#Wish List
16 messages in this thread
I would like to see some form of selective Ray Tracing
implemented, if shadows can be Ray Traced is this request much more
difficult?
I may be slightly off base with my next request but after
attending the Autodesk 3D R4 release kickoff here in Calgary , I
could not help but feel a little perturbed by some of the effects
that Autodesk feel should be bought seperately. Some of the more
rudimentary effects such as lense flair which pretty well all
competitors have integrated into there systems is a costly add on to
3Ds. Even more disturbing is your IPAS system for optimal geometry
generation, (reducing memory requirements for meshes), this is and
add on ?, how strange I would tend to think that optimizing system
resource useage would be a necessity not a costly add on. At times I
feel somewhat cheated for paying what is a premium price for a PC
based animation system and then be expected to pay for something that
should in fact be a integral part of the product.
I'm sorry you feel that way, but I emphatically disagree with you. I
believe that 3DS offers the best value for doing production animation
because it includes things like video post, an a-buffered renderer,
open architecture, etc. Regarding Optimize, I don't think that I've
seen that type of functionality available on ANY platform, so
charging $50 for the routine doesn't seem out-of-line to me,
especially considering all the work that Rolf put into it.
1.) You did not answer my first question. 2.) I have no doubt that
a lot of effort was spent on the mesh optimize IPAS routine. You have
helped make my point more clear about optimizing meshes, in that
other systems do have this feature, it is merely integral to the
system and therefore not advertised as an add on. Does Optimize cost
$50.00 or is it in fact avaialable only as part of a set of $300
(Canada $410) IPAS routines ?
Regarding selective ray tracing, it's on about 50% of the wishlists,
so you've got plenty of company.
I'm unaware of any other systems that embody the features of Optimize.
Please enlighten me. (Re its cost… it's a $50 component of a $300
set of routines.)
>> it is merely integral to the system and therefore not advertised as an
>> add on.
PMJI, but Optimize is not REQUIRED to produce efficient meshes in 3DS.
Careful modelling practices will produce high quality, low face-count
meshes. What Optimize DOES offer (together with its counterpart
MESHRES) is the ability to have multiple resolutions available within
any mesh object. It DOES offer the ability to reduce the mesh
resolution on models that weren't created very efficiently or where
you don't need the original level of faces. (Like when your camera
is distant)
Tell me, exactly, which other system have a mesh optimization routine
built in? Optimize provides some of the highest quality, lowest
density meshes I've ever seen, and I work in several packages on
several platforms.
>>… it includes things like video post, an a-buffered renderer, open arc…<<
what is an a-buffered renderer. Does it have anything to do with
z-buffering?
Hi Will,
<< what is an a-buffered renderer. Does it have anything to do with
z-buffering? >>
Everyone correct me if I'm wrong, 🙂 but here's what some references
I have say…
Both of the following are methods for Visible – Line Determination.
The z-buffer or depth buffer image precision algorithm is one of the
simplest visible surface algorithms to implement in software or
hardware. It requires that we have available not only a frame buffer
F in which colors are stored, but also a z-buffer Z, with the same
number of entries, in which the depth is stored for each pixel.
The a-buffer is used in Area-Subdivision algorithms and follow the
divide and conquer strategy of spatial partitioning in the projection
plane. An area of the projected image is examined. If it is easy to
decide which polygons are visible in the area, they are displayed.
Otherwise the area is subdivided into smaller areas to which the
decision logic is applied recursively. As the areas become smaller,
fewer polygons each other, and ultimately a decision becomes
possible.
Jonas' description of an a-buffered renderer is correct, in that it
uses area sampling. The point of that is that this method provides
an optimal antialiasing solution (as long as you're gamma correcting
for the output device), whereas z-buffering (along with using
super-sampling for antialiasing) falls apart on contrasting edges and
edges that approach the vertical and horizontal.
[ a-buffer vs. z-buffer ]
The 3DS renderer is a-buffering, but R4 gives plug-ins the ability to
access a z-buffer. Is that an additional set of calculations or is
3DS calculating the z-buffer for other internal purposes?
The only thing 3DS needs the z-buffer for is to output it to IPAS routines for
effects work. It doesn't use it internally.
– G
>> z-buffer
Interesting. Thanks for the info.
>>Doesn't use z-buffer internally<<
Then how does 3DS create shadow maps, my understanding is that that's based on
z-buffering. Or is it some secret the Yost Group doesn't what to divulge
because it make the renderer really fast.
—————-Will
C'mon… I really don't want to go into how the renderer works
internally beyond the fact that it's a-buffer based. Thanks for
understanding.
PMJI, but the Z-buffer can be used for various depth
information….hidden surface removal, DOF blurring, shadows, etc..