Solid States, 3D Studio precursor

[+Philsan]

Tom Hudson (@Klankster) was a technical editor for ANALOG computing and wrote some A8 games, including Livewire!, Buried Buck$ (eventually published by Imagic as Chopper Hunt), Planetary Defense (updated in 2012).

 

He programmed Solid States, a 3D object viewer and 1020 plotter printer, published on Analog Computing magazine February 1984 issue #16.

 

In fact, as he wrote in the magazine

To be honest, I can't take all the credit for this program. I got it from a Compucolor II computer bulletin board several years ago; the author was not credited. I modified the program to work on the Atari computers, added the editing, screen clipping, plotter output and file handling.

 
Eventually he developed DEGAS (1985), co-developed CAD-3D (1986) and Cyber Studio (1987) for Atari ST and then the famous 3D Studio (1990) for PCs.

 

Screenshots from Altirra emulator:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eventually two articles appeared on Analog Computing June 1984 issue #19 and September 1984 issue #22, with enhancements (animation, print) and readers objects (letter A, nuclear reactor cooling tower, adjustable stop, Tie Fighter, X-Wing, Atari 800). Thanks Atari_Ace for the heads up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I typed the data of some 3D objects and I found some of them on the Internet (thanks devwebcl).

 

I made a disk with Solid States program together with published 3D objects:

Solid States (1984)(Analog).atr

 

This disk has Turbo-Basic XL therefore the program runs faster:

Solid States (1984)(Analog)(TBXL).atr

 

I made a PDF with mentioned Analog Computing articles:

Solid States (1984)(Analog)(manual).pdf

 

You can read the articles in html format: issue #16, #19, #22.

 

It would be nice to design an Atari logo.

 

Solid States inspired Super 3D Plotter II (1985, Elfin Magic Software). Manual - Download.

The author Rand Constan wrote on the manual: "I wish to thank Tom Hudson and A.N.A.L.O.G. magazine for finding and publishing the "SOLID STATES" program, as this was in fact the original inspiration to create SUPER 3D PLOTTER".

In fact on the disk there is the above Solid States 3-D space shuttle and there's a Basic program to convert objects from Solid States.

 

More infos on Tom Hudson and 3D Studio ancestors can be found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hudson_(programmer)
http://www.klanky.com/
https://doudoroff.com/atari/index.html
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/simplecontent/content/autodesk-3ds-max.html

[Atari_Ace]

There are two additional articles for Solid States:

 

In the June 1984 ANALOG #19, "Solid States Revisited"

In the September 1984 ANALOG #22, "Son of Solid States"

 

I put the text for all three at https://ksquiggle.neocities.org/solidstates.htm.  I intend to add PNGs for the shapes someday.

 

I was always curious if the original Compucolor II author was ever identified.

[kiwilove]

I did get around to converting data from a C-64 BASIC program - of the USS Enterprise into Solid States.  This was from a British magazine, I think?

(Don't know if anyone else did this as well?)

The best object was probably the Tie Fighter - which was included on a ANALOG disk?  The Y-wing fighter looked pretty ugly.

 

I did get around to porting these graphics into Graphics 7.5 and reworking on them with AtariArtist - but I forgotten how was this done?

The same with reworking a Graphics 8 image into Graphics 7.5.  Took the drawing the Atari 400 in BASIC image and added the various accessories to it.

[Rybags]

I seem to remember typing in that or something similar - in fact from the cover of issue 16 "Atari Graphics", I had that issue so it must have been the one.

 

Nice how the picture in the article is almost a prediction of the Lockheed F-22 almost 7 years before the first proto was produced.

 

 

[+Philsan]

Solid States inspired the awesome Super 3D Plotter II program (1985, Elfin Magic Software). Manual - Download.

The author Rand Constan wrote on the manual: "I wish to thank Tom Hudson and A.N.A.L.O.G. magazine for finding and publishing the "SOLID STATES" program, as this was in fact the original inspiration to create SUPER 3D PLOTTER".

In fact on the disk there is the above Solid States 3-d space shuttle and there's a Basic program to convert objects from Solid States.

[Gunstar]

On 3/10/2020 at 7:39 AM, Rybags said:

I seem to remember typing in that or something similar - in fact from the cover of issue 16 "Atari Graphics", I had that issue so it must have been the one.

 

Nice how the picture in the article is almost a prediction of the Lockheed F-22 almost 7 years before the first proto was produced.

 

 

Yes the model of that jet, and a Tie Fighter and other models came on disk with my Super 3D Plotter II program too.

[+Philsan]

I added to the disks three other example objects found on a disk provided by @CharlieChaplin.

 

Tie Fighter, Atari 800 and letter A objects still missing.

[devwebcl]

The missing figures can be found at: http://ftp.pigwa.net/stuff/collections/holmes cd/Holmes 3/ANALOG/index.html

 

• AN19 A.atr
• AN22 B.atr

 

screenshots: http://manillismo.blogspot.com/2021/11/solid-states.html

 

[Mclaneinc]

Wow, Tom Hudson is responsible for what was to become 3D Studio Max??

 

That is something that escaped me, I loved Livewire and knew he had done the states' thing but 3D Studio....Wow

 

We actually got a 3D Studio Max back in the 90's for a customer who then just vanished after paying half the price (was too much to order on trust alone). No one in our shops area had the money nor brains to use it so it sat on our shelves and then eventually in my house when the shop closed. I loved playing with it and got one of those huge tutorial books that I still have (I think), the book cost a fortune..

 

Just looked, can't find it, don't tell me I threw it out??

 

Would still have been useful to someone...

 

[Gunstar]

I got Super 3D plotter back in '85 when I got my first Atari, a 130XE and I never tried Solid States because S3DP was more advanced. He said he might do a 128K version for the 130XE in the manual at the end of it as he talked about the future. But unfortunately, IIRC, he also states that he would wait and see how well it sells,So it never happened and he moved on to the ST. That was the one problem with S3DP was it was limited to 48K to be compatible with the 800's. Even a 64K enhanced version would have been cool, just to make the cubed "world" a little bit bigger to create in. It was also limited to something like 256 lines and points or something like that (I'll have to dig out the manual and re-confirm this). Obviously that's a memory limit and not processor limit as Chroma CAD-3D, which uses expanded memory if you have it, can do a lot more triangles and layers ultimately allowing for far more vectors/polygons or whatever. It's been a while since I read CC3D's manuals too...I wanted to start using both, but have had too many other things going on to find the time yet to learn them (again in S3DP's case).

[Mclaneinc]

Loved Tom's stuff, Buried Bucks, Planetary defense, Livewire and retrofire amongst a few others who I can't remember, and the fact that most of them were free (we sold Analog back then) was amazing, Tempest for FREE!!

 

I sort of played with the 3D plotting stuff back then but I was always put off because my maths was poor and I told myself I would not understand it because of that. Later when I got to play / own 3D Studio I realised it was more about my creativity side, the maths was there but not 'in your face' and I made some little renders I was quite proud of. I went straight for the exploding planet look and loved the particle systems.

 

To know Tom got 3D studio going just make me give the man a clap, if he still has a connection to Autodesk then he's a VERY rich man..

[kiwilove]

I thought that I might as well post this pic showing the Enterprise via Solid States.  I don't have the data file anymore for it.

 

Harvey