From: keith@actrix.gen.nz (Keith Stewart)
Subject: Re: OPALVISION is Awesome !
Organization: Actrix Information Exchange
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 10:03:54 GMT

In article <amuser.716112556@marsh> amuser@cs.curtin.edu.au (Bill Sharp-Smith AUG) writes:
> Our user group had a demo the other night of OpalVision, the new 24 bit
> graphics card (see review in c.s.a.reviews group).

Our local retailer has one on a 3000. 

> 
> Well, it really is impressive. It was running on a '2000 with a 25MHz
> GVP '030 card, 1Mb Chip RAM, 9Mb Fast RAM. On this setup, it really was
> fast. Most things were as fast as DPaint in hires, 4 bit. Brush stamps
> were instantaneous, but painting freehand with a decent size brush left
> gaps between stamps (ie. it couldn't keep up with the mouse). This is
> really a minor thing, but gives you an idea of the speed.
> 
> The screen used was a massive Sony monitor/TV with RGB input, and the
> display was incredibly sharp. Colours were extremely vibrant, with no
> visible bleeding at all. One of our members remarked "Does real life
> look that good ?" ! It looked way better than any TV, an because it is
> in 24bit, there is very little flicker.

Yeah funny that. I think the display is no problem to use Amiga people
who are used to interlace ( or understand why interlace exists


> 
> The interface would have to be the slickest I've seen on any paint
> program on any platform. eg. in the artist tools requester is a list of
> available tools, each with an associated "icon". These icons were in 24
> bit, and a work of art in themselves. For the pencil tool, there was a
> picture of some colour pencils, for the airbrush a very arty looking
> spray can. The file requester has miniature versions of the pictures in
> each directory !
> 
> I really liked the rub-through function. You have two pages, and where
> you draw, the back page shows through. However, you can set an 'origin'
> on the back page so that no matter where 
> you paint on the front page,
> that part of the back page will show through. The guy giving the demo
> (David Jacobs) set an origin on a girl's face on the back page. When he
> painted on the front screen with the airbrush, the face gradually showed
> throw the more he painted, and the edges were fuzzy. No matter where he
> painted, the same face would show through.
> 
> For most of the demo we were really impressed by the picture quality,
> then he said he was in LORES ! (1Mb chip RAM is a bit limiting).
> 
> The paint program is based very much on DPaint, so you already know how
> to use it. Even the key equivalents are identical where possible. Most
> of DPaint's functions are included except perspective, brush fills
> (though shapes filled by the brush are supported), morphing and
> animation. Filling and stencils are controlled by a tolerance on hue,
> saturation, value or all three. There are dozens of image processing
> functions available eg. emboss, solarize, noise and others I can't
> remember.
> 
> One really nice thing is that tools (pencil, chalk, water colour etc),
> image processing functions, textures etc are open ended so that more can
> be developed and added in by the user.
> 
> Oh yeah, the textures. Textures are defined in some kind of fashion
> combining bitmaps and algorithms. I guess this means we'll see all kinds
> of fractal simulations of marble, wood, rock, cloth etc.
> 
> I have only seen DCTV and ToasterPaint in the 24 bit arena for the
> Amiga, and OpalPaint wipes the floor with both of them. It is the first
> serious competitor to Adobe Photoshop on the Mac that I have seen on the
> Amiga.
> 
> One drawback though (well, not necessarilly). It outputs RGB only, so
> you need some kind of converter to go to video. Also, the ouput is
> interlaced which aint too bad, but still not as good as a 'real' monitor
> display if your going to use it all day. Opal do have a de-interlacer in
> the works though.
> 
> Other things mentioned on the night :
> 
> * the Scala guys gleefully took one home when they were here for the
> Sydney WOC Expo. Scala would be mind blowing on this thing !
> 
> * an external version will be released, and a display only version for
> low end systems. These may be one and the same product.
> 
> * in the future, full screen, full rate 24 bit animation.

It there any animation software out for it yet?


> 
> * a 'Pro' version of OpalPaint available later at extra cost.
> 
> I hope this becomes the defacto 'standard' Amiga video device,
> especially in PAL countries where the Toaster is not yet available. In
> some ways it is better than the Toaster and is modular.
> 

Its pretty impressive. After 24bit colour then everything else is hard
to look at. VISATPRO2.0 pics are superb.
>  
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Keith