3D Rendering

Introduction

I have been a 3D enthusiast since around 1990 when Impulse, Inc. first released the ray-tracing package Turbo Silver. I have upgraded that software to Imagine from versions 1 through the latest version 5 over the years and found the program stuffed with powerful features, yet inexpensive enough that it has always remained affordable.

Impulse has recently re-committed to the Amiga with Imagine 6.0: the MS Windows version of Imagine has been available for quite a while. Although I do not own the Windows version, I understand that it is powerful and fast, but lacks some of the features that I have long taken for granted on the Amiga.

If you are interested in a fairly low-cost, but seriously powerful 3D modeling and rendering package, you owe it to yourself to check out Impulse's website. Be sure to visit the gallery to see what creative people can do with Imagine!

And now, without further ado, to my images gallery. You can click on the images to download larger versions. The sizes and dimensions of the images will be described so you know what to expect before you click.

Image ownership

The images belong to Udo Schuermann and may not be duplicated, stored, reproduced, or distributed for any purpose whatsoever, except with explicit written and signed permission from Udo Schuermann. If you want to put them on a CD-ROM for demo purposes, just ask me; if you want to sell them alone or as part of some sort of collection or to supplement a product, then you better ask me and be prepared to compensate me for the use of the images.

CastleRoom Copyright © 1991 Udo Schuermann 350K GIF, 1024 × 768	I created CastleRoom in 1991 using Imagine 2.0 on a 4MB 33MHz 68030 Amiga. It was my first "serious" attempt at modeling, lighting, composition and the use of algorithmic textures. 20,000 polygons, three shadow-casting light sources, numerous refracting and reflecting surfaces and some bitmapped images (artists unknown) to decorate the walls and grace the scene outside the window. It took over two months to create, render, tweak, and re-render the scene. Silly me screwed up the harddisk partition and lost the whole thing a few weeks later. I learned to make backups... The best quality image I have is the large 256 color GIF; you should use a 256 color display to get the most from this image.
Mission to Jupiter Copyright © 1997 Udo Schuermann 75K JPEG 1024 × 768	Impulse released Imagine 5.0 with support for the CyberGraphX display system (for support of 24bit displays on Amiga graphics cards.) I spent a few days refamiliarizing myself with Imagine and created a terribly insufficient rocky landscape and a retro-50's rocket ship (with fins and everything) that is in the process of descending on its retro-rocket flame to one of the moons of Jupiter. The distant sun is hardly more than a star... Anything less than a 256 color display will fail to do this image justice. Ideally you use at least a 16bit or even 24bit display.
Corinthian Columns Copyright © 1997 Udo Schuermann 230K JPEG, 1024 × 768	I have always admired the ornate beauty coupled with the raw strength that is combined in Corinthian columns. I finally had the time to use Imagine 5.0 to model a corinthian column head and set that on top of a fluted column. The details in this image, including the fluting of the columns, are largely achieved with elevation maps. The blindingly bright light combined with the hazy air have created neat shadow layers if you look closely. I consider this image a work in progress, although I have no idea when I will have time to continue with it... This image will look alright if you have 256 colors, but much less than that will fail to bring out some of the subtler shadows which I like so much.

Other Rendered Artwork on the Web

• Bradley W. Schenck
• Conny Jönsson
• Tom "Renderbrandt" Granberg's 3D Republic
• Rob Boyd's Digital Art Gallery
• WebSharx (Captain Video, Tom "Renderbrand" Granberg, GreG tsadilas, Steven Blackmon, etc.)
• Michael Comet's Renderings
• Samuel Crider
• QNSnet Raytracing Page; Dan Farmer, Mike Miller, Heinz Schuller, etc.

• Ian Smith's Home Page
• The Imagine FAQ