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From: agollum@ukecc.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Amgia World Ray-tracing article...
Message-ID: <1389@ukecc.engr.uky.csnet>
Date: Sun, 24-May-87 23:53:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: ukecc.1389
Posted: Sun May 24 23:53:31 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 27-May-87 04:49:54 EDT
References: <629@puff.WISC.EDU> <448@applix.UUCP> <236@sas.UUCP> <1770@vax135.UUCP>
Reply-To: agollum@ukecc.UUCP (David Herron aka Admiral Gollum)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Univ. of KY Engineering Computing Center
Lines: 24
Xref: utgpu comp.sys.amiga:4870 comp.graphics:645

In article <1770@vax135.UUCP> cjp@vax135.UUCP (Charles Poirier) writes:
>> ...  But recently, a PD demo copy of MANDFXP would do the
>> same set (presumably using the same arithmetic) in about 5 seconds!!  Doesn't
>> this suggest that one could invest some effort in improving the math used and
>> realize some radical improvements?
>
>No.  Though this may be a good suggestion, what it suggests to me is
>just that it takes about 5 seconds to load a precomputed image from disk.
>

Only it doesn't do that--it *really* generates the starting image (of the whole
set) in about 5 seconds.  Now this image is about 1/3 the size of the screen
(noninterlaced) and it takes slightly longer if you make the window larger.
But the program's overall performance suggests that it *doesn't* use shortcuts
because it's on the beginning screen--it really calculates the thing.

Note also that MANDFXP lets you select resolution, # of bitplanes, interlace
on/off, accuracy of the calculations (how many iterations and size of
arguments), etc. all of which affect speed.  But this program is undeniably
incredibly fast.  I haven't run it in a while, so my memory is fuzzy, but
I could go home and run some benchmarks if you insist. :-)

Kenneth Herron