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| What is a recommended Canoma system set-up? A standard issue PC or Macintosh (of course faster and more memory is better), a digital camera, a pixel editing tool like Painter or Photoshop and the Canoma software. To make eye-popping interactive photorealistic models with Canoma, you do not need a background in 3D or knowledge of traditional 3D modeling packages.

Do you support Web output?

Yes, either via MetaStream or VRML2. MetaStream is a very compact, streaming file format that only requires a single file to be posted on and downloaded from a Web site. For more technical users interested in scripting animations or interactivity, Canoma also outputs in VRML2 format (If the Canoma file contained an animation, it is output as a separate viewpoint in the VRML file - click to start animation).

Can I control the size of the exported files?

Yes, they principally depend on the resolution of the generated texture maps. You can select the texture resolution from within Canoma (downsampling rate) or provide higher or lower resolution source images.

Can you import Canoma files into other 3D applications?

Yes. For Bryce and Ray Dream Studio use Wavefront OBJ (please use the following links to download the current Macintosh and Windows versions of the Ray Dream Studio OBJ export plug in). For Poser use Poser Prop format. For 3D Studio Max use VRML2 format. For other applications supporting Wavefront format, use OBJ (Canoma writes a MTL file and the textures as JPGs, as supported by the OBJ file format. Not all applications that claim to read OBJ actually process the MTL file or textures).

What kinds of scenes can be modeled with Canoma?

Canoma is aimed at modeling man-made environments, so anything ranging from packaging, furniture, and interiors to architecture and cityscapes can be modeled. It is less suited for modeling very irregular shapes like trees or people or terrains. However, MetaCreations has two excellent programs for doing just those: Bryce 4 and Poser 3.

Can Canoma do round objects?

Not in v1.0 However, irregularly shaped objects can be approximated using: n-sided polygons or extrusions (sometimes called translation sweeps) and com-positions of simpler objects. For example a tree might be modeled as a box (for the trunk) and a pyramid (for the top). In most cases, the pixels will do the work of making the object appear realistic.

Do I need Painter or Photoshop to use Canoma?

No. They are optional, but very useful for preparing digital images coming out of a digital camera (cropping, resizing etc.) and for retouching textures.

Does Canoma include animation facilities?

Yes, but they are aimed at making quick fly-throughs, either interactively or to record them to QuickTime movie format. For very detailed animation control and integration with other 3D content, a 3D modeling package such as MetaCreations Ray Dream Studio can be used.

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