Light ROM 3/Light ROM 3 - Disc 2.iso/tess/tess501.txt

Text File | 1995-03-06 | 21KB | 395 lines

===========================================
T H E   T E S S E L L A T I O N   T I M E S  #501 -  Premiere Issue
===========================================

Issue #1 of 1995 - Februrary 27th

TESS is Columbine, Inc.'s  weekly electronic publication posted most
Monday evenings to supplement 3D ARTIST magazine.

DETAILS
Please help to disseminate this document. This file may be passed between
individuals electronically or in print, and can be reposted in any online
forum _as_long_as_ the file is not modified in any way (it must be left
whole and unchanged). It should be posted as TESS501.TXT (TES501.TXT where
only only six characters are allowed), or compressed as TESS501 with the
appropriate DOS-style extension (ZIP, etc.).
  This file's contents are (c) Copyrighted 1995, with all rights reserved,
and may not be reproduced in or with any other print or digital publication
without express permission.
  Any trademarked names mentioned in this file are the property of their
respective owners and are used only in editorial fashion without intent of
infringement of such trademarks.
  Columbine, Inc. and its publications are totally independent. No companies
or products are endorsed.

Published by and (c)Copyright 1995 Columbine, Inc.
P.O. Box 4787, Santa Fe, NM 87502 USA
505/982-3532 voice
505/820-6929 fax
505/820-6929x3 voice mail
E-mail: [e-mail]

Staff:
Alex Kiriako, Editor, TESS & Sysop, 3dartist.com <[e-mail]>
Bill Allen, Pres., Columbine, Inc. / Publisher <[e-mail]>
Sally Beach, Vice Pres., Columbine, Inc. <[e-mail]>
Carol Williamson, Admin. Asst. <[e-mail]>

This issue was assembled primarily by TESS Publisher Bill Allen.

CONTENTS
501.00 - Introducing Tess
501.01 - Heads Up
501.01.01 - Special Offers
501.01.02 - Product Upgrades
501.01.03 - Events
501.01.04 - Artists' Calls
501.01.05 - User Groups
501.01.06 - Online Doings
501.02 - Dance of the Titans
501.03 - 3D Studio News
501.03.01 - Release 5 for Windows NT
501.03.02 - 3DS r4c1 Maintenance Upgrade
501.04 - Books Received
501.04.01 - 3D Studio Tips & Tricks Series
501.04.02 - Becoming a Computer Animator
501.04.03 - 3D Starter Kit
501.05 - More News
501.06 - Contacts

501.00 - Introducing TESS
Getting an Internet site up and running has been a long time coming for us.
We actually had 3dartist.com registered as a domain name 12 months ago, but
putting it to use took three tries at finding a functional Internet service
provider. As promised, here is our weekly electronic 3D news publication,
which we have named *The Tessellation Times*, or just *Tess*.
  Many calendar items, artists' calls, and special price offers come in too
late to get into 3D ARTIST. TESS is our answer to that problem, and to
finding a faster, better way to get general 3D graphics news out to you. The
idea here is to supplement 3D ARTIST, not to duplicate it or replace it.
TESS is not a how-to publication, and we'll save the biggest news reporting
for 3D ARTIST. But, we'll do a lot online--more some weeks than others, and
we'll summarize in 3D ARTIST the news coverage you see here for readers who
aren't online yet.
  TESS is starting out as a modest text-only publication, but, as we get
time to gain the experience and tools, we will turn TESS into a digital
magazine complete with images.
  We hope to announce soon an automated mailing list server so anyone can
register to receive TESS automatically.
  Direct your comments to TESS editor Alex Kiriako <[e-mail]>, or
just send them to [e-mail].
  Please visit 3dartist.com to download files listing events, user groups,
books, guidelines for writing for 3D ARTIST, previews of what coming in 3D
ARTIST, and more.
--Bill Allen, Publisher <[e-mail]>

P.S. 3D ARTIST issue #18 is just hours away from printing as we upload this
issue of TESS. Most subscribers should get 3DA#18 sometime in March. Inside
is nothing less than seven articles on texture maps, a focus on
architectural rendering, and the most Mac coverage we've had yet. This is
our largest 3D ARTIST to date at 50 pages, plus another six pages devoted to
the first issue of our new magazine for high-end computer graphics. We'll be
making a formal announcement about that development in the next few days.
Ftp /3dartist/3daprevu.txt from 3dartist.com for a list of #18's how-to
contents.

501.01 - Heads Up
Here's the stuff you need to know about the soonest...

501.01.01 - Special Offers
Byte by Byte Corp. has a competitive upgrade offer available through April
15th. You can get their new SoftF/X $995 animation package for Windows
3.1/95/NT for $497.50 if you already own 3D Studio, trueSpace, LightWave 3D,
Imagine, Real 3D, Ray Dream, Visual Reality, Topas, or Sculpt-Animate 4D.
  Or, you can get it for $597 if you own Photoshop, which plays on the fact
that SoftF/X, previously known as Envisage 3D 2.0, was designed to have an
interface more like Photoshop's--a style that has become popular in graphics
programs.
  Byte by Byte also is looking for established dealers to carry its
products, and is making it financially easy to join their program.

501.01.02 - Product Upgrades

Autodesk 3D Studio r4c1 & r5: See 3D Studio news report below (501.03).

Hash Animation Master 3 ("Just say no to polygons") has been announced for
April for Windows, NT (Intel, Alpha, MIPS), Mac and PowerMac, and SGI.
Owners of version 2 can upgrade now for $200, and from Playmation for $400.

Pixar Typestry 2 for Windows. The Jan. 31 news release, which indicates the
program is shipping now, arrived Feb. 15, but we haven't heard from anyone
who has the final product. We got a quick peak at a beta last July and what
we saw looked good--a definite improvement over v1. The Mac v2 shipped long
ago. New features include particle generation, a Looks editor, tube and
rubber sheet objects (for flags, etc.), and atmospherics. List $299, upgrade
$99.

Other: Both Caligari trueSpace 2.0 and NewTek LightWave 3D 4.0 (Amiga,
Windows and NT, SGI) are being promised for the end of March.
  (We need some how-to stuff for trueSpace to round out 3DA#19--short tips
and/or longer pieces. Send images on disk with text, or E-mail text-only
tips to [e-mail].)

501.01.03 - Events
See calendar.txt for a long-range list of 3D-related events. See
/3dartist/dt3dsigs.txt for routine 3D user group meeting dates.

March 1, Cambridge, Mass.: 7 p.m., Newman Auditorium, BBN, 70 Fawcett St.,
Cambridge. CAD, computer graphics, and virtual reality pioneer, Carl
Machover, will speak. Co-sponsored by the Boston Computer Society CAD SIG
and Siggraph/NE. Contact Howard Cohen, 617/893-1501, E-mail: [e-mail].

March 2-5, New London, Conn.: Convergence, the 5th biennial symposion on
arts and technology, at Connecticut College. Call 203/439-2001, or E-mail
[e-mail].

March 4, New York City: Surfing the Next Wave: Internet & multimedia,
seminar 10-5pm, held by NYC Siggraph in the School of Visual Arts
amphitheater, 209 E. 23rd St. Contact Diane Rubino, 212/592-2524, $35 for
members, $55 for others, less if pre-registered.

March 4, Los Angeles, Calif.: 3D Art Forum meeting, 11-5pm, Wells Fargo
Theatre, Gene Autry Western Heritage Museum, 4700 Western Heritage Way.
Admission $15, parking free. Seating is limited (reservations: 909/338-1786).
  "Babylon 5" effects designer Mojo from Foundation Imaging will discuss
work on the TV series, how LightWave performs on the PC and in the broadcast
environment, and finding work as a 3D animator.
  Viewpoint Datalabs will demo Cyberware equipment and techniques for custom
scanning, now available at its new Culver City location.
  Computer graphics agents Terry Wade and Leslie Freeman from General
Employment, who specialize in placing computer artists in the interactive
industry, will offer tips on how to find work. Attendees are invited to
bring VHS demo reels and
resumes to leave with them for review.

501.01.04 - Artists' Calls

March 24 is the deadline for 1995 Caddie Awards, with categories for still
images, still image series, and animations created with software from
Autodesk and Autodesk developers. Subcategories include practicing
professionals, presentation professionals, business or theatrical release,
independent artists, faculty and graduate students, undergraduates and high
school students, images using models created in Autodesk products but
rendered with other products, and even a category for Autodesk, CADalyst
magazine, and other affiliated employees. For more info, call 503/343-1200
for rules and instructions about submitting, including nominal fees. This
event is co-sponsored by 3D ARTIST magazine.

April 13th is the deadline for New Mexico-based artists for the "Binary
Vision" juried exhibit for 2D and 3D computer art. Contact The Printmaker,
1807 - 2nd St. #40, Santa Fe, NM 87501; 505/425-9456.

April 24th is the deadline for the Electronic Cinema at the Int'l. Symposium
on Electronic Art, Sept. 17-24, Montreal, Que., Canada. Computer animation
and video using computer image processing. All entries will be available for
screening during ISEA95. Contact ISEA95_Montreal, 307, rue Sainte-Catherine
Ouest #310, Montreal, PQ H2X 2A3, Canada; 514/990-0229, 842-7459 fax;
E-mail: [e-mail].

April 26th is the deadline for the Computer Animation Festival/Electronic
Theatre at Siggraph 95 (Aug. 6-11, Los Angeles, Calif.) Contact: Frank
Foster, Electronic Theatre co-chair, 310/280-7603. E-mail:
[e-mail].

501.01.05 - User Groups
See /3dartist/dt3dsigs.txt for 3D ARTIST's complete listing of 3D user
groups.

New user group: For the many 3DS users in the southern San Francisco Bay
Area, there is now the South Bay 3D Studio Users Group, which plans to meet
quarterly. Contact David Anthony at his work phone: [phone].

501.01.06 - Online Doings

The Graphics Alternative BBS is now accessible via Telnet. You can either
log onto tgax.com just as though you had dialed the BBS directly
(510/524-2780), or you can use a Web browser and go to telnet://tgax.com.
TGA is a top graphics BBS and a cornerstone of the PCGnet, a network of BBSs
linking together CAD and graphics users in a dozen or so countries from
Australia to Slovenia. There are 3D Studio and AutoCAD forums, among many
others. TGA is run by sysop Adam Shiffman, who has written for 3D ARTIST,
and can be reached at [e-mail].

The Internet is a bewildering place, but the Modus Internet CD-ROM is full
of help and related software, and costs only $9.95. The same business also
is coming out with Modus Architect, a CD-based multimedia publication for
architects and virtual builders.

501.02 - Dance of the Titans
In 3D ARTIST #16, we report: On Jan. 6, Microsoft halved the price of an
improved, repackaged Softimage to $7,995--the level of today's priciest
desktop 3D program. On Feb. 7, SGI sat everyone back with a stunningly
expensive buyout of Alias and Wavefront. This presumably was to  protect its
software base against the tide building for Windows NT, and consequently for
non-SGI machines. The watch is on to see how aggressive Microsoft gets in
positioning Softimage for NT, which will battle not only SGI software but
also products from Autodesk, Macromedia, and others.
  Rather lost amidst that marketing mayhem was Apple's Feb. 6 announcement
of QuickDraw 3D--a clear alternative driven by the kind of vision that
started the 2D desktop publishing revolution a decade ago.  What sign is
Apple sending, however, when it announces a "cross-platform" standard (3DMF)
without first informing, let alone involving non-Mac developers?
  The market's low end looks headed for a big shakeup, too. Corel has
licensed technology from Ray Dream, Specular (Logo Motion), and American
Small Business Systems (DesignCAD). This isn't just for Corel 6.0, but also
for a new 3D application scheduled for third quarter, 1995.--B.A.
  The next shoe dropped on Feb. 23rd when Microsoft announced that it had
purchased RenderMorphics, Ltd., one of the main suppliers of the new 3D
application programming interfaces (APIs) that Rob Glidden has been
reporting about in 3D ARTIST since last summer.

501.03 - 3D Studio News
A note, while we've got your attention: We're looking for people to tell how
they are using the new features in 3DSr4, as well as in third-party IPAS
programs. Got some Keyscript code to share? A good example of follow
objects? Or maybe an example of how to use multiple-resolution object
feature offered by the Yost Optimize IPAS? Drop a message to
[e-mail].

501.03.01 - Release 5 for Windows NT
It was announced in Autodesk's asoft forum on CompuServe in mid-February
that 3D Studio release 5 will be a Windows NT application. They plan to demo
the new program at Siggraph in August, and have it ready to ship by year's
end.

501.03.02 - 3DS r4c1 Maintenance Upgrade
See your dealer to get the first maintenance upgrade on 3D Studio release 4.
It is free, but the dealer may charge a small handling fee.
  Here are the details we received from Autodesk about what's new in r4c1.
  1. In 3DS.EXE, the Load DXF command now correctly accepts AutoCAD r13
binary and ASCII DXF files. 3DS.EXE now correctly handles splines during
Load DXF when not enough path steps are available.
  2. Revised the internal version number for 3D Studio r4c1 (used by IPAS
routines, Adobe Illustrator file output, and Targa output) to 4.01.
  3. Rendered backgrounds and animated BXPs now resize properly when invoked
by an IPAS routine.
  4. Faster memory transfer code in 3DS.EXE can speed up certain IPAS
routines.
  5. Fixed a bug in 3DS.EXE found with deleting KF tracks from the 3D Editor
programmatically via PXPs.
  6. Various corrections to the New Features manual were made. Primary
changes were to correct errors in the IK tutorials and a rewrite of the
Match Perspective tutorial.
  7. In 3DS.EXE, an IPAS call to MTL_SELF flag is now returned as TRUE if
the self-illumination percentage of the material is non-zero.
  8. Fixed a minor IPAS-related text editor problem in 3DS.EXE which could
cause an editable field from an AXP or IXP dialog to erroneously appear in
the middle of the text editor display.
  9. Fixed a bug in IK.KXP where a follow object with Scale keys not equal
to (1.0,1.0,1.0) caused problems when solving for orientation.
  10. Instances, morphing, and self-illuminated objects are now correctly
handled in the Fast Preview module.
  11. Fixed a bug in Fast Preview that could result in an un-rendered scan
line in the display.
  12. Fixed a bug in Fast Preview that could cause improper backface
calculations when one or more vertices were located behind the camera.
  13. Fast Preview now draws only edges that are visible for faster
performance.
  14. Fixed a bug in Camera Control/Fast Preview where it was possible to
get a negative ambient light value when the ambient light had keys.
  15. Slightly improved the speed for rendering in Camera Control/Fast
Preview when running in either 16- or 24-bit mode. (However, is still slower
than when running in 8-bit mode.)
  16. Fixed a memory leak in Camera Control/Fast Preview.
  17. The Background color in Camera Control/Fast Preview now uses the
specified color instead of finding nearest match.

501.04 - Books Received
See 3d_books.txt for a compilation of book reviews from 3D ARTIST.
  The following reports are by TESS Editor Alex Kiriako.

501.04.01 - 3D Studio Tips & Tricks Series
Six 1994 books by Michelle Bousquet, three co-authored with Glenn
Melenhorst, are now available from Delmar Publishers from the 3D Studio Tips
& Tricks Series. Each is $24.95, except Technical Tips at $29.95. All
include a disk of tutorial files.
  Shaping & Lofting, 115 pp., ISBN 0-8273-7015-6
  Glass and Reflection, 115 pp., ISBN 0-8273-7014-8
  Morphing & Animation, 118pp., ISBN 0-8273-7017-2
  Materials and Lighting, 146pp., ISBN 0-8273-7011-3
  Animals & People, 210 pp., ISBN 0-8273-7016-4
  Technical Tips, 208 pp., ISBN 0-8273-7013-X
>>3D Studio has a way to do just about everything a 3D artist needs.
Figuring how to get the desired result efficiently, however, requires a
detailed understanding of 3D Studio's program architecture and working
methods. The authors show approaches to crafting skillfully in 3D Studio.
  As clear as the 3D Studio Tips & Tricks Series books are, they still
require some general knowledge of 3D Studio and don't replace the
documentation. People who can benefit the most from them are beginners and
intermediate users.--A.K.

501.04.02 - Becoming a Computer Animator
A new book by Mike Morrison from Sams Publishing, 330 pp., includes CD-ROM,
1994, ISBN 0-672-30463-5, $39.99.
>>This book takes you on a kaleidoscopic journey from descriptions of
today's 3D packages, to interviews with people in the industry, followed by
tutorials using Caligari trueSpace.
  A chapter entitled "Where the jobs are" gives you a general roundup of
fields currently looking for 3D animation skills (but isn't an explicit
directory for the computer animation market). Topics like talent, budget,
clients and how to be an efficient computer animator are presented
throughout the book. Other chapter titles include: "Interactive
Entertainment," "Forensic Animation," "Television," "Visualization and
Architectural Animation," and "Motion Pictures." There also is a large
resource listing, a CD-ROM with numerous demos of PC and Mac 3D applications.
  This book is sure to help inspire a new generation of animators.--A.K.

501.04.03 - 3D Starter Kit
A new book by Sean Wagstaff from Hayden Books, 501 pp., includes CD-ROM,
1994, ISBN 1-56830-125-1, $40.
>>This book falls into the must-have, being a true encyclopedia for 3D
applications on the Macintosh. It's a perfect introduction to 3D tools,
concerns, and alternatives.
  All the topics important to 3D methods and functionality are covered in
the 3D Starter Kit. Topics like lofting, sweeping, extruding, rendering,
etc., are explained by means of screen shots and examples from various 3D
packages. You get the look and feel of almost every Mac 3D application.
  With its CD-ROM, this book actually can be less expensive than downloading
the equivalent demos from an online service. I just wish this book had been
available when I was first deciding which Mac 3D applications to work
with.--A.K.

501.05 - More News

Fred Fish and Amiga Library Services are back with new CD-ROMs for LightWave
3D.
  The $39.95 Light-ROM 2 has 650Mb of render-ready scenes plus images and
textures.
  Texture Gallery is a pair of CDs with over a gigabyte of 24-bit textures
for $44.95. File formats are IFF, Targa, JPEG, and Pict, and thumbnails are
included.
  Getting ready for untoasted LightWave, these CDs are multi-platform.

Jeff Paries, a regular contributor to 3D ARTIST, is selling three
animation-ready font sets for Playmation at $27 (postpaid) each for Mac or
PC. Orders can be sent to Jeff at P.O. Box 366, Port Royal, VA 22535, or fax
301/645-1016.

501.06 - Contacts
The following companies have products mentioned in this issue of *The
Tessellation Times*. When you contact companies, please be sure to state
that you heard about them from TESS and 3D ARTIST magazine.
>>Amiga Library Services, 610 N. Alma School Rd. #18, Chandler, AZ 85224;
800/804-0833, 602/491-0048 vox/fax
>>Autodesk, Inc., 111 McInnis Pkwy., San Rafael, CA 94903; 415/507-5000
>>Byte by Byte Corp., 8920 Business Park Dr. #330, Austin, TX 78759;
512/795-0150, -0021 fax
>>Caligari Corp, 1955 Landings Dr., Mountain View, CA 94043; 800/351-7620,
415/390-9600, -9755 fax
>>Delmar Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 15015, Albany, NY 12212; 800/347-7707,
518/464-3500, -0301 fax
>>Hash, Inc., 2800 E. Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98661; 360/750-0042,
-0451 fax; [e-mail]
>>Hayden Books, [e-mail]: see Prentice Hall
>>Modus, P.O. Box 6160, Santa Fe, NM 87502; 505/820-6500; modus@ halcyon.com
>>NewTek, Inc., 1200 S.W. Executive Dr. Topeka, KS 66615; 800/847-6111,
913/228-8000, -8001
>>Pixar, 1001 W. Cutting Blvd., Richmond, CA 94804; 510/236-4000, -0388 fax
>>Prentice Hall, 201 W. 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46291; 800/428-5331,
317/581-3500, -3535 fax
>>Sams Publishing: see Prentice Hall

[end]