Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!columbia!rutgers!lll-lcc!well!ewhac From: ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: There's No Fun At Pixar Message-ID: <3694@well.UUCP> Date: Fri, 7-Aug-87 02:18:13 EDT Article-I.D.: well.3694 Posted: Fri Aug 7 02:18:13 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 8-Aug-87 18:10:41 EDT References: <1681@cadovax.UUCP> <921@hp-sdd.HP.COM> Reply-To: ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) Distribution: world Organization: Very little, by the looks of things lately.... Lines: 82 Summary: From the outside looking in? In article <921@hp-sdd.HP.COM> nick@hp-sdd.UUCP (Nick Flor) writes: >If you already have the tools to create a demo, then implementing it >is easy. Kind of like structured design -- most of the work is spent >up front. The implementation is easy once you have the design. > Er, um.... As the designer of four major object files, including: spoked wheel with gumwall, axle, and pedals; fork with axle mounts, half-torus bend, stem designed to dovetail with the "tongs", seat post, seat clamp and tightening lever; hand-entered saddle with springs and reinforcement bar; and a floor with a five-pointed star surface detail, specially designed not to interfere with the drawing of the unicycle..... I think your use of the term "easy" is a relative one. :-) You should see this piece of graph paper I have here.... :-) >(Seems like you could model everything in the demo with quadric surfaces, and >everyone and his brother's ray tracers take quadric surfaces s input). > Quadratic surfaces? What are those? :-) Never heard of them. :-) VideoScape certainly never heard of them. :-) My version of the unicycle is all flat polygons, all 3,838 of them (although there are two in the saddle that are probably twisted). >Let me summarize: > >A) The unicycle demo idea was a unique one. True. >B) Leo borrowed the idea and made a demo. Also true. >C) Leo had something to gain by making this demo. (fame, glory, apple > pie and chevrolet). Offer me a Subaru XT and we'll talk... :-) >D) Leo gained plenty. (And let's face it. Many people came away from the > Amiga booth thinking that Leo came up with this idea all by > his lonesome) I beg to differ on this one. I believe that I made it clear to all passers-by that asked that my idea came from the Pixar demo reel that I had seen the week previous. If they had been to the film and video show, they probably would have recognized it immediately. Of course, I can't speak for Bill Volk's actions, since I wasn't at the booth all the time. I am pretty certain, however, that it was mentioned to all those who asked that it was inspired by the Pixar film. >E) What did Pixar gain? > Nothing. Except, perhaps (by wide PD distribution), a greater exposure of the essence of their latest work to people who otherwise might not know about it (I know, I'm reaching). -------- I dropped off a video tape of my... er... creation at Pixar to be reviewed by Ralph Guggenheim, director of animation. He has the power to say Yea or Nay to distribution of this thing. I'm eagerly awaiting his opinion. After dropping off the tape, I bumped into Loren Carpenter. I asked if he had any feel for the general opinion held by Pixarians concerning my foray. He said that, from what he could divine, people seemed to be slightly amused. I gathered from his tone that (*I'M SPECULATING HERE!*) the general feeling within Pixar is one of indifference. However, I also gathered that (*MORE SPECULATION!*) the majority of Pixarians have no knowledge of what I did, or only second- or third-hand knowledge (not all Pixarians attended SIGGRAPH). He personally has had no exposure to my spinoff. His personal opinion was that he thought it was rather flattering to be imitated. Note, however, that this is just one guy in Pixar.... BTW, in case anyone cares, using the existing object definition, I managed to cook up a 3D stereo pair of the unicycle. Took me about twenty minutes. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape ihnp4!ptsfa -\ \_ -_ Bike shrunk by popular demand, dual ---> !{well,unicom}!ewhac O----^o But it's still the only way to fly. hplabs / (pronounced "AE-wack") "Work FOR? I don't work FOR anybody! I'm just having fun." -- The Doctor