#Targa+/Illuminator Pro
13 messages in this thread
Hi Dr Dave here! Depends on your purse & expectations for my money Visual
Circuits VTV-2000 is better solution You save $2-5K for a SVHS studio
solution vs frame at a time studio you get real time recording – which
translates into instant gratification you get 16 bit color -which is damn
site beter than 8, and is sufficent for most of my clients – legal,
medical, urban planners, educators also does video in functions lots of
choices – chose wisely dave wright Wyeknot, inc
Thanks for the input.
How can I find out more about the VTV-2000?
vern
Visual Circuits
3309 83rd Ave N
Brooklyn Park, MN 55443
phone # 612 560-6205
fax 612 659 6629
dealer I go to (michigan) is AeroData – (313) 454-4544
Visual Circuits has full page add in most recent (june/93) 3D Artist
but they are still some what obscure (unfortunatly)
Tell them Dr Dave Sent you.
good luck & iff you have any questions feel free. advice is free and
worth the price.
Dr Dave, Wyeknot Inc
Thanks dave.
vern
Dr. Dave:
>> Visual Circuits
Do you have a board, and what do you think of it? Our eval just arrived
late Friday, haven't even had time to install it yet! Have you been able to
compare it to something like the Bandit or DPS?
Greg Pyros
Greg
I've been using the VTV-2000 for quite a while for tests and the results
can be very good if you're careful. The images are still prone to tearing
if you try to change too many pixels. I have used it for some fly-bys of
post and beam frames, which have a fair amount of small detail and complex
shadows, at 320×200 and am happy with the end effect. The frames are
rendered as 24 bit TGA files and the VTV-2000 calculates the delta info at
16 bit and uses good flicker filters. 640×480 is also possible and although
the quality is better the amount of disk space used is much greater. The
board also comes with some good software to control the speed of the flick,
add or delete frame, and display still images on screen in a number of
ways. I recommend the board as a method to get good test flics or for those
of us who can't afford single frame or are waiting for the "new
technology", whatever it may be.
TedB
Hi Ted,
Just came across a full page ad for the VTV-2000 in my latest 3D Artist
Magazine.
I am assuming that video can go in both directions, in and out of the
computer? How much does it cost retail? Does it support applications via
the VESA feature connector or by its own spigots? Does it use C-Cube, LSI,
the Intel i750 or its own video compression/decompression chip set? Does it
require IRQ's and DMA's that will conflict with machines full of modems,
digitizing tablets and soundboards? Do I ask too many questions? <g>
Thanks for letting me bust in here from a "single framer waiting on the new
technology".
Bryce Whiteside Animation Producer/Consultant CF/X Image, Inc. at the big
red stick animation outpost down south
Bryce
The board is completely self contained and uses Visual Circuits own chipset
and compression algorithms as far as I know. I've had no configuration
problems or conflicts in my system but it's a pretty basic setup. It's the
machine I take on the road for 3DS and Autocad training and use as a render
box here in the office, no sound, CD-ROM, and only an external modem. I do
use several mice and Wacom and Acecat digitizers and no trouble so far. It
has VHS/SVHS output and genlocked capture built in.
List price is around $1800 and it comes with 3DS/AniPro drivers so you can
work on your video monitor(I seldom do) and it has windows drivers which I
haven't tried yet.
Try to get a demo of the unit or the demo tape from Visual Circuits to make
sure it does what you require.
What "big red stick"…..the south pole?
TedB
Thanks Ted,
I'll give them a call. They should do well advertising in 3D Artist. Most of
the readership seems to be independents such as myself.
I live in Baton Rouge, LA. Ergo the big but small "red stick". French
translation is baton rouge. Baton Rouge is the biggest small town I have ever
lived in; 350,000 and the capital of Louisiana.
Dragging these people into the twentieth century is tough, much less the
twenty-first century.
Wish me luck, and I wish you all the success in the world. Thanks again, Bryce
Whiteside CF/X Image, Inc.
Bryce
Aha, now I get it. I'm in New Hampshire so you don't have to explain dragging
people into the 20th Century to me.
I talked with Randy Timo at Visual Circuits yesterday and mentioned that he
should check for activity here on the forum so he can answer questions
directly.
Once Greg Pyros has it up and running we'll get a very good report of the
usefulness of the VTV2000 in a production setting.
Good Luck
TedB
Ted:
>> I recommend the board [VTV-2000] as a method to get good test flics.
Great! That's exactly what we were looking for! Can't wait to plug it in
and test it!
Thanks for the info,
Greg Pyros
Yes have a board, for about 6 months. Like it a lot. had some problems
initally, but found folks a Visual circuits very helpful in resolving them.
I have a 486DX 50 with 32 Meg of ram – can play 320×200 16 bit color real
time fly through. a 640×480 fly thru will get jerky – just transfer rate
limits. but a 640×480 'toon with still background and "reasonable" actions
work great.
I output to Panasonic AG-7500 in Y/C. [D [D,[oop 'cuse me – cat just walked
on keyboard – now in microwave] in insert edit mode. I have found best
signals for my set up using genlock mode. Compuvideo makes a $ 700 Y/C
generator. A Hi8 camera can do same thing, but is a bit inconvientent. Set
generator to black – seems to work here, was getting a bit of bleed thru,
possibley due to rats nest cabling.
Also best to give card some breathing room – a card slot or so. It runs
warm, and we are presently trying to resolve a minor drift in color levels
with elevate temp. Shouldn't be a problem for casual users, but may be
observable using waveform &/or vector scope.
I personaly feel it is a great alternative – if client NEEDs 24 bit, frame
accuirate stuff – there are service bureows. {damn wheres the s pell
cheker?}
Hope this is of some help – more questions – feel free to call or write
phone # is (313) 437-9445
Dave Wright {aka Dr Dave}, Wyeknot inc
PS Got the Tips & Tricks books – good stuff
Dave:
>> Got the Tips & Tricks books – good stuff!
Glad you like them!
>> Visual Circuits board
You guys are making me excited about it! Even if it works best in
320×200-16 bit mode, it would render fast and be good enough for client
previews. Hope to get it in today or tomorrow!
About your heat problem – have you considered a fan card in a slot next to
the board? We had a similar problem with another board, fixed it right up!
Greg Pyros