"Difficult" software
Kevin,
You're on the money about the weird things in Imagine, and I'd
have to agree with you about some of the programming choices being
easier for the programmers than the end-users. But I really wasn't
getting on a soapbox to defend any particular program. More to
remind people that if they want to know why their nice "chrome"
object doesn't look like chrome, they should consider all the
parameters that come together in the rendering process (like, you
need something to be reflected by your reflective object, and don't
just accept someone else's idea of what "chrome" is!)
But regarding some specifics: Impulse has done themselves a
disservice by not improving the manual for the PC version. Let's face
it, I like the soft- ware, but if you're trying to learn your first
3-D program, that particular manual s**ks. I've told people trying
to teach themselves to buy a (2nd hand Amiga) copy of Sculpt 4D, and
use that manual to learn with; I've always liked the "teaching" style
of that documentation. >>Then<< get a more recent program (LW, Img.,
R3D, etc.) to do some serious animation. Or: 1) go to CalArts 2) go
to Wavefront school 3) land a job working with SGI machines 4) find
out what budgets and deadlines do to your desire and ability to
finish that 12 minute independent project! Thank goodness for
"itty-bitty" computers to play with (and the Eniac had 10,000 vacuum
tubes, took more power than a Cray, and couldn't keep up with an HP
programmable calculator today! Sheesh!)