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Strata provides new advanced features in v.1.5.1 thanks to Apple's new Power Macintosh capabilities. With the tremendous enhancements the Power Macintosh brings to the Multimedia Professional, Strata is now able to bring you Metaballs, Boolean Modeling, and Morph. Although StudioPro 1.5.1 is available for the 680X0 machines, we strongly recommend you consider the faster speed and accelerated performance possible on the Power Macintosh.
StudioPro 1.5.1 provides native Power Macintosh code to realize the faster speed and performance available on the Power Macintosh, as well as continued support for the older 680X0 (68K) machines. Please note that our new modelers can be memory intensive due to the numerous calculations performed, so be patient. This is especially true with the Boolean modeler. Also be aware that performing Boolean operations will produce polygonal surfaces for the resulting objects. You may wish to smooth them, using the Smooth modeler, if they appear faceted.
We realize that reading product “Read Me” files is almost a lost art. You are to be congratulated for reading this one. Please take the time to read it carefully. It contains information about successfully installing the software package. It also contains a list of enhancements from previous versions and known operating considerations with suggested workarounds. You may wish to print this document so you can have a hard copy to faithfully follow during the balance of the installation process.
BEFORE INSTALLATION
A hard-disk drive (with a minimum of 10 Mb free) and 4 Mb of RAM are required during the installation process. You may install only portions of the software package if you wish. However, this is not recommended unless you are re-installing specific files because of hard-disk drive or operating system problems.
After installation, 4 Mb of RAM is the minimum partition size required to run StudioPro; 8 Mb or more of RAM are strongly recommended…in fact, additional RAM capacity is imperative once you progress beyond the novice stage.
DISABLE VIRUS PROTECTION
Strata Incorporated has stringent anti-virus procedures in place throughout its operation. Everything possible is done to maintain the integrity of the StudioPro product up to the point when you open the package. For peace of mind, you should scan the StudioPro installation disks before beginning, then turn off ALL virus protection during the actual installation process. After you have completed the installation, you can turn your anti-viral cdevs and extensions back on.
If you have the “GateKeeper™” virus sentry, it absolutely MUST be disabled before installation of StudioPro. GateKeeper™ is very aggressive in its protection and can actually corrupt the application as it is installed…making it unusable. Once the StudioPro application folder is in place, GateKeeper™ can be used without concern.
TO INSTALL THE StudioPro APPLICATION AND SUPPORT FILES
Strata StudioPro uses an installer application called DragInstall™ from Ray Sauers Associates, Inc. It provides a superior iconic approach to executing installation scripts. We think you’ll like it.
Your disk envelope inside the package contains eight disks. These are titled “Installer - disk 1” through “Installer - disk 8.” If you are reading this document, you made the logical choice and have already inserted the first disk. After examining this information, the next step is to run the Installer application and follow its on-screen instructions. Context-sensitive help is also provided at the bottom of the installer window as you move the cursor over various icons and controls within the window.
With the release of version 1.1 (or later) of StudioPro, a “fat binary” version is provided to run on either the Power Macintosh platform or the older 680X0 machines. If you wish, the installation process can automatically assemble the appropriate files to run StudioPro based on the type of hardware on which it is being installed. This is called a “smart” installation. Optionally, you can choose to install the “fat binary” version so this software will run on either the 680X0 or Power Macintosh machines with the same files.
If you choose to perform a smart installation on a Power Macintosh, you may be asked to re-insert disk 1 during certain phases of the installation. This is normal, even though it only occurs in this situation. Just follow the prompts for inserting disks as requested, and the installation should proceed as expected.
AFTER INSTALLATION (but before launching)
Before StudioPro can be launched, you will need to drag one or more files to the System folder. These are found in a folder titled, “Put CONTENTS in Sys. Fo...,” which is inside the StudioPro application folder. Inside this folder, you will find two other folders: “Put CONTENTS in Sys. Extens...,” and “Put CONTENTS in Sys. Prefs...” Inside the “Put CONTENTS in Sys. Prefs...” folder you will find the "StudioPro Preferences" file. Drag it from its folder into the System Preferences Folder.
If you have System 7.5 or are running from a 680X0-based Macintosh, you can choose to ignore the following two paragraphs. This is because System 7.5 comes with the ThreadManager installed, and the 680X0-based machines do not require it.
Inside the “Put CONTENTS in Sys. Extens...” folder you will find the "Thread Manager" file. Drag it from its folder into the System Extensions Folder. Note that you do not put the folders that contain these files in the System Folder, just their contents. Make sure the preferences file is placed inside the Preferences folder and the Thread Manager file is placed in the Extensions folder of your System Folder, after which you must restart your machine. This is important!
Failure to move the Preferences file to the System Preferences Folder will result in an alert at the time of launch stating that the StudioPro Preferences file is not present, and allows you to choose the demonstration mode for the session. Demonstration mode disables the Save, Save As, Cut, Copy, and Paste commands so that you will not be able to save any of your work before quitting the application. The entire animation functionality is also disabled.
The Thread Manager file must be in the System Folder Extensions of Power Macintosh machines to allow StudioPro to launch, and then you must restart the machine. If an alert dialog appears stating that the required resources could not be found, you have not put the Thread Manager in the System Folder or you have not restarted the machine. Do this; then try launching StudioPro. Again, this is only required for Power Macintosh machines.
REQUIREMENTS FOR RUNNING StudioPro
The requirements for running the StudioPro application vary depending on whether you are using a Power Macintosh or a 680X0 machine. If you are not sure which type of Macintosh you have, the installation will still be correct as indicated in the previous topic, but you should ask someone so you will be able to make correct adjustments and configurations after installation to get the most out of this software.
FOR BOTH TYPES OF MACINTOSHES
Generally, the same StudioPro configuration settings recommended for the older 680X0 machines can also be applied to the Power Macintosh machines. Those are: 1) never allocate all the free RAM; always leave at least 1 Mb free for the system to use, 2) Setting the largest application partition size possible is not necessarily the best choice (call the technical support number in the front of the Users Manual for clarification, if needed), and 3) the operating system’s virtual memory should only be used as a last resort. The Power Macintosh version of virtual memory is much improved over the 680X0 machines.
StudioPro performs extensive calculations when running, especially during rendering. It will tax your machine’s CPU and operating system resources as no other program does. The speed of rendering is influenced by many factors. The Power Macintosh is very sensitive to this, since many of the system resources and extensions are still running in emulation mode. Many of these factors are out of your control, but you should keep the Power Macintosh’s operating system as lean as possible. Those factors that can be controlled by you in StudioPro are listed in Chapter 8 of the Users Manual.
Of all the renderers, Raytracing, RayPainting, and Raydiosity provide the most realistic rendering effects, which also means they are the most calculation-intensive. The age-old saying “There ain’t no free lunch!” applies just as much here as it does to many other areas of computing. The more rendering effects used, the more calculations required to produce the image.
That does not mean that rendering has to be slow. Use restraint in the number and type of extensions put into the operating system. Use wisdom in the StudioPro effects you enable for a rendering. Not every image or animation needs shadows or reflectivity or refraction. Additionally, you can make a distinct speed difference in the raytracer performance under various memory conditions. This is also discussed in Chapter 8 of the Users Manual.
If you make more memory available to the application, the raytracer can be more efficient…up to a point. It can render measurably faster when there is sufficient memory than in tight memory situations. But how you do this depends on which version of the Macintosh you are running.
As explained in the Users Manual, under System 7 you only need to allocate enough memory to StudioPro to contain the model. It can get whatever additional memory is required for rendering, if available, outside its partition through the operating system. If you get an alert that there is not enough memory while modeling, you should save the model and allocate more memory to StudioPro via the Finder's "Get Info" command. On the other hand, if you see the memory chip within a rendering window, you should suspend the rendering and make more memory available to the system (by quitting other applications that may be open, reducing the number of extensions running, installing additional DRAM, etc.).
Using any form of disk space to simulate memory (such as Apple's virtual memory) will slow the rendering process. Although the implementation of virtual memory in the Power Macintosh hardware is better than it is on the 680X0 machines, it is still slower than not using it. If you have enough RAM, you should disable virtual memory and the image spooling option within StudioPro through the Preferences command. This will improve your rendering performance. There is absolutely NO SUBSTITUTE for real RAM.
VIRTUAL IMAGE CACHE
You should have at least ten megabytes of free space on your hard disk drive for StudioPro’s virtual image cache. This cache is used when the "Spooling for Rendering" checkbox is turned on in the Preferences command’s dialog box. This is the mechanism that allows rendering of large images.
If you do not have enough RAM to render a particular image you request, you can use this option. Even if you have enough RAM and even though this may result in additional accessing of the hard disk, turning on the virtual image cache can often improve performance. The size of this cache file on the hard-disk drive varies with the number of objects and texture maps in the 3-D model, the dimensions and resolution of a rendering, and the type of rendering method used. Extremely large projects may require as much as 50-60 megabytes of disk space.
PERSONALIZATION
Upon launching StudioPro for the first time, you will be presented with a personalization dialog. In addition to entering your name and organization, you are REQUIRED to enter a serial number. StudioPro will not run without it. You are provided a unique serial number in the product box…enter it EXACTLY as it is presented. This same serial number must also be attached to (or written on) the registration card you return to Strata Incorporated to become a registered owner — entitling you to technical support access and many other benefits.
Please refer to the beginning of Chapter 1 in the Users Manual for further information about personalizing your copy of StudioPro and entering the serial number.
ALTERNATE RESOURCES FILES
A folder is included in the installation titled, “Alternate Resources.” A Strata StudioPro Resources file must be present in the application folder (at the same level as the StudioPro application)…and it must be named exactly. Four variations of this file are included. The default provides a “tile” object for the preview model in the various textures/gels editing dialogs and a camera shutter sound to signal when an image is done rendering. The three alternate resource files provide the following: 1) tile object for previews, no camera sound (silent); 2) sphere object for previews, camera sound; 3) sphere object for previews, no sound. If you switch resource files, make sure you do not lose the original as you drag an alternate file (of the same name) out of the folder in which they are stored. If one is lost when shuffling resource files around, you can always install them again from the installation disks.
RUNNING StudioPro ON A 680X0 MACHINE
Version 1.1 or later of StudioPro requires System 7.0 or later, even though you may be using a Macintosh that is capable of using an earlier operating system. System 7.1 (or later) and at least 20 Mbytes of RAM is recommended. The operating systems and other system extensions are provided by Apple Computer, Inc. Your 680X0 hardware must also include a Floating Point Unit (FPU). This is also known as a math co-processor on 68030-based machines. Most Macintoshes have one, but some do not and must be installed as an after-market hardware upgrade. If you have any questions about hardware and operating systems, you can call our technical support number listed at the end of this document.
As indicated, 8 Mb or more of FREE RAM (after system requirements) is recommended for better performance. If you have extended RAM available, you should not automatically allocate the majority of it to the memory partition in which StudioPro would run. The memory management in System 7.0 or later allows StudioPro to acquire additional memory from what is still available AS NEEDED. This memory is used for buffers to hold texture maps, temporary images, and the image being rendered. Thus, you should allocate only enough memory for StudioPro to comfortably hold the model. If the model is too big for the partition, StudioPro will tell you with an alert. You can then allocate more in conservative increments. You should NEVER allocate ALL the available RAM to StudioPro; leave at least 500K free for the system to use.
RUNNING StudioPro ON A POWER MACINTOSH
The installation of version 1.5.1 of StudioPro is a complete installation, including all the extensions and other support files required to operate with full functionality. All of the modeling extensions are written to operate at full native-code speed for the Power Macintosh. Resources are included in the application and extensions that allow version 1.5.1 to run on 680X0 machines as well. Its performance should be marginally better than the 1.0 version on 680X0-based Macintoshes. DO NOT use any extensions from the previous version. This is true for the image extensions as well. Extensions from the earlier 1.0 version of StudioPro will absolutely NOT run with this version.
Additionally, please do not be naive about the stability of this new equipment and the software that runs on it! The 680X0-based Macintoshes were never paragons of operating system stability, but this is an entirely new machine with a new operating system and new software. While the interface may look the same, everything underneath is completely new. Develop the habit to save early and save often
Sometimes bugs are discovered that no one else has found. If you are experiencing crashes in StudioPro 1.5.1, Strata’s people want to know. They will be happy to help sort out the problem with you over Strata’s technical support line. However, you should also be prepared to accept the fact that the problem may not be in StudioPro…most of the time there is some corruption in the system that causes the problem. Often, the technical support people at Strata will have talked with others having similar experiences and can make intelligent recommendations to fix the problem.
In addition to requiring the Thread Manager extension to run StudioPro, the Modern Memory Manager also needs to be turned on. This is new for the Power Macintosh. You must make sure that the “Modern Memory Manager” option is turned on in the Memory control panel in order to render images in StudioPro. On true Power Macintosh machines, this will need to be done only once. But on older Macintoshes with an upgrade card installed, you may forget when switching from 680X0 operation to PowerMac mode. Again, you will need to open the Memory control panel and turn on the Modern Memory Manager option.
The quality assurance procedures at Apple, Strata, and many other companies are of the highest standards. All have produced quality products, but there are many areas in this new generation of hardware and software that can fail — ranging from the operating system and its extensions to the commercial software designed to run in native code on it. Inevitably, there will be an adjustment period as this new equipment is sorted out and its reliability is improved. Please be patient.
NOTE: If the message: The Application "StudioPro v1.5.1" could not be opened because StrataAppKernal could not be found appears, it is because not enough RAM is available. To free up more RAM before launching, reduce the partition size in the application's Get Info window, or quit other applications that may be running.
ENHANCEMENTS (from previous version)
1. Enable Map Optimization checkbox. There is a new checkbox in the Preferences dialog that enables a blanket image map optimization to occur. This will happen for any new textures that you may create in the current project, or when you open a previous model. Once the maps in an existing model have been optimized, they remain in that form when saved. You may wish to save map-optimized models under a different name.
The optimization is to further improve rendering speed. This is accomplished by making ALL color maps in the model 32-bit color; grayscale maps are stored in 8-bit format. This allows the rendering algorithms to run more efficiently.
Note that when the checkbox for map optimization is enabled, the color depth pull-down menu in the Picture dialog is inoperative for individual maps you load into a texture, even though it still appears active. Every color texture map will be stored as a 32-bit image, and every non-color map will be stored as an 8-bit image. Map optimization takes more memory; if tight memory is a problem, you should not use this feature.
2. Phong with Shadows. You asked for it! It's back! There is a separate renderer selection named "Phong with Shadows." As you guessed, it renders a Phong with shadows. Of course, the Shadows checkbox in the Rendering Effects dialog must be checked to get shadows with any of our renderers. Keep in mind that in many situations, rendering with the Raytracer to get shadows may be faster than using Phong with Shadows.
3. Raydiosity. The Raydiosity renderer has been updated. The Glow Factor setting in the Texture Editing dialog box will now accept a number greater than 1.0. However, settings over 1.0 may result in an exaggerated inter-object illumination.
KNOWN OPERATING PROBLEMS (version 1.5.1)
There are known bugs and deviations in behavior from previous versions. They are listed here for reference. They are being addressed by Strata’s development staff and will be corrected in the next release.
1. The Convert to Path extension now calculates a minimum time duration. The Convert to Path extension calculates the minimum amount of time needed to travel that path accurately, based on the number of event markers required and the number of frames per second. You cannot set the duration lower than the minimum time indicated. A long duration results from using closed objects that have curves, especially circles or ovals with many vertex points.
If this is the case, there are two options. The first is to proceed with converting to a path, then selecting all of the event markers for that object and, while holding down the Control key, dragging the last event marker to the left until the entire sequence is within the desired time frame. This will compress the distance between all selected markers by a uniform amount. (Read pages 7.38-7.39 of the Users Manual.) The second option is to manually script the path using the conventional animation controls. This is often the best choice. For example, converting a circle to a path can generate as many as 30 event markers. The same path can be scripted with four event markers if done manually.
2. De-selecting vertex points on Skin objects in the 3d Sculpter modeler. When editing anything but a skinned object, the selection and de-selection of handles is as expected for the Macintosh interface guidelines. With a skinned object, a selected handle will not automatically de-select when you click on another handle. It behaves as if the shift key were held down and selection is just being extended to more handles. This is an anomalous behavior, but the workaround is easy. To de-select one or more handles on skinned objects, simply click away from the object in the window.
3. The Video Filter extension does not work on the Power Macintosh hardware. The Video Filter extension is included in the installation package, but for this version it only works on the 680X0 machines.
4. Launching non-native code versions of StudioPro (version 1.0) or StrataVision 3d (versions 3.0 or earlier) on a PowerMac machine can cause the Operating System to crash and may require a full restart to recover. This is mentioned in case you have kept a copy of the older software on your hard disk and you inadvertently double-click on a model in the Finder that was created by one of these versions. The software will be launched and crash because it will look for an FPU in the hardware, and the emulation mode of Power Macintosh does not handle the request gracefully.
5. Perform boolean operations with only simple bounded volume objects. The Boolean modeler works best if all polygons in each object define a single volume with each polygon facing outward; otherwise, extra polygons may appear in the output. Boolean modeling sometimes generates polygons with faces flipped outward. Please keep in mind that text with bevels, and lathed or extruded objects can take a lot of time due to the enormous numbers of polygons. This is especially true on the slower 680X0 computers. Successive subtraction operations may generate extra polygons. Power Macintosh operations are substantially faster than those performed on 680X0 machines. Is it time for you to upgrade...?
6. If textures have been applied to individual objects before particle morph on 680X0 computers, StudioPro (version 1.5.1) results in a hard crash when rendering an animation. However, a texture may later be applied to the morph entity. After a particle morph on a Power Macintosh, moving the time slider on the animation palette may cause a crash to occur.
FURTHER ASSISTANCE
For further information about purchasing Strata libraries and accessories, contact your nearest Apple Macintosh software dealer, or telephone Strata Inc. at 1-800-6STRATA. Technical support for registered owners is available at (801) 628-9751. Please DO NOT call the toll-free number for technical support. It is reserved for sales purposes and you cannot be transferred to the technical services group from that number.
17 U.S.C. § 101 and 102. All rights reserved. You have a non-exclusive right to use the included program. You may not modify or translate the program or related documentation. If fraudulent removal from or alteration of a copyright notice appearing on a copyrighted work, and the fraudulent placing of a copyright notice on a distributed copyright work, and/or the willful infringement of a copyrighted work for commercial advantage or private financial gain is prohibited under 17 U.S.C. § 506. If you need clarification of this copyright statement, you may inquire further by using one of the telephone numbers listed below.
