It wasn't too long ago that the PC (Personal Computer) was well known for word processing, spreadsheets, and databases, but lagged far, far behind Macintosh and Amiga in image processing. Though I have no doubt that someone will argue the continued superiority of the aforementioned systems, it is quite difficult to discount the wondrous advances made on the PC platform. PCs are now being used to develop television advertising and programming as well as video and motion pictures - a long, long way from its 3-D beginnings.

As I recall, if one was interested in 3-D development on the PC, there was one high end program to choose from -- Autodesk's 3-D Studio. The price tag made the application difficult to obtain for many and so there was Shareware. Two of the leading shareware programs I recall were PovRay (Persistence Of Vision) and Vivid. Both were raytracing engines that required an "input" file to be loaded for rendering. Like most 3-D or vector based modeling programs, these also required a somewhat steep learning curve. One had to learn the proper syntax, or code format as one created 3-d images inside a text editor. For example, look over the input file that created this image. Image is also available full-sized in the Gallery.

#define  ambient_color  ( .21 .21 .21 )
#define  back_color     ( 0 0 0 )
surface
	{
	diffuse 1 1 1
	}

#include color.vc

studio  { 
		from       5.24000 -12.18000 3.50000
		at         0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
		up         0.0 0.0 1.0
		angle      60
		res 800 600  
		antialias adaptive
		aspect 4/3   
		ambient     ambient_color
		background  back_color
			      
			      
	}

/*********************************/
/*Master*/


#define proto_planet                                                            
      surf {                                                                    
	     texture {                                                          
			pattern                                                 
			checker                                                 
			scale .5 0 0                                            
			blend .75                                               
			surf { diff .8412699 .2380952 .0952381 shine 20 }       
			surf { diff .6349207 .1111111 0 shine 20 }              
			turb {                                                  
				terms 2                                         
				amp 4                                           
			      }                                                 
		      }                                                         
	    }

	/*Start Definition of   Sphe0*/

	sphere
		{
			center 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
			radius 1.60000
		}

	
#define clear_water                
surface = {                         
   diff = 0 .2 .9                   
   bump = {                    
      wave = {                     
	 center = -2 3 0                  
	 wavelength = 2                          
	 amplitude = .7                          
	 damping = 0.7                              
      }                                
      wave = {                                 
	 center = 2 6 0                             
	 wavelength = 2                                 
	 amplitude = .7                               
	 damping = 0.7                             
      }                                 
      wave = {                                
	 center = -.5 14 0                      
	 wavelength = 2                        
	 amplitude = .7                     
	 damping = .7                          
      }                                
turbulence{                            
	 scale = 1 1 1                            
	 offset = 0 0 0                               
	 amplitude = .4                        
	 terms = 3                                
      }                                            
   }                                 
   spec = .2 .2 .2                      
trans 1 1 1                              
ior 1.3                            
}                                 

	
	/*Start Definition of   Toru1*/
		ring {
		     center 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
		     normal 0 0 1
		     min_radius 2.5000
		     max_radius 3.00000
		     }


#define sparkle / Surface for Second Planet Ring                                                                
	surf {                                                                  
	    texture {                                                           
		pattern noise                                                   
		terms 4                                                         
		blend 0                                                         
		scale .25 .25 .25                                               
		surf { diff red  spec .97 .97 .97 shine 10}                    
		surf { diff red spec .15 .15 .15 }                              
		   }                                                            
	    }

	/*Start Definition of Second Ring*/
		ring {
		     center 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
		     normal 0 0 1
		     min_radius 2.75000
		     max_radius 2.85000
		     }
	
	
	/*Start Definition of   Ligh2*/


	light {
		type spot
		falloff 0 
		position 3.00000 -2.00000 2.18000
		direction 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000
//                min_angle 0
//                max_angle 120
		color    1.00000 1.00000 1.00000
		}
			

As you can see, it is nothing like drawing a picture! This example is a input file for the raytrace engine Vivid. Vivid is a shareware program developed by Stephen Coy. With increased complexity came larger and more difficult input files. On my Gallery Page you will find this image for download. I created this one using Vivid, but it took nearly six months to get the input file just right!

It wasn't too long before 3-D modeling programs began to emerge for the PC platform. None of them could come close to the quality of the shareware raytracers though. They did have one advantage however, a modeling GUI. A way to graphically create a 3-d image.

While all this was going on, something very important was taking place on the Amiga platform! First, was a new company called NewTek. NewTek introduced a revolutionary hardware design mated with their own software to run on the Amiga. They called it a Video Toaster. Their development program was named Lightwave 3-D, and if you ever noticed special effects on television, it is very possible you're seeing a Toaster at work. Also on the Amiga platform was a company based in Minnesota, Impulse, Inc. Their product is called Imagine, and like NewTek, they also did something revolutionary -- they brought their product, Imagine, to the PC!

What was so revolutionary about these events? Up until NewTek's Toaster, the cost of a computer system capable of producing broadcast quality animation was well over all but the deepest budgets! It was not unheard of for a system to cost $200,000! Many of them were Silicon Graphics workstations. But NewTek made it possible to create broadcast quality animation for under $10,000! And how does Impulse fit in? Impulse brought that high-end development power to the PC with Imagine!

I have been an Imagine user now for four program versions, including their latest Imagine for Windows! I can honestly say Imagine for Windows is the best 3-D development and animation program I have ever used! 3-D images throughout this site were created with Imagine for Windows. Visit their web site at www.coolfun.com. I will be adding additional links to sites specializing in 3-D development in the near future. Also on the drawing board is an automated tour of this site featuring a step-by-step demostration of 3-D modeling and animation. BTW - Thanks for reading to the end! =8-)