Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!super!udel!mmdf
From: kvancamp@ardec.arpa (Ken Van Camp)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Sculpt-4D Upgrade
Message-ID: <4182@louie.udel.EDU>
Date: 22 Sep 88 19:09:18 GMT
Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU
Lines: 34


	I just got my announcement from Byte by Byte about the 
Sculpt-4D upgrade.  Trying to decide whether it is worth it to 
upgrade, I have a few questions/comments: 

(1) Sculpt-4D is apparently faster than Sculpt-3D at rendering and 
refreshing the tri-view, but no estimates on how fast were given.  Can 
someone provide me with some sample ray tracing times comparing the 
two programs for the same model?  Or at least give a seat-of-the-pants 
estimate?  

(2) The new features alone do not seem worth the huge price increase 
for me.  (This is not a flame, just a personal lack of interest in 
most of the new features.) What I was really waiting for was texture 
mapping, which Eric Graham said he was working on a year ago.  My gut 
reaction is to wait for 3-Tuple, rather than spending the money on 
Sculpt-4D right now.  Fred Mitchell says he already has texture 
mapping in 3-Tuple, and you can map any IFF file onto a surface.  (Has 
anybody seen this?)

(3) Upgrade prices are somewhat strange.  You can buy Sculpt-4D for 
$499.95.  Or you can upgrade from Sculpt-3D for $345.  (Sculpt-3D only 
lists for $100, and you can buy it at the discount houses for about 
$70, so go buy it quick and get $150 off the price!) Or you can 
upgrade from both Sculpt-3D and Animate-3D for $195.  (You can buy 
Animate-3D for under $100 at discount, so buy it now and knock off 
another $150!) Hmmm.  

                            --Ken Van Camp 
ARPANET:  kvancamp@ARDEC.ARPA   -or-   kvancamp@AC4.PICA.MIL
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          'Tis better to Shell than to shell out the dough.