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From: knutm@ifi.uio.no (Knut Moerken)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: High end graphics software, summary
Message-ID: <1990Oct4.121315.344@ifi.uio.no>
Date: 4 Oct 90 12:13:15 GMT
Sender: knutm@ifi.uio.no (Knut Moerken)
Reply-To: knutm@ifi.uio.no (Knut Moerken)
Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University in Oslo, Norway
Lines: 81
Nntp-Posting-Host: raadgrid.ifi.uio.no
Originator: knutm@raadgrid.ifi.uio.no


I recently posted a query about information, comparisons, ..., of graphics
software for modelling, animation, scientific visualization (like the products
from WaveFront, Alias, ElectroGig and others). I didn't get many replies but here
they are. Thanks to everybody.

Knut Morken
University of Oslo
Norway
Email: knutm@ifi.uio.no



From: ron@vicorp.COM (Ron Peterson)
Subject: Re: Software for animation etc.
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Organization: V. I. Corporation, Amherst, Massachusetts

In article <1990Sep17.124820.519@ifi.uio.no> you write:
>
>We are just about to buy a 3D workstation (Personal Iris or DecStation 5000).
>We also intend to buy a (commercial) package(s) for modelling/texture editing/animation and scientific visualization. Is there a well informed (and rich!)
>person out there who can give an evaluation/comparison of the available packages
>like the ones from WaveFront, TDI, Alias, ElectroGig, etc.?
>
It's my understanding that all the Iris's these days come with a modeling
package written by Wavefront.  You might want to ask someone from
Silicon Graphics what its capabilities are (I know it has a 3D editor,
I don't know if includes a renderer.)  If you can get what you need
included in the price of just the workstation, you could save yourself
$20-$30K.
                      ron@vicorp.COM



From: alexj@unrvax.unr.edu (Jack Alexander)
Subject: Re: Software for animation etc.
Organization: University of Nevada Reno
From: inesc!pfl@relay.EU.net (Pedro Faria Lopes)

I have been using Wavefront for about a month and a half now.
Although I have heard that it is the hardest to learn to use,
I didn't have any trouble.  I think that being a programmer was
a real plus.  I was able to produce broadcast-quality advertisement
within two weeks of my training class (which is mandatory with
Wavefront -- $2,000!).  We are also evaluating Alias and Softimage
right now.

Beware that prices you receive are generally for ``bare bones" systems
that don't include:
			a paint program
			fonts
			data translators (to translate model data from
				other sources such as a CAD program)
			support (generally several thousand dollars / year)

...and so on.

All of the packages can produce pretty much the same quality of output,
but I have heard from many sources that the Wavefront modeller is the most
difficult to use of all.  Wavefront has a new package called the
``Data Visualizer" which is aimed at scientific data visualization.  Looks
pretty slick.
						-- Jack Alexander




From: inesc!pfl@relay.EU.net (Pedro Faria Lopes)
To: knutm@ifi.uio.no
Subject: Re: Software for animation etc.

Hi,
I'm repling to your question to comp.graphics on the above subject.
We have access to the Explore TDI animation software. We have it runing
on a 4D25 machine. It's quite good, but a litle expensive. It cost you
almost the same price as the hardware, if I recall. It won't run on DEC
hardware but it will be delivered in the near future on the knew IBM
workstations.
Hope this helps.
Pedro Faria Lopes