On Tue, 16 Feb 1999 13:58:41 +0100, "Rudy Velthuis"
<rve### [at] gmxnet> wrote:

>
>Cliff Bowman schrieb in Nachricht <36c71552.77149607@news.povray.org>...
[snip]
>>
>>Sounds good. Especially enhancements (I always like enhancements) As
>>for command-line - well, most of us have been there already and should
>>be able to cope.
>
>I could easily make a Windows version with all the bells and whistles you
>could ever imagine (brag, boast, <g>). In fact the original is a Windows
>version in my favorite language (Delphi), so I'd just have to tidy up the
>code and the user interface a little, add a few enhancements and bingo.
>
>The meaning of my excercise was, to create a mostly OS-independent version
>of his tool (and to get used to using C and command line again), as this
>was, what was asked for. I chose GNU (DJGPP is a GNU port for DOS) and the
>FreeType lib, which are both available for many platforms. For DJGPP there
>is also a nice IDE, called RHIDE, very similar to Turbo C 3.1.
>
>If wanted (and allowed by Remco) I can also make a Windows(32) version,
>using Delphi, later on.

Better, I'd have thought, to go with the standard "C" code (all
Windoze users can manage the odd DOS app can't they?). Failing that a
Windoze-only "front end" as a seperate utility which calls the DOS
version? Better for keeping enhancements in line between different
OS's.

>So what I will distribute in a few days (yes!), is a DOS standalone (using
>the go32 DPMI server) and the complete sources, so people on other platforms
>can build their own versions, if they want to.
>
>The enhancements will come by and by (I hope). I just need some ideas!! One
>thing would be to make the blob elements irregular in size, producing a kind
>of warty or bubbly effect; another thing would be to use any kind of shape
>for the elements (with or without a blob as a parent), e.g. to produce a
>text made of bubbles, nails, etc.
>
>What I really need are good suggestions!
>
Well I dunno about "good suggestions" but... How about instead of a
single spherical blob the option for each pixel to be represented by a
collection of blob spheres. Random sizes and positions from a central
point, with random scaling to each sphere. The final result ought to
look something like text made from rice crispies.

Using vertical/horizontal cylinders instead of spheres might (with a
bit of work) give a rippling effect reminiscent of text xut out of
corrugated cardboard.

Ahhh... if you can find the edges of the text (bearing in mind the
original used a bitmap rather than the font outlines per se - so the
outline would need "re-creating" or used directly without making a
bitmap) you could do an open framework - rather like scaffolding with
the 3D text being "empty" and, perhaps, joints wherever there are
corners (rather than bends).

Following on from the above you could change the joints to lights so
that, if stuck in a fox and with media attenuation on (hey I don't
actually KNOW POv I just try and hack scenes out) the text would be
visible as beams of light. Curves "S" etc. would be a bit tricky
though...

If you get around the curve problem (break it up into lots of small
straight lines? I dunno) you could add an animation feature using,
say, a variable called "softextclock" which illuminates just a
specific line starting at top left front (say) of each leter and
moving in an orderly manner through the remaining segments. Ought to
look... interesting... (or crap).

Likewise the earlier "rice crispies" idea could be animated with
either shifting or scaling of the spheres. Could look odd - especially
if you find a way to make a sphere "pop" interestingly (so it could
look a bit like buubles emanating from within and popping when they
hit the surface).

That's about it for now. Should be about six months work of naff ideas
there, somewhere.


Cheers,

Cliff Bowman
Why not pay my 3D Dr Who site a visit at
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dimension/7855/
PS change ".duffnet" to ".net" if replying via e-mail

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