Wavefront Advanced Visualizer

[kikems]

Thanks to Ginzanix and all other user that share their install CDs finally we have a working version of this great historial app in SGI. After few test in different SGI and IRIX I can say :

- TAV 4.2.0 is only 1 CD installation for Irix 5, work unstable in higher IRIX, you can install on Irix 6.x desactivating Composer or video complements installs.
- TAV 4.2.1 is 2 CD installation for Irix 6.2-3-4, now you can install with all video complements like video extensions and Composer on Irix 6.2-3-4.
- TAV 4.3 is the last version published and add compatibility for IRIX 6.5.x . This version use the standard IRIX system licenser and I think I have and activation that work but not the installer CDs.

Here we have the "medicine" for TAV 4.2.0 and 4.2.1 https://forums.sgi.sh/index.php?threads/alias-3-patch.77/page-2 .
Now I´m looking someone to share with us TAV 4.3 install CDs or any other older version prior to TAV 4.2.0.

 

[kikems]

Checking some information about IRIS 4D I'm discover that IRIX 3.x comes with a little version of Alias 2 named Quickmodel and little version of Advanced Visualizer named Personal Visualizer. Both apps comes free with any IRIS 4D and Irix 3.2, I'm suppose that versions not need license to work.
I'm download Irix3.3 install files and open installer to try to check and find this executables but not found, only QuickModel icon found.

Reading some info in Internet I found that Quickmodel comes inside Irix 3.2 installation disc/tapes but Personal Visualizer comes in another one additional disc/tape for install.
I know that most Irix3 apps not works on Irix4 or up, but some of them works.

Someone with Indigo or 4D can install Irix3.2 and extract this apps to try test it on Irix4 or Irix5 ? Some one have Personal Visualizer installer tape or disc ?

 

[hbent]

I extracted quickmodel/quickpaint from IRIX 3.3 a while back but it doesn't work on IRIX 4+. It complains "/dev/queue: no such file or directory" and even if you create a correct /dev/queue it still won't run. It depends on IRIS GL features that don't exist in IRIX 4+.

 

[kikems]

Thanks for try it. Only users with SGI like Indigo or 4D can use it.
Now the question is whether the Personal Visualizer would work.

 

[Trejkaz]

I don't suppose it ships with any sample .rfl files?

 

[gijoe77]

I don't suppose it ships with any sample .rfl files?

yes it does

 

[kikems]

After testing TAV in different IRIX versions and SGI computers I'm conclude that TAV 4.2.x works good for Irix 5.3 and works but unstable on Irix 6.2 and 6.5.
On my Indy ( IRIX 5.3 ) with 8 bits graphics TAV 4.2.1 Visualizer ( model option ) not works but TAV Visualizer 4.2.0 works, something similar on my O2 with Irix 6.3, Model Option from 4.2.1 hang at startup but v4.2.0 works.
When install on Irix 6.x you need disable "automatic irix patches updates" because try to install components only ready for Irix 5.x.

Checking later Alias|Wavefront products ( like Alias 8,9, Maya or Studio Tools ) I observe that install some components like Exploré, 3D design etc... from old Wavefront package at versión 4.3.x.
I think that TAV have a lastest release as version 4.3 before end sales ready for Irix 6.2 and 6.5.
If some have TAV 4.3.x, please share/upload or contact me for check and send to The Unix Files.

 

[khral]

TAV 4.2.1 can run on IRIX 6.5.22 with some modifications in TAV launch scripts and launch command, including Advanced Visualizer Model. At least on my Indigo2 R4400 250Mhz with GU1-Extreme graphic card.

I also play around with Kinemation and Dynamation (interesting early particle simulation software) examples files and found no issue so far.
For Advanced Visualizer Model, Preview, Image, Render, Display and Property, I have setup simple scene (adding 1 model exported from Blender 2.49b without texture and edit the model with Model program to use colors.mtl files, then edit .obj saved in TAV's project directory to use one of colors from material file) and I was successfully render an image.
Be minded tho, if the model imported is high/very high poly model even if the model fit with in memory of your SGI or improper .obj format that TAV didn't support, it may crash Model or Preview program.

Also, if you have Alias|Wavefront Explore Professional newer than v4.2.1 installed and it doesn't have render program in /usr/aw/EXP4.3.x/bin, TAV Render will not work (missing render program error), to fix it you have to uninstall the newer version and use v4.2.1.

I also try to run TAV 4.2.1 on my Tezro with V12 graphic card, only Advanced Visualizer Model and PreView seems to have problem with corrupted graphic in viewport (unusable) but all other programs seems to work tho.

I didn't try to do any serious rendering with TAV yet, other than some quick experiment, due to few relevant documentation or tutorial of this software exist online :<
If you have TAV manual or training VHS, please consider scan/digitize it and upload it to archive.org.

There are some video demoing TAV usage on the net tho, I'll list the video link below

Wavefront Pictureout - SGI Demo
at around 8:25 is demoing the usage of TAV to create presentation animation of a piston assembly.
including the usage of Model, Property, Preview, Image/Render?, Paint and Composer.

Wavefront Gamewave Cyberworld 199x
This video demoing the usage of TAV for game creation.
including the usage of 3Design, Model, Kinemation, Dynamation and Composer.

Wavefront Gamewave Cyberworld 199x MKV : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Wavefront Gamewave Cyberworld 199x MKV

archive.org

bonus

Wavefront Movie 1986
contain video screen of early version of Wavefront (later known as The Advanced Visualizer) running on SGI IRIS 2000 Series

The lastest release of TAV is version 4.3.2 according to qualified hardware list on old Alias|Wavefront website

MediaStudio 4.3.2 Qualification Chart

I can't find qualified hardware list of older version anywhere on the internet tho.

----------

This is how I get it to work on my Indigo2 with IRIX 6.5.22, I don't remember what I have edited, other than /usr/aw/COM/setup/auto_env that i'm pretty sure it haven't been modified (or not) so I'm typing the content of almost every startup scripts of TAV on my Indigo2 below.

In ~/.cshrc in my profile

...
source /usr/aw/COM/setup/awsetup
...

In ~/.aw_custom_env in my profile

...
# Check to see if IPR/Render is installed
#
#which ipr >& /dev/null
#if ($status) then
#    setenv AW_PROD_ENV    tav
#else
    setenv AW_PROD_ENV    tavipr
#endif

setenv WF_PROJ_PATH $HOME/projects/Sample
setenv WF_PRJ_DIR $HOME/projects
#setenv WF_TABLET wacom

# setenv WF_DEVICES ~/devices
# setenv WF_CMD_DIR ~/projects/bin
# addpath $WF_CMD_DIR/bin

setenv WF_AUDIO_DIR    $WF_PROJ_PATH/audio
setenv WF_CAD_DIR       $WF_PROJ_PATH/cad
setenv WF_CFG_DIR       $WF_PROJ_PATH/cfg
setenv WF_IMG_DIR       $WF_PROJ_PATH/images
setenv WF_OBJ_DIR       $WF_PROJ_PATH/objects
setenv WF_SHADER_DIR       $WF_PROJ_PATH/shaders
setenv WF_SCMP_DIR       $WF_PROJ_PATH/scene
setenv WF_TEX_DIR       $WF_PROJ_PATH/textures
setenv WF_TRAJ_DIR       $WF_PROJ_PATH/traj
setenv WF_TMP_DIR       /usr/tmp
setenv WF_MTL_DIR       $WF_PROJ_PATH/colors.mtl

in /usr/aw/COM/setup/awsetup

source /usr/aw/COM/setup/auto_env
if (-f /usr/aw/userconfig/shared_env) source /usr/aw/userconfig/shared_env
if (-f ~/.aw_custom_env) source ~/.aw_custom_env

in /usr/aw/userconfig/shared_env
may not need, but I'm not sure.

setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH /usr/aw/COM/lib

and finally, a script to launch TAV Director. Copied from launch command used in TAV toolchest. I named this script run_tav and saved it in my profile directory, then dragged it to desktop.
You must run TAV from this script, else Model and PreView will hang at startup.

#/usr/bin/tcsh
/usr/sbin/xwsh -geometry 80x24+529+680 -iconic -title Director -icontitle Director -e $WF_AV_DIR/bin/director

 

[kikems]

I'm using EFS disk without problems. I'm suppose you are using XFS disk, maybe this is the problem. Old SGI apps like TAV usually need EFS disk.

 

[bitpak]

I have figured it out. At first I didn't fully realised the concept of TAV package, where every application is completely independent. So I tried to 'Save as' with Director's interface instead of using 3Design's own 'File>Write'. Now everything works. Phew..

 

[kikems]

I have figured it out. At first I didn't fully realised the concept of TAV package, where every application is completely independent. So I tried to 'Save as' with Director's interface instead of using 3Design's own 'File>Write'. Now everything works. Phew..

Director "save" option is for the general project. 3Design only save objects not the general project. Every app save their own file, animation, object, particle animation, etc...

3Design, Property app and IPR comes from adquired Exploré by Wavefront. In TAV 4.x for modeling you can use 3Design from Exposé or Modeler from original TAV.

Here a resume of use for every app inside TAV 4.x:

- Director it's only a global launcher of independent apps and the manager of general projects files.
- 3Design was the modeler, anim, render and texturing app from Exposé. ( Exposé was another 3D app solution from Thomson TDI adquired by Wavefront ).
- PreView was the globlal animator for TAV, here you can load objects, particles, IK or any other files created from the other apps of TAV. It's the final scene composer for render.
- Model was the main object modeler from TAV. Was the main solution for model from Wavefront before buy Exposé and 3Design. Have less features than 3Design but is more easy to use for create simple object.
- Kinemation was the solution for bone, IK and arm structure for animations for characters.
- Dynamation was the app for design particle animations with force, gravity, inertial physics, smoke, fire, clouds, etc...
- Images was the app for convert or view images.
- Render was the module for render scenes previously composed with 3Design or PreView.
- IPR was the app for creating advanced shading things and preview in realtime changes of color or material over objects or rendered scenes in IPR format .
- Display was the app for display render, manage rendered frames into animation file, preview anims and control external hardware for send frame by frame anims to video hardware.
- Property was the app to define or create colors and materials ( reflectivity, color, specular, bum, image texture, etc... ) for 3D objects . Usually you can open and use Property app at the same time you are using Modeler, 3Design or PreView to define color or texture of objects and see changes in realtime.
- Paint was the app for paint images or textures. It's a simple paint app for manipulate bitmap images and alpha images.
- Composer was the independet app from Wavefront to compose 2D over rendered images or layers ( like Adobe After Effects, but for SGI ).
- GameExport was the app for convert and define 3D object or scenes creater with TAV apps to format for game engines for PlaySatation, Atari Jaguar, N64, etc...

If you install other Alias/Wavefront apps like Power Animator 8-9 or Maya you find that some of them install 3Design app as complement.

 

[bitpak]

Hey guys!

I recently found this simple tutorial. Following its steps I got this:

If anybody have the Wavefront Advanced Visualizer User's Guide, please DM me.

 

[bitpak]

Anybody still have the scans from this thread on Nekochan?

Nekochan Net • View topic - Wavefront Software - Scans

 

[Silicon Classics]

Anybody still have the scans from this thread on Nekochan?

Nekochan Net • View topic - Wavefront Software - Scans

 

[Silicon Classics]

This should be all of them...

 

[bitpak]

@Silicon Classics Awww thanks!

 

[marbosar77]

Hi everyone, I'm a new member of the forum. Sorry for reviving this post, but I wanted to ask if anyone knows where I can find a software copy of TAV 4.3. Thanks to anyone who responds.