Contents | < Browse | Browse >
===========================================================================
THE VOICE FROM ACROSS THE POND
Michael Wolf MikeWolf@bonebag.tynet.sub.org
===========================================================================
Hello again,
I'm sorry to say that I had to resign as the european editor for AR, mainly
because I don't have time for it. I'm finally getting to do some
productions, and since I do my community service at the moment too, time is
precious to me.
Enough drivel though, I have some hot news for you. It looks like
MacroSystems and AS&S will be the major third party players on the Amiga
market, both are working on some fantastic products.
2-GO!
--------
DSP-Board for the Amiga.
The Zorro-III DSP Board allows you to greatly speed up your Amiga.
MPEG/JPEG coding and decoding is possible in real time. The 2-GO!
processors are freely programmable, so one could use it as a render engine,
port OpenGL to it, do audio processing etc.
The hardware consists of a very fast Zorro-III interface (up to 34MB/sec),
64 bit DSP memory, a 64bit port to the CyberVision64 graphics board and
audio/video in & output.
The board is powered by a DSP (max. 2 billion instructions/sec), a master
RISC CPU (50 MIPS) and a floating point unit (100 MIPS). This is enough
number crunching power for MPEG/JPEG de-/encoding, or for rendering 750.000
gourard shaded polygons / sec to the Cybervision.
The software is planned to include a MPEG/JPEG tool, interfaces to 3D
renderes and image processors and libraries for you project developement.
The 2-GO! should be released during the second half of 1995, at a
projected price of DM 4000.- (= US$ 2600).
Real 3D 3.0
-----------
The update of Real3D will be available in mid April. Some of the
highlights are:
- plug-in support for post-processing effects (i.e. lens flares)
- faster rendering
- numeric input for many tools
- background images to align objects
- constraints for object joints.
- new animation methods. (footprints in snow anyone ?).
Registered users will receive an update offer, a bundle with TVPaint 3.0
will be available as well. Prices are not known yet.