This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.
Search Results (74 messages)
Maybe I'll just sell virtual shoes; never wear out, out of style – no problem! Cheerio, John
#PAR questions
Message #119867
John, Okay, okay. I guess I'm sold . I like the comparison of PAR to BetaCam as 3DS to Wavefront. Now, about my Micropolis… There are oodles (more VR lingo) of boards coming out for the PC. All of them seem to claim 300K FSZBP/sec even though they use different…
Thank you for a well reasoned and articulate message! As a customer it is refreshing to be treated as an ally instead of a criminal. The folks in favor of copy protection seem to think that simply possessing a program will enable someone to become an instant expert, exploiting it…
PAR questions
Message #119815
Oops. I realized that I said there's a 512×512 map limit – I wish! It's actually 256×256 – not great, especially when you're close to walls. dVS and dVISE are the major VR authoring systems that can import .3ds files. There are others as well but these are the most…
John, No big secret – 3DS has become a sort of "standard" for VR world creation. Several of the major VR authoring systems import .3DS files directly, including texture and opacity maps (Wavefront is the other major system used). Given that our real time platforms have limited resolutions and depths…
Micropolis 2217 AV
Message #119723
2 month old Micropolis 2217 AV SCSI drive for sale. Excellent condition. Will ship anywhere. My system needs room for PAR. Best offer. – John
Anyone want to make offers on a slightly used, 2 1/2 month old Micropolis 2217 AV? Cheers, John
It does seem reasonable to go with the PAR – all the feedback I've gotten so far has given it glowing praise. Do you know anything about the TVT-2000? My hesitation with purchasing any system is due to the fact we are using 3D Studio to build virtual worlds for…
I have a Colorado Jumbo Trakker which works fine but is slow. A monitor isn't really a problem. PAR does sound like the way to go. Thanks for the advice. Cheers, John
I guess I'll really have to look into it now. Unfortunately we just purchased a 1.7 GB Micropolis AV but it's a SCSI (PAR requires IDE, yes?) I haven't been able to see a PAR in person. If it is true 4:2:2 then it really seems worth it. Thanks for…
Sounds good. I assume I'll need a seperate monitor for it. We don't do that much animation so I'm weighing the cost between purchasing a PAR and rendering to disk, having a full graphics house put it on tape. Thanks for the input. Cheers, John
#PAR questions
Message #119600
I'm thinking about getting a PAR and wondering how you PAR users like it. Has it been reliable and worked well for you? Are the storage sizes they quote (ie. 540MB = 3-5 minutes, etc.) accurate? Is the quality true 4:2:2? Are there any idiosyncracies that I should know about?…
From:
John Mateer [PolyMedia]
Autodesk Multimedia Forum
· Autodesk 3D Studio
August 19, 1994 10:28 AM
Thanks. I'm still playing with it. "Ice" and "snow" texture maps don't seem to be too great. I've found that blurred bump maps yield a good surface, but I'm still having problems with the transparency. The bump maps also alias if they are set too high. Lot's of juggling. The…
From:
John Mateer [PolyMedia]
Autodesk Multimedia Forum
· Autodesk 3D Studio
August 18, 1994 8:38 PM
Great. Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out. Cheers, John
#Snow and Ice Help
Message #119085
From:
John Mateer [PolyMedia]
Autodesk Multimedia Forum
· Autodesk 3D Studio
August 18, 1994 5:26 PM
I'm trying to model an igloo on a frozen lake. I'm having a tough time making good ice and snow. Right now I'm using light lead metal textures on glass with a light bump map but it doesn't quite work. Does any one have any suggestions? I'd really appreciate it.…
From:
John Mateer [PolyMedia]
Autodesk Multimedia Forum
· Autodesk 3D Studio
August 15, 1994 9:19 PM
Thanks, I'll give it a try. Cheers, John
#Texture Maps
Message #118381
From:
John Mateer [PolyMedia]
Autodesk Multimedia Forum
· Autodesk 3D Studio
August 15, 1994 4:27 PM
What is the secret to really sharp, clear texture mapping so that it looks good from (nearly) any distance? A good example is the spot commerical with the dancing cereal box (I think it was Wavefront). I'm especially interested in detailed mapping of objects so that they look good very…
Great. I've got a lot of things to try now. Thanks! Cheers, John
From:
John Mateer [PolyMedia]
Autodesk Multimedia Forum
· Autodesk 3D Studio
August 11, 1994 9:45 AM
Thanks very much. I knew there was a way to do it. Cheers, John
#Reversing in VP
Message #117705
From:
John Mateer [PolyMedia]
Autodesk Multimedia Forum
· Autodesk 3D Studio
August 11, 1994 6:24 AM
Is there a comparable command to "reverse" in Video Post which allows a sequence of files (FILE0001, FILE0002, etc.) to be reversed (FILE0029, FILE0028, etc.)? It seems like it should be a straightforward thing but I can't find a way to do it short of copying and renaming files. Thanks,…
I tried it with a test animation and it works great! Thanks a lot! By alternating this technique with the background blur, a true rack focus effect is spot on. Cool. Thanks again for your help. Cheers, John
Thanks for the info. The effects look great! I'm now starting to dive into Disk #6. Cheers, John
Ah, I was afraid of that. I was a bit confused because the brochure mentioned rack focus effects. How soon will r4 be out? Any idea on upgrade cost? BTW, the flare effects are great. Cheers, John
Blur
Message #117449
I recently got your IPAS #1 disk and am working with Blur. I want to blur an object in the forground while not blurring the background. I've tried using masks but that didn't work (the mask edges show). I also tried rendering the blur seperately and compositing it over the…
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