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From: jmunkki@kampi.hut.fi (Juri Munkki)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: Tektronix Virtual Reality board for Macintosh
Message-ID: <1990Jun4.102521.16670@santra.uucp>
Date: 4 Jun 90 10:25:21 GMT
References: <18313@well.sf.ca.us>
Sender: hlab@milton.acs.washington.edu
Reply-To: jmunkki@kampi.hut.fi (Juri Munkki)
Organization: Helsinki University of Technology
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Approved: hitl@hardy.u.washington.edu


In <18313@well.sf.ca.us> oster@well.sf.ca.us (David Phillip Oster) writes:
>"Tektronix Corporation, which started out as an oscilliscope
>company, is already marketing a hardware/software package
>called CAChe (Computer Aided Chemical Modeling). CAChe is a
>molecular modeling program with 3-D input control, stereo
>3-D output, and high computing speed. 

[Stuff deleted]


>Does anyone have info on price and performance of this beast?


Since they are using a 120 Hz update rate, there is very little flicker,
but I think this will also make the price a lot higher. The glasses are
dirt cheap to make, but a large (and fast) LCD shutter probably isn't
quite as inexpensive as a pair of small LCD shutters.

If you are really interested in 3D, build yourself the Sega glasses
interface and try the demo software (it's really easy to write your
own software based on the demo sources). The sega glasses can be
connected to almost any RS-232 or RS-422 serial port. The files are
mainly for Macintosh use.

To get the instructions and demo software:

USA:	ftp sumex-aim.standford.edu
	I think the files are in the C source code directory.

Europe:	ftp vega.hut.fi
	cd pub/mac/finnish/sega3d
	mget *

The vega.hut.fi archives contains the document files in FullWrite, MacWrite
and text formats. The text file is accompanied with illustrations in a single
GIF file. A GIF viewer/converter can be found for most current computers.

The glasses have been discontinued in the USA, but might still be available
from the following places. (Quote from a letter from someone who built the
interface in the US)

* SEGA gave me 3 distributors:  Video Take Out 1-800-228-4336; J & R
* Music (New York City) 1-800-221-8180; and Tonka 1 -800-347-3628.
* The first one I could get through to was J & R .. they sell retail
* and I was able to order 2 pairs for $44.95 each on a credit card.

The glasses are widely available in Europe, since here the Sega Master System
has not been discontinued. The price for the interface parts should cost less
than $10. Building the interface on a prototyping board takes about two hours,
maybe even less.

I'd really love to see some CAD software for these glasses. A friend of mine
is going to Autodesk to take a look at their virtual reality stuff and is
taking my glasses and interface with him to show to them. In my opinion,
what we now need is a dirt cheap way to introduce people to the possibilities
of virtual reality. Popularizing 3D glasses is an important step in this
direction and my guess is that the Tektronix system is too expensive to
become popular.

   ___________________________________________________________________________
  / Juri Munkki	    /  Helsinki University of Technology   /  Wind  /   HP S /
 / jmunkki@hut.fi  /  Computing Center Macintosh Support  /  Surf  /   48 X /
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