Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!ncrlnk!ncr-sd!tw-rnd!johnl
From: johnl@tw-rnd.SanDiego.NCR.COM (John Lindwall)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: AnimObs and AnimComps
Summary: Anim system is slow
Message-ID: <435@tw-rnd.SanDiego.NCR.COM>
Date: 17 Jul 89 19:47:33 GMT
References: <615@orange6.qtp.ufl.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: NCR Distributed Systems Laboratory
Lines: 50

In article <615@orange6.qtp.ufl.edu>, sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu (scott sutherland) writes:
> 	One of the most powerful and overlooked features of Amiga graphics
> (in my opinion) is the AnimOb/AnimComp/Animate series of commands. Books
> 
	Yes, I also agree that the system is very interesting.  It's problem
	in my opinion is its [lack of] speed.

> 	1) Why are these commands avoided like the plague in Amiga books when
> 		animation is one of the Amiga's strong points?

	IMO, programmers avoid it due to it's slowness.  It is not difficult
	(and actually fun) to write a stripped-down and faster set of
	animation object routines.  Use BltBitMap() to zap the images on
	the screen for speed.  I have a crude blob [Blitter Object] system
	of my own which I am currently cleaning up.  I am also adding support
	for double-buffered displays.

> 	2) Does anyone **USE** these commands, and, if so, for what kinds of
> 		applications? (Can you send me C source code??)
> 	3) Can anyone point me to other references for these commands? Any 
> 		books or articles I've overlooked? 

	I played with the Animation system (GELS) by using the RKM's and
	an article in Amazing Computing as references.  (I don't recall the
	issue of Amazing Computing, but it was sometime in 87 I believe).
	The Amazing article is invaluable due to mistakes in the RKM
	(at least my vintage 'white books' have the mistakes mentioned).
	One example: the delta values for producing motion are expressed
	as binary fractions. 

> 	4) Can anyone tell me if any PD or Commercial programs are available
> 		which use these features? I have heard that the old A1000 
> 		demo program ROBOCITY uses them exclusively. I was able to
> 		find a copy of the executable, but I cannot find the source.
> 		Anyone know where I can find the ROBOCITY source??
> 
	I've never seen any.

> ANY help or comments would be greatly appreciated. I want to use these powerful
> commands since they look like fun to "play with". 
> 

	Playing with them IS fun, but using them for high-speed graphics
	applications (games!) is not going to work very well, IMO.  
	E-mail me and I can send sources to some of this stuff, which will
	let you see the speed of the system.  [I'm on vacation from
	7-18 to 7-24, but I'll reply after I return].

	John Lindwall
	johnl@tw-rnd.SanDiego.NCR.COM