***Comments about Version 1.1 *** - Page 12

Dempsey · 07-16-2002, 07:05 PM

Love the Aquarium. Bought the retail boxed version from Fry's. It looks fantastic on my system.

Observation:
I just downloaded the update to version 1.1 and noticed my framerate dropped from a smooth and steady 75 fps (refresh rate) @1280x1024x32 down to 62 fps after the install. Running Windows XP, Pentium 4 2.26 GHz, 512 MB DDR, GeForce4 TI 4600.

Suggestion:
Is there a chance of releasing a toolkit so the fast-growing user community could create add-on "fish modules" for download from fan sites? Perhaps a small utility could take 3D Studio files as input and spit out your format? Maybe it could read behavior scripts written in a simple text-based language? That sort of tool set would speed up the process of adding new fish, as well as providing the tinkering user community with a means to enhance your product. This approach has worked to increase the popularity of numerous other software packages.

Just a thought.
-Bill

feldon34 · 07-16-2002, 08:20 PM

All the fish behave the same way. In the future, individual fish behavior will be added. You are not the first to suggest that each fish could have a %aggressiveness, %schooling, etc.

The fish are actually built in Lightwave and texture coordinates are applied in UVMap.

Jim feels strongly that the Aquarium is artwork, not a platform. He has repeatedly stated that the creation of fish will never be opened to the public.

I can't say I disagree with the idea of other people developing fish, even if we had to submit them to Jim and then he had the final say on whether they could be integrated into the Aquarium.

Sorry to hear about the slowdown with the Aquarium. That's certainly a powerful system and you should be getting better framerates.

cjmaddy · 08-02-2002, 06:42 PM

I've just been sitting here, staring at the fish, and pondering! - (Very relaxing!)

When we get the 3D background, will the fish swim to the back of the tank? - I don't mean just from the front 'glass' directly to the back 'glass', but when passing from side to side, will they also move further away and towards us? - How deep will the tank be from front to back?
At the present, how many different sizes of each fish are there, I assume those farthest away are smaller - or is that an illusion? Are there three planes that the fish swim on? - Front, middle and back? - with two planes of scenery?

If these points have been covered before, sorry. - I can only remember different planes being discuss I think.

feldon34 · 08-02-2002, 07:18 PM

Right now, the fish are on two layers. They can switch layers, but they can't stay "off-layer" for very long. Hopefully with the 3D background, the fish will have a free range of motion from the front of the tank to the back. Here's an illustration I did of how the tank works now:

erylph · 01-10-2003, 01:39 PM

i don't have the keycode. can you send me a keycode for my screensaver aquarium?

Tiny Turtle · 01-10-2003, 01:45 PM

Um, Didn't you get it by e-mail from Prolific when you registered your copy of the Aquarium? If not, I suggest you send an e-mail with your neme and other information (like when you registered and such) to serene.sales@prolific.com and await their response.

/TT

patscarr · 01-10-2003, 09:20 PM

hahaha! A freeloader! Get a job!

drfish · 01-11-2003, 10:24 AM

If that is indeed what this is then he fails to understand that we are LOYAL fans of the aquarium...

edit: And if it isn't, then Tiny, you handeled it superbly.

Jav400 · 01-11-2003, 12:04 PM

Yeah we get the same thing in the chatroom. People come in and ask for a free keycode. There is a big sign right over the java chat stating that we don't give those out, period. But they still show up.

patscarr · 01-12-2003, 03:11 AM

Tiny, always the class act.

Tiny Turtle · 01-12-2003, 06:00 AM

Franklin J. Flocks · 02-13-2003, 04:54 PM

I am completely confused. I bought the retail boxed version at
Fry's a couple of weeks ago. Its version 1.0 with no Lionfish.
How do I get a keycode so I can upgrade to version 1.1.

And what is the current URL for getting the upgrade? - The URL
mentioned above just got me to the page to purchase the
software?

Jim Sachs · 02-13-2003, 05:00 PM

Just download the latest version from SereneScreen.com. The CD is your Key Code.

07-16-2002, 08:20 PM	#222
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	All the fish behave the same way. In the future, individual fish behavior will be added. You are not the first to suggest that each fish could have a %aggressiveness, %schooling, etc. The fish are actually built in Lightwave and texture coordinates are applied in UVMap. Jim feels strongly that the Aquarium is artwork, not a platform. He has repeatedly stated that the creation of fish will never be opened to the public. I can't say I disagree with the idea of other people developing fish, even if we had to submit them to Jim and then he had the final say on whether they could be integrated into the Aquarium. Sorry to hear about the slowdown with the Aquarium. That's certainly a powerful system and you should be getting better framerates. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman Last edited by feldon34; 07-16-2002 at 08:22 PM.

08-02-2002, 06:42 PM	#223
cjmaddy Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Lancashire, UK Posts: 7,854	Some 3D background questions I've just been sitting here, staring at the fish, and pondering! - (Very relaxing!) When we get the 3D background, will the fish swim to the back of the tank? - I don't mean just from the front 'glass' directly to the back 'glass', but when passing from side to side, will they also move further away and towards us? - How deep will the tank be from front to back? At the present, how many different sizes of each fish are there, I assume those farthest away are smaller - or is that an illusion? Are there three planes that the fish swim on? - Front, middle and back? - with two planes of scenery? If these points have been covered before, sorry. - I can only remember different planes being discuss I think.

08-02-2002, 07:18 PM	#224
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Right now, the fish are on two layers. They can switch layers, but they can't stay "off-layer" for very long. Hopefully with the 3D background, the fish will have a free range of motion from the front of the tank to the back. Here's an illustration I did of how the tank works now: "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

01-10-2003, 01:45 PM	#226
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365	Um, Didn't you get it by e-mail from Prolific when you registered your copy of the Aquarium? If not, I suggest you send an e-mail with your neme and other information (like when you registered and such) to serene.sales@prolific.com and await their response. /TT Thanks to Morgan, Tiny Snapshots is up and running again with "Tiny Järvafält" as the latest addition – Go have a look and tell me what you think. "We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, 'Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.' I suppose we all thought that, one way or another." /Robert Oppenheimer on witnessing the first thermonuclear detonation in history.

01-10-2003, 09:20 PM	#227
patscarr Pet Shark Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Back in Buffalo Posts: 5,455	hahaha! A freeloader! Get a job! Patrick

07-16-2002, 07:05 PM	#221
Dempsey Registered Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 1	Love the Aquarium. Bought the retail boxed version from Fry's. It looks fantastic on my system. Observation: I just downloaded the update to version 1.1 and noticed my framerate dropped from a smooth and steady 75 fps (refresh rate) @1280x1024x32 down to 62 fps after the install. Running Windows XP, Pentium 4 2.26 GHz, 512 MB DDR, GeForce4 TI 4600. Suggestion: Is there a chance of releasing a toolkit so the fast-growing user community could create add-on "fish modules" for download from fan sites? Perhaps a small utility could take 3D Studio files as input and spit out your format? Maybe it could read behavior scripts written in a simple text-based language? That sort of tool set would speed up the process of adding new fish, as well as providing the tinkering user community with a means to enhance your product. This approach has worked to increase the popularity of numerous other software packages. Just a thought. -Bill

01-10-2003, 01:39 PM	#225
erylph Registered Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Doha,Qatar Posts: 1	i don't have the keycode. can you send me a keycode for my screensaver aquarium?

01-11-2003, 10:24 AM	#228
drfish the Doc Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Zeeland, MI Posts: 5,357	If that is indeed what this is then he fails to understand that we are LOYAL fans of the aquarium... edit: And if it isn't, then Tiny, you handeled it superbly. I don't watch commercials. Last edited by drfish; 01-11-2003 at 10:26 AM.

01-11-2003, 12:04 PM	#229
Jav400 Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,725	Yeah we get the same thing in the chatroom. People come in and ask for a free keycode. There is a big sign right over the java chat stating that we don't give those out, period. But they still show up. Michael Administrator of Inside:SereneScreen Aquarium Forum, Chatroom, Fan Site & *Gallery* DVD Collection

01-12-2003, 03:11 AM	#230
patscarr Pet Shark Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Back in Buffalo Posts: 5,455	Tiny, always the class act. Patrick

01-12-2003, 06:00 AM	#231
Tiny Turtle is pleased Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 7,365

02-13-2003, 04:54 PM	#232
Franklin J. Flocks Registered Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Palo Alto, California Posts: 19	I am completely confused. I bought the retail boxed version at Fry's a couple of weeks ago. Its version 1.0 with no Lionfish. How do I get a keycode so I can upgrade to version 1.1. And what is the current URL for getting the upgrade? - The URL mentioned above just got me to the page to purchase the software?

02-13-2003, 05:00 PM	#233
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	Just download the latest version from SereneScreen.com. The CD is your Key Code. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium