CompuServe Thread

#New Imagemaster!

11 messages in this thread
#192027From: John GagerApr 10, 1995 6:28 PM
Actually Ben, Cybergraphics is probably as close to RTG that we will probably get for the Amiga unless someone takes over the OS development. Since you were a big promoter of RTG, I'm surprised you will not be supporting Cybergraphics. // John (Warp 4040 & Emplant Quadra 840) \X/ Mercury@ins.infonet.net
#192149From: Black Belt SystemsApr 11, 1995 1:50 PM
I was a big promoter of RTG in the OS. Nowhere else. Ditto VM and ITP. The Amiga never got this, and competing third-party, after-the-fact solutions appeal to us not at all. Perhaps once the dust settles something more will come of it. The big problem here is that emulation of the Amiga's various graphics capabilities is quite difficult, and as far as I know, no one has even come close – so you can't retarget a whole bunch of different applications. If and when such a solution appears, you won't need "support" from vendors such as ourselves; we use OS-legal calls to obtain our graphics environments exclusively, and so there is nothing stopping an emulation system from handling what it is we are trying to do, other than incomplete programming for the various cases. The OS itself is the correct home for RTG (as opposed to emulation) and it looks like it'll never be there. Unfortunately. –Ben …via AutoPilot
#192167From: Peter VeachApr 11, 1995 5:16 PM
I was a big promoter of RTG in the OS. Nowhere else. Ditto VM and ITP. The Amiga never got this, and competing third-party, after-the-fact solutions appeal to us not at all. Perhaps once the dust settles something more will come of it. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I use a PicassoII, and if it is not RTG, it is extremely close! Any program that alows you to select 'Screen Mode' can use any of the Picasso modes. Maybe I am off on a tangent…. -Peter
#192247From: Black Belt SystemsApr 12, 1995 12:50 PM
It's certainly not RTG. RTG under the Amiga OS would require that, for instance, you could run a program with four or five mixed screen modes, dragging, etc. Anything less than that is just a special case. There are lots and lots of programs that mix screen modes, including our own. –Ben …via AutoPilot
#192221From: John GagerApr 12, 1995 3:58 AM
You might make OS-legal calls for your graphics environments but if ImageMaster supported the OS's standard screenmode requester for it's different screens, it would sure make it a lot easier to use with graphics cards. // John (Warp 4040 & Emplant Quadra 840) \X/ Mercury@ins.infonet.net
#192250From: Black Belt SystemsApr 12, 1995 12:51 PM
John, Imagemaster R/t uses multiple screenmodes at one time. Specifically legal Amiga screenmodes. Our software derives many advantages from this (speed, effective resource usage, etc.), and that's why we did it, of course. Any standard Amiga can handle our screen use with no sweat. The screenmode requester doesn't provide for this type of use of system resources because it is far too limited a paradigm – it's only good if you're opening everything on one plane. Until – and unless – a retargeting system comes out that supports normal use of the system, the Amiga OS will always have problems of this type. I'm not against the screenmode paradigm – it's fine for simplistic display handling. But it doesn't cover all the bases, and we don't plan to reduce IM R/t's functionality to accomodate it. –Ben …via AutoPilot
#192311From: Paul IdolApr 12, 1995 10:16 PM
Yah, but if you allowed users to select the screenmode of the tool panel, or whatever you call it, then at least Cybergraphics would more easily handle IM. Mr. Zombie
#192454From: Black Belt SystemsApr 14, 1995 1:39 AM
The tool panel wouldn't solve the problem. What about the filmstrip? The palette? The catalog? The graphs? The image? The graphic buffer list? Histograms? IM R/t has a LOT of screen use, and most of it isn't easily "folded" into one screen. What we _have_ done is provided an 8-bit mode for _all_ screens, and that should help the weaker emulators. –Ben …via AutoPilot
#192463From: Paul IdolApr 14, 1995 1:52 AM
Well, I just sent in my free upgrade, <g>, so I'll soon see. If I can determine the names of all those screens–or if you can tell me–maybe I can use NewMode to help along. Mr. Zombie
#192684From: Black Belt SystemsApr 15, 1995 7:33 PM
Paul, I'll help you if I can, but I have no idea if these screens _have_ names… –Ben …via AutoPilot
#192705From: Paul IdolApr 15, 1995 10:06 PM
Ben- Thanks Ben. When Cybergraphics supports the Retina's blitter–hopefully soon–and my IM upgrade comes, I'll see how things work and then maybe drop you a line. Mr. Zombie