This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.
Search Results (346 messages)
3DS rev4 is always a safe bet. It is costly, but is very powerfull once you add some of the IPAS routines (added costs). The current version of TrueSpace is lacking in a lot of features. It's basically a begginers program right now. Another contender to consider is Imagine 3.0…
>> Geez, if this works, then I really know compuserve is worth it :-> ;-> Daniel, CompuServe is definately worth it! When you get Imagine 2.0 up and running, my suggestion should do the trick, stop on over to the Graphics User Group forum (GO GUGRPA). The Imagine User Group…
Ah…it's not Dave's! Don't know why I got the impression that it was! Thanks, -GreG
Matt, I believe Dave Mason's VFD will convert FLI files to AVI files. -GreG
Ed, I use EMM386 and Himem.sys and have no problems running Imagine. No need to reboot at all. I use DOS 6.2…here's an excerpt from my config.sys: DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /shadowram:on DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM HIGHSCAN All I now do is run Imagine with the /noxms switch. -GreG
#Imagine 2.0 mess up
Message #1369
>> when I typed "imagine" at the dos prompt it said "Unrecoverable privileged error #5– press Enter to Restart computer".
>> I do have RUN286.EXE, it came with VC++ 1.5. Will this work? Joe, Was that a typo? RUN 286.EXE? If it was a typo let me know. It's easy enough for you to see if you have the current latest RUN386.EXE and if it works. I can send you…
>> About how long does it take to do an average rendering with most of the rendering options being used in the picture?
David, thats true. But the basic object will be there, with hierarchy and attributes intact. Obviously, if Imagine Lite has no states, only the form in which the object is saved in will be loaded. The bones themselves are lone axes, so I venture to guess that they will also…
Mark, No "demo" of Imagine really. The closest you can get to is Imagine 2.0/PC which is bundled with the book "3D Modeling Lab", costs about $35.00 If you're interested I can give you the ISBN number. Of course, you've already seen Imagine 2.0, so there won't be anything new…
>> What speed comparison is there between an amiga 68030/33 and a 486 dx2-66 Mark, From what I am told, the PC is quicker. However, I personally have no way to compare it myself. I have a 486DX2/66, so if you want to send me a project file, I'll render…
Daniel, Forgot to mention Imagine L/T (Lite). If you have CD drive then this is probably the best way to go. It's Imagine with some of the power features removed, comes on CD, with objects, tutorials, sample anims and images, and a manual. Sells for $100. Contact Impulse if you…
Daniel, The book's title is "3d Modelling Lab" by Phillip Shaddock, published by Waite Group Press. ISBN 1-878739-52-2 or order line 1-800-368-9369 A note…the book is a not a manual, and only touches on a few aspects of Imagine 2.0. -GreG
Pascal, The Im -> Lw converter is offered by the uploader of the message file. The quality of the conversion depends on the software being offered. Imagine object formats are interchangeable with Imagine for PC, Imagine for Amiga, and Imagine L/T, so in this respect you have no problem. -GreG
Daniel, Imagine 3.0 costs $695. If you purchase the book "3D Modelling Lab", By Phillip Shaddock, ic omes with a working version of Imagine 2.0, and a coupon to upgrade to IM3.0 for $300. Imagine 3.1 is part of Impulse's CONSTANT UPDATE program. The program costs $100 and entitles you…
Joe, Imagine 3.1 (Part of the constant update program) has fixed the non-animatable starfield. However, you are on the right track to creating a better looking starfield. Create a large sphere, make it black in color. Make it BRIGHT. Apply the confetti.itx to it. Give it the two colors to…
>> Do you have any info on this "hack" to get Imagine running under Windows and does it work in NT?
Michael, Imagine will not run under a DOS session in OS/2. Impulse is aware of the desire for running Imagine under OS/2 & Windows and will be working on this area for a future version of Imagine. There is a "hack" presently that will allow you to run Imagine under…
Steve, It drove me nuts for an hour or so before I realized what was happening. While you create the states in the detail editor, they behave properly. When the object is reloaded only the first texture's axis positions are intact. So, either the problem lies in saving the info,…
George, What you are experiencing is indicative of being low on memory. If you are rendering in Scanline mode, switch it to TRACE. TRACE uses MUCH less memory that Scanline. However, you would be better off with at least 16megs. -GreG
>> It seems to me that adding glows and starburst effects as post processing functions would be fairly easy. Similar to the Lensflare global effect. > have been very frustrated with 3.0's strange dxf support. Will there be a maintenance update that will fix this problem?
Steve, I tried your example, and lo and behold, the texture axis for linear did not keep it's diferent positions. Once the object is saved, the information is lost. No need to even go into the stage, just reload the object and you'll see that the texture axis info for…
>> I lose the position of the texture axis in one state or the other once I move to the stage. If I try to morph one object to another (same object, same texture, different axis position,) I get a "pop morph" ie no morph at all. I think that…
>> I'm not sure that Impulse had any upgrades since 2.0 which as far as I know was well over a year, maybe 2.
Steve, I just had this discussion over in GraphDev forum. Was it with you? Or with Trevor? Sorry if I don't recall…but there have been many threads there recently on this topic. Let me know, and I'll repost my message here. -GreG
Blaq, Here's a repost of my message to Trevor from the Imagine UG in the Graphics Developers forum. It's another approach at morphing textures without using transparent duplicate objects as shells. The best part is that it can be done using Imagine 3.0, or 3.1. Imagine 3.0 users will need…
Mark, November issue of Digital Video Magazine apparently shipped early . There is an add from Impulse describing Imagine Lite. It comes on a CD, for the PC platforms, with sample objects, tutorials, and animations. I haven't seen the add, but last I was told it's retail is $99. Imagine…
> Is it possible to upgrade to the latest version or must I take the upgrade offer to go to 3.0 and then upgrade 3.0 to 3.1/4.0? < Francois, To upgrade to Imagine 3.0 from 2.0 through the book offer is $300. Imagine retails for $695. Imagine 3.1 is part…
Sam, Yep, Steve Blackmon's DISAST.JPG is a great Image, especially knowing that the explosion is traced, and not post-processed in a paint program. David Hofmann's anims Banan1 & Banan2 are awesome, and will be in the next issue of Compuserve CD. The movement and personality in his Banana Jones character…
>> BTW, where in the docs does it talk about the onion skin previews? Sam, You can't do Onion skin previews. Onion skin works in the tri-views. Click on Onion skin. Go to Next frame and you will see that the objects in the frame you were just in, are…
David, When working the perspective view, you can control the view in real time along the X,Y & Z axis. The view angle does at times rotate a bit in an undesireable manner. While pressing the left-mouse button, press the right-mouse button to control the perspective along your OWN eyesights…
>> Is there a way of outputing a 24-bit animation , compressed with a non-lossy codec , to video ? Joao, I can't help with hardware, since I'm not current on it. As for software, Dave's Targa Animator (DTA) allows you to create FLT files (similar to FLC but supports…
Animation Software
Message #906
Rick, Your message number 901, for Keith, was addressed to me. You might want to resend it to him. -GreG
Robert, Let me try to address each of you questions in turn here. >> 1. Is there anyway to select what mode the Project Editor Show function displays in? > 2. What is the menu item that displays VESA modes for? Can you select any of the mode for use…
>> It would be cool if there was a button (or command) that does all this automatically. Bring the whole object fit to the view and center it.
SIMILAR Press Release
Message #716
———————————————————————- Announcing "Similar" Copyright 1994 by Glenn M. Lewis Version 1.0 – 9/94 Similar is a program that operates either on Imagine object files or Envisage object files. (Note, however, that it is not possible to work on *both* IOB and SCE files during the same execution!) It runs from…
Bob, Knowing just which edges to make sharp, and which to leave shaded to get the desired affect takes practice. Please do send me the object. Thats the best way for me to see what you see. It also gives me the opportunity to modify it and send it back…
>> I have no easy way of compressing or playing 24 bit animations as I do with FLC files. Is there a software package out there that lets me compress a string of 24 bit TGA files?
>> Are all these programs reading the palette wrong? >> The interesting thing is that DFV (same author as DTA) reads it correctly. Dunno Marco. Thats something you might want to point out to Mike. Odd though, that DFV will read it properly, and DTA won't. -GreG
>> I have been having a problem trying to change the speed of an animation after I create it in either the Stage or Detail Editors. For instance, I can Make an animation, then when I select Play Loop and try and change the speed, Imagine drops me to DOS…
Chad, The Imagine Companion 2.0 by David Duberman, is out of print. Another good book is Understanding Imagine 2.0, by Steve Worley. Unfortunately that is also out of print. Steve is working one for Imagine 3.0 however. -GreG
John, I recommended SNAKED.ZIP. -GreG
>> I just forgot to use "set to state" to see the new state!! What are we gonna do with you David! -GreG
David, Here's a step by step SIMPLE states import. Expand the concept for more complex objects or groups of objects. 1) Add a Primitive sphere, accept defaults 2) Ralt-c, Ralt-p, F1 (Copy it, Paste it, select the copy) 3) Move the copy off to the side 4) Scale the copy…
>> I tried the same thing with identical objects. I loded the object twice in the detail editor and tried to import one state to the other object, but still no effect. Imagine accepts all inputs and creates the new state, but the the object that I import to does…
David, You cannot have states composed of differing objects. For example….you cannot import a sphere with 100 vertices into an sphere with only 50. If you have a sphere with 100 vertices, then have a copy of that sphere that you deformed (no vertices or faces removed or added), then…
I'll have to reverify the parsing of the slashes….though It has worked for me. -GreG
Ash, Are you using Imagine 3.0 or Imagine 2.0? With 3.0, at least on the PC, the slashes don't affect Imagine's ability to find the files. -GreG
David, Fog objects will not appear if they are rendered against the default background. They need to be in front of other objects for them to be visible. Make a plane for use as a backdrop so you can see the fog objects. -GreG
David…I know what is causing your brush problem. Let me try to illustrate. Default state with brush tacked to it…say brush is 100 units in the Z axis New state, which is scaled in the Z axis .5 percent. The brush axis is now 50 units in the Z axis,…
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