ramsiri@blake.u.washington.edu (Enartloc Nhoj) (02/24/91)
* More info on LEXICOR 24-bit color graphics package * (STart did an article on this.. though I haven't seen it.. so there is likely to be a lot more info in the mag.) Talked with Lee Seiler at LEXICOR (415) 453-0271. He said I could repeat anything from our conversation this morning. While I admit to not having a complete understanding of everything he said, I will give you the best of my memory of the conversation. Hopefully, others will call him and correct any mistakes I may make here on. LEXICOR is offering a photorealistic 24-bit color package that will run on anything from the 520ST to the soon to be seen TT... device and resolution independent. The package is a combination of software, which can be purchased and run on an ST as is, and the hardware color processor, which will come in various configurations: a cartridge for the 520ST..and perhaps an internal board for the 1040's.. a card for the Mega's and TT's. The initial software release will be two of four modules: PRISM PAINT- a drawing program; and CHRONOS- an animation program. Prices he quoted me were something like $60-80 for PRISM and $199.00 for CHRONOS. THe remaining two pieces of software to complete the package include a Renderer and ROSETTA- a file translator which allows you to IMPORT/EXPORT AutoCAD DXF and DXB; CAD-3D; SCULPT 3-D for MAC and AMIGA; SWIVEL 3-D for MAC ; and output for PIXAR's RENDERMAN RIB files (a la LUCAS FILM). The total soft package RIO will be selling for around $370.00. The 24-bit color processor will list for around $600 or so... and is "..very fast.. and designed for animation with NTCS out. fastest thing you have ever seen! " due in June or July. LEXICOR will be supporting two other graphics boards out of Germany: MATRIX board (don't know if this is the name?) .. for Mega and TT.. which supports resolutions of 2024 x 1240 ? down to 640 x 480. THere was also mention of some SUPER HIGH res monitor which this board will drive with 4090x4000 pixels. He mentinoed "RETOUCH" .. a german DTP that compares with CALAMUS ..to be sold by RIO.. I think he said this package would allow for 4 color separation for "magazine" quality photorealism DTP... etc. Then there was a third board mentioned for the Megas.. 1224x768 palette of 4096 with 16 on the screen. He said, however, that with the first board mentioned above and the software, we could get 24 bit photorealism on our standard ATARI RGB's.. i honestly don't know how all this works.. would be nice if someone could explain this... The ** TT ** vs Amiga 3000 : Lee has an A3000 sitting there on his desk next to a TT. I was asking him about the differences in performance. Basically he said, and I don't want to start wars: "THe amiga has a rotten operating system and a bad image - interlace flicker- which you don't get on the ATARI at high res's." Performance: To explain why he says the TT blows the A3000 away in terms of speed, he described to me a test he ran. Took the same SCULPT 3-D image in full color with I don't recall how many faces or vertices.. and rotated the images starting at the same time on each machine side by side. ATARI TT: 1 hour and 20 minutes AMIGA 3000: all night and till 11:30 am the next day. Again.. this is not meant to start wars.. merely so show that the TT and LEXICOR should be one hell of a bargain. LEXICOR is also providing a PRISM drawing TABLET 1200 dpi that RIO says they will sell for about $229.00. I just received video tapes of DIGITAL ARTS and AUTODESK 3-D animation packages. Digiatl Arts complete package SANS hardware is $10,000. Autodesk's 3-D sans hardware is $3,500. LEXICOR will run files from both of these products. Seems like a deal to good to be true... but it's for real! Hopefully someone will read this article and call Lee.. ask him questions and PLEASE correct me on anything i have misrepresented. Kevin ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu
nut@nuthaus.UUCP (Adam G. Tilghman) (02/25/91)
In article <17043@milton.u.washington.edu> ramsiri@blake.u.washington.edu (Enartloc Nhoj) writes: > The ** TT ** vs Amiga 3000 : > > Lee has an A3000 sitting there on his desk next to a > TT. I was asking him about the differences in > performance. Basically he said, and I don't want to > start wars: "THe amiga has a rotten operating system > and a bad image - interlace flicker- which you don't > get on the ATARI at high res's." > Just to forestall any TT-vs-A3000 wars, the A3000 has a built-in "flicker fixer" which does away with the annoying flicker (this mightnot work with the new 1280x400 mode of the ECS). I won't offer comment on its OS, though, except to say that I would rather use PC-GEM :-) :-) > Kevin > ramsiri@blake.acs.washington.edu -- Adam -- = Adam G. Tilghman - SysOp/WizOp/Janitor of Eleusesthai BBS = = USnail: 116 Escanyo Dr., So. San Francisco, CA, 94080-4134 USA = = Voice Phone: +1 415 873 3091 / BBS Phone: +1 415 871 9451 = = nut@nuthaus.UUCP {hoptoad,well}!wet!nuthaus!nut nut@wet.UUCP =