#Imagine info (PC)
11 messages in this thread
Hi,
Is there a file I can D/L with all the features of imagine 3.0? I"m reeeely
interested and any available info would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Sam
Sam,
I dont believe there is a file anywhere, but one would be nice, and
I'll suggest it to Impulse.
I have seen your work in GraphDev and I believe you use
shareware/freeware renderers like PolyRay and POVRay. I began with these
renderers myself, and still us em from time to time. If you like these
tracers, Imagine is like Nirvana.
Rendering: wireframe, colorshaded, Scanline (no shadows), Full Trace.
Imagine's full Trace mode is a very fast octree based raytracer. Reflection
mapping is available for Scanline mode (which looks very nice as well).
Imagine currently has 100 textures with many more to follow. I make
heavy use of textures in my work, with the exception of object like posters,
signs, etc. any surface in my work is a texture (or several, no limit on
number). Imagine supports lighting textures (things like window frame shadow
patterns, venetian blind pattern, etc.).
Imagine can make any object a fog object (made of fog). Textures like
nebula, fogtop, and ghost can be used to make lightbeams and other fx.
Imagines modelling features are its most developed area. When it comes
to modelling organinc shapes (trees, people, animals), its hard to beat. Any
Post Script type 1 font can be extruded into 3d with several bevel options.
Objects can be deformed smoothly with the new Deform tool (place boxes around
the object, manipulate the boxes and the object conforms), or bend, stretch,
skew, twist, the object. Extrude an object (2d or 3d) along a spline path.
Skin, Mold, Conform, etc. etc.
Then there's animation. The new bones feature allows you to create
'skeletons' for your objects, 'teach' the surface polygons how to stretch, etc.
Then simply animate your critter/thing by posing the skeleton. Imagine takes
care of stretching/shrinking skin in appropriate places. This is REAL cool.
By 'tacking' textures, you can apply say random bumps to a sphere,
scale it in an anim, and the bumps will stretch like the sphere is rubber.
This works with Image maps as well.
This just scratches the surface.
-Steve
Steve-
How does the bones feature handle two seperate surfaces moving very close
to each other. Like two legs on a human walking. Can you limit bomes to
just a surface?
–Paul < Motorola Inside >
Paul,
I've just begun constructing serious bones objects, but here's what I
can I offer. Bones requires a single contiguous surface. An entire human
would be one single surface, with a separate skeleton of grouped axis. Then,
the seperate skin faces are associated to certain joints(bones/axis), by making
them a subgroup. Since the faces are 'attached' to particular bones, the
proximity of surfaces/bones is unimportant. The two thigh bones of the human
could be moved totally independant of each other, and since the skin is
basically attached to each bone, the two will move appropriately. The bone's
BIG subgroup will get the brunt of the deformation, leaving the small subgroup
relatively unchanged.
-Steve
>Can you limit bones to just a surface?
Yes, as a matter of fact that is the only way to do it. This lets you have
much more control over what to affect but is a little more difficult to
set up than LW's bones. For example, you could easily have the legs of a
human walking around without having bones in 1 leg affect the other.
<<< Tony D. Tracer >>>
(Any render time >0 needs acceleration.)
Hi Steve.
I've seen your work over in GRAPHDEV and it truly is great.
> I make heavy use of textures in my work, with the exception of object
> like posters, signs, etc. any surface in my work is a texture (or several,
> no limit on number).
Even more impressive.
> Then there's animation. The new bones feature allows you to create
> 'skeletons' for your objects, 'teach' the surface polygons how to
> stretch, etc. Then simply animate your critter/thing by posing the
> skeleton.
Animation is the main reason I want Imagine and the bones feature is exactly
what I was hoping it would have.
What file types can you import into Imagine? Raw, DXF etc.??
Thanks for the quick rundown. I'm even more interested now.
For the 100th time….Where's my tax return.<GGG>
Sam
Sam,
Imagine imports DXF files. Some users have reported difficulty with
3DS exported DXF's, others, no problem.
I have RAW2DXF. I'll check to see if its DXF output works with Imagine
and let you know. I'd like to write a DXF to Imagine converter, but I'm busy
with an interactive texture editor at the moment.
Imagine's animation features are awesome. The whole kit and kaboodle
is one program (with subeditors:Detail, Forms, Cycle, Stage, Action, and
Spline. Textures are seperate DLL code snipets. Imagine also has Global F/X
which are essentially post-processing steps. The lens flare GFX is nice (yes,
it animates properly). Finally, F/X files make particle f/x etc. This is
similar to 3DS IPAS extensions (at 1/6 the cost).
Sorry I'm babbling, but I love Imagine.
-Steve
Hi Steve and all,
there is a new 3D Object converter for the PC. It's called World render 3D and
does a lot of Objekt file formats. Plus it is a small editor (and a renderer I
think). Anyway, so there is no reason for you to write a converter any more.
WR3D is $199 as far as I remember. It can convert Imagine Objects, too, but
only 2.0 format. If you load a 2.9/3.0 object it read what it can and skips
the rest.
FOr those who are interested, there is a text file and a demo version in
Graphdev Forum.
-David
Dave,
Thanks for the info on the object converter. I still may write a
simple one in the future, as I will have code to write Imagine objects shortly
anyway. This would be a freebie. I am considering purchasing the object
converter for serious work still. Nice light f/x in your cross image BTW.
-Steve
> Sorry I'm babbling, but I love Imagine.
No problem. The more I hear the more I want it.<GGG>
Sam