CompuServe Thread

Hi Martin, << .. been ignoring the PAR threads.. 🙂 >> Here's what's in the lib regarding the PAR… You may or may not have see these.. File Info for PAR127.ZIP Section: HWare/OpSys/Video Contributor: 74041,2043 Size: 876503 Submitted: 9/9/94 Type: Binary Accesses: 91 Title: PAR V1.27B(beta) Personal Animation Recorder Updt Keys: PAR BETA UPDATE Latest software for the Personal Animation Recorder. Fix for "Communications Timeout". [download time at 2400 baud: 55 min] File Info for PAR125.ZIP Section: HWare/OpSys/Video Contributor: 70413,1377 Size: 898889 Submitted: 9/1/94 Type: Binary Accesses: 96 Title: Personal Animation Recorder version 1.25 dos sof Keys: PAR ANIMATION DPS DIGITAL PROCESSING SYSTEMS This is the latest release of the application software. Please read the README. [download time at 2400 baud:57 min] File Info for BOARDS.ZIP Section: Index and Info Contributor: 73172,1351 Size: 12132 Submitted: 7/12/94 Type: Binary Accesses: 117 Title: MAX/PAR/other Debate Keys: MAX PAR VIDEO BOARD DEBATE A PreSiggraph 94 thread debating the merits of the MAX/PAR and alternatives. [download time at 2400 baud: 1 min] File Info for PAR_FA.TXT Section: HWare/OpSys/Video Contributor: 70413,1377 Size: 13466 Submitted: 3/3/94 Type: Text Accesses: 426 Title: Personal Animation Recorder Frequently Asked Que Keys: PAR DPS DIGITAL PROCESSING SYSTEMS Frequently asked questions about the Personal Animation Recorder from Digital Processing Systems. (Approximate download time at 2400 bps using CIS B: 0:45) (An ASCII file; read online, capture to a file, or download with a protocol)

Martin, >> Can someone who has used the PAR please tell me what limitations, if any, the PAR has. << Many of the limitations are a result of the disk technology available. You may see "edge artifacts" in high contrast areas. I can in my animations. However, most clients probably would not notice. The edge artifacts look a bit like a "cloudiness" or lack of definition at sharp edges. When capturing video (with the optional TBCIV) you will not be able to achieve as high data rates as for recording and playing animations. However, live video is usually more organic looking and doesn't suffer too much from artifacts. If you are going to use the captured video as a texture map smaller than screen size then you should have no problem. As new hard drive technology becomes available (very soon apparently) you should be able to achieve better results with much less artifacting. >> Do I need my frame-by-frame soloution anymore? << Probably not. If you need better quality than the PAR, then take your convert your .tga files to .yuv and go to a place with an Abekas or Accom Digital Disk Recorder (DDR). >> Can one have the PAR on another computer and netrender, from inside 3DS, to it through a network? We have a WFW 3.11 network! << Yes, but only with the assistance of a program like NDUMP. Maybe Greg Pyros can explain this program since he sells it – I don't use it. Basically one machine must check for the next frame in a network rendered sequence to be rendered. When it is rendered that one machine copies it to PAR, and optionally deletes the .tga file to save disk space. >> Is it possible to sync sound through a parrallel soundcard with the DPS? << Yes, I think you can, or will soon be able to, sync .wav files to PAR files with the Windows media player. Coming soon is a complete .avi file ability which would allow you to use non-linear editing software like Razor and Adobe Premiere. >> how do TARGA2000 and the DPS PAR compare? << I prefer to compare the Matrox MAX with the PAR. Download the thread that Jonas Ruikus mentioned for a long debate on the 2. Since that debate I have seen the MAX at Siggraph and the output was cleaner and had less artifacts than the PAR. I think this is purely to do with the faster data rate of the Seagate Barracuda hard drive the MAX was using. In a month or two there will be new drives available for the PAR which will offset this performance advantage. If you have money to burn then buy a MAX, if not then buy a PAR. Martin

>> I have used Truevista PRO and Diaquest and have had a been able to put out 2000 frames/hour with very good result << Martin if you can output 2000 frames/hour, that's 33 frames a minute so you're not going to get any benefit in terms of speed. The Truevista Pro should give you better output though the framebuffer in the PAR is good; the compression does have some artifacting. The two advantages than may be of significance to you with regard to the PAR are a) multiple first generation dubs, b) the ability to edit on a single source without generation loss. There currently under development some scripting features for speaker support type applications which could also be used for combining animations to build custom tapes. John