RE: Texture mapping

[Gareth Noyce <GarethN@solvera-inform.com>]

[GIMP]
> However, it got done - and it's at least as good as the 
> leading Windoze
> package (Photoshop?).

Well yes and no. GIMP is truely a great program, but when working on stuff
for print it falls way short of Photoshop. I'm a long time user of both and
I end up rebooting, or using SSH/VNC to transfer stuff from GIMP for color
matching and final touch up in Photoshop. I also have some serious grips
with some features in GIMP, but I won't bore the list with them... ;-)

> The problem with 3D modellers right now is that there are too 
> many people
> trying to do it by themselves - and they don't seem to want 
> to get together
> and start a single serious project.

Houdini </sp?> is being ported from NT to linux. I spoke to the salesman
from the company about it. Had a quick play and it truely is a wonderful
package. The matrix used the NT version for its GFX (I believe).

Unfortunately this is not going to be open source or freeware, but for
serious developers that's not going to be a problem.

Personally I want to campaign for the port of Lightwave. Being an ex Amiga
app, and having already been ported to windoze there might be a chance to
sway the powers that be... Whilst it is great to have an open source 3D app,
the length of time for any project to reach fruitition will be 18m/1yr at
least. This is a /long/ way to catch up in order to match standards of
existing packages 

> AC3D really isn't all that good - but it would be a wonderful starting
> point for making something really good.  Unfortunately, it's 
> author doesn't
> want to 'free' the sources because the gradual trickle of $40 
> cheques is
> actually earning him some serious amounts of money.

Only due to lack of reasonably priced competition. I'm (to this day)
surprised that some of the excellent Amiga renderers havn't made the
transition to Linux, especially considering the similar spirit that pervades
both machines advocates...
 
> > cut into development time... Plus since guru modellers are 
> winiots, There would
> > need to be development of a winblows version concurrently...

Do you think? I'm not so sure. Guru modellers don't really care (IMHO) that
much about OS. They do give a damn about the package and the plugins they
have access to. Admittedly Windows now has a lot of renderers available, but
the majority of users of these are 'home boys/girls' and not serious
modellers. I would argue most serious modellers are as at home on *NIX as
windows/mac. But again maybe this is just the people I've met...
 
> I'd certainly contribute to a project that had enough serious 
> people on it
> to solve the problem for real.

I look forward to seeing something happen then! ;-)
 
> Most SGI users have MultiGen ($40,000 per license) or 
> Designers' Workbench
> ($15,000 per license)....I don't think that helps much!

Anything they port (if open) helps our needs. Saves at least one wheel being
re-engineered... ;-)