#LW & Flicker
21 messages in this thread
I would like to run LW in non-interlaced mode. I am told I could do it with
LightRave and a video card. What video card should I get? Are there
accelerated video cards (like the Supermac cards on the Mac)?
Thanks,
Alain
There are plenty of video cards (see the L/R ads) that will work. But I would
be more concerned about heading down a blind alley. I suspect NewTek will put
a better lock on LW next version out, which leave you stuck with no upgrade
path. Perhaps NewTek will offer the next version of LW with changeable scan
rates. Technically I think it's possible.
Bruce Robertson
I have not in mind running an illegal copy of LW. My only concern are
my eyes. I had a look at LW on a friends toaster system, and I think
it is impossible to model and animate on a interlaced monitor. Maybe
I am spoiled from the SGI and the Mac, but it is a nice feature when
you can make the decision on how big your work screen is, or have
multiple screens where you can drag windows and change there
proportions. To have a crisp and clear, flicker free non-interlaced
monitor to work on is #1. I got very interested in LW since I have
seen a list of its new features and the announcement of the
screamer. But I would never consider working under this conditions.
LW, at its current stage seems to me like one of this car-kits, like
a Ferrari motor in a VW. Alain
If you want to have a flicker free display, they're available. You
have a variety of options, depending on the type of Amiga you're
running Lightwave on. Many people do this.
Steve
I will say this again. You CAN run LightWave AS IT IS NOW on a
flicker free monitor. You need a small product called a Flicker Free
video card that goes in the Amiga and allows you to connect a
Multisync monitor. This is how I and ALOT of people run their Amigas.
Currently, with this version of LW, you cannot increase the size of
the screen – you are limited to approx 700 X 480.
Unfortunately, you CANNOT run lightwave as it is now on a flicker free
monitor on an A4000. The Flicker Free card occupies the video slot,
and the other solutions require the old chip set. When I don't have
my toaster in my 4000, I use Commodore's A2320, but unless I buy an
800$ add-on which allows me to have 2 video slots, that's not a
solution when I want to use my toaster. Someone please tell me I'm
wrong, or there's another solution, because I think the flicker AND
the non-scan doubled display both look horrendous.
You're completely right!!
Forcing Amiga 4000 owners to use interlaced mode for LightWave and
Modeler is a travesty!
I couldn't stand going back to 'Flicker-mode' on my 4000 when my new
T4000 showed up. (In a way, I was 'lucky' that I blew up my 4000
motherboard! Since I had to wait 3 months for a C= replacement
motherboard, the only option I had was to look into LightRave. For
the last few months I have been blissfully modeling on my 4000 w/o
the horrid flickering your complaining about.)
The most galling thing is that if the T4000 dongle didn't _REQUIRE_
NTSC timing, there's _no reason_ LightWave and Modeler _need_ to run
in 'Flicker-mode'!!!!!!! Thank you for the chance to vent my spleen.
:^)
It hadn't occurred to me before, but maybe LightRave is the way to go.
400 bucks and I'm in flicker free bliss. Without raising the hackles
of everyone on both sides of the LightRave issue, does New Tek have
any plans to allow users to run Lightwave without accessing the full
toaster, even if it requires the toaster as a "dongle"?
Unless you absolutely need it, the LightRave option seems to be a
limited choice. I'm sure the next version of LightWave will be even
more careful about checking for the Toaster dongle, and while Warm &
Fuzzy might eventually hack the next revision, it'll be a continual
game of cat and mouse. I'm not sure if the long term hassles justify
the cost – especially considering the low cost of flicker fixers
these days. (Then, there's always the 3000…., but no AGA. :^(
I haven't heard anything from NewTek about anything that might be
similar to LightRave, but I'm 'out of the loop' so to speak. :^)
What if you put a board like the
Retina-Merlin-Piccolo-Spectrum-Picasso in the 4000? Wouldn't that
effectively deinterlace the Lightwave display? It's an expensive
solution, but might be worth it.
My complaint is that there's no reason I should have to do that.
LightWave works just fine, and doesn't need to run in interlace mode.
Why should I have to spend a few hundred bucks for a flicker fixer to
cirumvent a problem that was caused by NewTek themselves? (For no
good reason that I can see.)
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom
And keep in mind, YOU CAN'T USE A FLICKER FIXER ON AN A4000!! I have
the A2320, which works great in the 4000, but uses the internal video
slot. The only solution I know of is to buy one of those external
boxes that have multiple video slots, and the cheapest price I've
seen for one of them is 800 bucks! Obviously, the target audience is
people who need a lot of slots, not some poor schmoe who needs to run
a flicker fixer with the A4000.
By the way, another question I have about LightRave is its anim
format. The toaster's internal anim format seems to be much better
in terms of playback (although not as good in file size crunching)
than the other anim formats (better than 7 and of course, obviously
better than the dog that is known as 8). With the toaster's format, I
can generally pump out a good 30 fps even with a lot of screen
changes, although a really high delta manifests itself as video
distortions when I play it back from the switcher. I talked to New
Tek tech support, and they said I could basically have the entire
screen change if I rendered in low res (which I always do). I sent
them a video tape of my screen distortions, and they're looking at it
on Monday. I'll post to the world the results of that. But, getting
back to the point, LightRave becomes useless to me if it doesn't
support that wonderful Toaster anim (which New Tek seems bent on
keeping proprietarary).
Well, you could always render the RGB images out, and then compile them
later using LightWave.
Since I fried my 4000 motherboard and can't run the T4000 board in it,
it's a moot point. :^(
Sorry I can't answer your question.
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom
LightRave CAN'T render in NewTek's Anim format.
JG
I don't know if this helps any, but I'm running T4000 on a 4000 using a
Commodore 1960 monitor with a Sync Strainer – everything looks pretty darn
good. Hope this info helps.
Steve [remembering that flickering screens can cause some folks to become
epileptic]
Yeah, I see your point. It's surprising that they don't support the
no-flicker modes of the 4000. But pehaps understandable from a technical
view. After all, the Toaster depends on the NTSC timing of the Amiga's
custom chips. It would probably go nuts if you fed it double-ntsc or
productivity. Seems like they could figure out something for the Lightwave
crowd who never use the Switcher.
.Jim
'Seems like they could figure out something for the Lightwave crowd who
never use the Switcher.'
AMEN!
It's bad enough I have to fire up the Toaster dongle to get to LW, but to
then be forced to run in flicker mode for no good reason?!?
Oh well, I don't know why I keep saying this, but:
Keep On Toastin'
Erik Flom
So….
What do we have to do to get flicker free on T4000? Will something like a
Piccollo board do anything for us?
–Paul < Motorola Inside >
John, Quote "You need a small product called a Flicker Free video
card that goes in the Amiga and allows you to connect a Multisync
monitor"
Is 'Flicker Free video card' the exact name? I diden't find it in any
of the adds from last month Amiga World. The closest I came is
'Flicker Free Video 2' from ICD Incorporated – is that the product?
If not, where can I get it? B.t.w. I have a 4000/40. Thanks again
(and sorry if I sound stupid – the Amiga is new to me) Alain
It is the ICD product, but it does not work with the A4000.