#Starfield problems
30 messages in this thread
I am using Imagine 3.0 for PC. I am rendering a scene that has a starfield in
it. When the camera pans across the scene, the starfield does not move.
Shouldn't it?
Jim
Yeah it should, but it dont, there is a bug in it. Note however that
Greg Tsdalis has posted a great tutroial here in the IMagine Lib showing how to
make a much better starfield than the one we did.
This will however be fixed in the first Constant Update program, might
be a good idea to get involved now.
Mike
Mike,
maybe you can add a "shell to DOS" to the PC version in the next release, too.
-David
Dave,
Good idea, but there is one problem, when you shell to DOS, you dont get all
the memory back, so if you want to dump and do somthing real mem intensive you
wont be able to do so, I run AAPro all the time, I dump to DOS and the damn
thing tells me I have no memory.
But we are working on it.
Mike
There's a great program called SHROOM that maximizes memory for programs that
shell.
MIke
Thanks
Mike
Hmmm… I'm confused.
I thought the constant upgrade program was for incremental FEATURE
enhancements.
Your e-mail sort-of sounds like we need to be on this program to get BUG fixes.
What's the story on getting a bug fix release?
Jeff
Mike,
I got my Imagine software ok but I didn't get the newsletter. Could you
outline the update program here or send me a newsletter?
-Richard
Mike,
Ditto to Jeff's comment. I hope you don't turn the Incremental Release program
into a bug fix distribution system; I paid for a list of features promised in
Imagine 3.0, and that's what I should get. If some don't work, or are absent
from the released version, it's Impulse's responsibility to fix it and send me
a new version; I should not have to pay extra to get a bug-free program, should
I?
Blaq!
Blaq
I guess the way I feel about things is like this, We have packed
Imagine full of features, most of which will most likely never be used by you
or others. There are some bugs, we are going to fix them and yes indeed the
Constant Upgrade program is a GOOD way of getting to the user base the fixes as
they come along. Or we can revert to the old way and that is ask you to wait
for a year or so while we amass enough new features so that we can go back on
the sales trail.
ALso I might add that there are not a billion new bugs in IMagine 3.0.
I have been using it everyday, it seems to be very solid to me. I have seen a
few posts where people claim this or that is a bug, when indeed they do not
know how to use the software.
I close by saying, that for $100.00 I have no idea where you will get
the value in software for that which we have put into IMagnie 3.0. As a
leading car maker once said, if you can find it, buy it, and let me know, I
want one too.
Mike
"IMagnie 3.0."
Well,….I'm glad to see your EMail messages show the same care and
attention to detail that your product does. <G>
My girlfriend says:
"Real professional software developers may ship with bugs, but at least we
worry about the impact on the end-user. Apparently, Imagine doesn't."
…..Now, I didn't type that, she did. But then again, her name is on more
software titles than mine……
Both of us _do_ believe that your response showed little respect for the
end-user who asked the question. While Imagine 3.0 is admittedly a good
value, it's hard for you to get good word of mouth advertising (the only
type you seem interested in, based on previous posts) if you keep stepping
on your customers feelings. By ignoring the question of whether you would
deliver on your pre-release promised features, you have insulted several
customers (including blaq! and myself.)
Not to start a flame-fest, but….
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
Erik,
I not that you have only posted this comment after sometime has gone
by, the problem with Blaq and his comment is this, HE DOES NOT EVEN HAVE
IMAGINE 3.0, he called me on Friday to inform me that his copy did not arrive
in Canada, It seems that DHL has a real problem with Canada.
My comment might have been strong but, it was correct, Balq was making
comment on some one elses comment, with the assumption that this person was
correct in the assumptions made.
We have excluded a few things that will go into the software, the
things excluded were on the low end of the priority list, we have however added
many things that were never mentioned and seem to be appreciated by all of the
people using the softwrare.
I realize that you are a toaster user, and I do not want to offend but,
why would you include your self in a group with Blaq, as an offended person, do
you indeed use Imagine, from your posts on the toaster end of this CIS forum,
it does not seem that you do.
Never-the-less, my intention was not to be offensive it was intended to
inform, if you or anyone else has taken umbrage with it, I appologize.
Have a nice day,.
MIke
Well, I _was_ a few hours late in adding my voice to the fray. (Though it
may seem otherwise, I do not eat, sleep, & breath CI$)
Now if Blaq! doesn't even have a copy of the program to use, then he might
have been offbase. His question, however, is still valid: If you release
the product without all the promised features, will we have to engage in
the upgrade program to ever see these features, or will we be entitled to
a single free (or reduced cost) upgrade once the features are
implimented?
If you have indeed added 'many' other unannounced features, and have only
left out a few 'low end' features, then all the better. If this is true,
then we don't really have too much to whine about.
I guess what irked us (my girlfriend & I) was the 'like or lump it'
attitude that was read into your post. While it's true that I have not
spent much time using Imagine 3.0, I am still a registered user. As such,
I will follow with interest the way other users are treated when asking
for help.
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
Eric,
You know what I hate the most, is that this forum of writing is so
misleading, I have never, NEVER said to anyone LIke it or lump it or whatever
you said.
I also have not lied about anything, features that were left out, were
indeed, very low on the usefullness list, while the features of Deformation
tools seems to be really appreciated by the user.
Also Unless Blaq fell asleep and called me in his sleep, as of Friday
he does not have IMagine.
TO pay for upgrades is the only sane way that vendors have of getting
software, upgardes and fixes out to the user. Some things listed as BUGS are
not really that, they are minor problems that need a work around. We did have
a bug in the first shipnment, the ground and scanline relfections did not
work., Within 1 day of finding this bug we posted a patch, many used it,
anyone, that called to report the bug, got a free disk.
So, we are doing our best, now all we need is support from the user,
support that says, hey these guys from IMpulse are not doing the wrong thing,
they are indeed doing the best they can and we are getting a hell of a deal for
the amount of money we spend. I know that Imagine is a very good deal for
those who invest the time and the money.
OK now what.
8)
Say hi to your girlfriend, I hope she is reading all this. Something
tells me that not too many business owners do as I have done. But that is
another story.
Mike
It is true that the bandwidth for communication is somewhat limited on the
digital frontier. (Oh, for vocal inflection, much less the standard range
of visual cues we are all used to using in everyday communication!)
Anyway, let me start by saying that I understand your position. You cannot
afford to provide free upgrades for every little whiner who comes along
and says "function x doesn't work as promised!" For the price of the
upgrade, I feel that I got a very nice package – especially considering
the size of the market. Given the size of the market, and your statements
that missing functions and bugs are 'trivial', I would say that the
upgrade plan is a valid one. It _is_ important that you make at least one
patch available to the user for (almost) free, but that can be contingent
upon them actually calling in with a problem…
OTOH, I have mentioned before, and I will mention again, that there is a
continuing tone in many of your posts that seems to be borne of long hours
and little reward. Very often, if a problem is mentioned, or an idea
forwarded, it will be received with what appears to be a tone of
supercilious condescension. I think your product is great, but when I ask
my friend at MSoft (project mgr for VisualC++2.0), he cannot understand
your assertions about the windows API. When I use the Amiga version it has
a pseudo-interface that seems to suffer from the filename limitations of
the PC.
I think what you _really_ need to do is spend some time and make a
kick-ass windows product. Saying you do great stuff is one thing. Being
able to retire a millionaire at 30 (like my friend from MSoft) is another.
I think you need more of the latter, and less patting on the back by a
limited group of users. It's a big market out there! Go out and kick some
PC butt!
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom – ELF Works 3D Construction Co.
"or we can revert to the old way"
The old way =I= heard about was that bug fixes were issued….
Mike or anyone, what features are not in IM 3.0 that were previously
promoted?
/// Mike ///
MIke
Sound line in Action editor not in yet
Scanline shadows not in yet
Field rendering not in yet
Full Alpha support
Things that were not stated but were put in.
Deformation tools
Global F/X
2D spline editor
Lighting textures
I think, (of course) that there is more in IMagine than people realize,
it does seem however that there are some people who just want to have something
to say or do that is negative. We even have a few people complaining about
things and they dont even have the software.
All in all, there is more in Imagine 3.0 than any other product that I
know of, and there will continue to be more as time goes by and users let us
know what they need or want.
Mike
> I close by saying, that for $100.00 I have no idea where you will get
> the value in software for that which we have put into IMagnie 3.0.
Where can I get Imagine 3.0 for $100.00? I haven't upgraded yet because I
thought $300 was a little much (I'm only a hobbyist), but for $100…
Stephen
David,
You would have had to buy Imagine in one of its preivous versions. If
you are just starting out, try the Waite Group Press book, 3D modeling lab.
You should be able to find it at better book stores, there is a version of
Imagine 2.0 in the book, full version I might add.
Then you can decide if $300.00 is too much or a great deal ( of course
we think great deal applies, but then what do I know)
Mike
Yup. I already have 3D Modelling Lab, and have worked through it. Imagine 2.0
is really all I need. The only thing I wish I had was more textures.
Stephen
David,
Sorry but 2.0 is old news and the textures are much more complicated in
3.0 so I have nothing to offer you.
MIke
Blaq!
DO you really have any BUG FREE programs….8>
Mike
Mike,
when I wrote that message asking whether Impulse envisioned the constant
upgrade program as a substitute for honest-to-goodness bug fix releases, I
_did_ wonder whether my tone would be interpreted as more strident than was
meant to be. Looks like it was.
No, I haven't received Imagine yet. I haven't had a chance to experience any
bugs firsthand. The goal of my message was to pick up, not on reported bugs,
but on a possibility I saw, based on a reply of yours, that Impulse might not
send out any bug fixes, but rather impose their constant upgrade program on all
users wishing to receive a bug-free product.
Since then, I've been able to read your replies, and I must admit that for
every feature that didn't make it into Imagine 3.0, another, unnanounced, did.
A balance of some sort has been struck. I may grumble, but I'll probably wind
up on the constant upgrade program.
Blaq!
Blaq,
I see, Of course everyone states they want a
BUG FREE program and have a right to this.
We do our best.
FREE updates, unresonable unless the bug found is critical, as in the
case of the scanline bug in the ground and reflection, it was critical and we
fixed it as well as released a patch to fix it. The patch was free.
Also you dont have to be involved in the Update program, it was
intended to be an assest for the user,. In this way you would not wait for a
year or more to see the changes that we make, it will also give those who get
involved with the update program a quicker voice to the final product.
I state for the record and your consideration, when we find a critical
bug we will fix it free, some of what users call bugs are just things that are
misunderstood or do not do what they wanted. And yes the Update program will
be a good way to address these issues. Your support is appreciated, and as for
your software, I sent it to you on Monday this week by 1st class mail, I hope
that all goes well. Borders are absurd, a world with borders is the most
absurdity known to man.
Mike
Hiya Mike, quick future option request…….
In States I'd LOVE to see the option of setting up a CYCLE model simply by
telling Imagine which States and in what order to use for the Cycle.
I have No idea if this would be difficult to implement or not but seems to
be Hinted at by the State Anim function already in 3.0
I Hope this idea gets implemented. Twould be a BIG Time Saver and Finally
make Cycles EASY to use. Tis a bit of a Hassle to setup up repetitive
motion such as walking currently using STATES. Not due to anytrhing HARD
to do but simply because of the way you need to keep adding timelines with
the STATES set differently
If my idea is implemented I am not concerend where it is implemented
wether it's Detail Editor or the Action Editor for example.
Thanx.
Pete,
I simply copy and paste the cycle of states as I set them up in the
Action editor, once I make the CYCLE that I want, just copy, paste and all is
done. Try it, you will love it.
Mike
My idea is STILL much easier Mike, at least on my End….. How
easy/diifcult it is for YOUR end is unknown to me. As I said, copying and
pasting isn't HARD per se, just time consuming. The ability to set a
SINGLE timeline and being able to specify which States to use in what
order as well as the Duration of the loop. please just keep it in mind for
a later version, I'm certain it will be a VERY welcome feature for people
doing Animation on a tight deadline. I don't expect it to be implemented
immediately but as I said it would be nice to have.
Midgard Graphics
Pete,
Yeah it is a fine idea, however it is not the real deal. WE have
another way of doing this whole cyclic animation thing that will make things to
date obsolete. I cant say to much at this time but your idea and the one we
have in 3.0 is just not that great. It needs to be much quicker and eaiser to
use than it is, so we are going about to do just that.
Mike
mike,
Got a question for ya… ( actually it's open to all ) Is it possible
to run a flic in a flic…or actually a series of tifs in specific location in
the scene. I can map an image to an object such as a plane, but without going
nuts can it be done or is this strictly Post work for Premire or the like?
Brendan G.
Well then Mike, forget my idea and go with your's by al means since you
say it is Quicker. Glad to see things are moving ahead.