CompuServe Messages

G-Buffers A G-Buffer is a buffer (like a conventional Z-buffer, used in hidden surface rendering) with extra information in it. The following information is needed for each pixel of the 3D painting window: z depth (32-bit floating point) photometry index (8-bit index) texture index (8-bit index) texture map coordinates (X and Y in s16.16 fixed point) normal vector X and Y coordinates (s4.12 fixed point) Other Stuff Needed View, lighting, photometry, and texture mapping information is also input when opening a model into Painter. Rendering The object is shaded with flawlessly smooth shading using vertex normals by Painter. We will support vertex mapping for those of you doing real animation and real texture mapping. We're going to be limiting what the 3D object rendering can do. No in-scene light sources (only from infinity). But direction, brightness, color, etc will be controllable for each light source. A good rendering program will be able to approximate the lighting for a part of a scene, converting in-scene lights to approximated infinite lights. No limit on the number of light sources in a scene. No degradation of rendering time for more light sources, since we use lighting maps. Painting onto the object is like a partial rendering, with correct shading and lighting. The paint brush just changes the object color. Fractal Design and 3D Modelling Now, let's get this straight! Painter won't become the next 3D Studio. That's not our gig. We want to be able to export texture maps, shading maps, and environment maps (maybe even glossiness and bump maps). The user can then bring these hand-drawn maps and incorporate them into their favorite 3D renderings, using their favorite 3D applications. For real hairy 3D work, the user should use <your favorite 3D application here>. Wasn't that definitive? Mark Zimmer Fractal Design Corporation >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This sounds really great! Maybe you guys ought to get together and see if this 3DS/FDP interface can't be made really TIGHT! (I like the fact that the author of a program that STARTED on the Mac only mentions the PC-based 3D Studio program by name!) Dave