- COMING REAL SOON NOW! - ------------------------- New Programs from Gold Disk --------------------------- On a recent visit to Commodore in Sydney, I met with the President of Gold Disk, Kailash Ambwani. He was in Australia to promote Professional Page, a full featured Desk Top Publishing program, as well as to answer queries at the World of Commodore exhibition at the Darling Harbour complex. He showed me some of the new developments that were going on at Gold Disk, and I will give you a brief rundown of two of those programs, Professional Draw and Movie Setter. Professional Draw is an object oriented drawing package similar to Adobe Illustrator on the Macintosh. What this means, is that images are drawn in a vector format rather than a bitmapped format. Most of the current paint packages use a bitmapped format, which allow many sophisticated features, such as colour cycling, shading, stencils, etc. The main drawback of bitmapped images is that you are limited in output to the resolution of the screen. Magnifying an area also causes those dreaded 'jaggies'. A vector based program on the other hand, is similar to a CAD program. The artwork is stored as objects, such as lines, curves, etc. Vector or object based drawing is ideally suited to images that need to be output at the highest resolution possible. Professional Draw allows this by outputting to Postscript devices such as laser printers and Linotronic high resolution typesetters. It will also output to a preferences printer at the printers maximum resolution. The program has a similar layout to Professional Page and uses some of the same tools. Some of the newer tools include Bezier curves, which give the user the ability to create curved lines with great ease. There is also a distort tool that allows the user to change the overall shape of an object by moving a number of control point on a bounding box. Other tools include Mirror, Clone, etc. The program has a WYSIWYG mode as well as a wireframe mode when drawing. Use of the wireframe mode speeds up the redraw of objects. Some of the other tools include 'snap to' and a grid for reference and of course, the ability to zoom in, to work in detail. The program also allows the use of colour and will do a colour separation of the artwork in a similar fashion to Professional Page. I was quite impressed by the capabilities of this program, and although I only saw an Alpha release, it seemed quite robust. It is certainly not as fast as a normal paint package due to the nature of object oriented drawing, but I was told that a 68020/68881 version will be released as well. One other aspect that may interest potential users of this program is the fact that Gold Disk are looking at the possiblity of outputting the created artwork to high resolution film recorders. These recorders are capable of outputting at between 4000 to 8000 lines of resolution. This will then enable high quality artwork to be produced in full colour without the need for colour separation. --- The other new program that Gold Disk will be releasing is an animation package called Movie Setter. It is basically aimed at the domestic market, as it will only handle Lo-Res screens. However, I was assured that a 'professional' version was also under development. Movie Setter is mainly a Brush flipping program in that cels which contain the character that is to be animated, are pageflipped over a static background. It also has the ability to synchronise sound to the animation. Some of the unique features include a registration mark on each cel which allows acceleration/decelaration, accurate sequencing, reference marks on which to register your cels with. PAL/overscan support is also included. There were many other features that I did not get a chance to properly see, but suffice to say, I was also very impressed with this program. Professional Draw and Movie Setter are scheduled for release in Australia late in October or early November. I was not given an indication of the local price, but Professional Draw should retail in the US for about US$200. --- Another new program that will be released by Gold Disk is CAD 3D, a 3D modelling package. I did not get a chance to look at this program, but I was told that it is based on a French program of the same name. As this is a preview based on Alpha releases of the programs, I am sure that there will be some changes that will be made to the programs when they are finally released. However I am sure that the quality and ease of use that I saw will not be compromised. David Jacobs CREATIONS GOLD DISK Inc. P.O.Box 789., Streetsville. Ontario. CANADA. L5M 2C2. Phone: (416) 828 0913. --- New release of a 3D Animation program. -------------------------------------- For all you Amigaphiles out there who are interested in 3D animation, you will no doubt realise that there are a growing number of programs available. One of the first 3D animation package released was Forms in Flight (FIF). It was a fairly powerful program for its time, but it had a number of shortcomings, such as the inability to save IFF images. It also had some unique features, such as the ability to plot the images to a plotter. Forms in Flight was soon followed by Aegis's Videoscape 3D, Sculpt 3D and Animate 3D. These new programs added new features that soon overshadowed the versatility and uniqueness of FIF. The author of FIF, David Youlton took up the challenge of the larger software companies and put his Amiga to work and has now released Forms in Flight II. Some of the new features include : Surface patches Spline curves Phong (smooth) shading Texture mapping Multiple views Hierarchical animations including paths IFF support, including backgrounds and foregrounds Overscan/PAL support Snap mode UNDO The most important difference between this program and all the other 3D packages is the use of surface patches. This allows the user to create smoothly rounded objects easily and is usually associated with high end CAD packages. I am quite impressed by the ease of use of this new release. The use of Pop-Up menus is unique, as well as the ability to view the object from various angles simultaneously. The ability to map up to 15 different IFF images to the surfaces of the objects allows one to create objects with unique surface characteristics. The animation controls include acceleration/deceleration on the movement of objects. Objects can also be oriented to follow the path that is set. For example, think of a car that is travelling around a circular path. We can now orient the car to point in the direction in which it is travelling. Objects can also be resized during the generation of an animation, as well as made to appear and disapear. The file structure in this new release is different from the original FIF and the authors have thoughtfully allowed files from the original version to be used. The new format now saves all program variables into the object file, including screen resolution, eye point, rendering mode, etc. The user can also save files in ASCII for editing in a text editor such as ED. The manual is very well written and is an improvement over the manual of the original FIF. It comes in a three ring binder and leads the user through the various commands in a tutorial fashion. There are many examples, as well as illustrations of what the screen should look like at various stages. It also has what I would call a rarity in many manuals, an INDEX! (The FIF program icon has the word "EDITER" in it...in my day it was spelt "EDITOR". Chalk it down to a midnight-plus icon creation!) Overall I am very impressed and pleased by the standard and the ease of use of Forms in Flight II. However, I would like to see keyboard shortcuts, flat shading and some indication of what function is currently selected. The implementation of HAM mode would also give a much more polished image. My rating : RECOMMENDED! Forms in Flight II is available for US$119 plus P&H from : MICRO MAGIC 261 Hamilton Avenue, #320C Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA (415) 327-9107 NOTE: If you currently own the original FIF you can update to the new FIF II version by sending $40.00U.S. to Micro Magic. (This includes overseas return postage costs) --- New Tek's VIDEO TOASTER is "just-around-the corner". They are saying that it WILL be released in February '89. DIGI F/X will also be released at the same time. New Tek have promised that PAL versions will be available "shortly after"! --- Still with New Tek, DIGI-PAINT II will be out at the end of October 88. They aren't saying if it will support PAL as yet. --- FANCY 3D FONTS by Access Technologies is currently selling. This is a font package designed to work with IFF graphic programs. They can also be used with Sculpt 3D and Animate 3D. --- Speaking of fonts, Syndesis makers of the INTERCHANGE utilities, have released INTERFONT. This is a 3D object font designer that creates 3D fonts for programs like Sculpt 3D, Videoscape 3D, Forms In Flight and Turbo Silver. --- PHOTON VIDEO CELL ANIMATOR from Microillusions, the much awaited SUPER (?) animation package is NOW shipping, it has been advertising since November 1987! Now, how long do we have to wait for their other two Photon packages, EDIT 3D and RENDER 3D??? --- PAGEFLIPPER PLUS F/X, (the new super PAGEFLIPPER update) is currently available, but only in NTSC format. (it won't boot on PAL machines). The PAL version will be released at the end of October 88 at the same time the German version is out. FX is capable of running animations in sequence or in parallel. You can have control of the seperate bit planes and run two, three of four animations together, fading from one to another and back with ease. Tutorials show how to tailor your animations for maximum speed. In lo-res this can be as high as 40-60 frames per second, and in high-res it can reach 20-30 FPS. A context sensitive editor allows you to simply click on a line to change, and a related requestor appears allowing easy script changes. It is possible to create your own screen transitions, so you are not limited to the standard wipes and dissolves etc. A long animation can be stored on more than one disk and played back using the PLUS F/X player program. For maximum full screen animation performance the program is entirely coded in assembler language. PAGEFLIPPER PLUS F/X is available from... Mindware International. 230 Bayview, Suite No:1. Barrie. Ontario. CANADA. L4N 4Y8. Phone: (705) 737-5998. --- INVISION by Elan Design is a real-time special effects generator that allows you to combine images from A-Squared's LIVE! digitizer or a video recorder and mix them with paint program effects to create all sorts of effects (defects!) --- Polaroid has released the PAL version of the FreezeFrame video still image recorder. FreezeFrame captures and digitizes PAL color video signals, (off-air or from video camera, videotape or disc player) or the RGB video signal from graphics computers (Amiga). The image field is captured at the touch of one button and then can be fine tuned by using a simple control panel, before being printed out as a full-color self-developing print, or a 35mm slide, in color or black and white. The recorder weighs 6.5kg and comprises of an imaging unit with interchangeable Polaroid AutoFilm print and 35mm film backs and a keyboard unit. FreezeFrame produces color AutoFilm self-developing prints from its back. AutoFilm prints match the 4:3 aspect ratio of standard video monitors and once ejected after exposure, develop themselves in ordinary light. With the 35mm motorized camera back, FreezeFrame can deliver Polaroid Autoprocess 35mm slides, which are developed in one minute. The recorder has a built-in preview capability which allows users to adjust color, brightness, contrast and sharpness while displaying the image on the monitor screen. The fine tuned image can then be compared with the original prior to exposing. Other features include the ability to eliminate raster lines normally visible on photographs taken from video screens. --- A-Squared now have the LIVE! digitizer available for the Amiga 500, and they are toying with the LIVE!2000 a two-camera 3D video digitizer. --- Genlocks are virtually falling from the skies. Neriki, the Australian makers of the IMAGE MASTER PRO GENLOCK are advertising heavily in the U.S.A. Magni Systems are about to release their 4000 system which boasts full broadcast standard video, (NTSC of course!) GEC Video Systems of Adelaide have added a genlock to the Amiga range. It enables text, graphics and animation from the 500, 1000 and 2000 computers to be keyed to a video input source. Built in to the genlock is a self-contained composite, full color bars, grid pattern generator along with an infinite backdrop generator. Seperate RGB and key signals are available to enable external coding for broadcast applications. The internal encoder has blanking applied for the incoming video source. Hardware wipes to the computer's solid and key signals enable the user to horizontally, vertically and corner wipe between computer and video signals. (O.K. Now for a bit of a clarification! We have all read about the various new BROADCAST QUALITY genlocks that are becoming available for the Amiga. BIG DEAL!!! The sad fact is that the AMIGA is NOT a BROADCAST QUALITY machine. It does NOT put out the required number of lines to be BROADCAST! So if you purchase a BROADCAST QUALITY genlock don't expect to get BROADCAST QUALITY images, you won't!!! To even begin looking at BROADCAST QUALITY (PAL) images you need to be producing 750 lines PLUS! (Non-Interlace). The genlocks may be capable of BROADCAST QUALITY, but what comes out of your Amiga will actually degrade the quality). --- According to Hash Enterprise's ANIMATION: NEWSLETTER Vol2:No:3 (free to purchasers of Hash animation software) the latest updates to their products are as follows... Animation Effects V1.32 = Six times speed increase. Interlace output added. Better color rendering algorithms. Animator's Apprentice V3.2 = Multitasking record module. Auto-shaping line added to Sculpt. Control panel added. Animation Flipper V3.1 = Scripting added. Anim (opt 5) output. Better manual. Animation Stand V1.05 = Improved anim. For the newest revisions send $5.00U.S. (plus postage costs) and your serial number to... HASH ENTERPRISES. 2800 East Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver. Washington. 98661. USA (Not Canada!) Two new Hash products are ANIMATION EDITOR and ANIMATION MULTIPLANE. --- DELUXE PAINT II is now available for the IBM and compatables, but why would you want to know that anyway? Well it does give you 256 colors on a lo-res screen (320 x 200) that's if you are using the MCGA cards. --- Look out Commodore! Apple are about to release the NEW Apple IIGS PLUS early next year. It's rumoured to be the Amiga-Killer. How about 256 colors on screen in lo-res and interlace! Hmmm! --- AEGIS MODELLER 3D - Shipping ---------------------------- Modeller is a powerful and easy to use three dimensional object generator. It has three adjustable windows showing top, side and front views, with an additional window for viewing objects in their solid form. It works with data from Videoscape 3D, Aegis Draw Plus, Aegis Draw 2000 and Sculpt 3D. If your Amiga has 1meg of memory you can run Modeller 3D and Videoscape 3D together. Create objects from top, side and front to use in the projection window. View objects in their solid form while you make changes. Numeric coordinate display and adjustable grid snap. On screen tool bar. Eight available layers lets you isolate part of a complex object. Work on multiple objects at the same time. Lathe tool, extrude tool, mirror and array functions for step saving duplication of objects. Zoom in and zoom out for detail creation. Change object colors using the Videoscape 3D color format convention. Set up screen preferences and save the settings. Generate 3D primitives such as spheres, boxes, cylinders and planes automatically. Polygons can be any shape and are not restricted to being triangular. A modify command lets you re-shape and assemble 3D primitives into complex objects. Camera and object motion files can be created for use in Videoscape 3D. Enter a fixed heading, track a fixed point, or another motion, or keep an object pointed along a path. Create objects for use with Videoscape 3D, import objects from Videoscape 3D and edit them. Convert 2D Draw Plus or Draw 2000 objects into 3D objects. Save objects in Draw Plus and Draw 2000 format for plotting and edit existing Videoscape 3D objects. MODELLER 3D is produced by... Aegis Development. 2210 Wilshire Blvd., No:227. Santa Monica. CA. 90403. USA. Phone: (213) 392 9972. PRICE: $99.95 U.S. --- TURBO SILVER II --------------- New Turbo Silver comes in a floating point version for those of you who have a CSA or Hurricane Board (680020/68881) inside your Amiga 2000. Not only do you get this version, as well as the normal version, but you won't believe the speed increase! TERRAIN ------- Is a program that generates terrains. It generates fractal mountains, valleys and gullys. The program even generates animated water! So it is possible to create bubbling rivers through mountain ranges and valleys. The images created with Terrain can be exported directly into Turbo Silver and the objects can be ray-traced. TURBO SILVER II and TERRAIN are available from... Impulse Inc. 6870 Shingle Cree Pkwy, No:112. Minneapolis. MN. 55430. USA. Phone: (612) 566 0221. --- That's it for this issue's NEW STUFF. I hope it has wet your appetites for the DeskTop Video fever to come?