CompuServe Thread

#images

12 messages in this thread
#59294From: ray olivaSep 28, 1993 10:33 AM
[A [A [A/exit Ok Ok so i am frustrated and am now ready to fall into that great graphics pit called frustration. I have two questions. One. Has anybody ever created a starburst effect that ends up looling like a series of laser beams eminating from the center of the screen and the outward bound lines are sparkling? I hope this makes sense. I can get close but no cupid doll. the center of the screen has a bright light small and then a line which gets progressively smaller until it ends up as a point on the horizental [D number 2 has anybody ever made a choo choo train whihc goes in a circle with box cars. I am doing some volunteer work and I wanted to create a scene for christmas which I have done but I wanted to add in the train going around the tree. Something for some kids whihc don't have much. Anybody have any thoughts Thanks for your help
#59306From: Rock RichardsonSep 28, 1993 11:21 AM
I did a train with candy canes but not sure I still have it, Ill check and get back to you. I would need some specifics as to the nature of its use Rock Richardson
#59343From: ALAN IGLESIASSep 28, 1993 7:44 PM
Before you fall into the "graphics pit", Ray, please understand that the things you want to do are pretty common and are no problem when you have the tools. The Starburst you mentioned is easily made in a paint program, or you could use the Flare or Hilight IPAS routine from the Yost Group Boutique Image Processing collection. Modeling and animating a train for Christmas is well within 3DS's capabilities (I'd like to do one myself this year) and it's photo-realism will be commensurate with your abilities as a modeler and animator. Since it's volunteer work, maybe you could get a 3D digitizing company (like ViewPoint or Accuris) to donate some mesh, and you could just apply materials, animate, and render it. If, in fact, if I *do* get around to the train thing this year, I would be glad to donate it, but I cannot say at this time whether I will get to it or not. If you decide to model it yourself, I would suggest getting a real toy or good 2D renderings to go by, and be sure to have a good working knowledge of the various modeling abilities of the Shaper and Lofter, all well-covered in the tutorials. Best of luck! -Alan Iglesias
#59384From: Don LandisSep 29, 1993 3:13 AM
I just finished a 120,000 faces mesh of a railroad car suspension system with air connections, couplers, air spring cushions, complete with animation. I'll be creating a whole train to finish the animation featuring this system. It's probably a little much for what your needs will be though, lots of detail in the wheel suspension area ( over 59 moving objects.)
#59454From: ALAN IGLESIASSep 29, 1993 12:44 PM
Sounds awesome, Don, but yeah, probably a *little* too detailed for a Christmas tree scene!<g> Love to see some of that train stuff, though. Any chance of ULing a couple of JPEGs when your done? Or is it restricted work? Anyway, sure sounds like a cool project…I'm in the middle of a bunch of outer-space-type stuff right now. Lots of fun but modeling space people can be pretty time-consuming!
#59456From: Don LandisSep 29, 1993 1:25 PM
I should be able to show the work after a trade show in December.
#59347From: Yost GroupSep 28, 1993 8:36 PM
In addition to what AlanI said, there's a great train model on the 3DSr3 CD-ROM… It _might've_ also been on the r2 CD-ROM, but at the moment, I can't be sure. – G
#59348From: merlin farmerSep 28, 1993 9:05 PM
Ray, I'm not 100% sure what type of starburst you are after, but I have created effects similar to what you've described with the aid of two IXP's in the IPAS Disk #1 package. The two I used was HILIGHT and FLARE. The HILIGHT can be set so that the "starpoints" turn a number of degrees with each frame, and the FLARE will follow the size of the object, ie, make a very small sphere, have it scale up and down over 30 frames or so, run FLARE on it, (you'll need to experiment with the settings) and use two or three instances of HILIGHT. (I think HILIGHT will need to be first in the video post que). You can get astounding effects layering the HILIGHT with different settings.. I just got the IPAS package a couple of weeks ago and have been having a ball with it. It took me a couple of hours to figure out some constant settings but its not difficult, just time consuming because you have to render the image to see the result. The package also contains GLOW and BLUR which can all be layered on the same image. I only mention this because I myself was after a similar image, and came very close but no cigar, (or cupid doll) but then I splurged on the IPAS and wha-lah! oh, as far as the sparkeles at the end of the rays, get your star the way you want it with FLARE/HILIGHT, and render a TGA. Run the TGA in the background in the editor and create teenie weenie spheres at the endpoints where the rays would end. Then run it all back thru video post, using more instances of HILIGHT and or FLARE on the teenie weenie spheres for the sparkles. There would be a bit more to it than that but this should give you an idea if buying the IPAS would warrant the effect you're after. Merlin G. Farmer
#59436From: Yost GroupSep 29, 1993 10:51 AM
Merlin, it's great to hear about how much fun you've been having with the image processing stuff! – G
#59491From: merlin farmerSep 29, 1993 7:17 PM
Jack, I did not mean to be advertising your product for you, but yes, I am indeed having fun with it. I answered a message as you know, in regards to a star image. I thought I'd let him know of the IPAS as it cost me almost 10 bucks to decide if I really needed it, Downloading examples and online connections at various times etc. Turns out to be well spent money, Hope I enlightened the "star maker" some, also hope to purchase all available IPASs from both YOST and PYROS in the future, right now however, I have to spring for a bloomin' manifold for my 69 Ford Econoline. You may be pleased to know that extensive use of the IPAS package is being used in my first major project, (due mid Oct.) which is sort of a political endeaver for the county, to draw business and industry into the area. I am indeed doing the job way to cheap but am in dyer need of exposure, of which I think I will get plenty of as several fat cats from the big cities are going to view this production. Since I'm at it, I want to say that I am grateful for finding 3DS and grateful that it is on this planet, you guys are doing a fantastic job. I am also curious if I am elgible for a discount on the upgrade as I had only purchased r2.01a back in June of this year, and my dealer did not alert me to a near release of a new version. One more thought, I am I correct in assuming that my (your) IPAS will work with r3 if and when I upgrade?
#59540From: Yost GroupSep 30, 1993 1:58 AM
Good luck with your first project… sounds like a challenge! Regarding upgrades, I don't have anything to do with that stuff. We only make 3DS… we don't sell it. Regarding our IPAS routines working with R3… no problem. Everything works exactly as they did in R2. Note that if you want to take advantage of gamma correction and 64-bit color with the IXP's, you'll have to get our updates (sometime in November). But as-is, they'll work just as they did with R2. (PS: The updates will be free via CIS for my direct mail customers (those whom I've got on a list from Schreiber)… everyone else will be able to update thru Schreiber for a very nominal cost.)
#59637From: merlin farmerSep 30, 1993 5:39 PM
Thanks for the "good luck", I can always use that, as for the the discount, there I go, not thinking again. As for the IPAS, great, will be looking forward to November.