CompuServe Messages

David, I have both programs. Electric image runs fast on simple images, as does 3D Studio. But when things get big and complicated with lots of reflections, shadows and lights and motion blur, then OOPS! every program slows down drastically. 3D Studio is a very fast renderer on a 100mhz Pentium, much faster than Strata Studio Pro. I have not tried Electric Image on a 110 mhz Power Mac, but I have seen it on an 8100 Mac, and it is not any faster than 3D Studio on the Pentium. Electric Image only does bench testing based on the render times of its own older versions. They say "renders 6 times faster"….. But that means six times faster than on an old 68040 Mac. They never publish comparisons with a Pentium. Adobe Photoshop comparisons show only a slight advantage in the floating point speed of a Mac RISC machine Versus a Pentium during gausian blurs. In the majority of Adobe filter operations they are equal in speed. I would apply that information when you compare Apples and Oranges (Pentiums). The second consideration is the 8K per machine price of El. Image plus 1.4K per renderer, versus the 2.8k price per machine for 3D Studio software and 0K (free!) per rendering machine. Here there is no comparison. Sanford