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From: galetti@uservx.afwl.af.mil
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.advocacy
Subject: Re: Animation in Engineering
Message-ID: <1991Apr12.103442.21794@uservx.afwl.af.mil>
Date: 12 Apr 91 10:34:42 GMT
References: <1991Apr11.130015.24076@ariel.unm.edu>
Organization: Phillips Laboratory - Kirtland AFB
Lines: 59

In article <1991Apr11.130015.24076@ariel.unm.edu>, nwickham@triton.unm.edu (Neal C. Wickham) writes:
> I thought the following was interesting.
> 
> In the latest issue of ENR ( Engineering News Record) there is an add
> for a new software product called WALKTHRU developed by Bechtel Software
> Inc. It is the same Bechtel who is the large (largest) construction co.
> in the world.
> 
> This is what the add says:
> 
> Design engineering isn't what it used to be!
> 
> Real-Time Animation Adds Value to Your CAD/E System
> 
> 
>    Add WALKTHRU to your design system, and...
> 
>          - Eliminate on-site design changes
> 
>          - Make design reviews more productive
> 
>          - Eliminate plastic models
> 
>          - Insure that you build a maintainable product
> 
>          - Train construction and maintenance workers
> 
>          - Sell your design to prospective clients 
>   
>          - Minimize you project life-cycle costs
> 
> 
> 
> It says that it runs on Silicon Graphic workstations, IBM workstations
> and PC-DOS.
> 
> The idea behind the software is that you could fully construct the building
> with CAD and then animate movement through (walk thru) it.
> 
> Qestion:  Isn't Amiga more well suited for this than a workstation or an
>           PC-DOS (?) system?

Well, of course it is!  Many people complain about the Amiga's lack of 
built-in 24-bit color, or VGA compatibility, etc., but these same limitations
allow the Amiga to have a higher bandwidth to the video memory, making the
Amiga the BEST personal computer for animation, IMHO.  Check out a recent 
thread in comp.sys.mac.programmer:  "Can the Mac really do animation?"  Well,
in short, doing animation on a Mac is worse than pulling teeth.  As I read 
through all the problems that Mac programmers have doing animation, I soon
realized that the Amiga really is best for animation.  The IBM PC is perhaps
a little easier to use for animation, but most PC animations I've seen aren't
as fast or as smooth as stock A-500s running demos.  Hopefully people who
use animation, such as these CAD people, will someday realize this, but my
hopes aren't real high.
  ___________________________________________________________________________
 /   Ralph Galetti                  Internet:   galetti@uservx.afwl.af.mil   \
|    PL/LITT                        Interests:  computers, music, computers   |
|    Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-6008                and music, golf, sleep.       |
 \__"No, they couldn't actually prove that it was HIS vomit" - Nigel Tufnel__/