Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!percy!nosun!techbook!waynekn From: waynekn@techbook.com (Wayne Knapp) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics Subject: Re: Wayne's World (was: JMan Review: RENDER & Conclusion) Message-ID: <1991Jun5.062123.21392@techbook.com> Date: 5 Jun 91 06:21:23 GMT References: <1991May18.001642.11147@crash.cts.com> <192b5f2f.ARN0fef@cbmami.UUCP> <1991May24.005621.3479@techbook.com> <1991May31.050803.29054@techbook.com> <62116@masscomp.westford.ccur.com> Organization: TECHbooks of Beaverton Oregon - Public Access Unix Lines: 59 mark@calvin..westford.ccur.com (Mark Thompson) writes: >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. Martin, is working on this, I talk to him about it almost everyday. He knows more about the program than anyone else since it is all he works on. However, while working on the code it is easy to push off this kind of item. In my view, not having this kind of material available, is our big misstake. >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. We are an animation company, that is the main long term focus. By we are not a ray-tracer company, it means that ray-tracing in not our only product. We do have a good ray-tracer, just don't use it much, since it soooooo slow. As for eye-candy, I don't know who said what you heard, but if I find out, I going to stick a wet dirty sock in his month. Eye-candy is what the game is all about! Flying logos are a little different. Since the roots of Jman are in organic modeling, it really wasn't suitable for flying logos at first. However, I see no road block to it now. The only problem is, that our in-house people are not interested in doing it. However, there is no reason why you can't model it and fly it! >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. As we speak a run of Joyride is being single-frame recorded. The sound is done, so I hope that video will be out soon. That is the best ad. That and a feature sheet. Also, I wish Martin would sell the manuals, but I haven't won that battle yet. The render is getting much better, as you will see with our tape. It as lagged the modeling code, since we are rendering surfaces and not just polygons. The rendering code has gone through many, many revisions. Long term, I will look at adding RenderMan support, but I'll booked solid well into the fall, so that won't happen soon. Wayne Knapp -- waynekn@techbook.COM ...!{tektronix!nosun,uunet}techbook!waynekn Public Access UNIX at (503) 644-8135 (1200/2400) Voice: +1 503 646-8257 Public Access User --- Not affiliated with TECHbooks