#3DS2RIB RIB23DS
14 messages in this thread
It is hard to believe that there is a little intrest as you and
others at Adesk have infered about RIB conversion. Adesk's quiet
failure to deliver on that little promise ranks right up there with
the Visual Link fiasco when I am looking for things to dislike about
3DS. <grrr> I am hoping that 3DS will support some kind of
3D/animation standard so that we won't stranded on this
hardware/software island for too long.
A wish: On many of our projects, especially when doing architectural
stills, we would do anything (short of giving up 3DS) for 1) ray
tracing and 2) shadow casting distant light sources (positioned for
time of day, day of year etc.).
Are you working exclusively with 3DS? I mean, you mentioned Visual
Link so that sort of assumes AutoCAD is involved here. If so, you
should be made aware (if you aren't already) of AutoVision, just
recently released on DOS and a product we will be porting (because it
works inside AutoCAD) to other platforms. AutoVision come with a Ray
Trace option and a Sun Locator built in. It's designed FOR doing
still images, this month's CADalyst cover was done using AutoVision.
You'll also like the 3DSin and 3DSout features (I know I like them)
I went to a demo of Autovision and 3ds R3 last week and noted the two
features you have mentioned (Ray Trace and Sun Locator) as two strong
points for Autovision. With the high number of architects that use
3ds how come the Sun Locator is not a part of the 3D Studio package
as well? I don't necessarily mind tossing Greg P. a hundred bucks
for his IPAS routine but I don't think I am in the minority when I
say that we architects would have expected this feature in 3D Studio
as a matter of course from Autodesk.
Its time for other architects and animators to chime in here.
Shouldn't the Sun Locator feature be a part of 3ds as it is part of
Autovision? Sorry, Jamie, to make such a big deal out of this. 🙂 I
guess I just want to put this feature on the R4 wish list.
PMJI..did you ever deceide on a third party add-on to create 3D AEC
Geometry to bring in to 3D Studio? David was going to send me some
info but didn't so I had Eclipse send me a couple of single sheet
info brochures. If you still need it I can send it out to you.
Better Yet… if your half-serious about the product I'll send the
full blown for resale version for Release 12. Were talking about
"Architectural Power Tools" version 12 for release 12. This is the
latest shipping version and a sealed package. You can look over all
the documentation and tutorials and if you deceide it's for you just
break the seal on the software package load it up and send me a
check. If your interested I'll quote you pricing Via E-Mail. The
product lists for $795 so you have a ball park figure. <g> James M.
I am still using GDS to create my models for importing to 3ds but I
would entertain a PC based modeller if it has your seal of approval.
What can you tell me about Autodesk's AME? I have Autocad but as I
have said previously I prefer to do my modelling in GDS. If you have
info on "Architectural Power Tools" I'd give it a good look. This
requires Autocad as well, no? I'm going to post a message for a
conversion utility that would make my life a bit easier.
We had the sun locator on our list when we discovered that Greg was
coming out with an IPAS version. Since we always have more wishes
than time or resources (or RAM) with which to implement them, we
decided to build a new materials editor instead. (…or was it a new
Renderer?) Anyway, some other other wishes made it in, and you still
have the capability of accurate sun positioning.
HOOORRRAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!! I like the new materials editor much more than the
idea of a sun locator!!!!
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
No problem, no matter how hard we try, there will always be something we can't
get in. Jack is right, when faced with getting a product out on time and
wanting to put all the wishlist items in, it gets hard to decide what 'falls
out' and in this particular case, there was a solution on the market.
Consider it on the Release 4 wishlist (sorry Greg) 😉
BTW- Pardon my ignorance but what is this GDS modeler you're talking about? An
AutoCAD app?
Jamie
Autodesk, VPG
Jamie:
>> Consider it on the Release 4 wishlist (sorry Greg) 😉
That's OK, we'll have plenty more by the time R4 starts shipping! (And then
you'll include them in R5, etc!)
The SUNPATH.PXP routine was written to fill a need, and does so very well. It
is just great with R3's raytracing shadows!
Greg Pyros
Jamie,
Thanks for the positive response on the Sun Locator.
GDS (Graphic Data Systems) is a software package that EDS markets. It runs on
the VAX/VMS platform and has been successfully ported to OPEN VMS running on
the DEC Alpha workstations. Its an object based system, not layer based like
Autocadd. GDS has many modules that are similar to how 3DS is divided up (ie.
Lofter, Shaper, Editor, etc.) There are modules for creating 3d solid models,
for assembling the pieces and for viewing the whole. 3DS is the perfect
addition to the system because GDS lacks any photorealistic rendering and lacks
any animation capabilities. The modeller is double precision and I am very
comfortable using it as opposed to the 3ds modeller which is a bit cumbersome.
I am game to try a PC based modeller like Autocadd + AME but I need more info
on the products. You'll see another message of mine regarding a conversion
utility that I could use to ease my importing of models into 3ds from GDS.
Unfortunately, GDS has never heard of 3d .dxf files. I have to jump through
hoops to use 3ds but its definitely worth it.
Thanks again,
Bob
And I'm not an architect, I use sun positioning very rarely. I usually place
the sun where it makes stuff look best. I would like inverse kinematics,
spline based modeling, and a dynamics module to be part of 3DS.
Gets kinda complicated when you've got soooo maaany different types out there
using a software package. I think the open architecture of 3DS is THE BEST
WAY. I would hate to think inverse kinematics was left out because some
architect was too lazy to figure out where the sun goes for himself…<g>.
Now the only question is WHEN is the stuff I want going to be available?
Regards,
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
John,
I wasn't suggesting that a Sun Locator feature be included in 3DS at the
expense of any other desired feature. Autodesk already has all the code
included in the Autovision product. I'm no programmer but wouldn't it be a
natural to simply add the feature to 3DS?
>>I usually place the sun where it makes stuff look best.<<
In urban design, planning boards, zoning boards and many other agencies require
complete shadow studies. I was working on 4 high rise towers that would form
Times Square in New York. I had to model downtown NYC for 15 block in all
directions to show which streets, buildings, and parks would be affected by the
shadows cast by the new buildings. I did the calculations for azimuth and
declination for 4 required dates and 4 specific times of day including
adustments for daylight savings time. If I only had the Sun Locator and 3DS
then I could have cranked out an animation of the sun sweeping across the sky
and let any interested party hit the "pause" button at any time they wanted.
Sorry to ramble on here. My point is that the Sun Locator is important to me
and I suspect it is important to many 3DS users out there because a buttload of
architects use this software.
>> I think the open architecture of 3DS is THE BEST WAY.<<
How does incorporating this feature impose on the open architecture of 3DS?
Wouldn't incorporating any new feature pose the same threat? If everything was
an add-on I'd go broke buying all of the ones I needed <g>. I'd prefer that
Autodesk keep adding the features as they have in response to a wishlist.
Sorry for my oral incontinence,
Bob
I agree that certain features are important to certain people. But
think about the overhead (not necessarily of a sun locator, but, you
know…) required to put in every wish list item. I think refining
and expanding the basics of animation would be a top priority. NURBS,
Spline-patch, skeletal and inverse kinematics… the stuff that make
animation packages really sparkle. But I'm definitely biased.
Please don't think I have anything against architectural work, some of
my favorite animations on the '93 Siggraph reel are architectural,
and some of my best friends are architects <g>. I just feel that
there are some blatant areas where 3DS lacks, and would love to see
them in the next release. I guess I'm going to leave a wish list…
Donald:
>> On many of our projects, especially when doing architectural stills, we
>> would do anything (short of giving up 3DS) for 1) ray tracing and 2) shadow
>> casting distant light sources positioned for time of day, day of year etc.
Can't do much for 1), but did you know we have been shipping an IPAS routine
that will do 2) exactly what you have been asking for? And that with R3's new
raytracing shadows, you can get it to look totally realistic? And animate it
besides? Works in R2 or R3.
The routine is called SUNPATH.PXP, and it allows you to input the time of day,
time of year, latitude, longitude, height above sea level, and even allow you
to locate and animate any other planet or our moon! You could even track an
eclipse and see when it will effect your project!
It runs totally inside 3D Studio, and has been shipping for 6 months.
Call us at (714) 833-0334 for yours today! <g> $100, cash, check, or
credit card.