a color printer
6 messages in this thread
Dear 3DS techies,
I am a student who will be attending a 4-year college this fall. I have spent
the last couple of years learning AutoCAD at community college. This summer I
was able to get a good deal on AutoCAD 12 Windows from Robert McNeel &
Associates, so I upgraded from r11DOS. Included in the package was Accurender
1.1.
I've spent this summer constructing a house (on my computer) and making
hard-copies of it using paper space and viewports. A couple weekends ago I
purchased some land near where I'll be going to school. Since then I've also
added a site plan to the drawings. In order to build on my land I need approval
from the "Architectural Control Committee." (A voluntary committee of other 'po
folks from the community who probably know less about architecture than I do –
most of them live in mobile homes, not houses!)
I want to be able to present a rendered 3D version of the house sitting on the
landscaped lot, complete with trees. This I have already created quite easily
by inserting my completed 3D house at the proper elevation, adding countour
lines at their respective elevations, and rulesurfing them, then adding the
special landscaping assortment of trees supplied with Accurender. I now have
some very impressive-looking bitmapped images. The problem is, I need a color
copying device for output, and I don't have one. I don't even know what kind I
need, or what is the best format to use for my output files (I can choose
between .BMP, GIF, TGA, TIF, and am using .BMP)
At some point, probably within the next two years, I will be purchasing 3D
studio and a color output device. For now, what would be a good way to make
copies, and what printer should I purchase when I do buy one? I would be
looking for a printer capable of at least 256 colors, relatively inexpensive,
reliable and compatable with AutoDesk products like 3D studio. I won't need any
fonts as I won't be using it for printing. In the meantime, is there a company
that provides this service? The prints I need would be 11 x 17.
JR Key
J.R.,
a couple of choices for you on a tight budget:
Canon BJC-600, ~$550 (nice output for ink-jet, small footprint)
HP 550, ~$550 (similar output, use one at work, big footprint)
Fargo Primera with dye-sublimation option (dye-sub is nice but pricier).
Alternatively, you could render some images and send them as .tif's to a
service bureau for prints/slides etc.
J.R.
<<The prints I need would be 11 x 17.>> Well that sure limits your choices,
but there is the Canon BJ800, the HP PaintJet XL300, the Lexmark 4079, and
others. When you get ready to print, we make a software package that supports
all of these printers (and 1200 more) directly from inside 3DS. It's called
RenderPrint. Call 1-800-825-4115 for more information.
Russ
Insight Development
Does RenderPrint "posterize" images? I.e., partition to smaller pieces
a large drawing, for pasting together? [Lame, I know, but our DesignJet is
very low on memory, and I can't justify the extra memory, since I'm the only
one who does graphics (we use it primarily as a CAD plotter))
You might actually want to call your school (where you're going in
fall) and see if they have any services like that. I'll be attending SUNY
Stonybrook in the fall and stumbled over a Graphics Support Services bureau in
our administration building… they do 11×17 color copies!!!!