Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!iuvax!bsu-cs!cfchiesa
From: cfchiesa@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Christopher Chiesa)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Professional output from Ray Tracing - Can it be done?
Summary: Professional Output Device
Keywords: ray trace output
Message-ID: <7162@bsu-cs.bsu.edu>
Date: 10 May 89 14:15:01 GMT
References: <1312@raybed2.UUCP>
Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, IN, USA
Lines: 46

In article <1312@raybed2.UUCP>, crb@raybed2.UUCP (CHRIS BURTTON) writes:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 	Can the output from any of the ray trace programs, such as
> 	Turbo Silver or Scuplt 3D, be sent to a professional offset
> 	printer?  If so, can the resolution be increased beyond the
> 	Amiga screen resolution?  
> 
> 	What I'm interested in is produce 8X10s or even poster size
> 	pictures without the jaggies.  I don't necessarily want to
> 	go to an offset printer, but I don't want the picture to look
> 	like it came from a computer.
> 
> 	Anybody got the inside dope??
> 
> 
> 
> 					Chris Burton
> 					...rayssd!raybed2!crb

Well, Chris, I can't send pictures to an OFFSET PRINTER, per se, but the com-
pany I work for (Light Valve Technology, or LVT for short) manufactures and 
sells a PHOTOGRAPHIC printer that produces, from RGB data (eight bits per 
color), images on photographic paper or film up to 16 by 20 inches.

The COARSEST resolution we support is 10 pixels/mm (254/inch), and the finest
is 40 pixels/mm (1016/inch).  Obviously, that would require some pixel-expan-
sion to produce a reasonably-sized print of an Amiga image -- by a factor of
three at the very least -- and, as you say, a certain amount of processing to
remove jaggies.  My job consists of writing format-conversion and pixel-move-
ment utility programs for this beast, so it wouldn't be hard to work in an
attempt to convert Amiga IFF or HAM (what's the storage format for HAM files,
way???) anyway?) files to our company's format; I just haven't had time to
look into it yet.

Incidentally, our machines are installed and operating in a number of major
cities; if you would like to personally go see the results (just to get an
idea...), write me and I'll tell you the location of the nearest LVT 
installation. 

Chris Chiesa
-- 
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