Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!masscomp!calvin!mark
From: mark@calvin..westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Toaster all over
Keywords: Toasters in Used ads
Message-ID: <61587@masscomp.ccur.com>
Date: 28 Dec 90 00:55:20 GMT
References: <2428@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca> <118@maxx.UUCP> <1990Dec27.142256.9879@cs.wayne.edu>
Sender: news@masscomp.ccur.com
Reply-To: mark@calvin.westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson)
Organization: Concurrent Computer Corp. Westford MA.
Lines: 60

In article <1990Dec27.142256.9879@cs.wayne.edu> jal@pandora.cs.wayne.edu (Jason Leigh) writes:
>Well I've had mine for just over a day now and managed to pick up most
>of the concepts fairly quickly so it seems the system is pretty
>intuitive.

Yes, the software was all done so that any joe-blo non-computer based video
guy would be able to understand and use it.  In my opinion, Lightwave is
one of the most intuitive and easy to use 3D programs anywhere.  Imagine by
comparison is a complete nightmare!!!

>The question/gripe I have is with Lightwave 3D (the
>toaster's 3D renderer).  From what I gathered from the manual and from
>trying out various things with it the program is only capable of doing
>animation if you had a single frame controller.

No, animation can be done without a single frame controller, you just can't
play the result back in real time without one.

>Granted 700K of info
>is a lot to load to try and do animation but surely there must be some
>means or program out there that will create difference pictures like
>the ANIM format.  Is there any tool to do this? 

Lightwave was designed for professional 3D video animation, not for
home use, unless your home is your studio :-). Single frame capable video
equiptment is a must in a studio that does pro 3D animation so for Lightwave
to expect this equiptment is not outrageous. As for animating 24 bits
in real time......forget it! Using the current method of Amiga animation
compression, only an insignificant portion of the image could change
before you would run out of memory bandwidth. Its not worth it!
You could however purchase one of those pseudo 24bit cheater boards
like DCTV, convert each IFF24 produced by Lightwave to that boards format
and then animate those images (with the degradation in quality that is
inherent with that psuedo 24bit image). You could also use TAD or ADPro
to convert the IFF24 images to more standard amiga formats before compiling
your animation. This of course is not what Lightwave was intended for,
but it can be done. ADPro would be best because you could do the conversion
in batch mode via an AREXX script.

>How much does a single frame controller cost?

It is unfortunate that although the cost of creating broadcast quality
animation has come down to the consumer level, the equiptment to record
it on has not. Single frame capable VCRs start at about $5K and the
controller is another $1K to $2K. Another option is the discontinued
Panasonic 8" videodisc recorder which can be had for around $8K which
alleviates the need for the single frame controller. You could also
have a video graphics studio do the recording for you. Your final option
is to use movie film which can be much cheaper but has its own set of
problems. The appendix in the Toaster manual mentions some equiptment
options and prices.

Anyway....happy Toasting!!!
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