CompuServe Thread

#3D glint boards

10 messages in this thread
#181733From: John GormanJul 24, 1995 8:39 AM
Terry, Other than 3-D studio r5, what pacakages do you think will be NT and multiprocessor supported? Morph, Photoshop, Picture publisher,Fractal Painter…what else? John
#181752From: John EllisJul 24, 1995 11:20 AM
>> …. what else? << Ron Scott's QFX! Most awesome paint package! 🙂 Its in the libs if you'd like to download the demo version… And for SFX type stuff WinImage Morph and F/X has an NT based version, which is pretty fair for the price… John
#181881From: John GormanJul 24, 1995 9:15 PM
John, Sounds interesting – it is for PowerPC and multiprocessor machines? John
#181898From: John EllisJul 25, 1995 12:06 AM
>> Sounds interesting… it is for PowerPC and Multiprocessor machines… << QFX 4 runs in DOS, and is comparable to QFX 5 which runs on Win 3.1 Win 95 and Win NT… Some people swear by the DOS version. Much to my suprise I really like the Windows version as well. It runs on Intel architecture… and with a multiprocessed board it is the only true multi-thread multi-tasked paint program available… it works well in Win 3.1 and screams in Win NT… haven't tried it in Win 95, but its without doubt the best "paint" program available… Now I make a differentiation between "paint" and 2d paint composition like Ani Studio which also has paint capability… strictly as a "paint" program it blows away PhotoShop which is really a photocomposition/retouch program, so says the industry even though it does have extensive "paint" capability… there are lots of great features about QFX, and I have yet to find a program that does it better… its a joy to use every time I need it… I like Photoshop o.k. but I find it awkward to use and it has a lot of features which in animation are pretty irrelevant, QFX on the other hand does not…. you can call for a demo… the number is listed in the libs QFX, or you can download from there as well… Check it out, I'm certain you'll be glad you did… John
#181926From: David J. ZollerJul 25, 1995 7:17 AM
How does it compare to Fractal Design Painter?
#182002From: John EllisJul 25, 1995 1:34 PM
>> How does it compare to Fractal Design Painter? << Much as Painter and PhotoShop are complimentary, only better. Fractal is a paint program of very specific application. QFX can use all PhotoShop plugs-ins and is better suited to video/animation work. Its origins like PhotoShop however were print/video, so you can work on very large images and do so quickly. Should you attend Siggraph, Ron Scott the author will be demonstrating the product. If you get a chance, its definitely one of the must see booths. Ron is a genuis of rather excentric character. His dedication to "paint" is tireless… much like the Yost Groups dedication to 3DS. Personally I'd like to see them fused into one, with Ani Studio as an extrordinary compositing tool. You'll have that option with NT though not quite as seamless. John
#182392From: CCJul 26, 1995 11:13 PM
Hi John. Aprogram does not have to be written for multiprocessing in NT. NT controlls all CPU thread allocation dynamically, as it does Ram, and Cache. this is why it is a far superior os to SGI and Mac. all that is required to use multiprocessing advantage in NT is 32 bit software that is multithreaded. multithreading is also used for single cpu systems, for multitasking etc, so it is pretty common. 3ds 5 will likely be mulytithreadded and will definitly be 32 bit, so ot will be optimized for SMP processing in NT already. it is always best to have the NT os control ram CPu threads, cache and makes changes many times a second based on the needs of the system, this is a sort of intelligence by the OS, and works very well and is scaleable beyond belief. anyone that claims programs have to be specifically written for SMP in NT is INCORRECT , and needs to study how NT allocated resources. hope the info helps Cameron CYberImage
#182723From: John GormanJul 29, 1995 12:45 PM
Cameron, Thanks for that info – what does CYBERIMAGE do? It sounds like you really know your NT. We're getting started on it, and I'm really excouraged to go to PowerPC and MIPS and ALPHA as well as multi-pentium boards in house, as long as the support as far as software is there. I thought I heard that certain programs multitthread or whatever better than others – Picture Publisher 5.0 executes some functions 1.7 times as fast on a dual processor. Anyway, good stuff to know. Thanks. John
#182998From: CCAug 1, 1995 2:47 AM
PPC and Mips are significantly slower on NT than a dual PEntium machine running PIC PUB. we have tested both and seen it. there is no substitute for dual pentiums on the Mips or PPC side. trust me. stick with Intel. P6 will put others to rest anyway. Cameron CYberImage
#183737From: John GormanAug 5, 1995 7:01 PM
Cameron, Sounds very cool – I just ordered a second one. Thanks, John