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From: seanc@pro-party.cts.com (Sean Cunningham)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics
Subject: JMan Review: RENDER & Conclusion
Message-ID: <1991May18.001642.11147@crash.cts.com>
Date: 18 May 91 00:16:42 GMT
Sender: root@crash.cts.com (Bill Blue)
Organization: Crash TimeSharing, El Cajon, CA
Lines: 106


     JMan's RENDER module is what takes all your other work and
presents it in a finished form, be it a still or an animation.
 
     You load up the CHOREOGRAPHY you just created in the DIRECTION
module by clicking on the bar running along the top of the screen
which calls up a file requester.  After this is loaded, you're faced
with several options that will determine what the final outcome looks
like.
 
     First off, let's talk about render quality.  The default is
SCANLINE, which is faster than JMan's raytracing under most
circumstances.  It has improved in quality from revision to revision,
and is now pretty smooth.  However, you loose reflections and shadows
when rendering SCANLINE.
 
     Raytracing is the next step.  I'm sure all or most of you know
what raytracing involves.  JMan uses the "distributed raytracing"
approach, which lets you selectively choose whether to render shadows
and/or use antialiasing.  Both add more time to your renders, with
antialiasing quadrupling it because it shoots four rays per pixel in
this mode.
 
     Your next choice will be the size of your image.  To test out
your scene you'll probably want to use the MINI size.  After you're
sure your lights and motion are correct you can choose a higher
resolution for the final rendering.  Memory permitting, JMan will
accept almost any pixel resolution.  You also have control over the
pixel aspect ratio, and if you just want to check a particular
portion of an image you can define a window within the scene to
render using the AREA gadgets.
 
     In the bottom left side of the screen are the color sliders that
let you set your background color, and a global ambient value.  The
OUTPUT gadgets let you generate a PREVIEW, which is an image
displayed but not saved, RGB, which saves the image as a standard
24bit ILBM, or ANIM.  There is also a gadget that controls the HAZE
distance.  You enter a value into this gadget, and the closer objects
are to that distance from the CAMERA, the more they start turning to
the color of the sky.  
 
     To the lower right, you can set the starting and ending frames
to render, which is useful for checking specific frames, or a range
of frames in an animation.  Below this is the RENDER gadget, and the
EXIT gadget.
 
     Although Hash has increased the render quality greatly over that
of the earlier versions it still has its problems.  The greatest of
which is its instability when rendering 24bit imagery.  It's also
fairly slow, but I don't know whether this is due to the rendering
engine needing some of its code bummed, or because of the increased
complexity of the cubic patches over polygons...or both.  And I've
noticed several instances where parts of reflections and shadows go
invisible across a couple of frames and then reappear.
 
CONCLUSION:
 
     There isn't another package like JMan.  It has an interface
that's a delight to use as well as look at.  Some aspects of its
interface have yet to be mentioned in any of the magazine reviews.
All module screens "fade in" when they're run, and "fade out" when
you exit.  The file requesters are nice, and have the same
three-dimensional look as the rest of the interface, and do their own
fade in and fade out.  And speaking of file requesters, Hash has
added the capability of creating directories on the fly!  This is
something I hope Commodore will add to the next version of the
standard AmigaDOS file requester.
 
     All of the screens are well laid out.  And through an
intelligent choice of screen colors, flicker is kept to a minimum.
And the interface is fairly consistent from module to module.
 
     For character animation, no other package gives you the control
over motion that JMan offers.  And no other package gives you the
smooth, organic shapes that splines and cubic patch rendering
affords.  And even for mechanical motion, the CHANNELs in JMan give
it a decided advantage over other renderers.
 
     But JMan isn't without its faults.  Hash needs to work on its
stability, render quality, and render speed.  It also needs to swat a
couple rather annoying bugs, particularly those having to do with
DECALing and modifying the TEXTURES.  All of the features that are
being planned, and are being implemented are terrific, and are
welcome.  But I'd prefer that Hash focused their energies at this
time on fixing what they have now.
 
     If you want to be on the cutting edge of Amiga 3D software, JMan
is there.  Even with its faults I'd recommend considering it. Its an 
investment in a growing and ever expanding project.  
 
     Hash is dedicated to this, and their other products.  I've
spoken with different members of the staff, including Martin Hash
himself.  They're always eager to be of assistance, and are always
open to input from their products' owners.  Ken Baer is active on the
Internet and on PLink, and has always been eager to answer my
questions and give me advice when I got stuck.
 
Sean
 
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                                    // | * All opinions  expressed herein |   
  HELP KEEP THE COMPETITION UNDER \X/  |   Copyright 1991 VISION GRAPHICS |   
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