Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!snjsn1!bilbo!greg
From: greg@bilbo (Greg Wageman)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Computer Graphics & Entertainment
Message-ID: <774@snjsn1.SJ.ATE.SLB.COM>
Date: 27 Mar 89 22:32:54 GMT
References: <1530@wpi.wpi.edu>
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Reply-To: greg@sj.ate.slb.com (Greg Wageman)
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Organization: Schlumberger ATE, San Jose, CA
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In article <1530@wpi.wpi.edu> dseah@wpi.wpi.edu (David I Seah) writes:
>Someone once told me that George Lucas would never do another Star Wars until
>he could have computer animate realistic-looking starships.  When I watch the
>beginning of Star Trek The Next Generation (with the whizzing planets), I
>thought that the whole thing was computer generated.  Is this true?  Are the
>vessels used in the series also computer generated?

The solar system graphics are indeed computer-generated; look for the
lighting error on Saturn.

According to an article in "Cinefex", they originally intended to
computer-model the Enterprise, too, but quickly realized that they
didn't have time to generate a detailed-enough computer model that
would look realistic, but render fast enough to meet production
deadlines.  Consequently, they use a model for the Enterprise.

All of the "optical" compositing for the show is done digitally, by
the way, so that they get essentially first-generation quality no
matter how complex a composite is required (and without matte lines).

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