Thread View: comp.multimedia
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Started by Neal Wickham
Wed, 16 Dec 1992 22:47
Real 3D ...just forget about that whimpy 3d thing you have! :)
Author: Neal Wickham
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 22:47
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 22:47
34 lines
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2375 bytes
[reposted w/o permission] The author demoed Real 3D 2.0 in a recent exhibition here in Finland and the product looked very impressive compared to current Imagine and Real 3D versions at least. Here are some of the most original features: - everything seems to be configurable. If you like Caligari-type interface, you can have it. If you want to have 7 windows looking at your work from various angles, you can have it. All menus, tool gadgets & screens are part of this saveable 'environment'. - animation is directly built-in into the objects just like materials or any other features. Skeleton-type animation allows easy modelling of for example hands (grab the fingers with the mouse and the rest of the arm will follow in a fancy way). - the modeller includes a some sort of a physics simulator; put a ball on a table, lift one edge of the table and ball will roll off. Extremely powerful feature (think about a bowling alley... animate all falling skittles by hand or just throw the bowling ball and see how it goes). I don't know how far the simulation goes physically though. - you can expand the program by an inbuilt programming language. If you think you can come up with a better mapping algorithm you can write one of your own. - as a whole it seemed to be the largest piece of s/w i have ever seen on the amiga... Zillions of options, everything looks slick and organized (unlike v1.4) and the general feeling is very professional. Rumours indicate that the author has ordered a vivid card and will port the rendering routines... Real time rendering? ;) -- Harri Holopainen .sig transit gloria mundi.
Re: Real 3D ...just forget about that whimpy 3d thing you have! :)
Author: Neal Wickham
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 22:49
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 22:49
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16050 bytes
Here is some tech specs, although some more will probably be added,
*ETA* 2 months:-
Please note that the features listed in this document are subject to change....
REAL 3D V 2 -
THE HIGH END SOFTWARE FOR THE AMIGA PROFESSIONAL
FIRST PREVIEWED AT SIGGRAPH'92 (CHICAGO)
MAJOR FEATURES
Fully user customizable editor
Open architecture for expandability
Fully integrated editor and renderer taking full advantage of multitasking
Hierarchial object construction
CSG solid modelling
Fully implemented Boolean operations
Polygonal surfaces
Quadric surfaces
B-Splines
Procedural objects
Large collection of quadric tools for constructing complex shapes
Comprehensive set of free form surface construction tools
Linear transformation tools
Approx 100 nonlinear freeform deformations
Comprehensive set of direct curve and surface manipulation tools
Skeletonal modelling
Displacements
Transparency with physically correct refractions
Procedural materials
Fully implemented texture mapping
-colour
-bump
-enviroment
-shadow
-reflection
-clip
-transparency
-brilliancy
-mapping through user defined formulas
-visible placement of textures etc
Unlimited texture/materials descriptions per object
Infinite number of light sources
-point
-line
-wall
Soft shadows
Revolutionary animation system
-morphing/keyframing
-particle animation
-character animation
-inversed kinematics
-magnetism/gravity
-procedural
-allows all transformations and free form deformations to be animated
R3PL- fully featured programming language used for:
-expanding program features and user interface
-describing macros
-scene description
-defining particle behaviour
-procedural texture and material handlers
-interactive object creation and manipulation etc...
Fully customizable object and material data structures using tags
Renderman RIB output
AutoCad DXF import/export
Tree and landscape fractal generators
AGFA Compugraphic font import
9 level antialiasing uses adaptive supersampling
Multiple background images
Field rendering
Alpha channel support
Motion blur
Lense flair effect
Ray tracing
Dust effects
Fogs
Burred reflections
Undo with user definable unlimited depth
Arexx support
Program Real 3D is design and animation program for producing
Description high quality, realistic pictures of three dimensional
objects. The main target group of the software are
video producers, creative computer artists, product
designers, teachers and everyone interested in
computer generated imagery. The new version introduces
a large collection of state-of-art features, making
Real 3D one of the most powerful 3D packages available.
Ray Tracing A ray tracing of Real 3D is strongly based on the
physical reality of the real world. Real 3D produces
pictures by simulating the laws of physics, and
consiquently they represent reality with astonishing
accuracy.
Speed Innovative methods and new ray tracing algorithms make
Real 3D really fast. Ray tracing of Real 3D is so
incredibly fast that it can be used as a primary
rendering method instead of wire frames during
interactive modelling process.
Zero Wait The asynchronous software design, implemented using
State Design latest techniques of object oriented programming,
takes advantage of multi tasking operating systems
extensively in order to achieve maximal convenience
and productivity in modelling. The user never has to
wait until some function is finished; instead, he can
continue with new actions while old ones are executed
as background tasks.
Customizable Real 3D V 2 user interfaces is fully customizable.
Environment It is possible to construct different working
and environments to meet requirements of different
Expandability applications. For example you can use Real 3D as a
single view editor, a tri-view editor or perhaps a
9-view editor. It is possible to expand the program by
defining new functions and binding them to menus,
icons and keys.
Integrated The modeless design principle of Real 3D means that
Environment the user can directly access all functions of the
program. For example, it is possible to modify a
material and immediately see how the modification
affects the rendered image.
Hierarchical With Real 3D you can create hierarchical objects.
Object This means that objects you create can be made of
Oriented subobjects, and these subobjects may have their own
Construction substructure and so on. This kind of a tree structure
of Objects is well known in the context of disk operating systems,
in which you can create directories inside directories.
In Real 3D counterparts of these directories are used
to collect objects into logical groups.
This kind of approach makes for example object
modifications extremely easy, because it is possible
to perform operations to logical entities. If you want
to copy a DOS directory, you don't have to take care
of the files and directories inside it. In the same
manner, you can stretch a complex object in Real 3D
as easily as one part of it.
True Solid Real 3D includes a true solid modeler. Solid model is
Model the most sophisticated way to represent three
dimensional objects. For example, solid modelling
offers general Boolean operations and makes it
possible to simulate optical devices correctly.
Polygonal Conventional polygonal surfaces with Phong shading
Surfaces are included.
Quadric In addition to polygonal surfaces, Real 3D includes
Surfaces several curved surfaces, such as a sphere, a cylinder,
a cone and a hyperboloid. This means that no matter
how much you enlarge a sphere created by Real 3D, you
don't find any edges or corners on its surface.
Furthermore, this makes the program much faster. And
what is most important, the produced pictures look
really good.
Parametric Uniform cubic B-Spline surfaces provide user with the
Surfaces most powerful way of representing curved freeform
surfaces and organic shapes. The quality of shaded
B-Spline surfaces is far superior to polygonal
surfaces.
Boolean Solid model allows Boolean operations between objects.
Operations It is possible, for example, to split an object into
two pieces and move the pieces apart so that the
inner structure of the object is revealed.
Operations can also be done so that the properties of
the material of the target object are changed. By
using a brilliant cylinder one can drill a brilliant
hole into a matt object. Operations are a powerful
way to create and modify objects. Especially in
modeling technical objects these Boolean operations
are indispensable.
Properties of Due to solid model, it is possible to create objects
Materials from different materials having suitable physical
properties. All material properties can be adjusted
without any restrictions. Even the light refraction
index is freely adjustable so that it is possible to
create optical devices from glass lenses. These
devices act as their real counterparts: a magnifying
glass in Real 3D world really magnifies!
Texture The texture mapping properties of Real 3D are not
Mapping restricted to a typical chequered pattern: Any
picture can be used to paint objects. You can create
Color Mapping pictures with your favorite painting program as well
as with a video digitizer or a scanner. For example,
Bump Mapping by digitizing a wood filament pattern, it is easy to
create wooden objects looking very realistic.
Clip Mapping In Real 3D V 2, textures are a part of the object
hierarchy, so that textures can be modified and
Special Mapping animated just as easily as any object in hierarchy.
Light Its possible to use unlimited number of light sources
Sources with desired color and brightness. Also non pointwise
light sources are included producing smooth edged
shadows.
Animation The new version introduces a revolutionary animation
Support system, including such features as morphing, particle
animations, continuous time or frame based animation
description, procedural animations, texture and
Procedural material morphing, exellent memory management,
Animations texture and backdrop image animations, skeletonal
control, etc.
Particle In the new animation system, the motion description
Animations is a natural part of the object structure.
Real 3D includes also software for showing rendered
animations interactively.
Rendering Real 3D includes seven different rendering techniques:
Techniques a real time wireframe model, a hidden line wireframe
model, a high speed one light source ray tracing
model, a lampless ray tracing model, a non-shadow-
casting ray tracing model, scan line model and a
complete ray tracing model.
Image Output Interface to output devices is well designed and
flexible allowing, for example, graphics hardware
manufactures to write the software needed for using
the hardware with Real 3D.
Anti-aliasing Real 3D includes adjustable anti-aliasing. There are
9 different degrees of anti-aliasing, from which the
user can select a suitable level. The most accurate
level uses 256*256 adaptive supersampling, which is
certainly enough for any application !.
Fast rendering It is possible to render with low resolutions to
produce images faster. A very useful function is so
called box function, which allows the user to define
rectancular areas on the rendering screen. These
areas can then be rendered with a desired resolution,
anti-aliasing level etc.
Macro Function It is possible to combine several Real 3D functions
to form macros. With macros the user can easily
create complex, symmetric forms or produce animation
effects. Macros can be saved, loaded and bind to
keys, menus and icons.
Mathematical There is unlimited number of mathematical textures
Textures available. In addition to built in textures, the user
can write arbitrary formulas defining the color,
bumps and other material properties.
R3PL Real 3D contains fully featured programming language,
R3PL. The language offers the most powerful interface
to the software and can even be used for accessing
operating system functions. For example, R3PL is used
for:
Database Two formats are available: a binary and an ascii
Formats format. The binary format offers efficient and fast
way of storing a scene description, whereas the ascii
format, based on R3PL programming language, is
machine independent.
Renderman Object data structure can be saved using Renderman
Interface RIB format.
AutoCAD Real 3D supports also AutoCAD DXF format.
Interface
Multiple It is possible to use multiple textures/materials per
Textures object. Furthermore, the materials can be blended and
faded.
Tags Object and material data structures can be expanded
using tags. Tags are also utilized in particle
animations where the tag data attached to an object
can determine the behaviour of the object.
Quadric Quadric tools can be used for constructing complex
Tools shapes by combining quadric primitives.
Free Form Large collection of free form surface construction
Tools methods are provided, including coplanar and orthogonal
sweeps, swingging, rotation, cross-sectional building
etc.
Fractal Two fractal generatos are included: the tree and the
Generators landscape generator.
Linear All necessary transformations are included and some
Transformations more.
Nonlinear Nearly one hundred nonlinear transformations are
Modifications available.
Can someone wake me up and give me my Cornflakes(TM)? I think I've been dreaming.
Re: Real 3D ...just forget about that whimpy 3d thing you have! : )
Author: SHUK C YIP
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 06:32
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 06:32
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In article <1992Dec16.224709.7603@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> nwickham@nyx.UUCP (Neal Wickham) writes: > >The author demoed Real 3D 2.0 in a recent exhibition here in Finland and the >product looked very impressive compared to current Imagine and Real 3D >versions at least. > >Here are some of the most original features: >- everything seems to be configurable. If you like Caligari-type interface, > you can have it. If you want to have 7 windows looking at your work from > various angles, you can have it. All menus, tool gadgets & screens are > part of this saveable 'environment'. Really? We can have Caligari-type interface!? I bought Caligari just because of its best moduler interface. (another functions are weak when compare with the others 3D rendering package)
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