MAGI Synthavision

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MAGI Synthavision was a computer technology company founded in 1966 by Philip Mittelman and based in Elmsford , New York . With the help of newly developed programs, the radioactive decay of uranium and other radioactive substances was simulated, which would have been almost impossible without the use of computers. From 1972 they offered commercial 3D computer graphics, making them the first company of this kind. Edwin Catmull first described the generation of 3D graphics on the computer shortly beforehand .

method

The images were calculated individually in the computer with the aid of Synthavision using a mathematical model. This model calculated the angle of view and the speed. Subsequently, frame by frame on 16 / 35 / 65 mm film exposed, and this was then developed normally and projected. In this way, an animation was produced, similar to the cartoon.

history

In 1971, MAGI created an animated 3D model of a Boeing aircraft on a test basis .

In 1972 Robert Goldstein founded the "Synthavision" department. A program was developed there to generate image syntheses and CGI (German: computer generated images) animations with the aim of creating scientific visualizations. Synthavision was one of the first programs ever to support ray tracing . In addition, the modeling was not based on polygons , but on bodies to which parameters were assigned. This newly developed method was called Constructive Solid Geometry . It enabled an authentic representation of organic objects (by the standards of the time).

MAGI / Synthavision created the first CGI commercial on behalf of IBM . The commercial showed the three-dimensional letters 'IBM' floating out of an office computer.

Animations for the film Tron

In 1981 MAGI / Synthavision was commissioned by the Disney studios to create part of the computer-generated scenes for the feature film Tron , the remaining parts of the 20-minute scenes were provided by three other companies - Information International, Inc. , Robert Abel and Associates and Digital Effects - created. In these approximately 10-minute animations, the light motorcycles (so-called light cycles) and the tanks were shown and animated. MAGI / Synthavision received 1.2 million dollars for the order, the number of amendments to the program Synthavision required as there example no depth could be calculated. These changes would only have interfered with the visualizations for which the program was originally developed, but the effects could have been dramatic or comical in the film.

sale

After MAGI was sold to the Canadian company Bidmax in 1988 and many employees moved to other CGI companies, Phillip Mittelman died in 2000.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ray Hill, 1973: Synthavision: How a computer produces movies, Popular Science, p108-109
  2. ↑ Mathematics Application Group, Inc. (MAGI) Synthavision ( Memento of the original from November 8, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / design.osu.edu
  3. ^ W. Kallay, 2011: The Making of Tron: How Tron Changed Visual Effects and Disney Forever, Harryson, Ellenshaw, 282p, ISBN 978-0615494500

Web links