[comp.graphics] Non-raytracing renderer wanted...

mcguffey@muvms3.bitnet (Michael McGuffey) (03/11/90)

I'm going to start work soon on a 3D modeling system, but I don't have
a "fast" renderer to use for testing.  As I'm more interested in creating
the model than writing a renderer, I'm looking for a PD scan-converter
which I can feed polygons and/or surface patches and get a bitmap out
of the other end.  Something along the lines of scan-conversion version
of the MTV raytracer or Rayshade would be nice.  I've used Rayshade and
it's a very nice package, but raytracing isn't really what I'm looking
for.

The optimum beast would be written in c, be somewhat unix compatible
and provide flat, gouraud, and phong shading, anti-aliasing (a-buffer 
would be nice), texture mapping, etc., etc., etc. (I sure seem to be 
asking for a lot :-)

I've checked most of the archives I know.  I AM finding a lot of raytracers
but nothing that fits my bill.

Please let me know if you have any pointers...

thanks,
-- michael
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael McGuffey, Senior Software Applications Analyst
Phone:    304/696-3212			University Computer Center 
FAX:      304/696-3601			Marshall University
BITNET:   mcguffey@muvms3		Huntington, WV 25755-5320
Internet: mcguffey%muvms3@wvnvms.wvnet.edu

markv@gauss.Princeton.EDU (Mark VandeWettering) (03/12/90)

In article <14501@muvms3.bitnet> mcguffey@muvms3.bitnet (Michael McGuffey) writes:
>I'm going to start work soon on a 3D modeling system, but I don't have
>a "fast" renderer to use for testing.  As I'm more interested in creating
>the model than writing a renderer, I'm looking for a PD scan-converter
>which I can feed polygons and/or surface patches and get a bitmap out
>of the other end.  Something along the lines of scan-conversion version
>of the MTV raytracer or Rayshade would be nice.  I've used Rayshade and
>it's a very nice package, but raytracing isn't really what I'm looking
>for.

I too am interested in anything you find.  I have begun to work on a PD
scanline renderer which I have temporarilly named "zoid".  It will have 
polygons, quadrics, and various cubic spline surfaces, and maybe even
a shade language for texture mapping in the spirit of Renderman.  (Texture
mapping is the one facet of the MTV raytracer that really would need to 
be rethought.)

Problem:  I have no idea when it will be finished.  I am not getting as much
time in on it as I would like.  When it is ready, I will post something to 
comp.graphics.

Mark VandeWettering