Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!motcsd!dms!rotberg
From: rotberg@dms.UUCP (Ed Rotberg)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: 3D Animation Source Code Wanted
Message-ID: <947@dms.UUCP>
Date: 8 Jan 90 18:07:17 GMT
References: <12781@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Organization: Atari Games Inc., Milpitas, CA
Lines: 39

From article <12781@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>, by markv@gauss.Princeton.EDU (Mark VandeWettering):
> 
> My problem with comp.graphics is not the nature of the questions, but rather
> the frequency they are asked.  How much of net traffic in comp.graphics has
> concerned itself with the latest GIF/TIFF/WHIF/*IFF format?  Color mapping?
> conversion of 3-d coordinates into 2-d? 
> 
> This forum is NOT appropriate to serve as a tutorial on computer graphics.
> It used to be that there were no good or accessible graphics text books 
> available, but several very good ones are out there now, and can relay
> information about many questions that appear here.
> 
> Jef P.'s automated posting lists several of these references, and ftp
> archive sites where source code to many image utilities may be found.  It 
> would be at least pleasant if users consulted standard references before
> posting questions.  The answers found in published material are by and large
> more clearly presented than the often hastily drawn outlines in comp.graphics.
> 
Mark,

If you would only recall the original post that started this off, it was not
asking for 3D to 2D transformations (in fact the poster had stated that she
had already had working algorithms), but for optimization techniques.  She
specificall addressed the issue of using integer math.  None of your vaunted
standard references really go into any depth on real-time performance on
low-end type processors.  Her questions were not only perceptive, but very
valid.  There are also many other optimizations and "cheats" that can be used
to speed up 3D rendering to approach real-time.  These are NOT commonly
published, and I have little doubt that I could point out a few that even you
probably had not considered in your precious standard reference wisdom.

I do not think that there was any attempt made to provide a "tutorial", nor
one asked for!  I would hearitly agree with those opinions expressed already
that there are no questions that this forum is "too good" to deal with.

To put it plainly, I think your attitude stinks!

	- Ed Rotberg -
	- Game Designer for BattleZone & S.T.U.N. Runner -