CompuServe Messages

I tried to see as many EI images and demos as possible at the A/E/C Systems in June; since local MACophile friends showed me Myst and the "Making of Myst" about 8 mos ago, I have seen more and more MAC work and of course this summer most everything came out native and the Power Macs are not that expensive. We sell these little people for people(tm)people meshes to more and more Form z'ers and they are the ones who show me EI and Strata renderings. I have to become kind of an expert at file translation, so my own rendering/creative experience other than meshes with _any_ program is a bit limited. Many use EI because it has a larger polygon rendering capability, than 3DS, but I still like 3DS better than anything on earth. EI is I think the only program that is uncrackable and it costs approximately $7,500. But as Gary has pointed out at an earlier time- that is only for a rendering engine…although I think they are expanding the program's features. Its 3DS read in capability is the best on the market anywhere,(trueSpace is coming along though pretty well). It will read 3DS directly…without .dxf. This saves alot of time and data, but there are some tricks to setting up the 3DS file for a perfect read-in, esp for materials. I have seen the work of "View By View" who uses Electric Image, and they produce animations, architectural and general docu.s for the White House, Olympic Games bidders, and that Buena Civc Project in San Francisco. archiTREK in Santa Barbara does some wonderful architectural fly throughs/video and still image. Mindy Rosenblatt uses various modelling/CAD3d (ArchiCAD and form Z mostly) all Mac based, EI for rendering and animation, video out, and other photo/videp programs and Kodak CD processes. They all (MAC renderers) seem to chat on that "America Online" Mac forums. Maybe you have access to there. Both the firms above are owned and directed by Architects, but I think their rendering and animation have branched out as their talents are seen and appreciated by the world. The price for 3DS is much less, and now with the R4 features, it will only have more strength and flexibility. If you use a PC, it is a big leap over to the MAC world it seems. Also the little 3D programs on the PC feed right into 3DS.