CompuServe Messages

I would steer your friend towards Imagine 2.0 (or 3.0 if it ever comes out B^) and the book "Understanding Imagine 2.0" (or 3.0 if it ever comes out B^))) by Steve Worley. Imagine looks a bit dated now, but the newer version should stand tall among recent arrivals such as Real-3D 2.0. There is a wealth of third-party Imagine add-ons, such as books, tutorial videotapes, slide-show tutorials (Map Master, Surface Master) and algorithmic texture packages (Essence I and II are a MUST!) I'm a bit leery of all the features touted in Real-3D ads; users complain they could be better documented, need a lot of work to use properly, and result in ludicrous rendering times. Hopefully some Real-3D users will jump in with better-researched opinions. Imagine 2.0 + Steve Worley's book + Essence I would cost around $320 street price, and would give your friend enough to play for a year. In AmigaArts I posted a fairly extensive description of Imagine this week; look for that message.