Subject: The author used reply...

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 93 17:41:51 EDT

Subj:  A New World, VRASP, supplies, Sound for Rend!, etc.
Date:  93-06-21 15:58:48 EDT
From: [email-masked]
To:    JoshuaS

I just uploaded a world thst I created to sunee.uwaterloo.ca.  It contains 
6 "superquadrics" which are a special kind of surface.  They cannot be 
generated by extrusion, rotation, or buy a simple z-f(x,y) formula.  They 
look really cool, so check it out!  If you have the book "Graphics Gems 
III" turn to page 138 and you'll see some 2D pictures.  The world is in the 
pub/rend386/plgfiles directory, the filename is "superq.exe".  It is a 
self-extracting archive.

This world was created with a new tool I am working which would satisfy 
Joshua's hope for " 
       o Interactive object-creation program".  I can't say much now, but 
it is written in Borland's Turbo Vision, can shell out and run rend386 with 
a keypress, and already has a LONG LIST of features.  By the time I'm done 
it should subsume all capabilites of OGRE and then some.  Let me know if 
you can be of help on this, or if you have a "vested" interest.  I think it 
would be a great educational tool becuase even a junior high school level 
person could use it I think.  Joshua, I think that your program sounds neat 
too, amybe we could collaborate.  My program doesn't use graphcis yet 
except when shelling out to run rend, but I've been thinking about adding 
graphics to create 2D objects for extrusion and rotation.

Mr. LaFever wrote, in reference to VRASP, "They have supplies ranging from 
demo disks ($2) to dual gloves, glasses, software, connectors for $285. You 
have to join, $30/annually, you get membership, bimonthly newsletter, and 
more."

That statement sort of implies that you have to be a VRASP member to buy 
the VR supplies.  This is not the case.  You do not need to become a member 
of VRASP to purchase gloves, connectors, software, or otherwise.  Nor is 
there a discount on these items for members at present.  (We did offer 
discounts to VRASP members at the Glove Workshop last April.)  Many 
customers do become members.  BTW Mr LaFever, it was nice meeting you at 
the Meckler conference  :-)

I think I told everyone here about objglv.zip didn't I?  It's in the 
pub/glove directory.  You need pkunzip 2.04 to unzip it.  pkz version 1.1 
will NOT work.  objglv.zip contains a version of rend386 that supports 
user-definable glove gestures to move around the world, and select and move 
and twist objects.  It also supports TWO GLOVES at one time!!  Also it's a 
little faster than the original "version 4", and has a couple other 
"little" features.  The zip file also contains full DOS and Windows demos 
of my glove program Object Glove and a Windows program that lets you use 
the glove to control the mouse cursor.  I have a more complete description 
that I would be happy to upload to this list.

One more thing I wnat to say.  I have succeeded in adding sound support to 
rend386.  It requires a SoundBlaster or compatible.  It loads sounds from a 
format similar to .WAV files.  You associate sounds with objects in the 
.WLD file.  When you touch an object with a glove or mouse, the sound plays 
(in background, while rend386 continues rendereing.  There are a few 
problems with this that need to be cleared up (each sound requires a 
minimum of 64K of heap space becuase it's played thru DMA).  Also the final 
version will probably require expanded memory.  This should not be a 
problem with 386 level systems.  It will still support two gloves, 
gestures, etc.

That's all I can think of.  My hands hurt.  My everything hurts (I went 
mountain biking today.) 
 So, until later...

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