Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!rutgers!bellcore!tness7!killer!ninja!sys1!hal6000!trsvax!johnm From: johnm@trsvax.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.graphics Subject: Re: Still looking for MacII ray tracer. Message-ID: <194300034@trsvax> Date: 30 May 88 13:20:00 GMT References: <1871@uhccux.UUCP> Lines: 54 Nf-ID: #R:uhccux.UUCP:1871:trsvax:194300034:000:2708 Nf-From: trsvax.UUCP!johnm May 30 08:20:00 1988 >I have been using the Render program, and think that you will be vastly >disappointed. It is a port from the Amiga (in turn a port from a VAX) and >uses none of the user interface, and is not only slow but difficult to >use. I don't see how its being a port from the Amiga is a strike against it and I don't think anybody will (or "should") be VASTLY disappointed. It ain't half bad as a ray tracer, has really neat texturing, and it doesn't cost you anything if you don't like it! >The specificaton of images is hard, and the program has many annoying >bugs. (The mirror value ranges 0.0 to 1.0, a 1.0 will cause the machine to >bomb. Use 0.9 instead.) In this case you were too gentle rather than too harsh though... Creating images is nearly impossible if you don't want to spend forever doing it. I've come up with a temporary fix for the IBM PC version that I hope to distribute though. I'm going to create a translator that will take objects created using DANCAD 3D (a shareware 3D prog.) and convert them to something that DBW can use. In fact, if anybody feels like helping, I need a copy of DANCAD 3D 2.0 (all I have is 1.3). Send me mail if you can help out. The mirror problem is mentioned in his document QUESTIONS.TXT which doesn't always get distributed with DBW as it should. The problem is that if you have two or more PERFECTLY reflecting objects you are going to get ray after ray generated until your stack overflows. >The sample images don't come out well. A matter of opinion. Did you give them enough time? I had to increase the resolution variable to 99 for all of the samples when I calculated them on my PC. The Mac version may be similarly afflicted. >Add an anti-alising command in the demos and you will get better results. I >much prefer the OPTIK program running under Xenix. It has an interface. If you have another ray tracing program then why haven't you distributed it? People constantly clamour for a ray tracer in this group, when I mentioned I had one it generated over 40(!) responses. Three of those included offers to trade another ray tracer for mine. Come on folks, don't be so damned lazy! If you don't want to take the time to distribute it then give it to me! I'll post it to CompuServe in all the appropriate groups, make it available for anybody who sends me a disk, and post it to the appropriate binary groups here on the net. Sorry about the mild flame tone of this posting but I want to see things like this distributed to the people who want them rather than mouldering in somebodies closet. John Munsch Usenet: ...!{ihnp4,uiucuxc}!sys1!hal6000!trsvax!johnm US Snail: 3829 Lawndale, Ft. Worth, TX 76133 CompuServe: 70007, 2331