clem@frenzy.sybase.com (David Clemons) (08/22/90)
From: seanc@pro-party.cts.com (Sean Cunningham) Subject: Re: Looking for a high resolution graphics board Date: 20 Aug 90 03:36:13 GMT In-Reply-To: message from sjm@well.sf.ca.us > >Right now, your choices are somewhat limited...but then display cards for the >Amiga are just starting. > >1.) Mimetics FrameBuffer ... >The board from Mimetics has a resolution of 746 x 484, and 21bpp, or 2.1M >colours...it's OK for doing 3D renderings with a singleframe controller to >tape, or capturing live video...but it's slow, and has no paint capabilities. ... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Actually there is a paint program for the FrameBuffer being released by Mimetics called (I think) "Mega Paint". A fella from Mimetics showed this off a bit at a recent users group with the board and it looked pretty nice. I had to leave early so I don't know much more about it; check with Mimetics. There's a recent Amazing Computing article that reviews the board. Other "soon to be released" boards are claiming drawing packages as well, such as the DCTV and the Ham-E. =David
seanc@pro-party.cts.com (Sean Cunningham) (08/23/90)
In-Reply-To: message from clem@frenzy.sybase.com This is a surprise...but a good one. Besides RGB output, only being able to grab/display images was my only real gripe about this board...well, and the signal. I installed one in a 2000HD at a local TV station, and it looked really hairy on their vectorscope...but there's other hardware to correct this. DCTV and HAM-E are external boxes like IMPULSE's VD-1...DCTV is full 24bits at full video resolution...HAM-E has less color, and HAM capable resolutions (320 x 200 to 384 x 480), or 256 grey HiRes. If Mimetics decides to throw in the paint package with their board, it could be very attractive to potential customers for the above products, if they don't want an external device. I've seen them selling for about $411, minus RAM... Sean //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// UUCP: ...!crash!pnet01!pro-party!seanc | ARPA: !crash!pnet01!pro-party!seanc@nosc.mil | " Fanatics have their INET: seanc@pro-party.cts.com | dreams, wherewith they | weave a paradise for RealWorld: Sean Cunningham | a sect. " Voice: (512) 994-1602 PLINK: ce3k* | -Keats | Call C.B.A.U.G. BBS (512) 883-8351 w/SkyPix | B^) VISION GRAPHICS B^) \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
schur@venera.ISI.EDU (Sean Schur) (08/25/90)
Yes, the prospect of a 24-bit paint program for the Mimetics board does sound good. However, I have spoken to them extensively to get the low-down on this program and it is cumbersome at best. You can only paint with it on the amiga monitor. You have the choice of either painting in black & white (!!?!!) or working on a limited, magnified portion of the picture, a little at a time. From what I understand, for the black & white mode, you assign colors to shades of grey and work that way. In either case you have to work on the picture a bit, send it back out to the framebuffer to view it in composite, work on it, send it back out, etc. No real time 24-bit painting. Quite disappointing if you asked me. I know that we are ALL frustrated and fed up with the NewTek/Video Toaster situation. But, I just spoke with them and the Toaster now INCLUDES for the same price a 24-bit paint program (similar interface to Digipaint 3) AND a new raytracing program called LightWave. Supposedly LightWave will put the WaveFront software to shame. It has motion blur, real smoke and fog, etc. I don't know how much I trust the NewTek claims at this point, but this new information puts a little more spark in the Toaster ashes for me. ============================================================================== \ / \ \ / / Sean Schur \ \ / / \ \/ / USENET: schur@isi.edu \ /a\mpyr/ Compuserve: 70731,1102 \/ \ / ideo Plink: OSS259 \/ ==============================================================================