CompuServe Messages

Tim – Many current NLE systems use rendering to reduce the video stream to a single data line, thereby reducing the demands on the software and hardware. Although they play the final production back in realtime, there is a delay in reducing the A/B roll segments and transitions to a clip so realtime A/B playback isn't needed. Systems like Avid's Media Suite Pro (MSP) and Data Translation's Media 100 use this approach. More significant rendering times are associated with 3D modeling and animation programs, like LightWave 3D. The output from these programs can take days or months to produce, due to the significant amount of calculations required to create true photo quality images and animation. In this case (LightWave 3D is used on Babylon 5 and SeaQuest, to name just two TV programs its output is seen on) rendering is the process for taking 3D models, camera settings and movement and lighting in to account and producing a life-like image and animation creating a non-existant reality. Unlike transistional rendering of NLE systems, original video footage is not required and the sequences produced may easily exceed the 60 to 120 frames of a transition. For the 3D rendering, you'll find rendering engines and render-farms, which network the rendering process with high speed processors under software management to finish the rendering effort in better than 1/30 the time required by a single processor. Enough – just thought you might be interested in one of the fastest growing computer graphics markets. Hank Videology, Inc Where service is our product