CompuServe Thread

Hello here is SDP's wish list for 3D Studio R4. From Mike White It would be nice to see the atmosphere opened up for IPAS development. Maybe as function called *.RXP real world atmospheric effects. Clouds could be an added feature and with an open end development feature you could add turbulence, wind, and a speed variable. I could just imagine fog with user definable turbulence. Think about this it would let developers to create under water effects, clouds with wind blowing form user defined direction N,S,E,W, and atmospheres on other planets. I can think of a thousand routines to implement in an atmosphere effect. Particle clouds, rain, smoke, moving fog, ozone, northern and southern lights, smog with pollution count, steam, and countless other ideas. True refraction of light. This is a well needed feature for 3ds4. So the user can simulate the effect of light passing through objects. This would also finally let 3d studio users do real water refraction. This would be a feature that would allow user option for level of light refraction, the angle of light refraction, density of glass, say if user wanted to simulate leaded glass so forth. Caligari added this to their latest version. User would be able to set up feilds of true magnification. Like looking through eye glasses or as an example looking into a pool and how the light and magnifying qualities effect the final out come. Real time veiwing Groude shading or one color. With the processors we have now and that will be coming out in the future 3ds4 would grab a wider market, even though it's the number one .This feature would allow user to preview particle animation, which is a feature that would boost the IPAS functions. The user would then be able to experiment with effects and have a real time veiw. Allow user to type in commands like in ACAD. Radiosity I know this would slow down 3ds4 but let the user decide if the want to use this function. For stills this would be excellent. In the editor for modify how about a conform to shape. Like box, circle, triangle, or and primitive shape. You can see this feature in Sculptura. Another feature could be molding primitives and maybe objects to shape them into user defined molds. Paint by object. Like in Caligari. So the user can see real quick how the texture would look if placed on an object. A big advantage in 3ds4 or later versions would a Hi color paint/animation programs built into 3ds as a paint module, 32 bit space but even better 64 bit with sub pixel paint and other features that could be found in Triple L paint program. In the Keyframer on follow path it would be nice to have more control. As an added feature Ping Pong speed, and other users interfacing. May open it up for KXP. Allowing the user to use stick figures to define motion paths would be great. This function would allow the user to like the skeletal stick figure to their object. Enivoirnment maps for realistic reflection or Ray tracing option in rendering. Yes again this would slow down 3ds4, but would be great for stills. Rendering shadows before or after animation and can be rendered into scene. Like on SGI some programs. Rendering reflection before or after animation and can be rendered into final animation. The idea above and this one could be in the alpha channel. In the boolean function I feel a face cleaning up could be added. This would clean up the rifts they may show up while using this function. Another idea could be cracking or spliting an objects. A sweep lathe for extruding objects in the editor would be nice. Rail extrusion (path extrusion). Morphing AXP's would be useful. Especially on stand in objects in a box. As a joke but would be nice is take out Dos form 3ds4 and make 3ds4 the environment replacing Dos. Mike White, [SDP]