This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.
Search Results (58 messages)
Hi John, Sounds like Real 3D doesn't offer any export yet…is that correct? Are you able to get into its native files at all? Are they text format, or binary? Are any parts of the file identifiable? Thanks, John D.
Rick, Ah! It's that background polling for system events like floppy activity that makes the difference between the two — gotcha! Still, it seems there are advantages either way…guess that's what you meant by your "unfortunately/unfortunately" line. The NeXT folks used to say that their multitasking was unique, because if…
"FLIPlayer" by A. P. Maika (76657,2037) will play back FLIs on the Mac. I believe it may be in the COMART library. DeBabelizer will translate FLI/FLC files to various Mac animation formats. Does a whole lot more, too. Commercial product from Equilibrium Technologies, 415/332-4343. jd
Hi John, I just unearthed my notes from the June Macromedia User Forum in SF…Steve Banfield, Microsoft's Multimedia Tools Evangelist, was a speaker…when he was asked about this issue, here's what I copied down: "Martin adding support for better 3D graphics to Windows. Early to say, adding to base operating…
Hi Rick, When you say "multitask", what exactly d'ya mean? I've heard the term "preemptive multitasking" used before, specifically in contrast to what our desktop machines do, but am not exactly sure what it signifies…is this what you're talking about? From what I understand, DOS can only run one app…
Interesting info, as ever, John…thanks for the clarification. jd
Mr. C! *No* 3D package is a mistake! The field's wide enough that any experience comes in useful…just keep pushin' at it! jd
Martin Hash is now employed at Microsoft, directing some type of effort to incorporate 3D patches into future versions of Windows. I'm unclear of the effect this will have on Playmation, which will still be distributed (independently of Microsoft) by Anjon & Associates. jd
Hi Steve, pmji…this topic came up in one of the Amiga 3D Forums recently…some more suggestions there…. Regarding the "squished poles" effect, there's a way to get around it in Photoshop (Mac/Win)…make the dimpled bump map (invert luminance if necessary), then use the "Rectangular to Polar Coordinates" filter on it…or…
#Video – airbrush look?
Message #46668
Martin, Gallery Effects/Mac has a batch processor…is this also available on the PC version? Do the frames need to be processed on a PC, or can it go to Mac (I'm thinking DeBabelizer)? Also, Fractal Design Painter X2/Extensions for Windows should be released in July…it provides a single-image scripting ability…haven't…
FLC/FLI anim to Macintos
Message #46667
DeBabelizer from Equilibrium Technologies (415/332-4343) will convert FLI/FLC to PICS, QT and more. It works on the Mac…I'm not sure of PC-based solutions. jd
I've run into a similar "surface smoke" situation in RenderMan…fwiw, I've had luck with the workaround of duplicating the object a few times, successively smaller, with the same central point, and applying the smoke at various opacities…looks better when moving than still. Another workaround was to create a second smaller/larger…
Hi Bek, Yes, it renders in real time…of a sort. There's always that tradeoff of quality vs. speed. One of the interesting things about the 3DO architecture is "lightning fast 24-channel bitplane manipulation"…whatever that means! The standard demo they show is a sphere bouncing around a room…it's said to be…
There's also a chance that the PICT could have been JPEG-compressed through QuickTime…file info would still list it as "PICT", not as compressed, but it would not respond to old file-format "open" commands. Some programs utilize JPEG automatically — the sender might not realize it was enabled.
Hi Mark, Well, I think it'd be *possible* to use metaballs in a poly modeler…! Metaballs and blobby modeling both fall under "implicit modeling"…using algebraic expressions (instead of a listing of poly vertices, or a parametric patchmesh description, or quadrics) to describe a shape. The "sphere of influence" that Jim…
But I saw a demo of the new Toaster this Monday at a SF Imagine/Toaster User Group…? Maybe just dealers are receiving it? btw, we went through the "bones" tutorial and I was very impressed…that's a cool piece of technology, and frankly, I'm envious! But was a bit confused by…
Hi Mark, Lot of good tips in this thread…here's something else to throw into the stewpot. You came across that "pinching" problem at the poles of a spherical map. In Photoshop there's a filter called "Polar to Rectangular" that helps in changing a flat image to something suitable for spherical…
#30363-
Microsoft Playmation?
Message #30907
Thanks for the re-post, John…interesting. I caught part of Martin's talk at the "Windows Animation Workshop" in SF mid-June. My impression, too, was that Anjon & Associates would continue selling Playmation on the various platforms. But Martin was doing new work…something about building patch support directly into a future version…
David, The rendering schemes I'm thinking of don't actually use an explicit sphere — it's a virtual sphere! The 2D image is projected and transformed *as if* it were on the inside of an arbitrarily large sphere. Then the model references this special texture map by polar coordinates, instead of…
You lucky dog you…that sounds like a hot course! Someone else could probably define it better, but implicit surfaces can be thought of as surfaces that are described by equations of forces, instead of being described explicitly as a collection of vertices. The user puts a couple of primitives in…
Steve, If you're looking to use RenderMan shaders, give the folks at the VALIS Group a call. They make excellent shaders for RenderMan, but they also advertise using these with Autodesk products. Which products? I'm not sure, but suspect it may be AutoCAD to RenderMan. Still, they might know of…
Hi Keith — To make a "moving reflection map," here's another approach that works in a number of software packages — I don't have 3D Studio (sigh), so am not able to check it: Use a single image that's reflection-mapped to the inside of an aribtrarily large sphere. Lock all…
Hi — At the Microsoft Windows Animation Workshop in San Francisco May 14, Martin Hash (developer of Hash Animation Journeyman and Playmation) gave a half hour talk on his new role in 3D development at Microsoft. I only caught the last 15 minutes. It seems that he will be leading…
Hi Michael — If you do decide to dump your copy of 3D Studio, and if manuals are included and registration can be transferred, please drop me a line — I'm interested in that program. Thanks! John D.
Playing FLCs on Mac
Message #43184
David, DeBabelizer is vital if you want to convert the images. For simple viewing, trying A.P. Maika's "FLI Player" for the Mac. I believe it's in the GraphDev library, possibly in ComArt. John
'WAY gone, daddy-o!
Hoi Polloi? That's *us*, dude — living creatures made out of only la creme de la poi — fermented taro critters, that's us! (Sorry — it's 70 degrees in San Francisco and I can't think straight — "hoi polloi" is the common folks, the mass, the many…still "us," but strike…
Paul — No, ya didn't mislead me! I finally found the underwater section in the Fog chapter — good idea — thanks! jd
Hi Rod — Yeah, the Viewpoint catalog is interesting reading, but I can't hit that price point either — guess they're marketing to corporate animators, rather than to the hoi polloi like us. But still, it's fascinating to see how a bunch of professional modelmakers handle their objects. I like…
Say, Paul — Where's the rap on underwater scenes in Steve Worley's book? I'm interested, but don't see it! Thanks, John D.
#Upgrade
Message #55440
Hey Erik — no need to eat crow — it's time for burritos and cerveza instead! I'm glad to hear of the new features — looking forward to what y'all will do with them — can you clue me in more about HAM8, though? It's 256K colors, right? That's about…
Like Paul says, the Mac clone maker is NuTek, a California/Taiwan firm — I had gotten it confused with the Kansas folks myself — but if NuTek starts making a Toaster clone, then good gosh, I'll be confused again! Coupla interesting things on the NuTek story: It's not only a…
Hi Barbara — For info on producing CD-ROMs, there are a couple of books in the technical stores. MicroSoft's 1987 may no longer be current — Apple has a more recent release ($15) — a couple of independent ones, too. The big advantage of CD-ROMs isn't that it's any easier…
Hi Chianly — I think the book you're describing is "Advanced Animation and Rendering Techniques: Theory and Practice" on Addison-Wesley & ACM Press, 1992. Price is about $45. It's by Alan Watt of the University of Sheffield (he also wrote "Fundamentals of 3D Computer Graphics") and his brother Mark Watt,…
Tom — The name "DeBabelizer" comes from the Tower of Babel, where people weren't able to communicate with each other — the program unites different file formats, color depths, frame rates, and platforms, but does not handle architectural files! Equilibrium and Autodesk are almost neighbors, both in Sausalito — I…
Whoops! Is my face red! But now my curiosity is piqued, Rod — how would you characterize the differences between Aldus Photostyler and Adobe Photoshop 2.5? From what I understand, Photoshop 2.5 has a few bugs because of the code change from MacApp to C++ — is this what you…
Sure thing, Noah. . . but maybe we'd best email, yes? (Sorry for any thread divergence, folks!)
Hi Barbara — Pardon my naivete, but do you have the option of producing on the Amiga, and porting to the PC — using the Intel machine solely as a playback device? That would be a cool way to create in the Amiga environment, but still have access to that…
Tom — There's an FLI Player for the Mac that's written by A.P. Maika — he has a CIS address, but I don't have it handy — should be at "GO DIRECTORY." Seems to work flawlessly. I found it on Planet BMUG. And Martin's right about DeBabelizer — it will…
If you haven't made a purchase yet, then you might want to check the performance of Photostyler compared to Photoshop….also the third-party support….and the feature set….
Yo Tom — Assuming that you're working on a Mac, the strongest solution I know of is DeBabelizer, by Equilibrium Technologies in Sausalito CA (415/332-4433). Program lists for $299, and it converts between 45 formats in PC, Mac, SGI, Amiga, Sun, Abekas and X Windows environments. QuickTime for Macintosh is…
This self-illuminating material — does it correspond to overdriving the colors? (ie, setting the RGB values above 1.0)? (This question from someone who doesn't use 3DS.)
Hi Nathan — Pardon my jumping in, but I've got some info on your request: > I use Macromedia Three-D (Macintosh) as my main animation controller. It handles formula animation, including sine functions, in a spreadsheet-like score. Enter the formula for the desired property (xPos, yRot, zScale, opacity, etc) in…
Each article says "Permission to copy without fee all or part of this material is granted" provided it's non-profit and that no identifying info is removed. The stuff I've copied from the library is eclectic and incomplete. If you're in a bind I could mass-copy and mail 'em, but it's…
Hi Nik — Thanks for the info on the site and date — if you come across a name or phone for confirmation, I'd sure appreciate that, too — and is there a mailing list I could get on? thanks for any info, john d
Yeah, the "Universe Today" newspaper was one of the highpoints for me, too. But I groaned at the end with the line, "Have you ever heard of…nanotechnology?" It may be unknown to most TV viewers in 1993, but it's a heckuva lot closer than spaceships, that's for sure. John "still-don't-understand-the-white-specular-highlights"…
San Francisco State University, for one, has back issues bound in their library. On-the-shelf stuff goes back about 5 years, not certain about previous issues. Spent a wad at the photocopier there one day, never regretted it.
#26742-
#Best 3D Package By FAR!
Message #27070
Hi Tony — Sorry I'm late — was offline for a spell. The "business about specifying a 2D rectangle" was 'way back in this thread — I was trying to consolidate the comments of a couple of people — what you say about a gas object being attached to a…
One problem with modeling accurate indoor lighting using the current generation of 3D packages is that of diffuse inter-reflection of surfaces. Ray tracers handle specular reflections well — they can figure out how light bounces from shiny surface to shiny surface — but they break down when trying to figure…
Chrome is one of those existential kinds of materials — it ain't what it is, but it's what's around it what defines it. A highly reflective surface, either polished or not, with a reflection map makes things look like chrome. Try a double gradient: dark blue to light blue, abutting…
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