🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <5m05g8$4vo$1@goanna.cs.rmit.edu.au>,
coburn@yallara.cs.rmit.edu.au wrote:
 
> I have a friend who has been doing a lot of work lately on Silicon
> Graphics machines. He's been producing models in SoftImage and 
> animating them (very cool mech stuff).
> 
> He's wanting to get "a machine" for home to do similar sorts of things.
> Naturally this should be a Mac but I need some guidance from those in
> the know.
> 
> He needs the following;
> 
> * The cheapest current mac that will output FULL SCREEN, FULL MOTION
> VIDEO in PAL format (via svhs or composite video out). This must be
> via a quicktime movie or any other movie format (basically something
> that a 3D modelling/animating program will output).
> 
> _or_
> 
> * A plug-in (PCI) board that allows the above. This would allow him
> to buy a cheaper PCI based machine and let the card do the work.
> 
> _also_
> 
> * A plug-in (PCI) board incorporating OpenGL/Quickdraw 3D support,
> possibly incoporating the above.
> 
> _and_
> 
> * A suite of packages to allow 3D modelling/animation. Something that
> will satisfy a guy used to SGI machines.
> 
> And all this on a budget. So please put your thinking caps on so I
> can present this guy with a creative solution.
> 

OK - cheapest (still quite costly) setup would possibly be:

PowerMac 8600 with as much RAM as possible
animation and 3D rendering: Strata Studio Blitz or Inifi-D or others
video editing: Adobe Premiere
other useful software: Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, Macromedia Director

The 8600 has video, sound I/O composite or s-video connectors on the back.

I'm out of touch with PCI boards for the above, but the Vincent board
which powers the Media 100 systems is probably the best - but it will cost
you about as much as the 8600 cpu, I think.

I'm not dead sure of this info, so if someone else cares to correct me, no
problems.

Keith

-- 
"...they sang a number of tuneful and reflective 
songs on the subjects of peace, justice, morality, 
culture, sport, family life and the obliteration 
of all other life forms." - Douglas Adams
____________________________
Keith Griffin. http://galifrey.triode.net.au