Blob modeler for 3DS
24 messages in this thread
anyone who's been wanting to model with Metaballs ought to check out
Steve Anger and Alphonse Hermida's (sp?) new Blob Modeler. It works
with 4 viewports, like 3DS. To use it, you place spheres in the 3D
space and define their 'gravity' (positive or negative). Clicking
preview will display the mesh of a smooth skinned object that follows
the surface. This mesh has adjustable detail level (because the
freeform surface defined by the metaballs is being skinned at a
definable 'resolution'), and can be output to RAW format. RAW is
converted to a 3DS filetype with Steve Anger's RAW23DS.
The results are _very_ organic, and it doesn't take too many metaballs
to get some very lively objects. Because the metaballs are converted
to triangles for 3DS, they are mappable (unlike metaballs). The
downside is that to modify the source metaballs, you have to start
over.
Stay tuned for an IPAS3 Metaball or "blob" modeller.
I should have it ready soon. Core code written, just working on the port to
IPAS.
Regards,
Danny…
danny:
this is getting totaly sick! is there anything we are not going to have for
3ds3 by the end of this year???<GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG>
hey, let me know when your metaball ipas3 is ready, i will be your first
customer.
drop me a note.
thanks
ara
Ara,
>> is there anything we are not going to have for 3ds3 by the end of this
year??? <<
yes, inverse kinematics – which would probably be the most useful addition 3ds
could use right now.
Hi Ara,
It may be totally sick but it should also be totally fantastic!!
I can't wait to get my hands on some of the stuff that will be appearing.
Regards,
Danny…
(P.S. I'll let you know when the Metaball modeller is ready.)
Danny,
>> Stay tuned for an IPAS3 Metaball or "blob" modeller. <<
you are a 3d stud! <g>
Martin,
> you are a 3d stud! <g>
Thanks! For a while I was afraid I only existed in 2D. My wife will certainly
be relieved! <g>
Danny…
Danny:
I'll be looking for a spaghetti IPAS to go with your Metaballs. Ci vediamo
dopo.
Roberto
Robert,
> I'll be looking for a spaghetti IPAS to go with your Metaballs.
And maybe some "Yost-Group-particle-system-parmesan" on top! <g>
Ciao,
Danny…
One thing I should have added – the software is shareware. I bet it's in the
GRAPHDEV forum but that's not where I got it… I got BLOBGUI and RAW23DS as
well as most of my share/free ware for Graphics from THE GRAPHICS ALTERNATIVE
BBS. It's long distancen (San Francisco), but still far cheaper than CI$
($6/hour for LD vs. $18 [now $12, is it?] for local CI$), plus it's 14.4KB
instead of 9600. This BBS carries tons of raytrace/fractal/graphics/render
utilities. The number is 510-524-2780. BTW, this bbs has about 600 or so mesh
files on line. I've held off replying to the zillions of 'I need a spaceship'
or 'I'm looking for an F-15 fighter' requests 'til now… Almost all of what
I've seen requested is on line at TGA – loads of fighter jets, spaceships from
every SF movie, and more. Catalog page GIFs can be downloaded to browse and
choose which meshes one wants.
Jim, how could you be paying $18 per hour for 9600 local connect? The CIS
forum charges (before they were changed) were something like $8.00 per hour.
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
>>Jim, how could you be paying $18 per hour
>> for 9600 local connect? The CIS forum charges
>> (before they were changed) were something like
>> $8.00 per hour.
Ok, I went and checked. I had raised the prices slightly in both cases. Current
CI$ charges are $9.60/hour for 9600 service. It amounts to about $18/hour in
comparison with long distance downloading, though, due to 9600 max connect (as
opposed to 14.4) and the inefficient protocol (as opposed to Zmodem – 1600
cps). The old price was $16/hour (not 18) for 9600. So, while the new price is
a real help, I wouldn't download anything from here that I could get anywhere
else in the US. It's just too expensive here to be picking up megs of files.
But then, I don't think CI$ ever intended for this to be a huge collection of
3DS-related files, or we'd see many more files available here, like there is on
TGA.
Jim
Jim, 14,4 is max connect on CIS. It is the same price as 9600 baud.
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
>>Jim, 14,4 is max connect on CIS.
>>It is the same price as 9600 baud.
It will be when they bother to install 14.4 modems in Kansas City! KC
is the home base of H&R Block, the owners of compuserve – you'd
thought we'd be higher on the list. But I guess they're not really
motivated to help us get offline faster!
There isn't a local SF 14,4 line either, but the long local/long distance
charges to San Mateo (nearest node) at night are pretty small. I generally do
my binary downloads at night on 14,4.
I find no major speed increase when downloading threads/messages,
though, so I do 9600 there for the time being.
>> There isn't a local SF 14,4 line either,…
Not intending to be silly, but are you sure? Gus G. pointed out to
me that we (Portland, OR) have 14.4k access. I checked with the
Compuserve database (several times) and they said that the only 14.4K
access was via their 800 number. So I got the 9600 baud number and
Procomm/Windows tells me that I am making connection at 14.4K. Just
some thoughts from the (warm) north.
The first time I saw Procomm/Windows telling me that it was 14.4K, I
was dozing off (I guess) but you don't do that, no doubt <g>.
I live in Portland, too, and I just checked last week on-line to see
if there was an 14.4 number and all I could find was one for Seattle.
If you have this number I would be most appreciative. BTW, do you
know if a local 3ds user group exists?
p.s., you may get this message twice. I went to send this and it
wasn't there, so I re-typed it. I may have sent it already and been
mentally in the Bahams when doing so.
Yo Portlanders,
The 14,400 number has been up for a couple weeks now…. boing…
the number you have dialed, 238,6729 has been changed. The NEW number
is, 274-6400. Please make a note of it… beeeeeeeeeeeeeeee….
Gday Gus,
We have been trying to get a Sony lvr-4000p running with 3DS 3
using the VTP-CVR.EXP. I have it set up via com1, using a null modem
cable, but it does not seem to recognise the recorder (it keeps
telling me to check the remote switch) any ideas? Thanx…Peter
>> I live in Portland, too, and I just checked last week
>> on-line to see if there was an 14.4 number…
>> If you have this number I would be most appreciative.
I checked the Compuserve customer service (800.848.8990) for the
14.4K number and they have caught up with the OLD local number
(503.238.6729). Do you suppose a computer service company uses paper
memos to do these updates <g>? Anyway, Gus has given you the new
number (503.274.6400), the number I got previously for 9600 service.
>> BTW, do you know if a local 3ds user group exists?
No but I think it sounds interesting. Often the best way to start
is with meetings at the local dealer but I bought mine from NW Tech
(from Dr. P. <g>). If you are interested and can think of a place to
meet (not an easy thing to find, I know from a little experience), I
am interested.
I'll check again. I've checked the database, too, and have found
several 14,4 access nodes, but none local to San Francisco. Pacific
Bell inside service area rates are usurously high. I think it may
actually be cheaper to call on AT&T long distance to another state.
I don't know if I trust Procomm's baud rate indicator. I think it may be
looking at the strings in the modem, not the real connect speed.
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
John,
<< SF 14.4 line…. >>
434-1580
jonas[adesk]
Oh, praise the LORD!!!! … hey wait a minute… that used to be the 9600
number, right?
thanks, Jonas =-)
John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
There are several cities w/ 14.4K access now. (Minneapolis is one…)
–Nat'n