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From: rnollman@maxzilla.encore.com (Richard Nollman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics
Subject: Imagine
Message-ID: <14256@encore.Encore.COM>
Date: 8 Mar 91 17:12:18 GMT
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Reply-To: rnollman@maxzilla.encore.com (Richard Nollman)
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I cannot seem to get through to Jason directly so will have to post this
to the group (it is in response to his post)

>	I am pretty new to Imagine, does anyone know how to exit the "show"
>screen after viewing a rendering?  The manual says that you should just
>click the mouse, but that doesn't seem to work (nor does anything else I
>have tried).  I can shuffle to other screens via Amiga-N/M but I can't do
>any more work in Imagine after I hit the show button.
>	For now I am having to view my renderings in The Art Department
>Pro.

>	Also did anyone else catch the ironly when reading the "Warranty
>Information" section of the Tutorial Manual?  The second sentance of the
>first paragraph of the Warrany Information section on Page 13, reads...

>"...This warranty card will make yo eligible to receive Impulse's
>world-renowned technical support on its toll free hotline (see chapter on
.Technical Support)."

>	I found it funny, in light of Impulses "world-renowned technical
>support," that there is no chapter on techincal support, upon further
>examination, there is also no toll-free number!  (unless you happen to live
>local to Impulse).  Don't worry too much, though, because they do have a
>toll-free number for orders...

First, if you don't already know about it, if you own Imagine, get on
the Imagine mailing list.  I am a novice Imagine user and have saved
myself hours (days, months) of aggravation by getting answers, helpful
hints, etc.  Just send mail to:
      
             Imagine@athena.mit.edu

and ask to be added to the mailing list.

I had the problem with using the clicking the mouse button in a
rendered screen and it drove me up a wall.  It is a bug (I call it a
bug anyway).  Never click your mouse when you are in a rendered "show"
screen.  It does not lock up your Imagine session as you probably are
convinced it has.  The cursor is actually skulking around in the
Project Menu screen (you just cannot see it).  Normally, to get back
to the Project Menu from a rendered image, press the ESCAPE key.
NEVER click the mouse.  However, if you do click the mouse by mistake
when you are in the "show" screen (rendered image), you can use Left
Amiga_m to get back to the Project Menu.  Then you just click the
mouse button and the crosshairs will reappear.

As far as the toll free number, I am not sure if I called that or a
toll number (I was desparate -- before the Imagine list existed).  I
had been told by a friend not expect much in the way of support.  He
told me that they are notorious for being difficult.  Well, I called,
and the support person was very helpful.  He spend probably a good 30
minutes with me, guided me through the first tutorial, and gave me
some tips (such as the ESC key exit from the rendered image screen).

Finally, I have been through the "learning wall" of Imagine.  If you
are a former Turbo Silver user, you probably will not have the
learning wall to overcome.  I was a stranger to any 3D modeling
program.  At one point I was ready to chuck the program and go back to
Dpaint III.  I was totally frustrated.  The manuals are just too
sparse.  When I finally posted to usenet pleading for help, I got alot
of responses.  One common thread is that Imagine is an incredibly
tough thing to learn (Turbo Silver, I was told, was much worse if that
is possible), but that I should stick with it, it will be worth it.
They were right.  It is the kind of program that puts the Amiga
machines in a class by themselves.  And contrary to my first
impressions, the program can be very easy to use and very intuitive.
Impulse could have done so much more in the way of extensive
tuturials, examples for various procedures (like Extruding to Path --
I needed help on that one), libraries of objects and attributes (a la
Toaster Lightwave), and some complex examples of complete projects from
start to finish.

If you have problems getting up to speed, as a fellow-novice, I
probably can help (I probably have had the same ones).  If I cannot,
the Imagine mailing list members probably can.

Rich Nollman