PC ray-tracing
162872...@vaxr.sscl.uwo.ca
me compile a list of software I should investigate. I know 3d Studio 2.0 is
probably the be-all and end-all of modellers on the PC, but I cannot justify
spending over $500. I have no preferance for Windows over Dos, but I would
like a GUI interface. Also, compatiblity between modellers is important, as I
would like to build a library of objects from the public domain.
As a start, I've heard of Persistance of Vision and Imagine. I would
appreciate contacts for both of them. More importantly, I would like candid
opinions of these pieces or any other available on the PC.
Thanks in advance,
Fraser Goodmurphy
162872...@vaxr.sscl.uwo.ca
Eric Vitiello
>Hi! I'm interested in ray-tracing on the PC. I wondered if anyone could help
>me compile a list of software I should investigate. I know 3d Studio 2.0 is
>probably the be-all and end-all of modellers on the PC, but I cannot justify
>spending over $500. I have no preferance for Windows over Dos, but I would
Sorry... It's going to be very hard to find a ray tracer for an IBM
compatible comuter for under $500.... If you do find one, it may not
do all that you want. The only one I can think of that is half good
is from Brown-Wagh Publishing can't quite remember the name of it,
but thier number is: 1-800-451-0900
....r.c V.t.ell. .r...
---
. DeLuxe./386 1.25 #959sa . My Address: eric.v...@tfd.coplex.com
Steve Lamont
> Sorry... It's going to be very hard to find a ray tracer for an IBM
> compatible comuter for under $500.... If you do find one, it may not
How about a ray tracer for free? Check Rayshade or any of the other
RTs regularly discussed on this newsfroup.
Now a modeler... that's a different story.
spl
--
Steve Lamont, SciViGuy -- (619) 534-7968 -- s...@szechuan.ucsd.edu
UCSD Microscopy and Imaging Resource/UCSD Med School/La Jolla, CA 92093-0608
"Personally, I don't care whether someone is cool enough to quote Doug
Gwyn--I only care whether Doug Gwyn is cool enough to quote." - Larry Wall
Gerrit van Oostveen
>TO: 162872...@vaxr.sscl.uwo.ca
How about POVRay, Rayshade and VORT ? These are all public domain (cheaper
than $500) available on many sites (simtel-20, nic.funet.fi and wuarchive)
and do real raytracing. 3D-Studio does rendering only (other principle).
I used POVRay and Rayshade myself and I'm impressed with their output.
VORT gave somewhat less quality.
G.v.Oostveen
vost...@prl.philips.nl
Kim-Kiat Tan
>In <871.13...@tfd.coplex.com> eric.v...@tfd.coplex.com (Eric Vitiello) writes:
>
>>TO: 162872...@vaxr.sscl.uwo.ca
>
>>>Hi! I'm interested in ray-tracing on the PC. I wondered if anyone could help
>>>me compile a list of software I should investigate. I know 3d Studio 2.0 is
>>>probably the be-all and end-all of modellers on the PC, but I cannot justify
>>>spending over $500. I have no preferance for Windows over Dos, but I would
>
>> Sorry... It's going to be very hard to find a ray tracer for an IBM
>> compatible comuter for under $500.... If you do find one, it may not
>> do all that you want. The only one I can think of that is half good
>> is from Brown-Wagh Publishing can't quite remember the name of it,
>> but thier number is: 1-800-451-0900
>
>>....r.c V.t.ell. .r...
>>---
>> . DeLuxe./386 1.25 #959sa . My Address: eric.v...@tfd.coplex.com
>>
>
>VORT gave somewhat less quality.
>
>
>G.v.Oostveen
>vost...@prl.philips.nl
There is also a commercial package called "3D workshop", it's about
$200.00 (definitely under $300.00). It's a bit slow compared with 3D studio (
from review), and it dosen't have texture mapping.
By the way, I thought 3D studio also did ray-tracing, if not, can you
tell me what technique they used ?
cth...@npal.rn.com
appreciate feedback on this myself.
I am currently using POV-Ray which is a public domain ray tracer with
excellent quality. The only problem is that all objects must be entered
via text files.
The commercial ray tracers that I've seen are:
3D Workshop by Brown Wagh Publishing $299
Playmation by Cineplay $499 (the same people responsible for California
Raisins.
and Crystal Desktop Animator by Crystal Graphics
3110 Patrick Henry Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95054 USA
(408)496-6175
I got these out of New Media Magazine
ChuckBill
cth...@npal.rn.COM
Christopher Stewart
The only (under $500) pc raytracer I know of is called
Playmation. It's a spline-based modeller/renderer that has recieved
mixed reviews in the Amiga community. You might want to wait until
Impulse releases their Imagine software for the PC. I have used it
on the Amiga for some time now and find it quite capable. Rumor has
it that the PC version's release will correspond with the 3.0
revision. I'd guess a couple of months ;-(....
Christopher
--
Mark Chadwick
and Playmation. DKBTrace is more "standard" in that
all the objects are based on various geometric figures,
but you have to input all your data as a text file,
which makes on-the-fly editing a bit tough.
Playmation is easier to use if you're creating wierd
objects on the fly, because you get a wireframe
view of what you're doing as you do it. However,
as someone else pointed out already, it's spline-
based, which is something that takes a little getting
used to (at least, it did for me :-)
-Mark
--
---
Mark "Emerson" Chadwick -- ncc...@acm.rpi.edu chadw...@space.laafb.af.mil
Chris Williams
>I am currently using POV-Ray which is a public domain ray tracer with
>excellent quality. The only problem is that all objects must be entered
>via text files.
>The commercial ray tracers that I've seen are:
>3D Workshop by Brown Wagh Publishing $299
>Playmation by Cineplay $499 (the same people responsible for California
> Raisins.
Playmation is a good quality ray-tracer, and one of the few that renders
patches (Catmull-rom). The base package only renders at 256 colors, but an
they offer a 24-bit DOS-based renderer for ~$100.00. It's a very nice renderer,
and renders with an 8-bit alpha channel. The major nice points of the package
are it's modeler and animation capabilities. I may review this entire package
in the future.
BTW, Will Vinton has had nothing to do with the software other than
lending it his name. The program has been in development on the Amiga for
several years as Animation Apprentice, then as Animation Journeyman. It's
still available on the Amiga, and Mac and SGI versions are supposed to be
in the works.
>and Crystal Desktop Animator by Crystal Graphics
I don't believe Crystal is a ray-tracer. My understanding of it is
that is a scanline renderer, with automatic enviorment mapping. Crystal
is also sold as Topas by GSL. I have been told that Crystal has terminated
it's relationship with GSL, and that Topas may no longer be distributed.
Chris Williams
chr...@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu
kate...@chinet.chi.il.us
Chris Williams
>I've used both DKBTrace (available at various ftp sites)
>and Playmation.
>objects on the fly, because you get a wireframe
>view of what you're doing as you do it. However,
>as someone else pointed out already, it's spline-
>based, which is something that takes a little getting
>used to (at least, it did for me :-)
But if you are familier with patch-based modeling, it is a fairly
powerful modeling interface. It (IMHO) gives Alias a run for the money
at a tiny fraction of the cost. I consider it the "poor person's Alias."
Chris Williams
chr...@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu
kate...@chinet.chi.il.us
Ken Baer
> The only (under $500) pc raytracer I know of is called
>Playmation. It's a spline-based modeller/renderer that has recieved
>mixed reviews in the Amiga community.
Playmation has been getting reviews in non-Amiga publications like the
December Camcorder, Feb/March Desktop Video World, and the January
Computer Graphics World. Playmation for the PC runs under Windows,
and the Macintosh version just started shipping. The street price
is $299, plus $100 for full broadcast rendering.
--
\_ -Ken Baer. Programmer/Animator, Hash Enterprises
<[_] Usenet: ba...@qiclab.UUCP / AppleLink: KENBAER / Office: (206)573-9427
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