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From: ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Swapping graphics pages at 60Hz
Message-ID: <3504@well.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-Jul-87 16:55:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: well.3504
Posted: Mon Jul  6 16:55:54 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Jul-87 06:14:49 EDT
References: <187@mv05.ecf.toronto.edu>
Reply-To: ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab)
Organization: Hole Earth 'Lectronic Loss (or words to that effect)
Lines: 69
Keywords: stereographics, video signals, graphics buffers
Summary: Sorry, but you're at least six months behind us...

In article <187@mv05.ecf.toronto.edu> drascic@ecf.UUCP writes:
>SUMMARY: (question from a novice)
>    Does the Amiga have the capability of creating separate graphics
>    pages which can be swapped at a rate of 60 Hz, in sync with the
>    video display?
>
	Yes, it does.  Next topic.

	Oh, all right, I'll elaborate.  Mind you, I can't elaborate much,
since I'm non-disclosured up to yin-yang on this.

	Suffice it to say that I personally have been working on this very
thing for about the last two months solid, and the company I'm working for
has been doing this for at least the past six months, if not *much* longer.

	I've cooked up at least half a dozen stereo pairs, both with DPaint
II and DigiView, as well as driver/viewing software.  We've successfully
gotten the StereoTek LCD glasses driver (which is marked, "For use with
Atari ST ONLY") to work on the Amiga.  I've also done a few other 3D goodies
as well.

	Unfortunately, I can't release specific implementation details,
since they're *very* proprietary.  However, my boss and I have hatched a
scheme that may put this technology in your hands:

NO_PROMISES	NO_PROMISES	NO_PROMISES	NO_PROMISES	NO_PROMISES

	We're thinking of marketing a "3D Experimenter's Kit:"  A collection
of hardware and software tools and techniques to create your own 3D stuff.
This package would contain glasses (with driver), software glasses driver,
IFF stereo pairs to gawk at, 3D display hacks, and software subroutines
(with source) so you can understand and use 3D on your own.  We'd also give
you a manual describing the "rules" for using 3D, how to make pairs in
DPaint, etc.

	The problem we're having with this idea is that we're not sure just
how successful it would be (there is no CAD-3D equivalent for the Amiga),
nor how much we should charge for it.  Would you buy such a beast?  How much
would you pay for it?  $100?  $150?  $200?  $6999.95?  Let me know; I'll
save all responses, wrap them in a nice package, and give them to my boss.

>What we want to do is use the Amiga to
>draw dynamic three dimensional, "stereo" images in the same way.  We will
>thus need two graphics buffers, and we will need to be able to switch
>between these 60 times a second, in sync with the screen refresh.  Is
>this possible?
	Yes.
>Is it amazingly difficult?
	No.

	I like succinct responses, don't you? :-)

>I know the Atari can
>do it, since they are marketing similar glasses with software.

	They sorta cheat.  Plus you can't genlock Atari stuff (easily).  All
our stuff works with existing 3D video, and genlocks.  So there.

>	David Drascic.
>	  drascic@utecfb    OR    drascic@ecf.toronto.edu

	I will feed your name to my boss to be added to the list of people
to file court-imposed restraining orders against :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-).

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Leo L. Schwab -- The Guy in The Cape	ihnp4!ptsfa -\
 \_ -_	 Bike shrunk by popular demand,	      dual ---> !{well,unicom}!ewhac
O----^o	 But it's still the only way to fly.  hplabs / (pronounced "AE-wack")
"Work FOR?  I don't work FOR anybody!  I'm just having fun."  -- The Doctor