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From: katefans@world.std.com (Chris'n'Vickie of Kansas City)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Topas
Message-ID: <1990Feb4.091124.14347@world.std.com>
Date: 4 Feb 90 09:11:24 GMT
Organization: The World
Lines: 42

> From: kmaier@p3.f11.n369.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Kenneth Maier) asked              
>                                                                            
>        Can anyone tell me about TOPAS, the PC based modeling software      
> developed by AT&T????                                                      
>        Specifically, what sort of hardware is required to take advantage of
> this software, what can it do, and how much does it cost?  Is there a phone
> number that someone can give me for AT&T so I can call them and find out   
> more information?                                                          
                                                                             
   Topas is a approx. $10k package (depending on the modeler and animator    
in the package) that runs on a 20mhz and up 286 or 386. A newly announced    
version includes a "Rapid Render System", a i860 based co-processor board.   
  The renderer uses either Phong or Gauroud shading (selectable) with one    
shadow spotlight, 20 point, and one distant light source. With 8 megs of     
EMS ram up to 9 texture maps may be used. It uses a Targa 16, 24, or 32      
or Vista 1, 2, or 4 meg. framebuffer. It can render to film at up to 8k.     
AT&T can refer you to any of over 100 dealers - most of whom know less       
about the program than you do!                                               
                                                                             
   Topas' principle competitor is Digital Arts' DGS. Approx. $10k. DGS runs  
on 386/387, YARC 68030 (40 mhz) and/or INMOS T800 Transputer (up to 32 nodes)
   DGS' renderer is based on Pixar's RenderMan standard (it has everything   
but NURBS). It combines Phong and Gauroud shading with unlimited point       
lights, 5 shadow spots, unlimited spotlights, distantlight and ambientlight. 
It can access 24 maps of varying size, up to 4k x 4k, per scene, for texture,
transparency, bump, displacement, reflection and environment mapping. It     
uses procedural shaders. It uses the same framebuffers as Topas. It can also 
render to 8k. It has very few dealers, but they seem to know what they are   
talking about.                                                               
    Basically Topas is very easy to use, but at the cost of capability and   
flexibility. DGS is more difficult to learn, but is more capable and         
flexible.                                                                    
                                                                             
            Chris Williams,                                                  
                               Call or E-Mail me for more info,              
       .........................................................             
       :  Chris Williams           :   Motional Images         :             
       :  katefans@world.std.com   :   1627 Main Suite 500     :             
       :                           :   Kansas City, Mo. 64111  :             
       :  Phone (816) 561-0846     :   (816) 421-6534          :             
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