The collected works of vvostenak

Very interesting, I like that benchmark, would like to know if there is something bit newer Fuel or Terzo vs. GF FX, 6800, etc. :->

Hi all, please, is there some (freeware) DXF and IOB (Imagine) viewer for IRIX? Can be just for old version of these files (approx. 1993).
Or at least simple file converter? Thanks.

Hi all,

the computer graphic pictures/animations from the middle of 80ties are very different compared to the 90ties and later. What were the main differencies in the rendering (raytracing) techniques that were used in 80ties compared to the 90ties?
The objects often looked "phong-solid" rendered (shades of one color) and only on some objects low resolution textures (maybe procedural) were used.
Was also the color pallete smaller? Also the pictures often had much more "cartoon" look and less "contrast". Were mainly 4096 colors (12bit) used in the middle of 80ties? When did the graphic workstations switch to 16,7 mil colors 24bit (RGB) (which were the first workstations using 24 bit colors - maybe the Personal Iris)?

Thanks a lot.

hi diegel, I probably wrote the question in a wrong way. I was asking about profesional computer graphics for first computer animation movies, CG advertisements, music video clips, etc.. For example like Apollos "Quest (a long rays journey...)". Typical machines include early 68000 based SUN, Apollo, SGI IRIS workstations (approx. 1982-1989). Graphical features/effects were probably often written for the specific renderer(raytracer)/scene. I mean things including metal/chrome-like surfaces, water, etc.)

Of course I know that the graphics for computer games was handmade (lets call it pixelart), lines and filledpolys vectors for 3D, only later (maybe from 1987) also digitized graphics start to be used and even later (maybe from 1993) pre-rendered (raytraced) graphics became popular in computer games. Sure, common 8 and 16 bit home computers had much lower specs than the workstations. I know that hardware well (also did programming in early 90ties). But I am also interested. Please, can you write (maybe by PM) what games you were working on?
Greetings.

Thanks very much for the reply. I studied some historical articles a little and there really were some (micro)computers (like the PDP) using special 18/24 bit color display with high resolution in the very early 80ties, but they were mostly custom designs.
Do you know which were the earliest workstations to support the 8:8:8 RGB modes?

So basicly the scenes used more often geometric primit. (cubes, spheres, for example cones insteed of trees)?
It seems that you are right - more brighty objects were often liked - cyan, purple, etc... Also the textures were probably more often hand made and with lower resolution - it made a less "photorealistic" look compared to the 90ties and later. Anyway people did very amazing work with such limited facility.

well, I dont remember the exact sentence , but in early 80it was defined something like a minicomputer for single person (with at least 1(or more?) MIPS performance,1K (1024) pixels resolution, and so one) able to work on engineering tasks indepently (not like terminal).
So IRIS 1000/2000 did support 8:8:8 RGB colors (maybe as option)?

thanks, I found that page just few days ago - man has there also some very interesting historical informations abount the Foonly computer:
http://dave.zfx.com/f1.html

thanks, right, this (vector display wireframe modeling, final scene raytracing) seems to be the way of workflow before approx. 1983

Hi all,

I am trying to find out, how dangerous are the vibrations forces to the SGI machine.
Maybe am I just too paranoic but a real life example:
a wooden table (chipboard, not massive wood)
an SGI machine on the table (offline - switched off)
then boring (drilling) several (4) holes to the side of table with a small drilling machine

Please, can someone say, if can the drilling into the table destroy/harm the offline machine put on the table?
How strong are the forces/vibrations created by drilling the holes into tables side and how does it spread/absorb trought the table - is it comparable to, lets say, dropping the machine from some height?

Thanks a lot for help (or your opinion)

thanks very much for the tips.
Of course the table has metal skelet.
I also find that the vibrations coming from the machine alone (when its on:-)) are quite noticable and strong, so probably its quite vibration-resistant and nothing was broken by drilling few holes into table and no reason to worry. I was just asking because I read everywhere how dangerous the vibrations are for computers/electronics.