This was part of a note title "Has Apple Lost 3D Market: on the quickdraw-3d@devtools.apple.com service. It bugs me to have the Macintosh bashed, VIDI's Presenter 3D product ignored, and Windows products glorified. I'm also surprised by the timid response to what I think is a sincere request for Macintosh 3D strengths in the face of the Windows 3D challenge. So here are some facts:

1) Macintosh products ported to Windows find much better acceptance than Windows products ported to the Macintosh. PhotoShop and MiniCad are examples of the former and AutoCAD and LightWave are examples of the latter. Why? Better interface, ease of use, and adherence to standards. Electric Image and VIDI's Presenter 3D have received excellent reviews on interface and productivity enhancement. In the MacUser UK review of LightWave on the Macintosh, the article said that because the ported product was awkward and buggy that Presenter 3D, among all options, would be a better choice. I've seen lots of complaints as to how difficult SoftImage is to use, and it's expensive. Presenter 3D is known for its spline-based modeling and ElectricImage is adding a Nurbs modeler, both have extremely fast rendering, while 3D Studio Maxx is still polygonal as far as I know. I doubt that Alias/WaveFront is coming to Windows, and I believe that Electric Image and Presenter 3D would do much better ported to Windows than SoftImage or 3D studio Pro Maxx would do on the Macintosh. It's pretty evident that AutoDesk will not be porting any of its products to the Macintosh after their previous experience with AutoCAD.

2) Presenter 3D is new, but VIDI has had a long history of 3D technological leadership. We now offer the following: Multi-Target Morphing for facial, character, and lip sync animation; Real-Time Surface Editing to speed up and simplify surface attribute selection; with just a click of a button, the ability to create QuickTime VR panoramas and object movies and the ability to create multi-node QTVR movies; Directional 3D microphones that capture and produce Doppler and surround sound effects; real physics object dynamics; industry-leading RenderMan support; Texture Wrap that provides a better map than that from projection methods like cylindrical, spherical, and cubic, which suffer from a "creep" problem as you move the camera; and a great camera, light, and projector interface and controls with the ability to do and preview camera cuts? For those with programming skills, we offer a Plug-in Development Toolkit for free that lets you create your own motion and special effects.

So Electric Image is not alone and is not standing still on its speed and animation capabilities, but is adding what sounds like a powerful Nurbs modeling capability. VIDI also has not stood still and has come out with technology and techniques you ought to look at. To be better informed as to what's available from VIDI on the Macintosh and respond to Macintosh critics, you can download the software and look at the Tech Reports on our web site at http://www.vidi.com. You can see how the geese flying scene from the movie could have been done in only a few hours on the Macintosh by checking the Animators area on http://www.webnation,com/vidirep/. Here you can also download the Plug-in Development Toolkit and get some great RenderMan shaders.

I, however, don't want to be alone in speaking out strongly on the subject of 3D on the Macintosh. I challenge others to speak up about the strengths of Apple's technology, especially with regard to QuickDraw 3D and QuickTime VR and the weaknesses of the Windows platform and its 3D products and technologies. I also encourage you to let the media and others know what's good about the Macintosh with respect to Windows and to push Apple, Electric Image, and VIDI to keep improving its technologies and its marketing. One way to have a strong voice is to have a Professional Macintosh 3D Users Group with a web site that promotes the 3D strengths and capabilities available on the Macintosh and serves as an unofficial but powerful advisory body to Apple, Electric Image, VIDI, and other professional 3D vendors as to directions that need to be taken to meet the challenge of Windows-based 3D products and to keep the media informed and honest in its coverage of 3D on the Macintosh.

Let's Do It Now!!!