BUG@campus.swarthmore.EDU (06/02/89)
Dear Subscribers, We are starting to model small molecules and crystals and need to know how to efficiently use our Z-buffer to manipulate the images as quickly as possible. Has anyone ordered the "Release Tape #1 for the 4D" which contains source code for graphics routines and has it helped you to learn how to manipulate images efficiently. In particular, we would like to manipulate images using "sliders" for rotation and translation. We would also like to store frames for quick replay. We have 8MB of memory and a 4D/70 GE.
blbates@AERO4.LARC.NASA.GOV ("Brent L. Bates TAD/TAB ms294 x42854") (06/02/89)
Personally, I don't like sliders, they are too slow and cumbersome.
I use the mouse buttons in conjuction with the mouse. If I hold the left
mouse button down while moving the mouse I get 2 rotations corresponding
to the xy movement of the mouse. I use the right mouse button for xy
translation. Finally, I use the middle button for zooming, a 3rd rotation,
and for changing the perspective angle (I use a key toggles to change
what the middle mouse does.)
I usually move the object as a wire frame, then toggle on shadeing
and z-buffering for the final orientation. This makes orienting the
object very fast. I am currently using a 3130, so this method is a
necessity. However, I have done a quick port to a Personal Iris, and
found I could easily and quickly move the object with double-buffered
z-buffering. It was slower than the 3130 in wire frame, but lightning
fast in z-buffer mode compared to the 3130. If I had had more time to
work on the Personal Iris version, I probably could have speeded up the
z-buffered image.
--
Brent L. Bates
NASA-Langley Research Center
M.S. 294
Hampton, Virginia 23665-5225
(804) 864-2854
E-mail: blbates@aero4.larc.nasa.gov or blbates@aero2.larc.nasa.gov