#Imagine CD, 3ds, ice
24 messages in this thread
I'm scrounging for help again (be patient, I'm a dimwit) ;^)
What's the status of the Imagine CD.???
Also, we all know the DXF format is screwy. Not even AutoDesk has got it
right. Would it be beneficial to replace the IM30 DXF routines with 3DS
importing and exporting??? I don't want to pay $200 for a translation program
that's not worth a fraction of IMAGINE!!! And, there are PD programs for 3DS /
DXF translation.
And now a biggie 8^)… any hints on making nice looking ice cubes???
Thanks, Michael B.
Mike,
Good questions not a dim one in the bunch.
CD ROM I think it will be available at the end of July, I hope
DXF sucks, I have no idea what to do, we cant even figure out what the
hell the problem is or we would release a PD thing to fix it for Imagine.
ICE… easy
Object color… (cube with bunch of faces. deform them a bit) 0,0,0
Index of Refraction 1.8
Specular 255,255,255
Hardness 10
This should do it nicely, remember that the objects shape is very
important, so spend some time making it look like what you want an Ice Cube to
look like, the deform tools will be your best friends on this one. If you run
into a stone wall, drop me a note, if you get a good one, send me a picture.
Mike
Thanks again Mike!
Michael B.
Mike,
Wow!, PMFJI I was lurking your post on making ice and tried the settings you
described with a high filter (slanted toward light blue). I used Alfonso
Hermida's Blob program to create some awful realistic looking ice using blobs
in a rough cube shape. I'm not sure if this is killer overhead for a cube, but
mine came out with ~1800 faces per cube, but they look fantastic!
Man there ain't been a day I haven't sat back and shook my head at the small
package I received in the mail and the output coming out of my screen. Thanks
for the ice recipe.
Sharky
– 70614,2011 @ 01-Jul-1994, 07:14:57 Honolulu, Hawaii
Using: Windows NavCIS PRO 1.2
Erich
SUre no problemo, ask anytime, and most of all , Have bunches of FUN.
Mike
Alphonso Hermida's Blob Prog? Sounds useful. What is it? Where can I get it?
Thanks,
Steve
It's available on the GRAPHDEV forum, not sure what section, but you'll find
versions for both DOS and windows available there. It'll let you use spheres
to make blob-type objects. Outputs to DXF that can be imported by Imagine.
Sharky
– 70614,2011 @ 07-Jul-1994, 10:17:34 Honolulu, Hawaii
Using: Windows NavCIS PRO 1.2
Ice Cubes, make a default Plane, extrude it 100.
Copy it, and scale about 75-80%
make the outer Cube a Fog object with a farily high filter setting
the Fog is to simulate frost
inner cube no fog just Highly Filtered.
You'll have to experiment to come up with the exact index of Refraction
but a good start would probably be the same IOF for water.
On DXF conversion. I just got Calgari trueSpace, it nice but a bit limited
compared to Imagine, and it will read 3D studio, AutoCAD DXF, LightWave,
WaveFront, and Imagine models and will output 3ds ascii and DXF as well as
their own format. I have used to convert some 3DS files to DXF's and had on
problem reading the DXF'f into Imagine. TrueSpaces will have to add a lot of
features win me over from Imagine (no EXF's, textures are done by using graphic
files, no object morphing). On the plus though it will output to Video for
Windows to get full speed look at the animation and the modeling abilites are
pretty good. I beleve it is still selling for $500.
(replies to William Rockhold and Impulse)
I was having the same problem getting Imagine to import DXF files from either
VistaPro (for landscapes) or trueSpace. I also sent e-mail to Impulse and they
were quite helpful and suggested I use WorldRender. Unfortunately I couldn't
verify that WorldRender would work from the demo version since it doesn't let
you save files.
But do not despair! I found a solution! The problem with Imagine seems to be
that it wants DXF polygon data using the 3DFACE directives. Both VistaPro and
trueSpace output the polygon data using the POLYLINE directives which seems to
just be ignored by Imagine. I spent days trying to find DXF converters to solve
the problem, until I finally found one in the strangest place:
The Windows POV modelling program called POVWIN (GRAPHDEV forum) will import a
DXF file that uses either 3DFACE or POLYLINE and convert it to RAW triangle
format. Then you can convert the RAW file back to DXF which is saved using the
3DFACE directives and then it can be imported into Imagine with no problems!
Well, almost no problems. I suggest using the Object-Merge command after you
import the DXF, otherwise you will have problems rendering.
Doing this, I was able to import a BIG landscape (about 1 MEG) created from
VistaPro into Imagine and boy was I happy!
By the way. You can't really blame Impulse for having troubles with DXF since
there seems to be so many versions and formats and it just keeps changing.
Imagine is a great product! For the price, I really don't think it can be beat.
Faced with either spending $3000 for 3D Studio or $300 for Imagine (2.0) didn't
make it hard to decide. Besides, 3.0 is an incredible upgrade. It seems that
every time I use it I discover new features that do really cool things.
And to keep babbling on…I was surprised to learn the other day that 3D Studio
doesn't ray trace?!? In my opinion, 3-D art that is ray-traced looks a lot more
photo-realistic than art that is not. Imagine is a great ray-tracer. Keep up
the excellent work! How about a Windows NT version?
Christopher A. Thames
Fusion Systems International
Christopher,
Now that's a great message!!!
I'm downloading POVWIN now!!!
Thank you,
Michael B.
If this information might be useful to others, I could copy my message to the
GRAPHDEV forum. I certainly wouldn't want others to have to go through what I
did. I am just a little reluctant since I kind of slammed 3D Studio and I don't
really want to start a flame-war. I guess I should have made them separate
messages. I can always edit it I guess…
Christopher A. Thames
Fusion Systems International
"3D is where its at! Everything else is flat!"
I'm quite sure that there are Imagine users who only hang-around GRAPHDEV.
Most of them have IM2.0 (the one that came with ImageLab?). And, I'm sure they
will appreciate the info as much as I do.
Your 3DS comments are right on the mark (I have 3DS v2.1) and I don't think the
3DS users will be too defensive.
Michael B.
Christopher,
I downloaded WINPOV (couldn't find POVWIN) and POVRAY2. However, I am
completely unfamiliar with this program and can't find a DXF import command.
Could you please go into a bit more detail about importing and exporting the
DXF's.
Michael B.
Michael,
Sorry, bonehead move on my part. The program is POVCAD (3.0a) not POVWIN (I
don't think there is such an animal?!?). You can download it from GRAPHDEV, the
file is PVCWIN.ZIP. From there, simply select File, DXF -> RAW and RAW -> DXF.
You probably would've been better off if you didn't listen to me in the first
place. 🙁
Christopher A. Thames…
P.S. William, you have had better luck with trueSpace than I. Perhaps you have
a newer version?
Thanks Christopher,
Michael B.
Christopher,
POVCAD worked great thanks!!!
Michael B.
So far I have had no problem reading a DXF file from trueSpace into Imagine,
thou I did have that problem with VistaPro. Now I save a DXF from VistaPro read
into trueSpace and resave it and the read it into Imagine.
Thanx for the info tho I use Syndesis Interchange for Object Conversioms
Ya shoulda got the DEMO of True Space to try before ya bought it.
it's avail on Internet at wuarchive I think.
Peter, actually I saw a demo from a friend that was using trueSpace. I liked it
so much that I just had to have it. The user interface is really incredible and
it runs from both 16-bit Windows and Windows NT (slower of course), but I
haven't tried OS/2 (I don't use it). I particularly like the user interface,
extrusion paths, deformation frame, multiple cameras, and multiple windows.
However, I doubt that its rendering capability can match Imagine, and it just
doesn't have as many features (like bones, procedural textures, fog, special
effects, etc.). I am currently using it as an object modeller for stuff that is
really tricky to shape, like clothing. The big downside with it is that even
though it will import Lightwave, 3D Studio, Imagine, POV, and DXF objects, it
only outputs its own format, DXF, and 3D Studio ASCII. If they were to provide
the same exports as imports it would certainly please a lot of their users.
Happy rendering!
Christopher A. Thames
Fusion Systems International
Syndesis Interchange will convert 3D Studio ASCII Files.
Ask John Foust about it in the syndesis Area of Amigavend.
The Windows version should be close to completion by now methinks
Christopher,
TrueSpace does run under OS/2. (WIN-OS/2 that is..) It will run in a
seamless window on the desktop or full screen. (At least the demo does….)
— Bill
Michael,
An alternative to modelling an ice cube's surface imperfections using hundreds
of faces would be to use an altitude map or texture. Like any good software,
Imagine often offers you several tools with which to approach a given problem.
Blaq!
Thanks Blaq,
Yup I added a couple of textures, they look cool (g).
Michael B.