#VistaPro & 3DS
22 messages in this thread
Hi there,
I was wondering if anyone out there had any experience/advice with using
VistaPro and 3ds together, only I picked up a new computer mag yesterday and
it had a cd on the front cover with V 3.0 of VistaPro on it, a complete version
no less without the usual save disable or other trickery and seeing as it has a
dxf out option I thought it might come in handy. any coments ?
And question no.2 is there a later version ( I assume there probably is ) and
if so what extra goodies does it give the user.
Thanks in advance for any help or tips
David
Version 3.0 is the latest & greatest.
-Scott
David:
Actually, it's version 3.1 and it's the latest and greatest, and it is
also an unauthorized copy of a copyrighted program. Virtual Reality Labs, Inc,
publisher of VistaPro is currently investigating their legal alternatives in
the matter. (In other words, the magazine did not have VRLI's permission to
republish the CD.)
Clint <VRLI>
Go get 'em Clint! BTW, does version 3.1 really have a .dxf out feature?
Paul S.
Paul
I would imagine that since the 3.0 version does have dxf out (and it works)
that 3.1 would also have it.
David:
Actually, 3.0 did not have DXF support, that was the addition which
resulted in there being a 3.1. Look in the "About VistaPro" menu for the
revision level.
Clint <VRLI>
Sorry Clint,
My mistae…. I hadn't botherd to look in the about section …. Wow … it
says Version 3.10, I can imagine that this coversisk thing has you chaps really
rather upset !….. Back to the previous question though, is there a UK
distributor and if no why not ?…. the only problem as I see it relating to
the UK market is the lack of corectly formatted geological data, most of the
available geographic data comes as digital files from the Ordanance Survey in
Either NTF v2.0 format or as a DXF file now I know its possible to convrt one
of these into the corect format because the OS cat shows a picture generated
from their data by Vistpro, unfortunatly I have a sneaking suspision that It
would not be the easiest thing to do (;-((
Still if you come back and tell me its nice and easy then I will SERIOUSLY
!…. consider going out and paying some of my hard earned money to a dealer,
assuming of course you come back to me with a UK distributor, I wouldn't really
mind importing it from the US if I absolutely have to but the trouble with
doing that I I'd be the last person to here about any upgrades / new versions
etc… Not that thats unusuall in the UK, I was finally told today that my
Autodesk dealer had managed to find a C! upgrade for my copy of 3D Studio V4.0
only 5 Months after it was available in the US …. This is rather typical of
the UK situation, the other thing is the way that Dollar prices seem to totally
ignore exchange rates when they become Pounds Sterling, often being converted
on a 1 Dollar to 1 Pound rate rather than the roughly 1.5 Dollars to the Pound
rate that I would pay If I purchased the software over in your country ….
Still perhaps you can surprise me !…….
Oh and since i'm asking all these questions, do you produce anything other than
Vistapro ?……..
Best wishes
David
David:
Richard Marsh (I can't remember his company's name) has UK data for
VistaPro. His cis uid is [100117,633]. It's pretty trivial to convert OS data
to VistaPro format, I think I have some C source around for it if you're
interested. It's running on an Amiga, but the code is pretty platform
unspecific, other than large arrays and should port pretty easy.
The UK distributor is Meridian. I must have missed mentioning that in my
earlier post. VRLI also publishes Distant Suns (planetarium program), Mars
Explorer, Venus Explorer and FormBuster (form layout tool). You can check the
VRLI section periodically over in GraphVendA for info about new releases and
upgrades and VRLI does direct sales if people have difficulty finding product
locally.
Clint <VRLI>
Paul:
Yes, VistaPro 3.1 does allow you to save landscapes to DXF format.
Clint <VRLI>
Clint,
I'm sorry to read your reply I had no idea that the magazine in question had
supplied an illegal copy, especially as its on its own cd and not bundld with a
whol lot of other stuff, as would normaly be the case, also they are offering
the manual for 15 pounds sterling. As far as it being the best, from my couple
of hours playing I would have to agree with that comment, but it would be nice
to be able to specify where the trees are placed and to be able to vary the
size of trees in the same species, eg tree 1 oak size 30 tree 2 oak size 50, as
a matter of intrest what additional functions if any does 3.1 offer over 3.0 I
may yet decide that I like the package so much I'll buy it, and who in the UK
can supply it if anyone ?
I only started up in buisness for myself at the end of last year and havnt
built up an extensive client list yet so I havnt really investigated other
software. On a legal standoint I assume I am breaking the law by using this
illegal copy, so I had better not do so anymore
Regards and regrets that I purchased a magazine that belives in ripping people
off.
David
David:
I don't think that there was any fraudulent intent on the part of the
magazine, it's just that several mistakes were made by people outside of VRLI
which led them to believe that they could publish the CD. I think that the CD
contains VP 3.1 as that is the only version which has been on CD. Meridian
Software carries VistaPro in the UK. I don't know who they distribute to on the
local level, however.
The Amiga version of VistaPro handles trees in the manner that you suggest,
however John felt that the tree control panel had become too cumbersome and
simplified it on the PC. John is adding tree placement to version 4.0.
VRLI is not considering the magazine customer as liable for the error of
the publisher. Feel free to use the copy as you purchased it in good faith.
VRLI will persue restitution from those who were responsible.
Clint <VRLI>
Sorry Clint
Missed this messsage earlier, please feel free to ignore any relavent parts of
my later message
Thanks for the use of the software, I only get to play with it during the
eveings when nobody is ringing me up asking stupid questios, I really like it
I'd like to here more details on V4.0 when they become available, on the things
to add section DXF in in some form would be REAKKY useful
Thanks again
David
David:
Currently you can export landscapes as DXF with the version you currently
have. If John can figure a logical way of importing DXF he may add that in the
future, but the problem is that the DEM format is really a surface format (sort
of 2.5D rather than 3D) which cannot allow more than one Z for any given X and
Y. Also, a 3D object can have any orientation, while DEM is extruded out of a
flat surface which has a fixed orientation.
Clint <VRLI>
Clint,
Thanks for all the info, when I send this I will go and have a look at the VRLI
saection, I wasn't really suggesting a high detail DXF to DEM converter I was
thinking that perhaps what might be possible is some form of pre processor just
for landscapes, as a example consider the following:-
First producce some fantastic landscape in Vistapro, exprot a section of
landscape to 3DS as DXF and create some fantastic building e.g castle/spaceport
or whatever, Ok I can now render the construction complete with shadows and
paste this renderd image into a rendering from Vistapro, but what if I wanted
to add a service road round the mountain or a cutting through a hillside, if I
could modify the landscape mesh in 3DS or Acad and then export that lanscape
mesh only back into Vistapro I could increase the realism of the combined image
to an extra level of realism, which is of course the ultimate aim for all of us
.
As far as the offer of the source code for converting OS map info to DEM I'm
afraid that it would be of no use to me as I'm not a programer in any way,
shape or form <SOB> actually I'm a Mechanical Engineer who got feed up with the
job situation over here and set up in buis doing somthing he actually enjoys
!…. Thanks for the offe rthough at least I know its possible and thats a
start !
One last question (And you'd thought I wasnt gona ask any more <G>) In the
magazine in question there is an offer to purchase the manuals for Vistapro,
should I purchase from them or could I purchase them from yor UK
Importers/Retailers ? seing as how the mag produced the CD without the propper
authority I'd prefer the latter option , but I definately need the manual from
someone … I can only get so far without one, and I'm just about to that point
!…<VBG>
thank you for all your time and effort in answering all these terrible
questions of mine.
Best wishes
David
>>First producce some fantastic landscape in Vistapro, exprot a section of
landscape to 3DS as DXF and create some fantastic building e.g castle/spaceport
or whatever, Ok I can now render the construction complete with shadows and
Hmm… just what kind of architectural imaginings do you create? I am becoming
involved in various types of animation, but my imagination, training and
passion has always been dreaming up builts environments. I would like to hear
what others are doing with thiss particular branch of CG creativity. So many
who create architecture in 3DS are doing so either subordinately as mere
background for something esle they're creating, or are simply plugging in
someone else's designs for an architectural visualization they're doing for
someone else. Yet, surprisingly few are pursuing CG animations and modeling to
promote the art of design in architecture in itself.
Jerome,
I suppose I have an advantage over a lot of people in this buisness in that I
work from home, so all my pc's, software etc are right next to my bedroom, as a
result I like to "play" with the hardware and software when I have the spare
time, which unfortunatly is not that often, as far as what I create go's well
i have tried my hand at a variety of things, most I am ashamed to say
unfinished, it sort of has to be when I'm in a creative mood, possibly inspired
by somthing I've seen or read. So current projects include a small science
fiction type construction, I havn't worked out quite what it is yet !, and a
new building for the shooting range I go to, the trouble is that whenever I
seem to be getting somewhere with either of the someone comes along with work
they want done yesterday and at a price I can't afford to ignore.
I would like to here more about the sort of work you do as it sounds quite
intresting.
David
Yes, working from home is QUITE an advantage. I'm looking into the possibility
of that right now. Dragging yourself into an office where you do only what
your employer's limited vision deems s/he needs done by you is NOT consucive to
inssipiration, creativity, or true innovation. The only exception to this is
if you have a boss with as much vision and talent as you, but I know few
talented people working for anyone as intelligent or foresighted as they.
Usually such employers are in such demand to work for that it can be difficult
to get into such a place.
Anyways…. you ask what I do. I'm an architect who finds that the media of
computer graphics can make creations live that might not come along in "real
world" commisssions once but in a blue moon. The needss for architecural
creations are vast out there, from backdrops for CD games, to virtual
envirnments, to motion picture sets (which happens to be a great love of mine).
In college, I was always a bit of an architectural vissionary, extrapolating
designs from stories and hypothetical circumstance, imagining what
sociological, technological and economic factors might come into play in such
built environments. Studying the history of architecture in this world has
been quite fascinating… looking at what comes from what soceities, and what
forces shaped them – from the religious power in medieval times that erected
great cathedrals while the vernacular of the people was quite inpovrished, to
the search for metaphysical order that lead to the great Greek orders, to the
slave society of the Egyptians that made pyrmids possible before Europeans
began forging metal. What lies in sstore for the future? What about societies
of our technological level that just happened to take a different ethical or
economic turn? What would we build if our technology were applied to the cuilt
envirnment with the ecnomic conviction of the Gothic Cathedrals…? THESE are
the things I wish to explore on the comptuer via graphics and modeling. The
challenge is getting to the point where I can spend enough time on these things
without having to do womething else completely unrelated just to make money.
Nonetheless, it's coming, hence my interest in games and movie sets…
Thanx for the interest!
David:
Someday, there will be a terraforming utility for use with VistaPro.
Several people have started them over the past couple of years, but no-one has
completed one. <sigh> I am doing one myself, but unfortunately for most people,
it is for the Amiga. <grin> (Yes, I am one of those die-hard Amigoids.) Maybe I
can talk John into porting it to the PC.
With regards to the manual, go ahead and purchase it from the magazine.
VRLI is working out a settlement with the distributor and the magazine.
Clint <VRLI>
Clnt
I am glad to see that you are going to come to a settlement with the mag, I
just hope you get a good deal <G> and seeing as thats the case I will do as yuu
say and purchase a copy of the manual from them asap, i.e I'll send the cheque
tommorow <G>
Terraforming utility eh… I can see it now
………………………………….
Clint hooks up his amiga to a Mars orbiting X-Ray laser satellite and KERPOW
….. Olympus Mons is no more, instead we see a large violet sea and on the
beach the carniverous palm trees drop their 300lb yellow spotted blue coconuts,
whilst high overhead David pilots his VR starhopper to a recenly constructed
spaceport……..
Interesting concept, but seriosly what do you mean by a terraforming utility,
or did I get it right the first time …… <VBG>
Best wishes
David
Clint:
I just recently purchased the CD upgrade. If 3.1 is the latest (and greatest),
why did I get version 3.0?
-Scott
Scott:
If you look at the "About VistaPro" menu item, you will find that you have
version 3.10 or later. There were no CDs produced before 3.1. VRLI did not
print new boxes as it was not a full level upgrade, so the boxes and manuals
say 3.0 but the program is 3.1.
Clint <VRLI>
Clint:
Thanks for clearing that up for me. Keep up the good work!
-Scott