CompuServe Messages

Andy (et al); I'm at Siggraph right now and after the flood of messages last night, I went back to talk with Gary, Jack, Bob B, and everyone else so that I could provide straight answers to all the questions that were flying around after the initial announcement. There are files that you can download that have the press release info about R4. In answer to the most pressing questions, R4 will include the IPAS routines that Gary mentioned. They ARE part of the R4 package. R4 is new code, which provides better hooks for development of plug-in modules, both from Autodesk and from third party developers. Autodesk has termed this the "plug-in" release simply to indicate the importance they are now placing on the third-party market, similar to its importance to AutoCAD. But while the neat new features that were announced are themselves IPAS routines, they are part of the R4 package. The Shreiber IPAS that was mentioned is called Puppeter, and is actually an R3 IPAS that is available now. It isn't an IK but rather a constraint-based manipulator. While the R4 IK module mathematically constructs the frames for movement based on motion parameters that you set rather than keyframes, the Shreiber program requires that you set keyframes. There will be a lot of new IPAS routines for R4 thanks to the more robust facilities. For example, there will be a Kai's Power Tools IPAS that will require R4. Hope this clears things up. David CADalyst