Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!mcdchg!ddsw1!corpane!sparks
From: sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Autocad translator
Summary: 3D is why
Message-ID: <681@corpane.UUCP>
Date: 26 May 89 12:37:06 GMT
References: <24wV02ZY2cHp01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>
Reply-To: sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks)
Organization: Corpane Industries, Inc.
Lines: 36

In article <24wV02ZY2cHp01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> shs@uts.amdahl.com (Steve
Schoettler) writes:
>This DXF converter program sounds useful, but remember that with
>public domain programs, there are several ways to use autocad drawings
>on the Amiga already:
> [description of saving Acad dwg in postscript and HPGL and GIF]

Ah, yes this is all very nice to get Two Dimensional Autocad Data into Amiga
software, but the Acad_translator transfers AutoCAD *Three Dimensional* wire
frames into Sculpt-Animate scene descriptions. 3D. Then you ray-trace the
wire frame with S-A.. And can even make an animation from it.

For those who aren't familiar with ray tracers and S-A [both of you.]:

Ray-tracing is a way to model reality within the computer. You specify 3D
objects such as spheres, cubes, etc. and tell the program what sort of color
and texture the object should have: Mirror, fuzzy, smooth, dull, etc.
Then you specify where to place these objects in your virtual world. Add a 
few light sources and a viewpoint. 

Then sit back and wait.  .. and wait. While the ray-tracer calculates a HAM
picture from the 3D data. It has to calculate thousands of light rays and
reflections.

Sculpt-Animate is very hard to draw your objects in. AutoCAD only does wire-
frames, but it is very simple to draw 3D objects in. So the two programs
compliment each other quite well. Except they are on two different computers.
And different file formats. Dos2Dos solves the first problem and Acad
Translator solves the second.



-- 
John Sparks   |  {rutgers|uunet}!ukma!corpane!sparks | D.I.S.K. 24hrs 1200bps
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