EnigmA Amiga Run 1995 November/EnigmA AMIGA RUN 02 (1995)(G.R. Edizioni)(IT)[!][issue 1995-11][Skylink CD].iso/earcd/docs/lwml9505.lha/LWML9505.TXT/[e-mail]_Wed May 10 16:15:14 1995.msg

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Date:          Wed, 10 May 1995 18:16:57 +0000
Subject:       Re: Questions For NewTek... Again
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> Date:          Wed, 10 May 95 11:30:00 PDT
> From:          DawsonX Schaffer <[e-mail]>
> To:            [e-mail]
> Subject:       Questions For NewTek... Again

I'm no Lightwave authority, but I spent some time at NAB with some of
the NewTek guys.  Their comments at the time differ wildly from some of
the things you say, so I thought I'd just put in my 2 cents.  Bear in
mind that what they're willing to talk about and what they're willing
to commit to customers are probably pretty different, as they should
be :-)

> 1) I am running in 1024 x 768 64K color mode and the only render preview
> available seems to be nothing more than a postage stamp size on my
> screen.  I cannot seem to change its size regardless of the render
> resolution.  There is a setting for Render Frame Buffer, but I have no
> selections available.  What are available?  What will be available?,
> etc.  I would very like to be able to generate a fuller screen render
> with out having to render to a file and then load it into an display
> program (I could use REXX to do this, but that is no longer available).
> Will the capability be in the final 4.0 release or is planned (if at
> all) for a future version?
>
> NewTek: What frame buffer?  Never seen that option.
>

A version that NewTek encouraged us to show LW users at NAB had a
mode that allowed frame-by-frame preview at the real pixel size of
the render.  It did, indeed, live in the "Render Frame Buffer" menu.

> 2) The controls for generating and ANIM file are in the PC version but
> when selected they inform you that ANIMs can only be generated on an
> AMIGA.  What about PC FLIC or more appropriately AVI (Video for Windows)
> format.  Why not generate and AVI file.  It would still be nice to get
> some idea of what a color render would look like.  I realize the VT4000
> is not there and that precludes the 30fps Toaster preview, but I have
> some 320 x 200 AVI with a lot of motion that play at 30fps.  I would
> like to see this ability in LW.  Is this planned, a plug in, etc.?
>
> NewTek: What is an AVI?  Have never heard of Video for Windows...  No just ANIMS
> and only on the Amiga and no plans to every support it (so much for full PC
> support).
>

Someone from NewTek told me that AVI support was going to be put
into LW as part of a set of different compressed video formats.  I
can't remember the name of the technology they said they were going
to use to implement this, but it might have been something like ?HIB?
I'm sure I could remember if my brain were either (1) larger or (2)
free of the congestion of remembering the dialog to every episode of
"Spenser: for Hire"  :-)


> 3) The wireframe previews in Layout.  They play at most 10fps and I
> cannot seem to get them to go any faster.  I also have a beta copy of
> TrueSpace (Caligari) and their wireframe preview can be played full
> screen at 60fps in all video modes (LightWave is still by far my favorite 3D
> package). What is my problem?  Are there plans for variable sized previews so
> that the 30fps can be obtained.
>
> NewTek: Wow, haven't heard of that one before...  It doesn't sound like a LW
> problem (since we've never heard of it).  Sorry there is not much we can do.
>
> "If I cannot event preview a wire frame test at 30fps, LW becomes nothing more
> than a very strange CAD package!!!"
>

We got 30 fps with no problems on our MIPS and Alpha workstations.
It could simply be an issue of processor power.

> 4) The manual and box mention several plug-ins for rendering and loading
> and saving.  My pre-release copy did not come with any plug-ins (I have
> searched the CD).  With these plug-ins, will I be able to texture map
> with JPG, TIFF, etc.?  How about rendered file; JPG, TIFF, etc.?  It
> would be very nice to have all those file formats available for both
> texture mapping and rendering (saving).  What are the plans.
>
> NewTek:  They will be released with the Final 4.0.
>

No Clue.

> 5) Screamer Net.  I do not have Screamer Net, but I have already
> purchased a 120MHz Pentium system and I plan to buy another copy of
> LightWave for it.  Since they will be networked together with the Win95
> networking (WinSOC), will I be able to cooperatively render with the two
> machines.  If not, it seems silly to have to buy additional software
> when I already have to FULL blown copies of LW.
>
> NewTek:  No idea (and can't seem to find out)!
>

Not sure, but I always heard that LW 4.0 would be able to distribute
any renders between identical processor architectures (i.e.
X86-to-X86, Alpha-to-Alpha).  Talking about Win95 instead of NT
throws some interesting wrinkles into the whole mess, though.

> 6) Are there any plans to support some of the new video boards that are
> coming out with 3D rendering capability (i.e. - Matrox Video
> Impression).  These boards will automatically be support when Win95
> ships with the OpenGL (note: OpenGL will most likely be added after
> Win95 ships, as a patch or update).  I realize Win95 is still unreleased
> but what are the LightWave plans for these standards(OpenGL?) and the
> newer video boards?
>
> NewTek:  No!
>

I heard people who were supposed to know say with confidence that
OpenGL would absolutely be added, albeit sometime after 4.0 ships its
final version.  Note that this will not involve support for any
particular graphics card, but instead a port to the OpenGL standard.
It is the add-in-card vendor's responsibility to bridge the gap between the OpenGL
standard, Microsoft's driver spec,  and the add-in-card.

On my personal soapbox, I would say that NT is a better bet than
Windows 95 for any particular piece of functionality, since NewTek's
software engineers have been working with a *released* NT operating
system for over two years, now.  While NT may still have its kinks,
it is much better put together than Windows 95 could hope to be at
the same point in time.  End soapbox.


 > 7) There is no mention in the
documentation regarding the textures Steve > Worley (APEX) did for
LW 3.5.  Are there plans to include more of his > textures as
plug-ins for the final release?
>
> NewTek:  Steve who?, APEX who?...  Textures are what you see is what you'll get
> in Final 4.0.
>

No idea.

> 8) The final release.  There was no mention in the package of what was
> as yet missing from the pre-release.  Can I/we get some idea of what the
> final package will include.
>
> NewTek:  No official list (some items covered above)..
>
> 9) This may seem like a long list, but if LightWave wasn't my favorite
> 3D/Art/Creative package I wouldn't take the time.  Finally, THANKS for
> releasing LW in a pre-release form.  It really has helped to get my
> hands on it now.
>

>From the LW users I talked to at NAB, I gather that NewTek is doing a
pretty good job at implementing features that people think are
important.  I think that LW 4.0 catches them up to a lot of the
things that LW users have been complaining about for a while.  Now
the accordion effect will kick in and people will need to find new
flaws to complain about :-)
Blaise Fanning
Chief Technology Officer
Deskstation Technology
[phone]
[e-mail]
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