Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!masscomp!calvin!mark From: mark@calvin..westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics Subject: Re: Wayne's World (was: JMan Review: RENDER & Conclusion) Message-ID: <62116@masscomp.westford.ccur.com> Date: 3 Jun 91 19:56:53 GMT References: <1991May18.001642.11147@crash.cts.com> <192b5f2f.ARN0fef@cbmami.UUCP> <1991May24.005621.3479@techbook.com> <1991May31.050803.29054@techbook.com> Sender: news@masscomp.westford.ccur.com Reply-To: mark@calvin.westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson) Organization: Concurrent Computer Corp. Westford MA. Lines: 52 waynekn@techbook.com (Wayne Knapp) writes: >Since the people flaming us are: > a. a dealer > b. a guy with a vested interest in Pro 3D >I don't think that is what produces useful insight. Well I am neither and although I could be labelled a LightWave advocate, it is only because no other Amiga program so closely fits my needs. But I have also for some time been plugging JMan (since I saw Ken Baer demo it at Siggraph), so I have no intent of flaming you or Hash Enterprises. I want very much to have the capabilities of animation channels, spine morphing, spline surface patches, etc. However, there are two reasons I have not bought JMan. The first is lack of information. When I spoke to Ken at Siggraph, I asked him to send me any literature describing its capabilities in some detail. He said he gladly would but nothing arrived. I have since called Hash three times requesting literature, all met with equal success (or lack there of). If you do not wish to sell through dealers, that is fine but some method of working with the customer must otherwise exist. The big name workstation animation packages do not sell through dealers but they have sales reps all over to give the needed customer interface. The price is not the concern provided the program can fit my needs. You mentioned to Rich Nollman that Hash would be willing to sell fully refundable copies of JMan for evaluation. This does not nearly meet the interface required by most customers but it would do for me provided I could evaluate it for at least a month before returning it (if I decided not to keep it). The second is rendering capability. Time and time again I have heard people from Hash say things like "pretty pictures are just eye-candy" and "we are an animation company, not a ray-tracer company" or "fancy rendering is the realm of flying logo software". These are very short-sighted statements. All the high end animation packages (like TDI, Wavefront, Alias) have spectacular rendered output and are surely not limited in use to flying logos. My needs (as well as the needs of many others) are for fluid organic animation coupled with a renderer capable a variety natural surfaces and special effects. Also, ray-tracing is not the answer because it simply is not practical for animation of any length. While I have not seen the latest rev of JMan, what I have seen does not meet my rendering needs. If you feel that the renderer has evolved enough to disuade my fears and Hash Enterprises is willing to work out a solution to the information problem (literature and an evaluation) then it is time we talk. If not, I wish your company the best of luck and hope that they consider rethinking their product strategy. %~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~% % ` ' Mark Thompson CONCURRENT COMPUTER % % --==* RADIANT *==-- mark@westford.ccur.com Principal Graphics % % ' Image ` ...!uunet!masscomp!mark Hardware Architect % % Productions (508)392-2480 (603)424-1829 & General Nuisance % % % ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~