Native Amiga Video and TV Cards

[Framiga]

so try this (NewMode 3.9):

1-LIGHTWAVE.FP> promote=NO options=ScreenName (LW Render Feedback) CHECKED

2-LIGHTWAVE.FP> promote=YES options=ScreenName (LW Render status<<) 640x480 8bit

3-LIGHTWAVE.FP> promote=YES options=Program Name (LIGHTWAVE.FP) 800x600 depth: same of modeler

4- Modeler> 800x600 depth= same of Layout

Prepare yourself, to a loooong series of crashes :-)

PS- Layout Render Display = 8 bit HAM

[JaXanim]

@Framiga

I just downloaded NewMode and gave it a try (before reading these latest posts) and yes, the system crashes as soon as the rendering starts.

I tried to 'catch' the render preview screen by using the 'all screens' option in NewMode. This does stop at the right point, but I didn't really know what mode to use. I tried various 8-bit screens (as stated, the preview is in 8-Bit HAM) but same result, it crashed.

I'll have a close read of your last post and try to get it into NewMode. It seems like a very useful program and would provide a nicer solution than a TV card.

Later,

JaX

[Framiga]

Try this

NewMode.config (Shift+click)

Don't care about resolution, change it for your GFX board.. Take it only for reference.

The only problem is when you change from the grey render display to the HAM8.

If the screen become black, click on it and do an AmigaL+M until the HAM8 screen shows up.

Good luck :-)

[JaXanim]

@Framiga

Many many thanks for your help, I'm now beginning to understand a bit about it.

It seems to me (but I'm just startin out) that LightWave has five screens to consider for promotion to Voodoo graphics. The basic Layout and Modeler interfaces are easy enough, it's when the rendering begins that things get complicated (for me anyway).

The rendering progress screen, which is normally in HAM8 greyscale I believe, also contains a thin (18 pixel deep) 2-color overlay with text. This is a separate screen I think, because the curser moves 'behind' it. This strip is located at the bottom of the render preview screen. However, using NewMode's screen positioning gadget doesn't seem to make things work. My Voodoo screen is switched off and it all goes to the native modes on the 15KHz monitor.

I think the NewMode gui identifies these screens as the Render Feedback screen and the Render Status screen respectively. I'm really having problems with this part of the program.

When rendering is complete, it usually switches to the 24-bit Picasso screen, which I don't think can be promoted as such(? ? ?). Anyway, I've  used a CyberGFX plugin to get this onto a Voodoo screen very successfully. You must select CyberGFX mode on the Layout/Options gui, before rendering starts.

So, things are almost there, but I more need help and if anyone has any ideas I'd be grateful for your advice. I can get the Layout, Modeler and final render onto Voodoo, but the rendering progress screens persist in the native format. I'm sure the answer is staring me in the face, but this stuff isn't my strong point.

The quality of the mode promoted stuff is way better than any from the TV card output, so I don't think that's really worth persuing.

Cheers,

JaX

[Framiga]

Hi

"The rendering progress screen, which is normally in HAM8 greyscale I believe, also contains a thin (18 pixel deep) 2-color overlay with text. This is a separate screen I think, because the curser moves 'behind' it. This strip is located at the bottom of the render preview screen. However, using NewMode's screen positioning gadget doesn't seem to make things work. My Voodoo screen is switched off and it all goes to the native modes on the 15KHz monitor."

and its this that is complicated to manage.

But i've managed to use it anyway . . .the Render in progres crap thing, its a 640x18 separated screen theat you could promote to some resolution about 640x480 and see it using the depth AmigaL+M.

Its not the best but . .  .better than nothing :-)

BTW . . yes i'm using the CGX plugin too
 
EDIT- "When rendering is complete, it usually switches to the 24-bit Picasso screen, which I don't think can be promoted as such(? ? ?)."

?!? this is strange IMHO

when the CGX rendering screen is completed, you have to click on it and hit on ESC to exit.

At this point if you are on a black screen click again on it and the on ESC.

At this point, you should be on the Layout screen.

As already said, this is a little bit annoying but . .

[Framiga]

take a look to this new NewMode.config

The only screen NOT promotable is the grey Render in progress one.

NewMode.config (shift+click)

Have you set the CyberGFX renderer with its own CyberGFXRendererPrefs?

[JaXanim]

@Framiga

Again, many thanks for your input. I already made a similar config for NewMode, allowing smooth rendering in an unpromoted mode and everything else on Voodoo.

I feel it must be possible to get everything on Voodoo with enough experimentation, but it could take a while to figure out and maybe not worth the effort.

On my A1200T/Apollo1260/64MHz, the Layout interface is smooth enough at about 800x600 and 16-bitPC mode. 24-bit promotion makes it jerky when manipulating objects. Anyhow 16-bit is quite suitable for the two color interface, eh?

I will continue to experiment and if I get the Rendering screens to work, I'll post it here.

Cheers,

JaX

[patrik]

@JaXanim:

It isn't by chance possible to set some preferences for the rendering screen in LightWave? Say if you would be able to set it to operate a non-HAM mode it should work just fine to promote it.


/Patrik

[Framiga]

Patrik

the Render display, is already on a CGX screen (thanks to a CGX renderer Plugin).

My previous NewMode.config, was targeted to LW 3.5 with the HAM8 renderer screen.

What is about impossible to promote, is the "Rendering in Progress" screen (in grey shades).

On the native AGA screens, the "Rendering in progress" and the display with the rendering data (640*18), are showed (overlapped) on the same screen.

NewMode instead, sees it as 2 separated screens . . . not displayable at the same time.

[JaXanim]

@all

I'll try to contact the author of NewMode and see if there is a solution to this problem.

Cheers,

JaX

[JaXanim]

Just to add to the problem, I noticed that the Animation Preview screen on Layout doesn't function when the Layout screen is promoted to Voodoo graphics.

I suspect all these problems (and I think there are one or two more yet) are related to multi-tasking.

Only the Amiga version (AFAIK) runs the Animation Preview screen and the Modeler 3D View via multi-tasking. This probably means that there are two screens being displayed together, as with the Render Preview screens. This might be impossible to do with mode promoters like NewMode. (?)

Unfortunately, neither the author nor Aminet uploader of NewMode are now contactable through their addresses on Aminet.

Seems like a Scan Doubler may be needed to get a complete LightWave running on Voodoo graphics. (?)

Cheers,

JaX