ron@vicorp.com (Ron Peterson) (08/10/90)
I am thinking of releasing my raytracing and animation system !C-Light!
to the public, perhaps as shareware. Having made several attempts at
marketing it myself with little success (mostly due to my naiveness)
and having gotten burned by a European publisher, I think C-Light has
achieved a negative reputation that would be hard to change without
greatly expanding the features. It admittedly is currently somewhat
lacking in features compared to the 3D products that exist or are newly
appearing (no HAM mode = limited color resolution, few object types) yet
it is still a useful program that I think a lot of people could have
fun with. (Particularly if they could get it for like, free!)
And I just do not have the time now to work on a major rewrite of
the code (since I am involved in developing another program---any
publishers listening?)
"Well, why not give it away?" I thought.
So I am herefor asking your opinions. Would anyone be interested
in my posting it? (or perhaps it would be better to send it to fred fish
since it occupies two full disks.) Could I expect any response from the
shareware aspect of it (if I say asked for about $20?) Should I include
source code?(a few more disks.)
[The thought occurs to me that I could possibly blow the bottom out
of the market for 3D graphics programs---how many people would still
buy a $200 program if they can grab a less-featured yet still
capable one for nothing or near nothing?]
Also,
I am interested in obtaining part-time or full-time contract work
programming on an Amiga. Besides being the author of the above
mentioned C-Light raytracer/animator and having programmed on the
Amiga for the last four+ years, I have had eight years experience
doing graphics programming (3D, user interface, analysis/engineering)
on workstations (and their precursors.) I would like to work at home.
Please contact me by phone if you would like more information about
my abilities or to discuss my suitability for your project.
Ron Peterson (413) 268-9232cmcmanis@stpeter.Eng.Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (08/11/90)
In article <1990Aug10.000541.11658@vicorp.com> ron@vicorp.COM (Ron Peterson) writes: >I am thinking of releasing my raytracing and animation system !C-Light! >to the public, perhaps as shareware. Having made several attempts at >marketing it myself with little success (mostly due to my naiveness) >and having gotten burned by a European publisher, I think C-Light has >achieved a negative reputation that would be hard to change without >greatly expanding the features. Other possibilities you may or may not have considered (but will all net you a better return than the shareware route) : 1) Fix any and all known bugs and re-release it as C-Light Plus for more money. 2) Fix all bugs and add a few features and re-release it as C-Light Professional 3) Add a front-end that converts scientific data into 3-D plots that are then ray-traced and call is "Visualization Software" 4) Give it a different name and re-release it. 5) Sell the rights to the code to another publisher. 6) Write an article about it and publish that. It was really too bad about being messed up by the various publishers, hopefully it won't discourage you from other projects. -- --Chuck McManis Sun Microsystems uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: <none> Internet: cmcmanis@Eng.Sun.COM These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you. "I tell you this parrot is bleeding deceased!"