S2
P1
EP
 ¥2¤9  WARNING TO RAY-

 TRACING BEGINNERS¥1¤1


Learning  any piece of software can be
difficult, and the complexity of a 3D-
modelling   program   compounds   this
difficulty  by  orders  of  magnitude.
Imagine  2.0  is one of the absolutely
most   powerful   raytacing   packages
available  for any computer but it can
be  very tricky to learn.  Imagine was
the  first  piece of 3D software I had
ever   used,   though   I   was   very
interested     in    learning    about
rendering.  After two weeks of playing
with  the  software,  I was completely
frustrated  and  confused,  a state no
other  piece  of  software  had put me
into.   Slowly  I  learned how Imagine
functioned;  suddenly  I  was past the
"hump"  and  I  was actually producing
ð
¤1real pictures.

Some  programs  have  a steep learning
curve  but Imagine's curve is so steep
at the beginning it looks like a wall.
Don't give up!

¤2Now  that I understand the software, I
see why it is organized the way it is.
It does not have an interface designed
for  simple  understanding, instead it
is optimized for maximum user control.
Now  that  I  understand  the software
well  and use it constantly, there are
few  changes  to the general interface
that    I   could   suggest   to   the
programmers  that  would  make Imagine
easier  for new users without removing
some  of  the  power  and control that
experienced users enjoy.  The point is
once   you  understand  the  software,
you'll   be   very   happy   with  its
configuration.     By    using    this
Ð
optimistic,   longterm  strategy,  the
programmers  has  made the software as
powerful  as  possible,  though at the
expense  of  increased difficulty when
you  are  learning.   Good luck, it is
worth the effort!
Ð