Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ucbvax!UREGINA1.BITNET!MOLNARRM From: MOLNARRM@UREGINA1.BITNET (Dennis Robert Gorrie) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Mandala System, VERY VIVID, Macro Pappa Read This. Message-ID: <8712132054.AA04823@jade.berkeley.edu> Date: 13 Dec 87 20:23:23 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Lines: 28 I could not find Macro Pappa's address, so I am posting this note concerning the Mandala system which uses an Amiga to digitize a dancer, real time, and have the dancer's digitised image interact with on-screen icons. This interaction results in playback of digitized sounds, as well as countless other special effects. For example, the dancer's image was kicking an icon ball around the screen. The people responsible for the developent of this system were went to the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. I go to school there and they put on several demonstrations. The system is composed of an 8 meg A1000 (with 68010? I did not know that), a high speed, custom-built real-time digitizer, and of course the special software that allows the interaction of the digitized image of the dancer to interact with the on-screen icons. I know a custom digitizer would be expensive, but not that much, as well I did not believe that the software should be that sophisticated. So, I asked them why they were asking $35,000 (U.S. Funds) for the system. They said their target was professional type entertainment, performers, and rock groups. For these groups, money was no consideration, and $35,000 was a drop in the bucket. Supposedly the group Talking heads was evaluating the system. The developers of the system did say they were considering a cheaper consumer version. Whatever the components or cost of the Mandala system may be, the demonstration they performed, called VERY VIVID, was exactly that. It sticks in my mind as the most amazing, profound, and enjoyable demostration of the Amiga's sound and graphics power, that I have EVER seen. I only hope to see some more artists make use of the system and produce some wonderful videos. 'Chain-Saw Tag... Try it, you'll like it!' Dennis Robert Gorrie (please respond direct)