This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.
Search Results (156 messages)
Sorry it took me so long to reply to your message, Trin, but I wasn't logging on to CIS as often as usual this week. I don't think the problem is chip ram — I'm pretty sure it's fast ram. The program has no problem showing the final image, which…
How much RAM do you have in your system? I have encountered that problem with one HUGE scene and, after a lot of trial and error I have come to the conclusion that it is a memory issue. Of course, I am a bit prejudiced, since that conclusion provides the…
I ended up reformating — it seemed the safest way to go. Thanks for the help, though. Strange that a problem like that would spontaneously disappear if you leave the machine running. -Brian
Hmmm. I'm writing this at work, and the 3DPro is at home, so this is from memory. It looks VERY automatic. You simply tell every machine on your net that you want it to render script x (includes the image list and all other necessary info) and that machine y…
3DPro has built in support for PP&S's Doubletalk network, allowing you to share raytraces over several machines. You designate the host machine – where the final image will be assembled – and the program take over.
Thanks, Rick. I'll try both and report any results back. -Brian
I think there's something else going on here, Scott. I followed your advice (by the way, thanks — sorry the thanks are so late, but my telecomm setup got all gummed up after I got your message) and I shrank all my objects so the whole scene was well within…
Scott, could you explain that bug a little more? That is exactly what is happening to me with one of my images and it is driving me nuts! Do you have to shrink your larges axis in order to get around it? -Brian
Thanks, David. That's what I'll do. Rather than mess around with the drive I'll just reformat. I'd probably have to eventually anyway. -Brian
hard disk validation
Message #7672
My 2000 crashed this morning while running Imagine. After rebooting, I got the following message concerning one of the 2 hard drives: "Error validating disk. Ke 79098 already set." I can read from the disk, but can't write to it. Any suggestions on what I should do?
Hmmm. Thinking it over, the 1024 x 482 may have been the only one I tried. Please let me know what Impulse says about ShowIFF24. By the way, what aspect ratio do you use for a 768 x 482? -Brian
Imagine 1.0 bug
Message #20637
I think I've discovered a rather unpleasant bug in Imagine version 1.0. Try saving your image as a 1024 by 482 24 bit ILBM full trace. The file that gets created is smaller than the one version .9 makes and the file created by 1.0 will not display using ShowIFF24.…
Sorry for the delay in replying, but I was out of town for a few days. If you use a FlickerFixer with a VGA, non-mulitsync monitor you get effective de-interlacing. In fact, I have yet to see an Amiga display as nice as you get with a FF – Zenith…
As far as I can tell the FlickerFixer simply adds a 31 Khz port to the machine. In other words, it does what the Display Enhancer does on the 3000. I know the FlickerFixer is compatible with VGA monitors. You can switch to lower resolution using the FlickerFixer, but you…
Whew! Some other people are going to have to answer some of those, but let me take a whack at a few of them. The Firecracker has only RGB output — very clean RGB output, as far as I can tell. You can Interlace your workbench screen and use the…
[ continuation ] and I think it is a good solution – although you will need to buy a frame edit controller to go with the Firecracker. (I don't expect to get that far for a while.) Certainly the 1024 by 484 24 bit images I am creating with Imagine…
You don't need two monitors to use the Firecracker. It's just that for my needs – which I think are pretty close to yours – it seems to me that that's the most efficient way to go. Let me explain this as I (mis)understand it. The Firecracker is an independent…
For what it's worth, the 3000 has a 31 Khz video output as well as a 15 Khz. The 31 Khz port supports the 3000's 'display enhancer' (de-interlacer) and its output can be handled by a VGA monitor. I have mine hooked up to a Zenith Flatscreen right now. -Brian
After writing that message I thought a little more about the 2 monitor solution. I have 2 Amigas sitting about 4 feet apart. Well, a switch box, a little cabling and VOILA! — the 2 monitor solution! I am now getting full use of the Firecracker's resolution and color *and*…
Only the 2 meg version is available. Impulse said they didn't bother putting together any one megs, since they had no requests for them. It takes about 3-4 seconds for an image to load from RAM. I do wish the Firecracker was more transparent to the system. Maybe if you…
The firecracker is a genlock as well as a framebuffer, so it can display images behind the workbench or any other amiga screen. If you want to work with de-interlaced screens, however, you will have to switch cables (my current solution). The Firecracker connects to the 15 Khz video port,…
I just got off the phone with them. It is a fact that you cannot use any of the deinterlaced resolutions with the Firecracker. That's a bit of a disappointment, since I got the Firecracker to use with Imagine and assumed I'd be able to continue to edit in high-res.…
Firecracker and flicker
Message #20184
I have just installed a Firecracker 24 into my 3000. I am using a 1950 monitor, so I have the Firecracker connected to the 15 KHZ video out with the Commodore 23 – 15 pin converter on the Firecracker video out. The 24 bit images I get using ShowFC are…
I didn't get your EMail, John. Could you send me a copy? The idea of a Silver/Imagine User Group is *very* exciting. -Brian
There is a very nice Mac desk accessory called PICTure This that will convert from IFF to any Mac format. It does not yet support 24 bit IFF, but the developers hope to add that this year. I don't remember who publishes it, but if you call Mac Connection I'm…
I would be extremely interested in a Turbo User's Group here on CIS. Couldn't you do it as a section in Amiga Arts with regular conferences?
Now I am really confused. After repeatedly trying to get the drive to come up I decided to say the heck with it, reformat the thing and be done. That led to the problems described in my previous message. Since I have 2 hard drives on that system and my…
#Hard disk help needed
Message #119012
As I mentioned in a message over in AmigaArts, the game Wings seems to have munged my hard disk. I am now having an heck of a time restoring it. The disk is an 80 meg Quantum on a GVP Impact hardcard. It was installed with DOS and partitioned when…
I think all 3D programs have some degree of trouble with hidden surfaces. You are right, though, that 3DPro seems to have more problems with this than either Sculpt or Silver. The problems are very easy to work around, though. I agree that the Silver/Imagine route is probably the best…
#117212-
3d Opinions…
Message #117214
I just realized that I made a very misleading remark about 3DPro in that last message. You can edit your objects after creating them in the sense of changing their color, texture, etc. What you can't do is alter the SHAPE of your object after creation. At least I can't…
#117183-
3d Opinions…
Message #117211
I can't say anything about Imagine. It hasn't been released yet and I haven't even seen the demos. The screen shots in the Impulse library on Amigavendor look great though. I also have never used Caligari. I have seen that demoed very often, and it just doesn't interest me. I…
The 3000 is certainly available now. I have had mine for about a month. I've been using the machine with a narrow range of productivity programs –mainly 3DPro, Silver, Terrain, Vista, CEDPro — but they all work fine. I tested the 3000 against my game collection and the results were…
You can do that now. My dealer has a 3000 with the hard drive formatted as one huge 2.0 partition. He did it because there wasn't enough room in his System drawer for all the stuff he wanted in there. -Brian
Thanks for the suggestion, Steve. I'll drop Dave a note.
Sorry, Betty. It's a research and presentation tool in American History called Point of View. It's actually a very nice product, and the critical response has been fantastic. If you'd like some material on it, EMail me, and I'll have it sent out. Unfortunately, POV is currently only on the…
Good point. I had forgotten the 2000 automatically looks to the ROMs, since the 3000 appears to default to the floppy if a Kickstart is there. At least that's the only explanation I have for the fact that it appears to load KS from disk if you have one in…
I think you could run it on your 2000. The 3000 comes with Kickstart 2.0 on disk as well as in ROM. -Brian
Glad you got the monitor problem solved. The compatability does not seem to be the problem that people were afraid of. So far everything I have tried works, but I haven't done a marathon check. This afternoon I think I'll run through some games and see what's happening. I'll report…
I just did exactly that, and it worked fine. I am using the stock startup-sequence that came with 2.0, with the addition of assigns for 3DPro. It's a mystery to me. -Brian
Excellent idea. Heck, if a currently active auto manufacturer could prove they invented the steering wheel, brake pedal, gas pedal layout, there's a fortune to be made there, as well. -Brian
2.0 is now shipping with 3000s. I don't think it will be sold seperately until September, when it is supposed to be genuinely final. -Brian
You may have a defective copy of 2.0. My version does not have 3D front/back/close gadgets — or at least not what I'd call 3D. However, the background patterns work just fine. Is everything else on your copy functioning properly? What is your version number? Mine is 36.68. -Brian
I saw the article and practically had a heart attack. This is a flat out disaster for the software industry and for computer users. Lotus won on look and feel. As you know, I had to study this case and the programs involved very closely when I was doing a…
I don't have the problem with the top bar. I haven't explored the monitor much, but you might check whther you can adjust that yourself. It would be an awful pain to have to send the thing back for mainenance! I still have my 2000 and I'm using that to…
Sorry, but we were launching a product I've worked on for 2 years, so I was pretty busy and didn't have much time to explore the CBM booth. The Fischer Technik product was an Amiga connected to a bunch of small machines on a board — cranes, etc. If I…
#CBM at educational show
Message #110290
CBM made a very good showing at this year's National Educational Computing Conference. They had a very large booth — roughly the same size as Apple and IBM, and a HUGE staff to man the booth. A number of CBM biggies showed, including Gail Wellington and Copperman. Among the software…
The 3000 is wonderful. It is a very well designed and put together machine. 2.0 is also great! I get the impression that CBM looked at the hard disks of a number of intensive Amiga users, checked what PD utilities were there, and built them all into the OS. The…
Hmmm. I hadn't thought of that. Until I get rid of the 1000 it's 1.5 to 1. That borders on demented. -Brian
There is supposed to be an upgrade in September, when 2.0 is scheduled to be 'final'. I haven't found any software that won't run yet, but I had to leave for the National Educational Computing Conference less than 24 hours after setting the 3000 up, so my testing has not…
True enough, Jim. I fell into the trap of thinking of 2.0 as a 3000 specific product, which, of course, it isn't. -Brian
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