needed.  Anyway, I know that the manual for 2.0 is better
  and maybe the 3.0 one will be even great ?  What I want to know is

    How does one do a spiral of a circle that increases in radius with
    the twist of the spiral and also moves to one side at the same time ?
    This is for the above mentioned snailshell.

  Hope for a small answer !

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
! Address: Johan Andersson              Email: [e-mail]            !
!          Fredriksbergsg. 2                                                  !
!          856 41  Sundsvall            New to this list, but don't flame me  !
!          Sweden                       Still rendering in 1.1 :*)            !
! Phone:   [phone]                                                 !
*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*



##

Subject: brush mapping
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 92 08:11:06 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

In a previous post [e-mail] wrote:
>Well, I've also had trouble with brushmaps, and I called Impulse.
>Guess What!  Imagine DOES use chip mem for its brushmaps!  So, if
>you are having problems with big brushmaps, or with brushmaps
>behaving unexpectedly, maybe you're out of CHIP.

Figures, IF my 4000 ever gets back to me (died after 2 weeks) I can
try it with 2 meg of chip.  It won't load on my 1 meg chip 2000.
Maybe I will try breaking it up into 2 pictures... hmm.

Thanks for the information.

************************************************************
* 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:  brush mapping
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 92 18:07:16 -0500
From: [e-mail] (PJ Foley)

What is the reason for putting brush maps into CHIP RAM?  Is it just "naturaly"
easier to load graphics into that space?  Doesn't seem likely to me.
What about 24Bit brushmaps?  Are those places there too?  It seems like it
is not.  I have rendered a picture with 3 24 bit 736x482 files without
running out of my (2 Meg) CHIP RAM.

PJ
Kinetic Dreams


##

Subject:      snail
Date:         5 Nov 92 15:50:42 CST6
From: "Mike Jiang"  <[e-mail]>

You can do a snail shell by editing an open path and making it into a
spiral.  then take a disk, delete the center, and extrude it alone
the path, (keep the x aligned with the path) and scale the x and z.
make the x larger and the z smaller, or vise versa.


Mike Jiang

----------------------------------------------------------------------
| "Cognito cognito ergo cognito sum." | email==> [e-mail]  |
| "I think I think,                   | or    [e-mail]  |
|  therefore I think I am."           |                              |
----------------------------------------------------------------------


##

Subject: Re: 3D object CD-ROM
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 92 11:26:31 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

John Foust, Syndesis Corporation writes:
:We've been looking into producing a CD-ROM of freely-distributable
:objects.  We'll take all the objects we can find, convert them all to
:the other formats we support, and put them on one CD-ROM.

Excellent Idea!!!!  *8-)

Are we talking about a CDTV compatible ROM here???  If so, I'd buy one
in a flash, and I know of many others who would feel the same!

I've seen graphics and animation oriented products released on CD-ROM
which are *INCOMPATIBLE* with the CDTV and I think this is a BIG
mistake!  I think Texture City makes one such product which was being
sold at the WOC here in Australia.  It came with its own CD-ROM drive.
No-one wanted a non-CDTV compatible ROM drive on the Amiga.  Needless
to say, there were few people buying...

Roll on Syndesis!

--
   ____ John    ____       Australian Developer   FAX   [phone]
  //      Rowe //               Christian         VOICE [phone]
 // __        //--          Amiga Programmer, Renderer, 3-D Animator
//__//rafix  //__ffects   EMAIL [e-mail]
         OR EMAIL rowe.adsp.sub.org![e-mail]


##

Subject: lighting
Date:     Wed, 4 Nov 1992 08:43:48 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Troy Hacker)

Has anyone had a problem with objects closer to the camera being darker
than other objects.

I have a scene with two identical objects (Gallions) from Steve's book
that I've placed on a bump mapped ground.  The first ship the sails are
dark and the second ship there are so bright that they are washed out.

The lightsource or sun is actually closer to the first ship.  It is
located directly above the camera position.  I had to put a second light
to fill the first ship; but the second ship remains far to bright.  Any
ideas?

--
Troy Hacker -- 32 Trothen Circle, Markham, Ont., L3P 4H5  VOX: [phone]
  INTERNET: [e-mail]  [e-mail]  [e-mail]
    BITNET: [e-mail]              UUCP: ...web!becker!courier!troy
COMPUSERVE: [e-mail]


##

Subject: Re: Good/bad
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 92 8:48:00 PST
From: [e-mail] (Virtually Here)

Alex Deburie just said:
>
> In response to the juvenile remarks made by Scott Ellis:
> (Sorry for this everyone, but it's short)
>

I thought we were done with this, now that the campaigns were over.
;-)

> Look, I'm not going to get a flame-fest going with you - I have much
> more fulfilling things to do. If you have any other childish comments
> to pass along - take it to personal mail.
>

Good, I don't want to.  I DO wish to make it clear, however that I
did not mean "Aquire" the software from a friend, but rather enlist
the services of a friend who already owns the software.  Sorry if I
was not specific enough for you, but most people (I assumed) knew
what I meant.

> I was responding to your statement that your plan was a feasible
> solution to a particular problem. Part of your solution invloved getting
> copyrighted software from a friend. Whether that sounds like piracy or
> not is a personal judgement. I feel it is.
>

See above.

> For now, you can rest assured you "burned" me real good. I'm sure
> that will make great conversation for Rhetoric 101. But, as far as I'm
> concerned, you can take your sophomoric bullshit and go swim in it.

I'm not even going to bother...

   /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
  //  Scott Ellis //  IRC: ScottE // WARNING: This signature warps   //
 //    [e-mail]     //  time and space in its vicinity //
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////



##

Subject: Re: NEED plant, tree, and house.
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1992 21:47:25 +0100 (MET)
From: Johan Andersson <[e-mail]>

>
> I am in need of a few objects.
> I tried to get the POTTED_PLANT and PINE_TREE files from wu but they
> fail CRC checks when I un-lharc them.  Does anyone know the author??
>
    I don't know the author, but I think I have the potted_plant
    object, I got it from some archive half a year back and haven't
    really used them any.  Most of the objects I got are fairly
    standard ones and are just plain white models, but if you want
    it I can download it to hubcap ?

> I need a plant, a pine tree and would like a little house object.
> (It's for a Christmas picture I'm working on)
>
> Adam B
>
    Yeah, it's that time of year again....

*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
! Address: Johan Andersson              Email: [e-mail]            !
!          Fredriksbergsg. 2                                                  !
!          856 41  Sundsvall            New to this list, but don't flame me  !
!          Sweden                       Still rendering in 1.1 :*)            !
! Phone:   [phone]                                                 !
*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*

##

Subject: The ultimate toy - new 3D scanner
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 92 16:19:45 PST
From: [e-mail] (Thorne Kontos)

I am not associated in any way with the company below, but I
found their ad very interesting so I called them up. What they
sell is a device that scans real world objects and then converts
them into data to be used by various modeling programs. Best example
I can think off to describe this thing is from the movie LOOKER.
(But in a much smaller form.) Recall the scene when Linda Dey gets
scanned so her digitized image could be used to make commercials.

Each object scanned generates 256K data points, and the file
is stored in a proprietary compressed binary format. This keeps
the storage space to about 500K per file. This format can be
converted into a number of other commonly used formats.

This sounded great, until after I called and got the price...
$45K to $90K...8^(. So basically, only the extremely wealthy
will be able to afford this high priced item. Still, I imagine
one could generate objects using this to sell to others and
eventually recoup the major cash outlay...

So if you have the $$$, or perhaps just curious, the address is below.

                         CYBERWARE
                         8 Harris Court
                         Monterey, CA. 93940
                         Phone: [phone]
                         Fax: [phone]


##

Subject: Re: Objects ? Have anybody made a snail ?
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 92 10:19:20 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Michael B. Comet)

>
>
>    Hello fellow Imagineers !
>
>  I have been working on some different small projects lately and is right
>  now involved in the problem of making a snail, yes the kind that crawls
>  very slowly :)
>
>

     [STUFF DELETED]

>*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
>! Address: Johan Andersson              Email: [e-mail]            !
>!          Fredriksbergsg. 2                                                  !
>!          856 41  Sundsvall            New to this list, but don't flame me  !
>!          Sweden                       Still rendering in 1.1 :*)            !
>! Phone:   [phone]                                                 !
>*-----------------------------------------------------------------------------*
>
>
>

    Seems i recall an article long ago in Amiga World just after
imagine came out.  Someone wrote a tutorial on how to make this really
neat shell all in the detial editor.

    If i recall it had something to do with making a disk,
positioning the axis properly, extruding it with scaleing so it shrinks
to a point and simultaneously  rotating it like 720 degrees.  Then doing
a conform to sphere with the right numbers to bend it into a really neat
shape.

    Maybe someone else knows the specifics


--
+======================================================================+
|  Michael B. Comet - Computer Programmer / Graphics Artist  - CWRU    |
|  [e-mail]  - "IF THEN THEN THEN = ELSE ELSE ELSE = THEN "     |
+======================================================================+


##

Subject: Re: The ultimate toy - new 3D scanner
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 92 10:38:04 EST
From: Mark Thompson <[e-mail]>

> This sounded great, until after I called and got the price...
> $45K to $90K...8^(

You should know that Cyberware also does scanning services.
%~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~%
%      `       '        Mark Thompson                 CONCURRENT COMPUTER  %
% --==* RADIANT *==--   [e-mail]        Principal Graphics   %
%      ' Image `        ...!uunet!masscomp!mark       Hardware Architect   %
%     Productions       [phone] [phone]   & General Nuisance   %
%                                                                          %
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


##

Subject: re: need plant and pine tree
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 92 08:47:52 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

Opps, I guess I should have mentioned that I DID set my transfer type
to binary, and that I tried to FTP the files twice, with the same
results.
I am starting to think the up-loader didn't send them in binary mode.

Anyway, if you have access to a pine tree (christmas tree?) and/or
poinsettia plant.  please email them to me, or let me know where I can
FTP them from.

If someone could verify that the two files on WU are infact bad, where
do I write to let the "keepers" know?

The files are in  SYSTEMS/AMIGA/VIDEO/3D/IMAGINE/
they are potted_plant.lzh and pine_tree.lzh

(I think that's right)

Thanks again for the information.
************************************************************
* 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: PD 24bit converters
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 92 17:20:15 CST
From: "Scott Jones (Dr. Jones)" <[e-mail]>

I know it is not PD, but you should seriously check out ADPro..
It is the best IMHO.  :-)

Scott..



##

Subject: Snail shells
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 92 10:27:01 -0800
From: [e-mail]

The issue of AmigaWorld with the snailshell tutorial is March 1991.
Here is what you do:

    Add a primitive disk with default diameter. Delete the center point. Rotate it
90 degrees on X. Realign the axis only to 0 rotation on X. Translate the axis only
50 units on X, so it is in line with the edge of the disk. Scale the disk to .5 on X.
Extrude to Length 1, Y Rotation 720, X Scaling .1, and Sections to 36. Afterwards you
can Conform to Sphere with a Sphere Radius of 150. I have gotten interesting results
by scaling the disk larger on X and setting Extrude Length to 100 or more.


Mars  [e-mail]---


##

Subject: re: need plant and pine tree
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 20:26:35 -0500
From: Udo K Schuermann <[e-mail]>

> If someone could verify that the two files on WU are infact bad, where
> do I write to let the "keepers" know?

The files potted_plant.lzh and pine_tree.lzh are indeed bad (they fail
CRC).  I don't know who the "keeper" is.

> The files are in  SYSTEMS/AMIGA/VIDEO/3D/IMAGINE/
                                        ^^
systems/amiga/video/objects/imagine/

they are potted_plant.lzh and pine_tree.lzh

 ._.  Udo Schuermann       "One cannot simultaneously prevent and
 ( )  [e-mail]    prepare for war."  -- Albert Einstein


##

Subject: 24bit brushmaps
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 1:17:11 CST
From: Jeff Niebergall <[e-mail]>

I created an image to decal map in DPaint that works fine. Now I
want to enhance that same map in ImageMaster and also decal it.
I saved it out as a 24bit file and it won't decal! I know how to
decal the image map with the DPaint image, colormap, use
genlock, scale value to 240 and that all works fine. When I try
it with the 24bit version of the image it doesn't work. I tried
different full scale values but the backround color still shows
through. Any suggestions?

Jeff       [e-mail]

--


##

Subject: Re: The ultimate toy - new 3D scanner
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 10:55:06 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Michael B. Comet)

>So if you have the $$$, or perhaps just curious, the address is below.
>
>                         CYBERWARE
>                         8 Harris Court
>                         Monterey, CA. 93940
>                         Phone: [phone]
>                         Fax: [phone]
>
>

    Seems like the company name is familiar.  I think this may be
the scanner used for Terminator 2 at ILM.  Well, if anyone gets one,
they can start pumping out objects for sure!



--
+======================================================================+
|  Michael B. Comet - Computer Programmer / Graphics Artist  - CWRU    |
|  [e-mail]  - "IF THEN THEN THEN = ELSE ELSE ELSE = THEN "     |
+======================================================================+


##

Subject: Re:  brush mapping
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 10:52:41 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Michael B. Comet)

>
>What is the reason for putting brush maps into CHIP RAM?  Is it just "naturaly"
>easier to load graphics into that space?  Doesn't seem likely to me.
>What about 24Bit brushmaps?  Are those places there too?  It seems like it
>is not.  I have rendered a picture with 3 24 bit 736x482 files without
>running out of my (2 Meg) CHIP RAM.
>
>PJ
>Kinetic Dreams
>
>

    I am getting confused.  When i normally render an image Imagine
doesn't even touch my chip ram, it just uses the 16 megs of normal ram.
However, if it runs out of the normal, it will then try to use the other
2.  Maybe we're getting confused about the terminology, or maybe someone
other ram chips are bad?



--
+======================================================================+
|  Michael B. Comet - Computer Programmer / Graphics Artist  - CWRU    |
|  [e-mail]  - "IF THEN THEN THEN = ELSE ELSE ELSE = THEN "     |
+======================================================================+


##

Subject: Shadow bug in 2.0?
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 92 16:04:34 EST
From: [e-mail] (Number 2)

I got this reqlly surreal problem with a simple trace I'm doing for a
friend. He uses 3 lights, all of which cast shadows. On this one spot where
two shadows overlap, I get a solid black area.

Doesn anyone know how to get around this, or what causes it?

Moo
Frank

-- Via DLG Pro v0.995

Frank Branham   [e-mail]
Sysop of the Village BBS - [phone]   "We want information!"
And always seeking more vampires in the Atlanta Area.


##

Date: Sun, 08 Nov 1992 12:47:15 EST
From: [e-mail]

>I got this reqlly surreal problem with a simple trace I'm doing for a
>friend. He uses 3 lights, all of which cast shadows. On this one spot where
>two shadows overlap, I get a solid black area.
>Doesn anyone know how to get around this, or what causes it?
>Moo
>Frank


If it's the intersecting area of the two shadows that is black (or a very
dark area), then it's good old real world OPTICS that's the problem.  The light
from the 2 light sources is being blocked completely so, compared to the
sections that are partially blocked, it looks black (or dark).

If it's a BLACK area that doesn't match the two intersecting sections, then
.. uhm.. I dunno

--
"I'm not tense,         Steven Lam
 just terribly          ST:TNG #1 and the only one
 alert!"                [e-mail]

:O :) B) P) |) +) =) -=) *) :-) :p %) :\ :/ #:) (:) :^) %^} :} ;) B:) *:) +:)



##

Subject: Re: Island Objects
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 92 11:49:57 MET
From: [e-mail] (Philippe Berard)

Hello Scott (Scott Jones (Dr. Jones)), in <[e-mail]> on Nov 3 you've written :

> > Does anyone know where I can get some good island objects?
>
> You should try Vista Pro 2.0.
>
> This prog will generate a 3D object in Turbo Silver format that you can
> use in your favorite modeler.  VistaPro uses DEM (digital elevation maps)
> to make it's models.

    The problem with VistaPro is that it often creates huge objects, even
    with the BOUND option. Making an Island with the magnet like told in
    the manual is also a good method.

    Sincerely,
                                   -- Philippe

/------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
|    Philippe Berard  (French Amiga User)       |                              |
|    "They hold a cup of wisdom,                |  [e-mail]         |
|     But there is nothing within" (Kate Bush). |                              |
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------/


##

Subject: Imagine 3.0 & Re: 68060
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 92 11:38:59 MET
From: [e-mail] (Philippe Berard)

Hello Alex. (Alex. Paterakis-UN. LA VERNE), in <[e-mail]> on Nov 2 you've written :


> Anyone out there know any thing new about the 68060 ????
> I hope to have info..soon

    Hello to all, I'm new to the Imagine mailing list and I'll reply to
    this question.

    68060 is supposed to be in the Motorola's 88000 line, with a RISC
    implementation. It will surely be the 88100, and I've been told
    that it'll do 100 MIPS.

    Now, I have a little question. I'm a REAL3D/Imagine fan, and I've heard
    many things about the new REAL3D 2.0, but I would like to know what
    has been said about Imagine 3.0 ? Which improvments will be done ?

    Sincerely,
                                   -- Philippe

/------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
|    Philippe Berard  (French Amiga User)       |                              |
|    "They hold a cup of wisdom,                |  [e-mail]         |
|     But there is nothing within" (Kate Bush). |                              |
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------/


##

Subject: brush mapping
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 1992 09:35:31 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Eric Fleischer)

U> >Well, I've also had trouble with brushmaps, and I called Impulse.
U> >Guess What!  Imagine DOES use chip mem for its brushmaps!  So, if
U> >you are having problems with big brushmaps, or with brushmaps
U> >behaving unexpectedly, maybe you're out of CHIP.
U>
U> Figures, IF my 4000 ever gets back to me (died after 2 weeks) I can
U> try it with 2 meg of chip.  It won't load on my 1 meg chip 2000.
U> Maybe I will try breaking it up into 2 pictures... hmm.

   Sounds to me like someone at Impulse misunderstood the question. Imagine
definitly does NOT use ChipRAM exclusively for brushmaps. I have done many
animations which used numerous brushmaps which would add up to more than two
megs of RAM.
   Right now, I am doing a test. I just started a raytrace of a scene from my
current anim. There are 13 IFF brushmaps in the scene, two of which are large
24bit pictures, the rest are hires IFFs. The total amount of ChipRAM being used
to render the scene is 1920 *bytes*. Nowhere near enough for one IFF, much less
the 24bit pictures. The render is using 9322824 bytes of FAST RAM, however,
which is where the pictures must be.
   One problem I did find with the way Imagine handles brushmaps is that if you
use the same brush multiple times in a scene, it will be loaded once for each
use, instead of once for the entire scene.

   <ELF> Virtual Image Labs
   [e-mail]


##

Subject: Math memory
Date:     Fri, 6 Nov 1992 11:50:33 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Dennis Zeitz)

Is there any way to figure out how much memory will be used, before
rendering in Imagine?
 the brushmap(s) file size + the Object file size and the rendering mode.
or something like that.

I would like to talk to other people who are useing Imagine with the
benefit of accereation, to exchange ideas on how to speed up rendering
time.

In one message Daniel Jr Murrell mentioned something about a 68030 for
the 500 for about $249  does anyone know more about this?

Dennis Zeitz              [e-mail]


##

Date: Sun, 08 Nov 1992 10:08:36 EST
From: [e-mail]

>From  [e-mail] Wed, 04 Nov 1992 15:56:44 EST
>Subject: NEED plant, tree, and house.
>
>I need a plant, a pine tree and would like a little house object.
>(It's for a Christmas picture I'm working on)
>
>Adam B

On Wuarchive there are a whole bunch of Imagine Object archives:
                        imagineobs1.lzh
                        imagineobs2.lzh
                        imagobs3.lzh   (or somthing like that)
                               4
                               5

I think #1 or #2 has a potted plant in it... haven't checked out the other
ones.

--
"I'm not tense,         Steven Lam
 just terribly          ST:TNG #1 and the only one
 alert!"                [e-mail]

:O :) B) P) |) +) =) -=) *) :-) :p %) :\ :/ #:) (:) :^) %^} :} ;) B:) *:) +:)



##

Subject: Cheap object disks available in Bay Area...
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 13:07:55 -0800
From: [e-mail]

For those of you who live in the Bay Area, Weird Stuff Wherehouse has about
8 different object disks for sale, and I believe they are all selling for
$9.95.

Four of the packages are from Antic Software's library of professionally
designed 3D models, and they are in Videoscape 3D format.  The packages I saw
at the store were: Architectural Design Disk, Human Design Disk, Future Design
Disk, and Microbot Design Disk.

I don't remember the author of the other four software packages, but they were
packaged in white, flat ~8x8 packages.  I remember two of the selections: Space
Disk, and Plant Disk.  I also remember the packages mentioning that the objects
were in Turbo 3D format.

All packages appeared to be new, and were still shrink wrapped (although that
doesn't mean much anymore).  I bought Antic's Architectural Design Disk, and
it includes one disk of objects (just bought it yesterday -- haven't had
a chance to look at them yet), a registration/warranty card, a subscription
card for Antic's Amiga Plus magazine (is that still around?), a set of
"blueprints" for the objects, and three flyers: one for the other three design
disks, one for Phasar 3.0, and one for Pioneer Plague.  Looking at the
"blueprints", it looks like the disk includes around *83* objects (arches,
roofs, columns, doorways, window frames, etc...).

Hope this helps anybody on his/her search for objects.  One of the reasons I
posted this message was because of the person looking for plant objects.  Maybe
the plant object disk mentioned above is what you are looking for.  Good luck!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian M. Aljian                                                 // Only Amiga
[e-mail]                                           // makes it
"Procrastinators do it tomorrow."                           \\// possible...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


##

Subject: Re:  brush mapping
Date: Mon, 09 Nov 92 08:32:26 EST
From: Adam Benjamin <[e-mail]>

Well, I have discovered even more weirdness pertaining to my original
brushmapping problem.
First off it should be noted that I never noticed my CHIPram decrease
much while rendering either.  That is why I thought it was strange
when Imagine told me I didn't have enough RAM to load the big brush.

I now am fairly sure Imagine does NOT use Chip for brushmaps.  Here is
what I found out by experimenting over the weekend.

I split the brush into 2 files and it loaded fine.
I think this proves that the problem was I didn't have enough
contiguous fast ram.  I would assume that brushmaps do have to have
contiuous chunks of ram?
I have 4 meg of 32bit and 2 meg of 16 (plus the 1 meg of Chip) so my
ram is fairly fragmented right from the start. (wish CBM would hurry
with my replacement 4000!)
Anyway thanks for all the help.

************************************************************
* 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: Low cost 3-D scanner
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 19:31:11 EST
From: Steve J. Lombardi <[e-mail]>

Howdy - I hate to start rumors but this is so timely I figured It
was worth mentioning.

About a year ago I spoke with a local who mentioned that he was working
on a low cost 3D scanner for microcomputers. His development was being done
on an amiga. My memory is gray on the specifics but a few things do
jump to mind. The price would make this device the DIgi-View of
3D scanners. under 500$ I believe. I dug out his phone number today to
check on his progress. He mentioned that the scanner was now being developed
by a friend of his as he had moved on to other projects. He believed
that it was nearing the prototype phase but was not sure. He did
however pass on the phhone number of the guy currently developing it.
When I get in touch with him I will post any info I can get that is
more up to date and factually based.  It seems that this would
be an extremely successful product right about now.

 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
 \                            /                                               /
 /                           /       Surviving this way is a crime.           \
 \  Steve Lombardi          /     I will not commit it.                       /
 /  [e-mail]    /           Most of the World lives this way       \
 \                        /     working another slave labour day.             /
 /                       /                              -- Azalia Snail       \
 \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

##

Subject: Re: 24bit brushmaps
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 11:41:35 -0800
From: [e-mail] (Jeff Walkup)

> I created an image to decal map in DPaint that works fine.
...
> When I try it with the 24bit version of the image it doesn't work.


Have you tried playing with the "genlock color for non-Amiga IFFs"
value in the Preferences?  You'll need to make sure the "background"
in your decal-map is all one solid color, and the same color that is
specified in the Preferences.  I think that should do it.


--  Jeff Walkup <[e-mail]>


##

Subject: ImagineContest question
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 17:49:39 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Alan Price)

Howdy. Hey Dave, I've been working on a render that I'm thinking I might
enter in the Imagine list contest.
Question: What would be the best resolution of the 24bit file to submit?

AP.



##

Subject: AmigaWorld Animation Competition
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 12:01:22 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

Does anybody know the details on when the AmigaWorld Animation
Competition will be judged and how the winners will be notified?

I've phoned their offices several times, left messages on answering
machines and sent several faxes but had no response.

If this info has appeared in a recent issue of AmigaWorld could someone
please tell me.  All issues coming into Australia come by surface mail.
The latest issue of AmigaWorld to appear here is September '92.

Thanks in advance,
--
   ____ John    ____       Australian Developer   FAX   [phone]
  //      Rowe //               Christian         VOICE [phone]
 // __        //--          Amiga Programmer, Renderer, 3-D Animator
//__//rafix  //__ffects   EMAIL [e-mail]
         OR EMAIL rowe.adsp.sub.org![e-mail]


##

Subject: Re: AmigaWorld Animation Competition
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 13:08:17 EST
From: Mark Thompson <[e-mail]>

John Rowe writes:
> Does anybody know the details on when the AmigaWorld Animation
> Competition will be judged and how the winners will be notified?

I received a call from AmigaWorld the other day (they were asking for a
3/4 SP copy of my submission) and I asked them basically those same questions.
The judging is being done by an independant panel of judges (I don't know
who) and they plan to make the announcement in the January or possibly
February issue. The winners will most likely be contacted in advance,
probably by phone but a letter will likely accompany it. I think the actual
judging is taking place in early December but I'm not sure. I know I have
nearly bitten through my lip waiting to hear the outcome.
%~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~%
%      `       '        Mark Thompson                 CONCURRENT COMPUTER  %
% --==* RADIANT *==--   [e-mail]        Principal Graphics   %
%      ' Image `        ...!uunet!masscomp!mark       Hardware Architect   %
%     Productions       [phone] [phone]   & General Nuisance   %
%                                                                          %
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


##

Subject: Graphics Schools
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 20:09:28 +0200
From: "Alex. Paterakis-UN. LA VERNE" <[e-mail]>

I am getting more and more interested in Computer Graphics and I am
trying to learn more..
Does anyone know any Good Computer Graphics &Animation School
anywhere in Europe ??
Of course schools in the U.S. are welcome but Europe is preffered now.
I would appreciate ANY..ANY information possible for both Europe & U.S.A
It would be great help..anything is welcome

Thanks in advance..........
Alex
[e-mail]


##

Subject: Imagine 3.0?
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 09:43:54 MST
From: [e-mail] (David Ingebretsen)

I would like to know if the following items are being addressed
in Imagine 3.0.

1. Edge transparency?

2. Bugs in transparent objects; eg: inability to see certain things
   through them.

3. The ability to create paths outside of Imagine's editors. That is
   to say the ability to create a file containing the key frame position
   and orientation information for each object in a scene.

4. AREXX?!?

5. The ability to select points, edges, and polys from the perspective
   view.

6. Surface definitions similar to those in Lightwave 3-D.

7. The ability to use a backdrop image that is a different size than
   the rendered output size.

8. Single point polygons/many sided polygons?

9. Warping of texture maps to give a more realistic appearence on
   complex geometries?

10. Motion blur?

11. Field rendering?

12. (put your favorite bug here)

Has Impulse announced a release date yet?

David Ingebretsen

Evans and Sutherland Computer Corp.
600 Komas Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84108



##

Subject: Spherical Brush Wraps
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 14:41:15 EST
From: Peter Mancini <[e-mail]>

    Ok, since brush wraping is such a hot topic these days let me
jump on.  This morning I did a Wrap X Wrap Z of a 400x400 pixel 16 color
brush on a standard sphere (add sphere function in design [Imagine
1.1]).  I followed the tutorial BRUSH.TUTORIAL really closely but only
1/4 (maybey 1/2) of the brush was wrapped on the sphere.  What went
wrong.

Also, how many contests are there for imagine right now.  I want to show
off what I've learned this month!

Thanks folks!

--Pete

P.S.  by they way, are there any female Imagineers or are we an
exclusive club by default?  Just wondering.


##

Subject: Mapping
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 12:18:25 -0700
From: HURTT CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL <[e-mail]>

    Hey, you know you've been using imagine too much when you hit 'M'
to adjust some WB icons. :)

    But anyhow, I think I have found another bug <gasp!>. Has anyone
had times when mapping with Brush1 Flat X Flat Z that it doesn't extend
as far as your Y axis does? I'm pretty sure there is some sort of problem
with Brush1 on this 'cuase I switched it to Brush4 (same axis placement)
and it works fine. Weird. Weird.
    Also, I need a little Dpaint help here. I've made a brushmap thats
something like 2000x150. How can I cut this out as a brush or do I need to
save it as an entire picture? For that matter how do you make any changes
take place off screen? Ex: drawing a line from 0,0 to 1024,0 will only make
a line from 0,384 to 1024,0 since it will only draw on the screen area shown.

    Thanks for any help!

    Chris



##

Subject: Re:  Mapping
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 19:49:11 -0500
From: [e-mail] (PJ Foley)

Chris ([e-mail]) writes:

================================================================================Also, I need a little Dpaint help here. I've made a brushmap thats
something like 2000x150. How can I cut this out as a brush or do I need to
save it as an entire picture? For that matter how do you make any changes
take place off screen? Ex: drawing a line from 0,0 to 1024,0 will only make
a line from 0,384 to 1024,0 since it will only draw on the screen area shown.
===============================================================================

If you are using this huge picture for a brushmap in Imagine, just save it
as a picture.  "Brush mapping
" is somewhat a misnomer, in my opinion.  "Brush" really has nothing to do
with it, although you can use a brush file.

For the second question, there is no answer.  DPaint still draws only in
visible space.  I know it's annoying, but we gotta live with it.
(I really hopw someone can prove me wrong on this, because I'd like
to know how too!)

PJ
Kinetic Dreams


##

Subject: Stockman Ad Stills Available
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 15:55:11 CST
From: Wayne Haufler 283-4160 <[e-mail]>

ANNOUNCING - Another archive from my Godly Graphics efforts is now available!

This announcement has been posted on my GodlyGraphics mailing list,
but now that I'm back on the Imagine mailing list, I thought some of
you may find this interesting, especially since I made heavy use of
Steve Worley and Glenn Lewis's  Essence texture package.

This archive is available :
        At the ftp site  "hubcap.clemson.edu" .
        in the directory "/pub/amiga/incoming/graphics/GGG"
        ftp the files   "St3DAd.iff.lha"
                        "St3DAd.Readme"

This archive file consists entirely of images from a political commercial
for Steve Stockman for U.S. Congress that aired on various basic cable
channels on Storer Cable TV in Houston, TCI in Beaumont, Baytown, and
Galveston between 10/28/92 and 11/03/92.

I produced these on an Amiga 3000 with Imagine and DPaint IV.
The image format was HAM and it was played and captured real-time
(not frame-by-frame) on one-inch videotape and edited together
with sound effects and voice-overs at Channel 22 in Pasadena, TX,
the local Christian TV station.  The voice, by the way, was
mine, though I wanted to use a more professional voice.
We spent one morning and two allnight sessions editing this commercial
(well, along with one simpler ad).

I will not here describe the sound effects, and voice-overs,
as there were many.  But I will (or have) post a detailed description
of this ad to the godlygraphics mailing list at
        [e-mail]
If you all want me to repost them here, let me know.

Steve Stockman is a conservative Christian who ran for U.S. Congress
against a 40 Year incumbent liberal Democrat Jack Brooks.
Unfortunately Steve lost, 43 to 57 percent.  But it was a good fight.

And yes, I did this for free, on a completely volunteer basis,
because I believe we need more Godly men in office, IMHO.
The idea was mine, I ran with it and did this best I could
with the equipment and time available.

FUTURE:
I fit all I could on one floppy for now.
The only thing missing are snapshots from the boot swinging down and
kicking Brooks off the pillar after he degrades.  I'll provide
snapshots of that, plus images from the Stockman Victory Celebration
Animation next time.

I'll also try to convert these to GIF formatted image files,

and then provide a choice few as JPEGed 24 bit IFF files.



         __      Wayne A. Haufler   [Christian/SW Engineer/XWindows/Amigan]
\\ /\\ /\\ //_    [e-mail]    McDonnell Douglas-Houston
 \/--\// \//__    Hobby:"Computer Animations For Christian Endeavors"
     //



##

Subject: Essence on CD-ROM???
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 22:39:57 EST-10
From: [e-mail] (John Rowe)

I just heard that there is a special version of Essence available on
CD-ROM.

Could someone please tell me if this is fact or fiction???

--
   ____ John    ____       Australian Developer   FAX   [phone]
  //      Rowe //               Christian         VOICE [phone]
 // __        //--          Amiga Programmer, Renderer, 3-D Animator
//__//rafix  //__ffects   EMAIL [e-mail]
         OR EMAIL rowe.adsp.sub.org![e-mail]


##

Subject: Contest Question
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 16:01:25 CST
From: [e-mail] (Dave Wickard)

Alan Price explodes:

>Question: What would be the best resolution of the 24bit file to submit?

Alan, according to our judges, any resolution you feel comfortable with is fine.
I would assume that 768 x 482 would be good enough for the Contest.
If the images are acceptable for publication in any of the Amiga magazines,
we will probably request a higher resolution rendering, but strictly for
entry, the above would be very acceptable.


Dave Wickard  [phone]     "Bend me, Morph me, anyway you want me"
[e-mail]          -old song
[e-mail]


##

Subject: Re:  Mapping
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 4:17:21 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Aaron Tucker)

> For the second question, there is no answer.  DPaint still draws only in
> visible space.  I know it's annoying, but we gotta live with it.
> (I really hopw someone can prove me wrong on this, because I'd like
> to know how too!)
>
Negative captain. You can scroll the screen around easily in DPaint while in
a drawing/painting mode (like the Arc tool) by hitting the n key. This
positions whatever is under the cursor to the center of the screen, or as
close as possible.
I have drawn on superbitmaps many times with this feature.

Unfortunately, it does not work with all tools. Try a filled box, for example.
It snaps the starting point to the nearest visible corner when you scroll
large distances.

But, some things do work.

> PJ
> Kinetic Dreams
>
Juan Trevino
[e-mail]

##

Subject: Re: Spherical Brush Wraps
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 10:44:14 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Michael B. Comet)

>
>    Ok, since brush wraping is such a hot topic these days let me
>jump on.  This morning I did a Wrap X Wrap Z of a 400x400 pixel 16 color
>brush on a standard sphere (add sphere function in design [Imagine
>1.1]).  I followed the tutorial BRUSH.TUTORIAL really closely but only
>1/4 (maybey 1/2) of the brush was wrapped on the sphere.  What went
>wrong.
>

    Maybe your axis is the wrong size?  Make sure you have the
sphere fully bounded, and make sure your y axis is close to 1 unit in
length for the brush.  I had a similar problem when i first started with
flat brush maps since i didn't realize for flat one on the positive part
of the axis was wrapping.

>--Pete
>
>
>



--
+======================================================================+
|  Michael B. Comet - Computer Programmer / Graphics Artist  - CWRU    |
|  [e-mail]  - "IF THEN THEN THEN = ELSE ELSE ELSE = THEN "     |
+======================================================================+


##

Subject: Silent minority
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 10:35:25 CST
From: JHAIGH at CSOMPOB1 <[e-mail]>

          This post is in response to -Pete- who inquired about
          females on IML.

          Yes, Pete, there's at least one - namely, me.

          I am a previous owner of an Amiga (and miss it dearly, the
          reason it's gone is too long and boring to go into), and a
          current, very frequent user of a P.C.  I have used Imagine a
          few times and am fascinated by what it can do.  I guess you
          could say I am at the very low end on the beginners curve.
          Because of that, I have been "silent", mainly trying to
          benefit from the experience, tips and suggestions of you
          more seasoned users.   I think this list is GREAT,
          find it addresses many levels of learning (even mine!) and
          applaud the effort and participation of everyone involved.

          Any other females out there??????

          Julie



##

Subject: Re: Essence on CD-ROM???
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 08:02:56 PST
From: [e-mail] (Glenn M. Lewis - ICD ~)

>>>>> On Thu, 12 Nov 92 22:39:57 EST-10, [e-mail] (John Rowe) said:

John> I just heard that there is a special version of Essence
John> available on CD-ROM.

John> Could someone please tell me if this is fact or fiction???

    Hi, John!  It's me.  I don't know if you knew this or not, but
I am the co-author of Essence... (not just a tour guide of the United
States of America.  :-)  [inside joke to John for those listening in]

    If you heard it from anyone other than Steve Worley, then
Essence *may* be on someone's CD-ROM (which would violate copyrights
unless Steve gave them permission), but it definitely and ABSOLUTELY
is not a "special version", because I, at this point, am the only
person in the world that can compile a set of Essence textures.

    That's pretty definitive, isn't it.  :-)

                            -- Glenn Lewis



##

Subject: Re:  Mapping
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 11:26:47 MST
From: HURTT CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL <[e-mail]>

> If you are using this huge picture for a brushmap in Imagine, just save it
> as a picture.  "Brush mapping
> " is somewhat a misnomer, in my opinion.  "Brush" really has nothing to do
> with it, although you can use a brush file.
>
    Well I found a work-around. My map turns out to be like 1280x30 so I cut
out pieces of it as brushes and saved them. Then I changed by Dpaint screen to
640x200 and the PageSize to 1280x200 and pasted them back in. By having the
smaller res I could load it up in ADPro and crop the image to what I needed.

> For the second question, there is no answer.  DPaint still draws only in
> visible space.  I know it's annoying, but we gotta live with it.
> (I really hopw someone can prove me wrong on this, because I'd like
> to know how too!)
>
    Argh. Well maybe in the AGA verison? Does something like OpalPaint
let you paint all over a virtual page?

> PJ
> Kinetic Dreams
>

    Crazy Chris Handy Tip: When quickrendering a sub-object and you need
speed, Cut (amiga-K) all other objects. Then after you've rendered you can
Paste (amiga-P) them back (or undo, or even just Delete them 1st and then Undo
I prefer Cut and Paste).

    Chris



##

Subject: More Stockman Ad Stills Available
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 11:53:50 CST
From: Wayne Haufler 283-4160 <[e-mail]>

ANNOUNCING - More of the Stockman Ad is NOW AVAILABLE!

This announcement has been posted on my GodlyGraphics mailing list, but
again, I thought some of you on the imagine mailing list may find this
interesting, especially since I made heavy use of Steve Worley and
Glenn Lewis's Essence texture package.

(I will not repeat most of the previous Announcement)
(This is an update to that post)

These archives consist entirely of images from a political commercial
for Steve Stockman for U.S. Congress. ...

These archives are available :

        At the ftp site  "hubcap.clemson.edu" .
        in the directory "/pub/amiga/incoming/graphics/GGG"
        ftp the files   "St3DAd.iff.lha"
                        "St3DAd.jpg.lha"
                        "St3DAd_Kick.iff.lha"
                        "St3DAd.Readme"

    where "St3DAd" means "Stockman_Ad_3Dimension_Pillar"


St3DAd.iff.lha:
    A choice selection of the animation frames as HAM IFF files, as before.

St3DAd.jpg.lha:
    A choice few of the above as JPEGed 24 bit IFF files.

St3DAd_Kick.iff.lha:
    The only thing missing from the above are snapshots of the boot
    swinging down and kicking Brooks off the pillar after he degrades,
    and Brooks exploding.  I provided one discontinuous anim file
    mostly to try another way of compressing files.



         __      Wayne A. Haufler   [Christian/SW Engineer/XWindows/Amigan]
\\ /\\ /\\ //_    [e-mail]    McDonnell Douglas-Houston
 \/--\// \//__    Hobby:"Computer Animations For Christian Endeavors"
     //


##

Subject: Brushing Up :-)
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 14:44:26 EST
From: Peter Mancini <[e-mail]>

    I think I know what my problem with spherical wraps is, I'll
experiment tonight if my head recovers (Rave/Techno parties till 3am on
work nights are not suggested as condusive for getting a lot done the
next day...)

Here is a simple diagram of how my axis is currently mapped onto my
sphere:

        |------|
        | |--| |
        | |--| |
        |      |
        |------|

The square in the middle is the sphere (quick drawn ;-).  This is a
front view.  I think if I place the brushes axis exacly coincient with
the sphere I won't have my problem anymore.  I know that on flat, planar
wraps this is a no-no because A) the image only exists in the uper right
quadrant (not so in spherical wraps?) and B) the resulting digital
bounce causes the image to turn to garbage.  If this works I am going to
celebrate tonight at AXIS with more excessive techno... (ouch! my head
hurts)

--Pete


##

Subject: Re: Essence on CD ROM
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 23:01:54 -0800
From: [e-mail] (Steven)

Wow, and I don't even have a CD-ROM drive!

Nope, there's no special version of Essence... in fact, since the
textures aren't simple brushmaps, they are very small: 10K each or
so, which is why all 66 textures fit on a single floppy. This also
means that they take basically no RAM when rendering. A CD-ROM
fulla textures... that's around  60,000 textures! :-)

Sorry you got your hopes up... :-)

-Steve
[e-mail]



##

Subject: RE: DCTV Anims + a brush with fame ;-)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 15:12:44 EST
From: Peter Mancini <[e-mail]>

    Animations are limited by hard disk space only if you have the
right tools.  I am working on a 20 - 30 second DCTV animation for a game
show (public access cable so don't expect to see it) and I plan on using
RTAP.  This very handy program will allow you to play animations from
disk.  Off of my GVP Impact II and Quantum 105s it runs very fast (at
least 15+ frames per second) under the following conditions:
    o The animation action takes place in a small area (say 640x400
versus sevear video overscan.  This allows for small delta files)
    o The animation is 3 bit planes (8 color).  This allows for
smaller bandwith needs.

    Sorry this doesn't give you 30 FPS, but I don't think I've ever
seen an animation that was full screen AND 30fps off of an Amiga (and by
extension a DCTV).

[Sudden subject change warning!!!]

Concerning Brush Wraps, I was correct in aligning (munged spelling?) the
axis of the texture with the sphere and yes I did destroy my mind at
AXIS that night!  It was worth it.  Mayby I can convince them to play my
anims on the video screens behind the rear bar...  I was able to wrap a
circuit board completely around a shere for a very intersting effect!
Now if only I can get REPEAT to work on the ground object I'll be happier.

Hey Impulse!  Where's my upgrade and Morphus, I'm dying to use both!
Imagine is great!  (I'm exclamation happy today!)

--Pete


##

Subject: DCTV Animation
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 13:54:39 -0500
From: "Rob (R.D.) Hounsell" <[e-mail]>

How-do.

  My friend and I are attempting to use Imagine 2.0 to produce animations. We
are both limited by memory on our Amigas: He has an A3000 (that can be
expanded), and I have an A1000 with accelerator and memory expansion (4.5M
max).

  As I understand it, aside from displaying 24-bit images, DCTV can use the
Amiga memory to display longer (larger?) animations than are possible on the
Amiga alone. Correct? If so, how much longer? I expect it would depend upon the
image size, but we want to use 24-bit color.

  What is the longest animation we could produce via DCTV given 16M (and 4M).
Since we can't afford a SF Recorder, we are hoping that we can achive scene
animations of 5 - 10 seconds or more, and record them in real-time to build up
a "movie". (at 30 FPS)

Thanks,
Rob
--
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Rob Hounsell                           BNR WAN:  HOUNSELL@NMERH53           |
| NT Product Performance: OA/M           INTERNET: [e-mail]            |
|                                        PHONE: [phone]                |
|                                        ESN: 395-2904                        |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+

##

Subject: Camo & Lights
Date:   Mon, 16 Nov 1992 23:42:37 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Dennis Zeitz)

Does anyone know how to fix the Camo texture with the normal version of
Imagine 2.0 (Not the Floating Point)  It works fine if you use all 4
colors but if you try to use any less then it crashes when rendering.

Is there anyway to stop imagine from shining lights throught objects? I
set up a plane with hole in the middle and put another plane below it
then I put a cone light above the hole to shine thought the hole onto the
bottom plane. But the hole was smaller than the radius of light at that
plane, so it should have blocked out part of the light so the only light
you should see on the bottom plane would be rectangle shaped.  It wasn't!
The light had totaly ignored that there was part of a object in the way.
This was quickrendering in lo-res ham, trace mode, and the light source
had shadows on.
                       -=Dennis
ps sorry that last part sounds like a bit out of the Imagine manual  ?;)


Dennis Zeitz              [e-mail]

##

Subject: Hello folk
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 17:55:09 PST
From: [e-mail]

Hello People,

I'm posting this basically representing the Academic Computing Department at
Columbia College Chicago. We use Imagine2.0 in our 3D Modeling & Animation
classes. The class is currently set up as an intensive 6 hour course and we
run two sections of it a semester.

We have four amigas reserved for students in the class: three A2000's with
GVP 22Mhz accelerators, 105MB HD's, and 10MB RAM -- and a just purchased
A4000, also with 10MB.

The class is both an introduction to the wonderful world of 3D and a
stepping stone to our advanced 3D class which is taught on Silicon Graphics
Iris workstations, running TDI software.

Now more than one student, having moved on the SGI systems, has expressed a
longing to return to Imagine after encountering the workstations...

I, as Computer Graphics Lab Coordinator am committed to maintaing the
Amigas as a 3D platform -- particularly with the AGA systems coming along.
I'd like to hear from other eductational institutions using the Amiga to teach
computer graphics -- what systems and classes you have, the goals of your
programs, and what techniques you might have to convince administrators who
haven't heard of Amigas (but do recognize words like "Mac") that this system
is worth supporting!

Thanks!

Samuel "Dr.Allosaurus" Crider
Computer Graphics Lab Coordinator
Columbia College Chicago
[e-mail]


##

Subject: Trying to 'loop' closed paths.
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 12:03:25 -0800
From: [e-mail] (Jeff Walkup)

HELP!!  I need an answer to this IMMEDIATELY.  Please help!

I have a UFO object.  I want two little "pods" to orbit around
it very quickly.

I have two closed-path objects (circles).  I've assigned the
POSITION and ALIGN for the two pods to follow these two paths.

Great so far.

Trouble is the pods only orbit around the path one revolution per
the *entire* animation.  The animation is about 400 frames long,
and that makes the pods orbit far too slowly.  I need to tell
Imagine to make the pods orbit about 25 *times* over the duration
of the animation.


====****  HOW?  ****====


I've tried setting "number of cycles" to 25, that doesn't work, but
I think that's only for Cycle objects, which these aint.

Do I perhaps need to break up the actor line on the paths, so that
they exist for the amount of frames that I want ONE revolution to
be?  (Does that make any sense??)  Like, first path from frames 1-10,
second path from frames 11-20, etc... ad nauseum for 400 frames!!??

Would it be easier to make them Cycle objects?  I've tried that once
briefly, but I couldn't position them correctly.  The pods are *not*
supposed to be attached to the UFO, and the Cycle Ed. seems to always
want to attach things to their parent object.

HELP!  This needs to be done by this Saturday.  I tried to post this
mssg. on Sunday but it bounced!  I'm in trouble!  Ack!

-- Jeff Walkup


##

Subject: Re:  Hello folk
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 22:11:07 -0500
From: [e-mail]

Mr. Crider...

(Sorry, no quoting, using sh*tmail version 0.00001)

You asked about classes using Amigas to teach computer graphics. Well, I
have good news! You're not alone! I'm a freshman at RPI, and a dedicated
Amiga "guy", and I'm happy to report that Rensselaer's computer graphics
labs (they hate it when we say RPI...) are equipped not only with Amigas,
but also with a couple of Video Toasters!

...of course, they have them hooked up to some old pro-quality VCR's that
can't do single-frame recording, so I don't see the point, but anyway...

I'm not in any way involved in the computer graphics department (CS major)
so I can't tell you anything about the setup. If you're really interested,
you can call the Rensselaer switchboard at [phone] and ask for the
computer graphics department (iEARS - I think it's pronounced "eye-ears")

I also know that SUNY (State U. of New York...) at Old Westbury is in
posession of a few Amiga labs - altho what they do with them is beyond me.

                        -Frank Dana


##

Subject: Re:  Trying to 'loop' closed paths.
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 92 20:13:12 -0800
From: John Ammes <[e-mail]>

to the ufo problem:

the fastest solution is to offset the objects axis away from its
real center, set the asis where you want the center of the orbit.
if you use the rotation effect on it, say 3600 degrees and it will
rotate around the axis (now at the center of the ufo) 10 times.
like I said fastest, this wont allow for individual rotation or
alignment of the pods, which may be necessary!?!?


##

Subject: Who What Why Where When
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 92 20:56:29 -0600
From: [e-mail] (Dave)

[e-mail] (Green, M David) quips:
>I'm an Imagine 1.1 user, waiting for 3.0 before upgrading mostly because I can
>see that I have barely begun to scratch the surface of this program's
>capabilities, and I don't want to spend $100 just to have access to an even
>more powerful program until I am already doing what I can with what I have.

Normally, I would tend to agree with you Dave, except, as I remember...
assuming you ARE going to get Imagine 3.0, you may as well get Imagine 2.0
in the meantime. There is no price advantage to skipping 2.0. In fact, by
skipping 2.0, you lose out on the 2.0 book (yeah...it's crap...but at least
it's SOMETHING, and as I understand it, you don't have Steve Worley's book)
and the chance to play with 2.0 for a while before you get 3.0.
In other words, your choice is to either pay $200 and upgrade to 3.0, or
pay $99 and get 2.0 then order 3.0 for an additional $99.

Might as well get the 2.0 and have one extra lousy reference.  :-)

>So, to make that first scratch, can anyone tell me where to get a copy of
>Steve's book for the 1.1 version of the program.  (And yeah, I'd prefer to get
>one from another reader used and save the $12 or so I might otherwise have had
>to spend for a new copy when it was available.  Sorry Steve--I'd have bought it
>new, but I'm coming into the 1.1 game late.)

Most of Steve's earlier tutorials will cover the basics of the stuff
you are trying to learn, Dave. They are (or at least were) available
from hubcap.clemson.edu. Steve's "Understanding Imagine 2.0" manual
is well worth the money though. I think pretty much all of us
here on the IML agree with that. A guy here at work who is
also just rolling up his sleeves on Imagine ordered Steve's book
last Friday from Safe Harbor. It should arrive today. I think he paid
$26.95 for it and they had it in stock. Safe Harbor is at 1-800-544-6599.
It is also in stock at Creative Computers at 1-800-872-8882 in the USA or
1-800-548-2512 in Canada. Also $26.95 there.

The book is currently out of print so get one while they're around
if you are gonna get one at all. Steve will be doing some sort of update
to the book to take into account Imagine-PC and version 3.0. If you
have no immediate need, you can wait for that product...but if you
want to make SURE you get one of the current books...strike quickly.
If you would like to try your hand at no cost using Steve's excellent
tutorials that he wrote prior to releasing his book, check out hubcap.
If you can't find it anywhere handy, let me know and I will mail them
out to you.

(Brian M. Aljian) [e-mail] exclaims:
>Is this upgrade still available?  If so, when does this offer expire
>and how much is it now?

Yup, the version 1.x to 2.0 upgrade is still valid....in fact,
Imagine version 1.x is also now totally obsolete. Impulse
dumped the remaining stock of 1.1 to Creative Computers and
Creative is low balling the price to clear em out. If you are not
a legitimate owner of Imagine, you should be. Here is one way to
get in on the ground floor cheaply. Buy one of these last remaining
copies from Creative. Impulse will ONLY sell Imagine 2.0 and newer now
and the $99 upgrade pricing should be good for any current registered
owner Brian. I haven't ye heard any deadline date for when they will
stop supporting upgrades from 1.1. I will be sure to ask that next time
I touch base with those guys.


Good luck in your 3D learning curve. It's worth the time.

Dave Wickard  [phone]    "Give 10,000 typewriters to 10,000 monkeys
[e-mail]         for 10,000 years...and one of them is bound
[e-mail]        to write a better Impulse manual."


##

Subject: Re:  Trying to 'loop' closed paths.
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 14:40:57 -0500
From: [e-mail] (PJ Foley)

To Jeff,

You wrote:

Do I perhaps need to break up the actor line on the paths, so that
they exist for the amount of frames that I want ONE revolution to
be?  (Does that make any sense??)  Like, first path from frames 1-10,
second path from frames 11-20, etc... ad nauseum for 400 frames!!??

I say:

Maybe so.  The other answer offered on the list sounds like it would
work as well.  You also might want to look into the "henge"
features, but I have never found a good use for them as of yet...

PJ
Kinetic Dreams


##

Subject: Re:  Hello folk
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 92 15:39:25 EST
From: [e-mail]

Well, I'm also a freshman at RPI, and my work-study job is maintaining the
Amigas in the Iear labs.

One lab consists of:
2 A2000s
2 Toaster 2.0s
2 1960 monitors
2 misc Flicker fixers
2 misc NTSC monitors (One sony TV, and on 1084, I think)
2 030-25MHz accelerators......9 MB RAM

The other:

5 A3000s
2 A500s
1 A1000
3 DCTVs
1 ColorBurst
1 FireCracker
1 HAM-E
1 IV-24 supposedly on the way...
3 Sysquest drives

the 3000s are 25MHz, have 8MB fast, and 1MB chip, have 105MB quantums and are
    hooked upto a wide variety of monitors.  They also the about graphics
    boards.
one A500 is hooked to a digiview setup, and the other remains idle until
    another monitor is found
the A1000 is supposedly use to output animations to tape, but I've never
    actually seen it in use.

as [e-mail] said, we have no single frame recorders, so most of this
equipment does seem rather pointless.

There are several graduate programs here in electronic art, and there can
often be found someone using the digiview or DPaint 4.1 to do their
art assignments.  The people seem to take right to using the Amiga as a medium
for art.

If you really want to talk to the instructor, contact:

Miroslaw Rogala
Assistant Professor of Electronic Media
Department of the Arts, iEAR Studios
Email: [e-mail]