3DS and AutoCAD
38 messages in this thread
Dear Carlton:
From someone with your background, that is the nicest possible compliment I've
ever received.
Thank you. The lighting chapter is my favorite too – I make my students do it
second. We do the corporate logo first and Mr. Spider 3rd.
Now – about that other text you are going to write about advanced lighting
Please send me a copy right away,
<g>
(Write and let me know how its going).
N.
Hello, Nancy. I am the Vice-Chairperson of the Orlando Chapter of ACM/SIGGRAPH.
We are doing an article on 3ds books for an upcoming issue of our bi-monthly
newsletter, and I would love to include yours on the list "to be reviewed." So
far we are looking at 'Fallingwater in 3ds' and 'Inside 3ds.' Both of these
books are due out at the end of this month. Please let me know if you are
interested.
thank you Dan O'Leary
Dan….
Who is publishing falling water in 3DS? sounds like a really cool idea.
Roger C@V
It's probably the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, in Scottsdale Arizona.
They've got a few copies of 3DS there.
– G
PS: Additionally, Paolo Saleri's Arcasante (excuse the spelling) group also
uses 3DS for visualization. He's the brilliant architect who virtually
invented the process of building swept surface models out of ferrous concrete.
Uh Gary,
Not to take anything away from Soleri and his Arcosanti Foundation, but the
genius who really pioneered swept surface ferro-cemento construction was Pier
Luigi Nervi. Has was an Italian engineer who put many arhitects to shame with
his concrete designs.
Nervi is responsible for the roof design of St. Mary's Cathedral in San
Francisco. It's a pity Nervi didn't have 3DS.
Steven
Thanks for the spelling correction AND the ferro-cemento historical note.
Hey… I never claimed to be historically accurate!
St. Mary's… isn't that the big washing-machine agitator on the corner of
Gough and Geary?
– G
Gary,
> St. Mary's… isn't that the big washing-machine agitator on the corner of
> Gough and Geary?
Well, there's no accounting for taste <G>.
Yes, that's the building. While the exterior may be a little blah, I found
the interior quite impressive.
Steven
I agree… the interior of that building is pretty amazing. (but I still think
the exterior looks like a washing-machine agitator)
– G
Hi Steve,
Right on about Nervi. However, with tools like Designer and AutoSurf i feel
much less shameable and his footsteps seem a lot more followable. What a show!
Congrats on all your recent creations.
Dick
Nervi,
Isn't he the Italian who came up with the cement Boat? Or ferro-cement that is.
Steven we have such great tools today, can you imagine what the old masters
would have done with the technology of today. We are mere wimps by comparision
when it comes to great buildings. Arcosanti is an interesting use of ferro
cement. Glad to hear they have gotten into 3DS.
Can't wait to see your book and this creation on Falling Water. I'l bet your
relieved to have finally finished, aye?
FLW's famous creation is about 2.5hours from here. I take students on a yearly
trek to the falls each spring. The foundation offers a two week experience for
instructors each summer. If anyone is interested I will post the info?
PAT
Pat,
I'm going to end up looking like a real nerd here…. a concrete boat was
first displayed and patented by a Frenchman named Lambot in the 1850's. His
patent also included designs for reinforced beams and columns.
Nervi's genius was in an almost intuitive understanding of where the lines of
stressran through out a concrete structure, and his ability to remove the
unneeded mass from areas without stress. The result was a beautiful concrete
structure with an organic and lacy appearence. If you can't tell, I wrote my
history thesis on Nervi in grad school.
As to Falling Water, you're right that it is a most impressive building and I
can't wait to see this new 3DS book about it. It is interesting to note that
the building embodies both the best of architecture and the worst of
engineering in one structure. The building was so costly to maintain and
became so difficult to live in that it was abandoned long before the heirs
donated it to the State of Pennsylvania. This was partly becuase FLW pushed
building technology to the state of the art and beyond. It was also partly
because FLW could not be bothered with such mundane issues as buildability,
maintenence, and weathertightness.
Some architects, when they think no one else is listening, whisper that the L
in FLW really stands for Leaky <G>.
Steven
Heeheeheehee,
Now there's a man after my own heart……..<grin>.
Joe – I know… you just scan the whole message base for "FLW" and get your
digs in, doncha???? <g>
Not that I don't agree with you… <Long Live HHR!!!>
Dave
Ahhhh……Dave,
I really think that last one was an automatic reaction. After scanning almost
1600 messages a day for the last coupla weeks, plus working a few extra hours a
day, I tend to get a little punchy.
Fortunately things appear to be settling down on all fronts at once.
Gary….
Doing an architectural project in 3DS is definately the next best thing
to being there… If you can't get out to see a wonder like fallingwater (a
mistical experince for arch. students) having an animation on a CD would be
fantastic way of experiencing the space of such a building. Would be fantastic
if more architectural wonders could be recreated in this medium. Like the
Barcelona Pavilion (can't go see that one), or other unbuilt structures of the
imagination.. I think Soleri has a few of those….
Roger C@V
"Fallingwater in 3D Studio: A case study and tutorial," by Laura and
Alex Sanchez, OnWard Press, 800.466.9673. Early reviews have been
favorable.
Dan…
Thanks for the info. I'll call for pricing…
Roger C@V
Dan – what is "Fallingwater in 3DS"? Not FLW's Fallingwater? And a book about
modelling it in 3DS???
Dave
Yep. "Fallingwater in 3D Studio: A case study and tutorial," by Laura
and Alex Sanchez, OnWord Press, 800.466.9673.
Dan – thanks. I'm on the phone already. <g>
Dave
Dan,
PMJI but tell us more on Fallingwater in 3DS. Who is the publisher and
author/s??
Thanks,
PAT
"Fallingwater in 3D Studio: A case study and tutorial," by Laura and Alex
Sanchez, OnWord Press, 800.466.9673.
A tour of 3ds, explaination of arch. rendering, and study of FLW's
Fallingwater all in one.
Dan,
I'm very interested in the format of your newsletter. Please put me on your
mailing list. My students are always hungry for good reviews.
Thanks,
Dick Lasater 100 12th Street Del Mar, CA 92014
>> I'm very interested in the format of your newsletter. Please put me on
>> your mailing list. My students are always hungry for good reviews.
We publish a bi-monthly rag that goes to some 200 members of the local
Orlando chapter of the ACM/SIGGRAPH. The audience is largely
professional, with a smattering of enthusiasts… the Orlando area
has everything from simulation (very big hotspot) to
entertainment/movie. A large and quickly-growing area for graphics.
The newsletter itself is primarily devoted to the industry and local
happenings. I have only recently been able to steal a corner for a
column on pc rendering/animation/graphics. While we don't generally
send copies of the newsletter to non-members, I will see if we can
slip a few issues out to a California educator.
Hi Dan,
Thank you very much for your generous response. I'll be at Siggraph and perhaps
we'll meet if you're not too busy. Like Orlando, San Diego is really on a
ramp-up in MM production. Always like to see what's doin'.
Thanks again,
Dick Lasater – Palomar College
>> Thank you very much for your generous response. I'll be at Siggraph
>> and perhaps we'll meet if you're not too busy. Like Orlando, San Diego is
>> really on a ramp-up in MM production. Always like to see what's doin'.
So sorry, Dick, could you give me your mailing address again so that I can send
you the newsletters I promised? BTW… I have already offered once to put
together some kind of ASOFT get-together at Siggraph … hope to see you there
should it materialize.
dan
Hi Dan,
Yes – my address for the newsletters
Dick Lasater 100 12th Street Del Mar, CA 92014
Thanks, I will definitely be there.
Dan,
Could we possibly get added to your mailing list?
PAT
Nancy,
Thanks for the book, it was so good aparently that it has already be stolen
from me! I am ordering the text for next quarter's class. I get another copy
then.
By the way, the lighting chapter looks good. It looks like you were able to
use a bit of my demo from the Chicago Sigraph. Its nice to see this getting
out, so valuable in a primer for 3D work. Congradulations again.
Greg
Hi Greg,
Good to see you on the forum again!
BTW, I learned a lot from your presentation as well and we elaborated on it
in the book "Inside 3D Studio". You deserve credit as the inspiration for
lighting tutorials.
Or as Saddam might say; "The Mother of all 3DS Lighting"
P.S. Are you still involved with the ETS? Know about the new section?
Steven
Steve,
I have been very active on the fourm, every other day at least I log
on. I am good at what I know, but haven't felt many questions were
directed to my talents. I jump in occationally though. I use the
forum during all my classes to show the link as we discussed in our
METS group 1-week session plan. I am extremely busy here at
college. I am teaching 3D Studio every quarter now to several
students and have run a good summer session for three years now.
This summer looks to be the best group. We are moving more to two
levels of instruction, beginning and intermediate. I invite local
vendors, service bureaus, and professionals to the classes to give a
greater sense of realism.
I have taken many notes on the METTS curriculum development plans for
the one-week session, and I would like to send them to all. Please
bear with me. I may be a bit silent, but I am here. I must speak up
more though.
Thanks for your comments about the lighting, it was really nothing, Nancy did a
fine job with it. Her book will be used in my classes.
By the way, did you come across any articles on the University of Washington's
development with Texas Instruments of a video board capable of 200 times the
processing speed of a Pendium! A local board manufacturing company will build
it for around 10K retail. It uses parallel processing and can
compress/decompress images on the fly so fast they compare it to what can be
done now with a 486 Pendium taking several seconds being done in 1/16 millionth
of a second. It was designed for electronic real-time image for conference
calling, medical, and graphics applicatiions. They predict the board will cost
under 2500K in a couple of years and make the frame controllable deck obsolete.
AT&T will offer a real video phone and the home computer-phone-tTV-?-? is a
reality now. We will have information stations as one appliance. Fun things
happening around here.
[>> Continued in next msg]
[>> Continued from previous msg]
The article appeared in both the Seattle Times and Seattle P.I. on Sunday March
13. Check around for local coverage. The article also mentioned Intel and
Pendium developing simlar parallel chips of ther own. Wouldn't it be nice to
have zero-wait realy mean not waiting! We will be able to regain our train of
thought as designers, the bump and grind of jumpy playback checks, excesive
peripheral devices, expensive equipment. The closer we get to the flow of a
pen and the immediacy of paper in computer graphics the better.
Greg
Hi Greg
Good to see you above the keyboard<g>. Would you be interested in
and/or have the time for any short lighting tutorials for the PPT.
These are all constrained by time so it need not be lengthly, just
profound! Are your summer sessions for students or professional
training?
Hi Ted,
My summer sessions are for both students and professionals. The majority are
students who want to learn more about 3D. The professionals are refining their
skills. Some know more than I in spicific areas, but their being in the
classroom enriches the class and give depth to the uses of 3D animation to
those who may not being using the software quite like they do. I am working on
the curricullum to divid the sessions into two part, beginning and
intermediate. I would like to offer an advanced course, but I believe this
requires high end recording equipment and more sophisticated planning in order
to provide non-electronic (software/hardware) animation/illustration training,
i.e., story development, editing, etc…
On the lighting tutorial, are you asking if I want one of yours to show my
students or are you in need of one of mine. I can send you the Chicago demo or
develop a new one if you'd like.
Greg
Greg
Sounds like you're running some good classes!
I was checking to see if you'd be interested in writing a new PPT lighting
tutorial
for this years sessions. Check with me on the ADESKBETA forum 9. I believe as
a MET you should have access. If not, I'll talk with you on e-mail. Thanks
TedB
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I tried to be really unique in my approach to the lighting tutorials,
but anyone who says that they didn't learn to appreciate the effects
of lighting from your demos in chicago is a flat out liar.
I HEARTILY recommend that you publish, for cash money (like Micheles
books) a comprehensive lighting treatice (like how the heck do you
mimic the sun and real daylight shadows, how car headlights work (far
do they go forward, how wide is the angle of their cones, etc_)), how
does one create florecence and Neon tubing. Lots of Movie types would
really like to know.
Hell, I'll write a recommendation for the back cover.
Seriously – my tutorials just open the door – you have a whole world
of users who need to know how to really uselights/shadows. Call me
if yoou need more encouragement.
Nancy,
Thanks, the encouragement is great! All I have to do is make the time. How
long did it take you to make the book? In hours? I'll start getting materials
together.
I'm now using your book in my 3DStudio classes.
Good job!
Greg
Dear Greg:
In HOURS? I don't know, I was 6.75 months pregnant when I started – 9mo9 days
when I send off the last blue line. Actual writing time was about 8 weeks,
20-14 hours a day 6 days a week.
It was very stressful.
I'm pleased to hear that you are using the book in your classes. I wanted it
to serve as training documentation – a base so that the fundamentals would be
covered and trainers could add the really neat examples they've been using all
along.
I, personally, can't wait to see what you'll write. I've had difficulty
getting light SOURCES (light bulbs, stars, head lights, etc) to look really
good.
Talk to you soon.
n