Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!pacbell.com!ucsd!nosc!crash!pro-graphics.cts.com!bobl From: bobl@pro-graphics.cts.com (Bob Lindabury, SysAdmin) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Imagine Raves Message-ID: <6749@crash.cts.com> Date: 6 Jan 91 15:16:02 GMT Sender: root@crash.cts.com Lines: 107 hrlaser@crash.cts.com (Harv Laser) writes: > In article <6653@crash.cts.com> bobl@pro-graphics.cts.com (Bob Lindabury, SysAdmin) writes: >>In-Reply-To: message from spworley@athena.mit.edu >> >> >>That kind of tutorial we don't need. We need to know the conventions behind >>what we are doing. How to do it and what the requirements are would be alot >>more helpful. > > Hopefully Victor Osaka will do his own "Beginner's Journey in Imagine" > book as he did with Turbo Silver last year. Victor has what it takes > to gently guide one thru the intracacies of these complicated programs. > I'll ask him what his plans are w.r.t. another book and anyone wanting > to know more about Victor's "Turbo SIG" just as to grab a copy of .info > magazine #36 soon as it hits the stands. Look forward to what you find out from Victor. >>As for the auto-trace and slice...forget it. I've tried it several times with >>a very complex object (the continents of the world) and Imagine will just not >>slice them. I finally got enough ram to do the operation (7 megs) but now I >>keep getting the frustrating "an edge is too close to an edge or a face is too >>close to a face" message. Yeah, great. After about 35 of those messages I >>gave up. This is after about 10 minutes of processing on a 68030/88882 >>machine! It give you no indication of where this edge might be or how far >>into this "slice" you are so you have absolutely no idea where this error may >>be coming from. > > I've been successful with slicing on a few occasions and unsuccessful > on many others. Don't try to slice two complex objects together. With > 9 Meg of RAM (well.. about 8 Meg free) I tried slicing an extruded > corporate logo into a relatively simple "apple" object and watched > screenx's RAM meter go down...down...down... waiting for the impending > crash'n'burn as Itotally ran out of memory.. when I got down to 0K CHIP > and 14K FAST Imagine threw up a "not enough RAM" message and gave up > on the slice operation and gave me all my memory back. Scary. Yeah, it's even more scary when you finally get the object together and you go to render it and the same thing happens. Hate to see a ton of work got to waste because you can't render the final scene. > The problem with a routine like this, as explained to me by Mr. Mike > @ Impulse is that there's no way to know how much memory a slice is > going to require till the software starts doing it. I dunno if I just > needed a few more K to accomplish the slice I was trying to do, or > a few more MEG. There's no way to tell. So start with real simple > slicing stuff till you get some kind of feel for how much ram it takes > and run something like screenx or other tiny menu bar memory meter, > pull imagine's screen down a squinch, and watch how much RAM the > slicing prodecure takes as it progresses. Somehow I just don't like sitting there watching a ram meter click on down to the 0 mark. It just shouldn't suck up that much ram. Maybe I'm expecting too much. >>I've decided to purchase Pixel 3D to do my auto-tracing and facing but now I >>can't seem to find anyone who has this package in stock or is even able to get >>it in stock. > > An excellent piece of software. (I reviewed it for AmigaWorld a couple > issues back). Hunt around for it.. it's out there. Make sure you get > nothing older than version 1.1 of Pixel 3D. This is, in my opinion, > the best 2D IFF > 3D Object auto-tracing software for the Amiga that's > out there so far. w. Well, it seems to be the best answer out there but be aware that it DOES quire editing even though the sales propoganda says it's so good it doesn't need an editor. That may be fine for simple shapes, but complex IFF's require a certain amount of manual editing. >>As for the comparison of Imagine and Lightwave, I will have to say that the >>Lightwave interface makes most of what you are talking about very simple. The >>Interface on Lightwave is far and away much better than the Imagine interface >>as far as ease of use. It's also MUCH MUCH better for scene design. You can >>move the camera around in real time and see the camera's view in the >>perspective window in real time! That is the way to place a camera! >> > I gotta admit that from what I've seen of LightWave, Allen did one > helluva job on the interface and I echo your sentiments and wish I > could get LightWave as a free-standing renderer without the > $1600 "dongle" :-) >From what the guys at NewTek have told me, there is no chance of Lightwave becoming available without the Toaster. Too bad, it looks to be a great 3D package with a fantastic user interface. >I would like to be part of the Imagine mailing list when it does become >>organized. I will be more than happy to share my experiences with the program >>as well as my objects with others. Count me in! > > Join Victor Osaka's "Turbo SIG" if you haven't yet, Bob. Even if > you can't make the West LA monthly meetings, the newsletter alone is > worth the dues. Ha! I live in NJ. There is no way I could make the meetings. Will check out the newsletter. Thanks for the info. -- Bob ______ Pro-Graphics BBS "It's better than a sharp stick in the eye!" ________ UUCP: crash!pro-graphics!bobl | Pro-Graphics: 908/469-0049 ARPA/DDN: pro-graphics!bobl@nosc.mil | America Online: Graphics3d Internet: bobl@pro-graphics.cts.com | CompuServe: RIP _________ ___________ Raven Enterprises 25 Raven Avenue Piscataway, NJ 08854