🚀 go-pugleaf

johnc@amiganet.xnet.com (John Crookshank) writes:


>>weigner@rcs.de (weigner) writes:
>>>600 MIPS??? Get wise! At peak perhaps running some stupid benchmarks 
>>>that add two numbers. Also call NewTek and ask them what they charge for 
>>>a system they would recommend i.e. a system with RAM!!! Then you 
>>>immediately end up at $23000. That is not particulary cheap anymore.
>>Your starting to get into methodology here.  SPEED is not everything.
>>Most 3d software people are starting to wake up.  If you want more
>>rendering speed all you get is CHEAP 486DX66, network them and run
>>a network renderer.  This is how its going to go in the future.
>>Buying 486, is the cheapest MIPperDOLLAR that is not vaporware.
>>AND IT WORKS well NOW.
>>

>Well, I'll have to speak from personal experience, then, not from conjecture as
>you are here.
conjecture?  Gee, all the prduction companies I have had contact with must
have been an illusion..

>As a Toaster Dealer, I have been to NewTek, touched it, smelled it, felt it,
>looked at it, even had my picture taken standing next to the Screamer. :-) It
>exists, it's real. The prototype I used was only using the R4000 chips instead
>of the R4400, yet it still rendered 20 times faster than any of our '040
>equipped machines back in our shop. I can't speak for NewTek as to the release
>date of this jewel, but a wise company would usually try to make something of a
>"splash" at the up-coming N.A.B. convention, end of March.....

The main reason production companies around here would not as yet look at
the Screamer is that 1.  Its amiga based and they think anything to
			 do with amiga is second rate.
		     2.  The toster is only NTSC so to us its junk.
		     3.  How many different rendering programs does it support?
			 An SGI can run many GREAT renderers, the Screamer
			 only does the Toster based Animation system.
			 Babalon 5 was done on that was it not.
			 After seeing Babalon 5, we wouldn't buy that
			 render engine software in a fit..

IF the Screamer supported RenderMAN you WOULD have a product.
Especially if it connected to a SG.  The Screamer is not a bad
product its just hangin around with what most production people
consider to be low-lifes.

>I personally know one of the animators working at Amblin Entertainment making
>SeaQuest DSV, and he described their setup as two 20-Amiga render farms. He
>describes their BETA Screamer which they received several months ago as "equal
>to one of the 20-Amiga render farms, so we effectively have three render farms
>now."


>>Buying 486, is the cheapest MIPperDOLLAR that is not vaporware.

>You better re-calculate your dollars, because although the basic machine is
>cheaper, the software and networking costs will perhaps triple the total
>package price. What, you think Spielberg is an Amiga Geek? He set up Amblin
>Entertainment with Toasters because they offered the quality he demanded at a
>cheaper price than any other platform. Simply a cold, hard, cash, business
>decision. 
BULLSHIT (pardon my french) Studio 3d..  The renderer is amazingly good
and has no license restrictions AT ALL for the render process.  It is
of course a network Renderer. A network board cost $99
for a PC.  Get to know other products Dude.

>  -  John Crookshank  -  johnc@amiganet.xnet.com 

We used/use amigas in OUR production company here in Australia.
We have SGI and PC based Systems and use the Amiga for developing
and hack work as its the best development platform.  However
we are moving towards the SGI more now.

The SGI has the Geometric engine and some great software on a good
operating System.

The PC's are cheap render engines for 3D studio jobs plus great
paint boxes.  Much better then SGI paint systems.  Especially
when it comes to Price/performance.

We did use the amiga for a number of things but the Software on
SGI/PC was better then what the amiga was prity good at.
We are talking Video production for TV.  

The amiga does a lot of things really well.  However, when it comes
to doing it the best, amiga does not come close.

But I must say, I have not looked through an amiga mag for a while now...


James