From: meg5184@hertz.njit.edu (Starman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: * Review: Infini-D 2.0
Date: 14 Aug 92 17:03:06 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.

In a word: WOW!

I must say that the only problem I had with version 1.1.2 was it's
speed. Let me touch on this first. A fractal terrain with two
lightsources in Shader Best mode took 45 minutes on my accelerated Mac
IIsi (24 bit color). That same file now takes 10 minutes. A ray traced
image of a mirrored globe, silver letters and a wood plaque which took
3-3/4 hours mow takes 1-1/2 hours!

In any case, this version of Infini-D has a lot of the same features as
the previous version which have now been made 'more intuitive'. The
spherical mapping option now allows the user to specify how much of the
object is to be covered by the PICT map. Also, alphamaps are now used
which I know nothing about, so don't ask me.

Window size can be made to any custom size which is nice for me because
when I transfer the frames to the SGI to be recorded, they have to be
645x486 to be taped correctly, not the standard 640x441 (it makes a big
difference). You can dump frames to PICT, TIFF, PICS, or Quicktime
format. This way, you can make the frames 160x140 for postage stamp
Quicktime viewing.

Infini-D still only works with TrueType text. I'd like to know if the
guys at Specular are going to include Type 1 fonts so that I don't spend
money on FontMonger.

Modeling is still not up to what I would like it to be. You can't cut
the 3-D shape of one object (say a cylinder) out of a cube WITHOUT the
hole going all the way through the cube. Essentially you have to make
the cube in two pieces for that. Still no spline based modeling either
(grrrrrr). The freeform object creation now renders correctly. I had
some problems with making the plaque I mentioned above. Inifni-D 1.1.2
would render it with extra artifacts attatched outside the bounds of the
model. Now, Infini-D 2.0 makes the model look perfect.

The Sequencer pissed me off completely in version 1 because of the fact
that you can have the World Time Marker 'look' like it was at frame 9
when actually it was at frame 10. Now, you can snap to any eventmark
using the Shift key (thank you!).

FOG! It's really cool!

The camera increments are still real annoying since you have to specify
what the increments are every time you work with the camera. That should
be in the object floater. Also, the windows don't have rulers and grids
on them. I still feel like this is VERY important! Especially when you
don't even have a World Center Marker. I'd also like to have a 'view
orthagonic/perspective' default on the window views. I really don't like
perspective on the view windows; that's what the camera is for and I
have to turn it off with every new model. Grrrr......

I must say that I'm quite impresed with this new version. If you're
looking for a Mac modeler/animator I highly recommend it. If you don't
want to take my word for it, read the article in this month's MacUser
about graphics applications.

=============================== Mike Gaines ============================
= WHAT is your name?............................Captain Jean-Luc Picard=
= WHAT is your quest?.............................I seek the Holy Grail=
= WHAT is the average velocity of a Bird of Prey?...Romulan or Klingon?=
=                        I.....I don't know AAAAAHHHHH!                =
========================== meg5184@hertz.njit.edu ======================
===============================AOL: Graphix=============================
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps