#PAR questions
14 messages in this thread
I'm thinking about getting a PAR and wondering how you PAR users like it. Has
it been reliable and worked well for you? Are the storage sizes they quote
(ie. 540MB = 3-5 minutes, etc.) accurate? Is the quality true 4:2:2? Are
there any idiosyncracies that I should know about? I assume I would treat it
as a VTR in terms of rendering (render fields, etc.) – is this correct?
Thanks for any info. PARchance I'll hear from the mighty God of PAR <g>.
Cheers, John
John:
The PAR has changed the whole process of creating animations for me. Going to
tape was a frame accurate ordeal, the PAR makes editing and last minute changes
possible and less painful. The storage sizes quote appear accurate, I have a 1
gig drive but I try not to fill it up to its total capacity. Field rendering
works fine but saving images with Alpha requires resetting the Input Buffer
Size. Cutting out a single frame, duplicating a frame for a pause, rendering
many segments and joining them all up are all easy PAR tasks which make it
quite valuable. The compression is saving me a ton of disk space and the
ability to step thru frames forward and back, go to slo-mo, etc are causing my
VTR to rest for extended periods of time.
Bob
Sounds good. I assume I'll need a seperate monitor for it. We don't do that
much animation so I'm weighing the cost between purchasing a PAR and rendering
to disk, having a full graphics house put it on tape.
Thanks for the input. Cheers, John
John:
An additional monitor would be your only way to see the video signal off of the
PAR but you could use a TV if on a tight budget. Getting files off to a
service bureau can cost a few bucks if you don't already own some form of
removeable media. An Exabyte tape drive, for instance would cost more than the
PAR card + the hard drive.
Bob
I have a Colorado Jumbo Trakker which works fine but is slow. A monitor isn't
really a problem. PAR does sound like the way to go.
Thanks for the advice. Cheers, John
John,
>> I'm weighing the cost between purchasing a PAR and rendering to disk, and
having a full graphics house put it to tape. <<
Get a PAR. It will pay for itself in no-time, not to mention the fact that it
will help develop your animation skills, and having the ability to play back in
real-time will encourage more animation creation. Going to a service bureau is
definitely going to limit your development, as the cost is prohibitive for just
experimenting. And in a lot of cases the quality is up to PAR. <g>
John
It does seem reasonable to go with the PAR – all the feedback I've gotten so
far has given it glowing praise. Do you know anything about the TVT-2000?
My hesitation with purchasing any system is due to the fact we are using 3D
Studio to build virtual worlds for VR systems as opposed to being a true
animation house. We got 3D Studio solely for that purpose. I've been very
pleasently surprised by the quality of the software and the look it can
acheive. All in all it's an excellent program and a great value. But I
digress…
If a PAR is $2500-odd for a system, it's probably better to go that way. I
guess the cost is just PAR for the course <g>.
Thanks for the help. Cheers, John
John,
I see your point if you're strictly doing VR type work. I do some gaming work
myself, although my animations are pre-built rather than what I think of as VR,
namely real-time rendering, and I think the PAR is a great tool for testing
which is the main reason I bought it. There may be other systems which are less
expensive but that might meet your requirements. For my needs, which also
include video animation, the PAR has been a real workhorse.
So if its not a professional secret, may I ask how you use 3DS in VR gaming
development? I'd be really interested.
Thanks,
John
John,
No big secret – 3DS has become a sort of "standard" for VR world creation.
Several of the major VR authoring systems import .3DS files directly, including
texture and opacity maps (Wavefront is the other major system used). Given
that our real time platforms have limited resolutions and depths (a 512×512
limit on maps – yikes!) ultra high end systems (like Wavefront) are not cost
effective. I've really been amazed by the quality of stuff produced with 3DS
and how helpful everyone in the forum has been – the ultimate tech support!
We're looking to use rendered sequences to prototype interactions before
commiting to authoring them. The PAR sounds like a useful tool for this.
4:2:2 is icing on the cake but if we're going to invest in a system it should
be broadcast spec.
Cheers, John
John,
I don't think the PAR conforms to 4:2:2 sampling. There is no mention of it in
the literature. It does provide analog component output, but 4:2:2 refers to
the weighted digital sampling frequencies used to digitize the Luminance and
color difference Components (Y,Cb,Cr) of digital component video. The only
system of this type that has 4:2:2 output is the MAX which uses the Illuminator
Pro as its framebuffer. I don't think there is 4:2:2 sampling in the conversion
process of the original image in either system before or after JPEG compression
except through the framebuffer on the MAX.
Which is not the same as true 4:2:2 sampling like on a CCIR 601 compatible
device such as an Abekas.
>>broadcast spec. << I've been around and around on that one too. <g>
My interpretation of "Broadcast Spec" precludes the use of a JPEG compression
scheme. At least at this time. However both systems output a legal NTSC video
signal. (Provided the images have been correctly created.)
Enough technical stuff! 🙂
You say several of the majoring VR authoring systems import 3DS files directly.
What authoring systems are these? Do they render these files directly in real
time? Is the system you're using proprietary? If I wanted to explore this area
of animation creation what package would you suggest?
(My turn for questions. <g>)
>> I'm really amazed by the quality of stuff produced with 3DS… <<
Have you seen the recent Sig 94 Demo tape? There's some extrodinary work on it.
I agree that the render quality of 3DS is superb.
Let me know if you're still interested in the PAR, maybe we can work out
something on the Micropolis.
John
John:
Yes, the PAR is all it's cracked up to be. Works great for rotoscoping or
layoff. One of the best JPEG compressed systems out there, and the best in
it's price range. I'd go for the 1.0 or 1.7gig drive, though, not the 500m.
Greg Pyros
I guess I'll really have to look into it now. Unfortunately we just purchased
a 1.7 GB Micropolis AV but it's a SCSI (PAR requires IDE, yes?) I haven't been
able to see a PAR in person. If it is true 4:2:2 then it really seems worth
it.
Thanks for the info. (BTW, are you the god of PAR?)
Cheers, John
John:
>> Thanks for the info. (BTW, are you the god of PAR?)
I've been called lots of things in my time, that's only one of the repeatable
ones! <g>
Yes, it needs an IDE disk, not SCSI.
Greg Pyros
Anyone want to make offers on a slightly used, 2 1/2 month old Micropolis 2217
AV? <sigh>
Cheers, John