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AutoFlix with Nth engine

19 messages in this thread
#21572From: Ed SilvaApr 6, 1988 12:27 AM
we just got a nth engine for a '386 clone ( ALR ) and it works fine with AutoCAD, and as they claim ZOOMS take less that 2 seconds in the nozzel.dwg I went to as litle as my pickbox and always took that 2 sec. anyway will AutoFlix support this board, how about AutoCAD directly using the board, and also AutoSHADE ? how come the 'dialog' boxes int release 9 are SO SLOW, and last when a AutoLISP compiler will be released !!! ( badly needed ) . Almost forgot how will wou guys rate AutoCAD release 9 against DataCAD ?
#21596From: Doug WietbrockApr 7, 1988 11:00 AM
AutoFlix will not run on the Nth, but AutoShade will.
#21649From: Ed SilvaApr 8, 1988 1:03 AM
Any plans to make it runon the Nth…?
#21649From: Ed SilvaApr 8, 1988 1:03 AM
Any plans to make it runon the Nth…?
#21596From: Doug WietbrockApr 7, 1988 11:00 AM
AutoFlix will not run on the Nth, but AutoShade will.
#21605From: Training [ADESK]Apr 7, 1988 1:14 PM
I believe Nth Graphics has an ADI driver for AutoShade. Sorry, AutoFlix is a hardware-dependent program, and will run on the EGA, period. We had to do that in order to make it as fast as it is. The speed at which icon menus are displayed is usually a function of the graphics board design and how well it works with the way AutoCAD stores graphics in memory. Some are very fast, some are slower. It is the policy of Autodesk, Inc. not to comment in any way about competitive products. However, I will say that I think we have the finest microcomputer CADD product available anywhere!
#21644From: Michael MurphreeApr 7, 1988 11:55 PM
Ed, The policy of dealers, however, is to comment on competitive products…<grin>. Seriously, if your dealer has a copy of the MicroCAD Ratings Guide, published by the MicroCAD Institute in Cambridge, MA, you can get a good objective comparison of the two.
#21644From: Michael MurphreeApr 7, 1988 11:55 PM
Ed, The policy of dealers, however, is to comment on competitive products…<grin>. Seriously, if your dealer has a copy of the MicroCAD Ratings Guide, published by the MicroCAD Institute in Cambridge, MA, you can get a good objective comparison of the two.
#21650From: Ed SilvaApr 8, 1988 1:08 AM
Brad, now this Nth board is lighting fast…so why not make AutoFLIX run on these 'state of the art' boards such as the Nth, Targa and some others. maybe not makeit for all of them buts at least give the user a choice perhaps make you for the fastest board that you can use on IBMs.
#21654From: Jamie Clay [Adesk]Apr 8, 1988 9:26 AM
Ed, like Brad said, the code for AutoFlix is hardware specific, to make it work on other boards would require a complete rewrite. Now it is my understanding we have offered to sell the source to any board manufacturer seriously interested in building AutoFlix for their graphics card. I don't know if anyone has taken us up on that offer but that is the best hope for a higher res animation.
#21696From: Ed SilvaApr 9, 1988 1:23 AM
That is a very nice straight aproach…maybe calling Nth folks will awake them up and see this ofter..
#21696From: Ed SilvaApr 9, 1988 1:23 AM
That is a very nice straight aproach…maybe calling Nth folks will awake them up and see this ofter..
#21654From: Jamie Clay [Adesk]Apr 8, 1988 9:26 AM
Ed, like Brad said, the code for AutoFlix is hardware specific, to make it work on other boards would require a complete rewrite. Now it is my understanding we have offered to sell the source to any board manufacturer seriously interested in building AutoFlix for their graphics card. I don't know if anyone has taken us up on that offer but that is the best hope for a higher res animation.
#21706From: Doug WietbrockApr 9, 1988 2:30 PM
Ed, unless I'm wrong, those boards derive most of their speed from display lists, not necessarily graphics speed. Imagine the Nth Engine with its virtual window of 32k x 32k trying to load Aflix scenes…. that much video takes a while to load. I suspect that is why you won't see those special cards trying to work with Aflix. But, let's ask Lansing. Sometimes I think he knows what Nth will do before they know it themselves!
#21713From: Ed SilvaApr 9, 1988 8:14 PM
well , true but…how about compresing each bitmap by means of only saving waht change from the previous one…for examples if you have a building and a airplane moving around it sometimes only a small chunk of the video memory will change therefore there will be no need to refresh all of the video memory . This is a idea done on the Amiga with several animation Programs…or how about having AutoFLIX on the Amiga, now THAT will be nice… 🙂
#21713From: Ed SilvaApr 9, 1988 8:14 PM
well , true but…how about compresing each bitmap by means of only saving waht change from the previous one…for examples if you have a building and a airplane moving around it sometimes only a small chunk of the video memory will change therefore there will be no need to refresh all of the video memory . This is a idea done on the Amiga with several animation Programs…or how about having AutoFLIX on the Amiga, now THAT will be nice… 🙂
#21706From: Doug WietbrockApr 9, 1988 2:30 PM
Ed, unless I'm wrong, those boards derive most of their speed from display lists, not necessarily graphics speed. Imagine the Nth Engine with its virtual window of 32k x 32k trying to load Aflix scenes…. that much video takes a while to load. I suspect that is why you won't see those special cards trying to work with Aflix. But, let's ask Lansing. Sometimes I think he knows what Nth will do before they know it themselves!
#21650From: Ed SilvaApr 8, 1988 1:08 AM
Brad, now this Nth board is lighting fast…so why not make AutoFLIX run on these 'state of the art' boards such as the Nth, Targa and some others. maybe not makeit for all of them buts at least give the user a choice perhaps make you for the fastest board that you can use on IBMs.
#21605From: Training [ADESK]Apr 7, 1988 1:14 PM
I believe Nth Graphics has an ADI driver for AutoShade. Sorry, AutoFlix is a hardware-dependent program, and will run on the EGA, period. We had to do that in order to make it as fast as it is. The speed at which icon menus are displayed is usually a function of the graphics board design and how well it works with the way AutoCAD stores graphics in memory. Some are very fast, some are slower. It is the policy of Autodesk, Inc. not to comment in any way about competitive products. However, I will say that I think we have the finest microcomputer CADD product available anywhere!