papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) (11/25/87)
References: I just saw an article on the Amiga in the latest issue of PC WEEK. I'll quote the article almost in its entirety. DIGITIZED VIDEO, SOUND TAKE CENTER STAGE IN NEW YORK NIGHT SPOT by Linda Bridges In an interactive choreography, a dancer moves on stage while its image is digitized on a large video screen nested in the background. Each time his on-screen images "touches" an icon, the image triggers musical events and special effects. This way the scene of a performance recently presented at a New York night spot called The Tunnel. The effects were provided through the integration of video images, sound and graphics that were created on an Amiga computer from Commodore Business Machines Inc., of West Chester, Pa. The software, called Mandala, was designed by Very Vivid Inc., a Canadian software developer. The system captures the movement of the performing artist on a video camera and digitizes them. The image is then incorporated with Amiga-generated graphics and projected onto a large video screen. The base of the Mandala system is a customized Commodore Amiga, Very Vivid's video camera, digitizer and specially tailored musical instrument digitizes interface software, graphics and paint programs. The system also can be customized for people who are not in the performing arts, according to a Commodore spokeswoman. "Corporate managers can use it in interactive communications and sales programs," the spokeswoman said. Customized Mandala systems are available through select dealers in the United States and Canada. Prices vary according to configuration. [end of Quote] Is there anybody that has more info on the Mandala system? What is this "customized" Amiga? -- Marco Papa P.S.: Note I did NOT cross-post on comp.sys.atari, but if you are nasty you can :-)
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (11/27/87)
In article <5394@oberon.USC.EDU> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes: >I just saw an article on the Amiga in the latest issue of PC WEEK. I'll quote >the article almost in its entirety. > > DIGITIZED VIDEO, SOUND TAKE CENTER STAGE IN > NEW YORK NIGHT SPOT > > by Linda Bridges > >In an interactive choreography, a dancer moves on stage while its image is >digitized on a large video screen nested in the background. Each time his >on-screen images "touches" an icon, the image triggers musical events and >special effects. [...] >[end of Quote] > >Is there anybody that has more info on the Mandala system? What is this $35,000 >"customized" Amiga? 68010 ? >-- Marco Papa > >P.S.: >Note I did NOT cross-post on comp.sys.atari, but if you are nasty you can :-) I am, but they have enough problems. -- Richard J. Sexton INTERNET: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!richard "It's too dark to put the keys in my ignition..."
ali@rocky.STANFORD.EDU (Ali Ozer) (11/28/87)
There is an Amiga 500 ad in the December Psychology Today. Different than the 500 ads I've seen elsewhere, but the same idea --- mentions the 800-87AMIGA number, the video tape etc... (My young sister, a recent Amiga 500 owner and a Psych major, was all excited to see the ad.) This is the first 500 ad I've seen in an non-Amiga, non-Commodore (and non-computer!) magazine. Good job, Commodore! Ali Ozer, ali@rocky.stanford.edu
rjg@sialis.mn.org (Robert J. Granvin) (11/28/87)
>This is the first 500 ad I've seen in an non-Amiga, non-Commodore (and >non-computer!) magazine. Good job, Commodore! This same ad, I believe, is also in this months Omni magazine. (First page I opened up to, totally by accident. :-) -- _____________________________________________________________________________ | Robert J. Granvin | INTERNET: rjg@sialis.mn.org | | | 2701 West 43rd Street | UUCP: ...ihnp4!meccts!sialis!rjg | "Whoops!!" | | Minneapolis, MN 55410 | ...uunet!rosevax!ems!sialis!rjg |________________|
jbn@glacier.STANFORD.EDU (John B. Nagle) (11/30/87)
In theory, it should be possible to do work like that with "LIVE!".
I'm working on it.
Some comments on developing with "LIVE!".
1. The present development library works only with Aztec C, not
Lattice, due to differences in the register conventions.
A-Squared has promised to support Lattice shortly.
2. As usual, an A1000 with two outboard expansions is unreliable.
LIVE! does not plug into a Microbotics 2MB memory expansion
reliably. Connector position is very touchy. I've been told
that the usual solution of taking the Microbotics out of its box
works, but haven't tried this myself.
3. New versions of the development library are coming out every
few weeks, and A-Squared has tried hard to be helpful. I
suspect that by early next year, the development tools may
be usable.
4. Except for the connector problem, the hardware seems to be reliable.
John Nagleking@dciem.UUCP (Stephen King) (11/30/87)
In article <5394@oberon.USC.EDU> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes: >Is there anybody that has more info on the Mandala system? What is this >"customized" Amiga? Very Vivid is a Toronto based company which would appear to be operating from somebody's apartment; at least the address I have seen is a small apartment building. Since they are just up the street from my home, I can try to stop by and get more info for anyone who is interested. I believe that there was an AmigaWorld article on VV several months ago (or was that Amazing...I forget). If I remember correctly, a package from these people is professionally priced, i.e. > $20,000. (don't quote me on this, it's Monday morning and I haven't had my third cup of coffee yet :-))...sjk -- * Defence & Civil Institute * ...!utzoo!dciem!king * of Environmental Medicine * Stephen J King - Simulation & Training Group - (416) 635-2149
ugmiker@sunybcs.uucp (Michael Reilly) (12/01/87)
In article <782@rocky.STANFORD.EDU> ali@rocky.UUCP (Ali Ozer) writes: >There is an Amiga 500 ad in the December Psychology Today. Different than the >500 ads I've seen elsewhere, but the same idea --- mentions the 800-87AMIGA >number, the video tape etc... (My young sister, a recent Amiga 500 owner and a >Psych major, was all excited to see the ad.) > >This is the first 500 ad I've seen in an non-Amiga, non-Commodore (and >non-computer!) magazine. Good job, Commodore! > >Ali Ozer, ali@rocky.stanford.edu When flying home on the tuesday before thanksgiving I noticed an ad for the amiga 2000 in the USair inflight magazine, it was a very colorfull ad and all, but the guy who was reading the magazine (a few seats ahead, what can I say I was bored ) spent more time looking at the serious pc-compatible ad in the magazine, then he did at the juggler..... commodore ?? maybe a different type of ad, for different types of magazines ????? but it was nice to seeeee.... mike Michael (what am I wood??) Reilly University of Buffalo Computer Science -------------------------------------- CSNET: ugmiker@buffalo.CSNET INTERNET: ugmiker@{joey,marvin}.cs.buffalo.edu UUCP: ..!{nike|watmath,alegra,decvax}!sunybcs!ugmiker BITNET: ugmiker@sunybcs.BITNET <-OR-> ACSCMPR@ubvmsc.BITNET
ccplumb@watmath.waterloo.edu (Colin Plumb) (12/02/87)
In article <5394@oberon.USC.EDU> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes: ><A description of the Mandala appearing in a NY city nightclub> > >Is there anybody that has more info on the Mandala system? What is this >"customized" Amiga? I raved (it is *really* amazing! One of the World's Greatest Toys) about this a while ago - early this year - after seeing a version demonstrated here at the University of Waterloo. I'll briefly summarize what I know again, but NOTE: All this information is almost a year old! Use with caution! If you want up-to-date info, call Very Vivid. They're in the Toronto phone book. Amazing Computing did an article on it some time ago. The "customization" is simply a frame grabber. You also need, of course, a video camera, and I think the software needs expansion mem, but that's it. It can also drive MIDI instruments. How it works is by opening a 5-bitplane screen, of which 4 planes are used for background and 1 bitplane is used for a silhouette of the person, extracted in real-time. (I heard 10 frames/sec. All I know is that it looked perfectly smooth when it was digitizing me.) Tricks with the colour look-up table let you create front/back effects. The version I saw used someone else's frame grabber, but they're working on one of their own, only one bitplane (variable threshold), 60 frames/sec, and able to do left/right swapping (so that your silhouette in the monitor behaves like a mirror image). There was also vague mention of a genlock that could replace more than colour 0 with live video, letting the camera image replace the monochromatic silhouette. Your silhouette can interact with objects in the background. I saw (among many others) a drum set (hit the drums and cymbals), a harp (I don't know how it worked, exactly, but strumming worked - perhaps it plays any strings that have been suddenly uncovered), and a ball being tossed around the Toronto skyline. The sounds were done on a DX-7. Imagine using your shadow to do things instead of a mouse. Last I heard, the only package they were selling was $40,000, including all the hardware (Amiga, DX-7, etc.), LOTS of support, and all the frills, for stage shows and similar professional undertakings. They said they were trying to get the price of a minimal system (frame grabber and software) down to several hundred dollars. Certainly worth it to me! The only other thing I heard was that they were talking with a video game company for using the software in coin-op games. They said the games would be out by christmas. I doubted. I think I was right. (However, I heard about Bally buying a bunch of Amiga 500 motherboards, so there may be some truth to the matter... hard to say.) Oh, yes... with all its amazing graphics and capabilities, the Mandala multitasks just fine! Marble Madness has *no* excuse. -- -Colin (watmath!ccplumb) Zippy says: Catsup and Mustard all over the place! It's the Human Hamburger!
kurt@tc.fluke.COM (Kurt Guntheroth) (12/02/87)
The most recent issue of Forbes (a big-business magazine) has a big ad for the Amiga. In seattle a thirty second co-advertising spot featuring Amiga and Psychology Today. And a sighting; the amiga on TV on "Adderley". Not the hottest show, but press is press.