Home » Archimedes archive » Micro User » MU 1990-11.adf » ArcLight » ReadMe

ReadMe

This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.

Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.

Tape/disk: Home » Archimedes archive » Micro User » MU 1990-11.adf » ArcLight
Filename: ReadMe
Read OK:
File size: 0648 bytes
Load address: 0000
Exec address: 0000
File contents
This demonstration is one of the first films to be
produced with Ace Computing's new Ray Tracing
application for rendering Euclid files. IT NEEDS
AT LEAST A 2M MACHINE TO RUN PROPERLY.

The film contains sixty frames which were calculated
in under four hours on a standard ARM2 machine
without MEMC1a. The 1/16th version took just twelve
minutes.

The film content was produced as follows:

1. FontFX was used to produce the word ArcLight
as a DrawFile in the relevant colours.
2. The DrawFile was dropped onto the Euclid icon.
Euclid extruded the file.
3. The word was grouped up, and recentered in Euclid.
4. A single polygon was entered and its colour set
to green, and material to 6 (Mirror).
5. A floor was added. Also a light (see if you can
work out where it is!)
6. Key positions for the objects were marked using
Mogul, and a Mogul animation sequence file was
produced.
7. The Picture file, and the Mogul sequence file
were placed into a directory.
8. The directory was dropped onto the ArcLight icon.
ArcLight then rendered the film in the background on
the desktop, while other work went on. The result is
as you see.

The film has been compressed using a technique
similar to that used by !Spark, but the new
!Projector is able to decompress the frames
on the fly.

The contents of this disk can be freely distributed
as long as they are accompanied by this ReadMe file.

Further information on all Ace Computing's graphics
and animation software, including Euclid, Mogul,
Splice, Tween and ArcLight can be obtained from:

 Ace Computing
 27 Victoria Road
 CAMBRIDGE
 CB4 3BW
 Tel: (0223) 322559
00000000  54 68 69 73 20 64 65 6d  6f 6e 73 74 72 61 74 69  |This demonstrati|
00000010  6f 6e 20 69 73 20 6f 6e  65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65  |on is one of the|
00000020  20 66 69 72 73 74 20 66  69 6c 6d 73 20 74 6f 20  | first films to |
00000030  62 65 0a 70 72 6f 64 75  63 65 64 20 77 69 74 68  |be.produced with|
00000040  20 41 63 65 20 43 6f 6d  70 75 74 69 6e 67 27 73  | Ace Computing's|
00000050  20 6e 65 77 20 52 61 79  20 54 72 61 63 69 6e 67  | new Ray Tracing|
00000060  0a 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61  74 69 6f 6e 20 66 6f 72  |.application for|
00000070  20 72 65 6e 64 65 72 69  6e 67 20 45 75 63 6c 69  | rendering Eucli|
00000080  64 20 66 69 6c 65 73 2e  20 49 54 20 4e 45 45 44  |d files. IT NEED|
00000090  53 0a 41 54 20 4c 45 41  53 54 20 41 20 32 4d 20  |S.AT LEAST A 2M |
000000a0  4d 41 43 48 49 4e 45 20  54 4f 20 52 55 4e 20 50  |MACHINE TO RUN P|
000000b0  52 4f 50 45 52 4c 59 2e  0a 0a 54 68 65 20 66 69  |ROPERLY...The fi|
000000c0  6c 6d 20 63 6f 6e 74 61  69 6e 73 20 73 69 78 74  |lm contains sixt|
000000d0  79 20 66 72 61 6d 65 73  20 77 68 69 63 68 20 77  |y frames which w|
000000e0  65 72 65 20 63 61 6c 63  75 6c 61 74 65 64 0a 69  |ere calculated.i|
000000f0  6e 20 75 6e 64 65 72 20  66 6f 75 72 20 68 6f 75  |n under four hou|
00000100  72 73 20 6f 6e 20 61 20  73 74 61 6e 64 61 72 64  |rs on a standard|
00000110  20 41 52 4d 32 20 6d 61  63 68 69 6e 65 0a 77 69  | ARM2 machine.wi|
00000120  74 68 6f 75 74 20 4d 45  4d 43 31 61 2e 20 54 68  |thout MEMC1a. Th|
00000130  65 20 31 2f 31 36 74 68  20 76 65 72 73 69 6f 6e  |e 1/16th version|
00000140  20 74 6f 6f 6b 20 6a 75  73 74 20 74 77 65 6c 76  | took just twelv|
00000150  65 0a 6d 69 6e 75 74 65  73 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20  |e.minutes...The |
00000160  66 69 6c 6d 20 63 6f 6e  74 65 6e 74 20 77 61 73  |film content was|
00000170  20 70 72 6f 64 75 63 65  64 20 61 73 20 66 6f 6c  | produced as fol|
00000180  6c 6f 77 73 3a 0a 0a 31  2e 20 46 6f 6e 74 46 58  |lows:..1. FontFX|
00000190  20 77 61 73 20 75 73 65  64 20 74 6f 20 70 72 6f  | was used to pro|
000001a0  64 75 63 65 20 74 68 65  20 77 6f 72 64 20 41 72  |duce the word Ar|
000001b0  63 4c 69 67 68 74 0a 61  73 20 61 20 44 72 61 77  |cLight.as a Draw|
000001c0  46 69 6c 65 20 69 6e 20  74 68 65 20 72 65 6c 65  |File in the rele|
000001d0  76 61 6e 74 20 63 6f 6c  6f 75 72 73 2e 0a 32 2e  |vant colours..2.|
000001e0  20 54 68 65 20 44 72 61  77 46 69 6c 65 20 77 61  | The DrawFile wa|
000001f0  73 20 64 72 6f 70 70 65  64 20 6f 6e 74 6f 20 74  |s dropped onto t|
00000200  68 65 20 45 75 63 6c 69  64 20 69 63 6f 6e 2e 0a  |he Euclid icon..|
00000210  45 75 63 6c 69 64 20 65  78 74 72 75 64 65 64 20  |Euclid extruded |
00000220  74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65  2e 0a 33 2e 20 54 68 65  |the file..3. The|
00000230  20 77 6f 72 64 20 77 61  73 20 67 72 6f 75 70 65  | word was groupe|
00000240  64 20 75 70 2c 20 61 6e  64 20 72 65 63 65 6e 74  |d up, and recent|
00000250  65 72 65 64 20 69 6e 20  45 75 63 6c 69 64 2e 0a  |ered in Euclid..|
00000260  34 2e 20 41 20 73 69 6e  67 6c 65 20 70 6f 6c 79  |4. A single poly|
00000270  67 6f 6e 20 77 61 73 20  65 6e 74 65 72 65 64 20  |gon was entered |
00000280  61 6e 64 20 69 74 73 20  63 6f 6c 6f 75 72 20 73  |and its colour s|
00000290  65 74 0a 74 6f 20 67 72  65 65 6e 2c 20 61 6e 64  |et.to green, and|
000002a0  20 6d 61 74 65 72 69 61  6c 20 74 6f 20 36 20 28  | material to 6 (|
000002b0  4d 69 72 72 6f 72 29 2e  0a 35 2e 20 41 20 66 6c  |Mirror)..5. A fl|
000002c0  6f 6f 72 20 77 61 73 20  61 64 64 65 64 2e 20 41  |oor was added. A|
000002d0  6c 73 6f 20 61 20 6c 69  67 68 74 20 28 73 65 65  |lso a light (see|
000002e0  20 69 66 20 79 6f 75 20  63 61 6e 0a 77 6f 72 6b  | if you can.work|
000002f0  20 6f 75 74 20 77 68 65  72 65 20 69 74 20 69 73  | out where it is|
00000300  21 29 0a 36 2e 20 4b 65  79 20 70 6f 73 69 74 69  |!).6. Key positi|
00000310  6f 6e 73 20 66 6f 72 20  74 68 65 20 6f 62 6a 65  |ons for the obje|
00000320  63 74 73 20 77 65 72 65  20 6d 61 72 6b 65 64 20  |cts were marked |
00000330  75 73 69 6e 67 0a 4d 6f  67 75 6c 2c 20 61 6e 64  |using.Mogul, and|
00000340  20 61 20 4d 6f 67 75 6c  20 61 6e 69 6d 61 74 69  | a Mogul animati|
00000350  6f 6e 20 73 65 71 75 65  6e 63 65 20 66 69 6c 65  |on sequence file|
00000360  20 77 61 73 0a 70 72 6f  64 75 63 65 64 2e 0a 37  | was.produced..7|
00000370  2e 20 54 68 65 20 50 69  63 74 75 72 65 20 66 69  |. The Picture fi|
00000380  6c 65 2c 20 61 6e 64 20  74 68 65 20 4d 6f 67 75  |le, and the Mogu|
00000390  6c 20 73 65 71 75 65 6e  63 65 20 66 69 6c 65 0a  |l sequence file.|
000003a0  77 65 72 65 20 70 6c 61  63 65 64 20 69 6e 74 6f  |were placed into|
000003b0  20 61 20 64 69 72 65 63  74 6f 72 79 2e 0a 38 2e  | a directory..8.|
000003c0  20 54 68 65 20 64 69 72  65 63 74 6f 72 79 20 77  | The directory w|
000003d0  61 73 20 64 72 6f 70 70  65 64 20 6f 6e 74 6f 20  |as dropped onto |
000003e0  74 68 65 20 41 72 63 4c  69 67 68 74 20 69 63 6f  |the ArcLight ico|
000003f0  6e 2e 0a 41 72 63 4c 69  67 68 74 20 74 68 65 6e  |n..ArcLight then|
00000400  20 72 65 6e 64 65 72 65  64 20 74 68 65 20 66 69  | rendered the fi|
00000410  6c 6d 20 69 6e 20 74 68  65 20 62 61 63 6b 67 72  |lm in the backgr|
00000420  6f 75 6e 64 20 6f 6e 0a  74 68 65 20 64 65 73 6b  |ound on.the desk|
00000430  74 6f 70 2c 20 77 68 69  6c 65 20 6f 74 68 65 72  |top, while other|
00000440  20 77 6f 72 6b 20 77 65  6e 74 20 6f 6e 2e 20 54  | work went on. T|
00000450  68 65 20 72 65 73 75 6c  74 20 69 73 0a 61 73 20  |he result is.as |
00000460  79 6f 75 20 73 65 65 2e  0a 0a 54 68 65 20 66 69  |you see...The fi|
00000470  6c 6d 20 68 61 73 20 62  65 65 6e 20 63 6f 6d 70  |lm has been comp|
00000480  72 65 73 73 65 64 20 75  73 69 6e 67 20 61 20 74  |ressed using a t|
00000490  65 63 68 6e 69 71 75 65  0a 73 69 6d 69 6c 61 72  |echnique.similar|
000004a0  20 74 6f 20 74 68 61 74  20 75 73 65 64 20 62 79  | to that used by|
000004b0  20 21 53 70 61 72 6b 2c  20 62 75 74 20 74 68 65  | !Spark, but the|
000004c0  20 6e 65 77 0a 21 50 72  6f 6a 65 63 74 6f 72 20  | new.!Projector |
000004d0  69 73 20 61 62 6c 65 20  74 6f 20 64 65 63 6f 6d  |is able to decom|
000004e0  70 72 65 73 73 20 74 68  65 20 66 72 61 6d 65 73  |press the frames|
000004f0  0a 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20  66 6c 79 2e 0a 0a 54 68  |.on the fly...Th|
00000500  65 20 63 6f 6e 74 65 6e  74 73 20 6f 66 20 74 68  |e contents of th|
00000510  69 73 20 64 69 73 6b 20  63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 66  |is disk can be f|
00000520  72 65 65 6c 79 20 64 69  73 74 72 69 62 75 74 65  |reely distribute|
00000530  64 0a 61 73 20 6c 6f 6e  67 20 61 73 20 74 68 65  |d.as long as the|
00000540  79 20 61 72 65 20 61 63  63 6f 6d 70 61 6e 69 65  |y are accompanie|
00000550  64 20 62 79 20 74 68 69  73 20 52 65 61 64 4d 65  |d by this ReadMe|
00000560  20 66 69 6c 65 2e 0a 0a  46 75 72 74 68 65 72 20  | file...Further |
00000570  69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74  69 6f 6e 20 6f 6e 20 61  |information on a|
00000580  6c 6c 20 41 63 65 20 43  6f 6d 70 75 74 69 6e 67  |ll Ace Computing|
00000590  27 73 20 67 72 61 70 68  69 63 73 0a 61 6e 64 20  |'s graphics.and |
000005a0  61 6e 69 6d 61 74 69 6f  6e 20 73 6f 66 74 77 61  |animation softwa|
000005b0  72 65 2c 20 69 6e 63 6c  75 64 69 6e 67 20 45 75  |re, including Eu|
000005c0  63 6c 69 64 2c 20 4d 6f  67 75 6c 2c 0a 53 70 6c  |clid, Mogul,.Spl|
000005d0  69 63 65 2c 20 54 77 65  65 6e 20 61 6e 64 20 41  |ice, Tween and A|
000005e0  72 63 4c 69 67 68 74 20  63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 6f  |rcLight can be o|
000005f0  62 74 61 69 6e 65 64 20  66 72 6f 6d 3a 0a 0a 20  |btained from:.. |
00000600  41 63 65 20 43 6f 6d 70  75 74 69 6e 67 0a 20 32  |Ace Computing. 2|
00000610  37 20 56 69 63 74 6f 72  69 61 20 52 6f 61 64 0a  |7 Victoria Road.|
00000620  20 43 41 4d 42 52 49 44  47 45 0a 20 43 42 34 20  | CAMBRIDGE. CB4 |
00000630  33 42 57 0a 20 54 65 6c  3a 20 28 30 32 32 33 29  |3BW. Tel: (0223)|
00000640  20 33 32 32 35 35 39 0a                           | 322559.|
00000648