Digital "I" Designs - Favourite Links

So, now you know about me, what makes me tick, etc...

What have been my influences? What made me want (and be able) to put this site up for your review and (hopefully) enjoyment?

Main Applications	Metacreations (link deliberately disabled!)	The company which created (in its various pre-merger incarnations!) and then abandoned my main 3D modelling tools, Bryce, Poser, and RayDream, as well as the rest of its graphics suite - see below...
	DAZ 3D	The company which started out as a purveyor of Poser content, and is now becoming 'master of its own destiny' by transforming into an Application Developer. First, fearing for their security in being entirely dependent on Curious Labs, they worked on a free alternative to Poser, DAZ\|Studio, soon to reach Version 1.0. Also, DAZ recently acquired Bryce from Corel, who had let it languish for far too long. Corel had purchased Bryce, Kai's Power Tools, and Painter from Metacreations in early 2000. New versions of all 3 applications launched in 2001, but Corel soon abandoned development on Bryce, concentrating instead on their stable of 2D apps.
	Curious Labs	The company founded by the original creator of Poser, Larry Weinberg, its Metacreations Product Manager, Steve Cooper, and others with a 'vested interest' in the continued success of Poser. Curious Labs purchased Poser from Metacreations in early 2000. After a period of financial uncertainty, Curious Labs was purchased by e-frontiers, developers of the successful Japanese modelling app, Shade, which has recently been launched for the international market.
	Eovia	The company formed by Antoine Clappier, the former Metacreations Product Manager for RayDream, and 'midwife' of Carrara. Eovia purchased Carrara from Metacreations late in 2000, then was itself bought by TGS, the French developers of the 'different' 3D software Amapi. Eovia now manages the evolution of both complementary product lines, and they may eventually become integrated into one product.
	E-on Software	Vue d'Esprit is a French-developed competitor to Bryce in the low-priced 3D landscape-generation market. Vue actually featured native plants earlier than Bryce, and has quickly become a viable alternative. Me, I love them BOTH!
Plug-ins and Other Auxiliary Applications	DAZ 3D	These fine folks, spun off from Zygote Media Group, are the ones responsible for the majority of the Poser creatures, human and otherwise, which inhabit my digital domain. They continue to be active in the user mailing lists, offering hints and advice, and offer truly fine 'Customer Service'
	Autonomous Effects Inc.	Autonomous Effects also produces plug-ins and 'helper' programs for RayDream. For example, their Bone-Bender plug-in allows for the creation of articulated figures with 'Poser-like' functionality entirely within RayDream. Their officers are also active and helpful on the mailing lists
	Zenstar	Zenstar also produces plug-ins and 'helper' programs for RayDream. For example, their Supermesh plug-in allows for the creation of terrain-like surfaces within RayDream. Zenstar recently bought Tree Druid and Thor from another developer, apps which allow for the creation of trees and lightning respectively.
	Organica	Organica is a 'meta-balls' modeller, creating organic shapes which can be imported into Bryce and RayDream scenes.
	Universe	Diard Software's Universe is a terrific 'shareware' progam for adding 'space' backgrounds to scenes. The application adds planets, nebulae, star clusters, dust etc. to space backgrounds
	LunarCell	Flaming Pear Software's LunarCell is a terrific 'plug-in' progam for adding detailed planet or moon backgrounds to scenes. The application works as a plug-in to 2D programs like PhotoShop or PhotoPaint, adding these planetary bodies with nice selection of user-controllable parameters. New related tools are Glitterato for creating starfields, and SolarCell for creating solar effects.
	Astronomy Picture of the Day	NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a great source of royalty-free photos of space - but you have to be careful what you download. While all of NASA's own images are absolutely free resources for everyone's use, certain posted images do not belong to NASA, and may be copyrighted to their 'owners'. Just read the fine print before grabbing an image, to be sure you are entitled to do so!

Y'know, inspiration can be found almost anywhere! The gracious folks on the graphics- related mailing lists to which I subscribe often post their images, and many are wonderful artists - too many to list here. However, I'm going to start my resource list by mentioning only a few of the acknowledged greats! This list may well grow over time...

Martin Murphy The Demigod of Bryce: Martin Murphy is a Toronto artist, one of the acknowledged premier users of the Metacreations suite, including Bryce, Poser, and Painter. His work is a seamless blend of these applications, leavened with his classical training in oil painting etc. - and a HUGE dollop of talent!

"Kennect Online" The Demigod of Poser: 'Kennect' is known for the amazingly 'natural' poses he achieves with the male human figure - so much that the viewer tends to forget that these are Poser figures, rendered in Bryce.

"the Iguana's Den" The Demigod of RayDream: Steve McArdle is another Toronto artist (I am fortunate in being able to get a lot of inspiration close to home!), whose work with RayDream has been an inspiration to many. His site has many tutorials and other resources for RayDream users

This list will also grow over time, but for now, I've started with the most important of my other hobbies - without my music, I think I'd go crazy!...

Oasis Vocal Jazz - as discussed at greater length on my 'Hobbies' page, this is where I spend at least one evening a week - singing my heart out!

YMCA Toronto's Metro Central YMCA is my gym - this website, of the larger "YMCA of Greater Toronto" is currently under development, but will hopefully grow over time

Yeah, right! - As if the official media sites either want or care about my endorsement! No, what I'm listing here are the 'un-official' sites, run by fan folks, for sheer passion of the subject areas...

Babylon 5 The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5 Since the early days of Babylon 5's tumultuous history, this site has been one of the most dependable sources of B5 news and updates. If you're a B5 fan, This is your website!

Hyperspace: a Babylon 5 Ship Guide A beautifully-organized site showing all the known vessels of the various races encountered over the course of the series

The Babylon 5 Tech Manual I just discovered this site, a comprehensive list of the technology associated with the various races of the B5 universe.

Voltayre's Encyclopedia Xenobiologica Another amazingly complete site, listing the pertinent biological and sociological profiles of almost any creature or race mentioned over the course of the series! Sadly, the author seems to have shelved it, but I'll keep the link posted temporarily, in the hope that he'll decide to make the archived info available for posterity...

Evelio's Babylon 5 Page Evelio Perez-Albuerne has recreated a number of B5 vehicles, primarily Vorlon and Shadow ships, using RayDream, my application of choice. No conversion required! He also has a number of links to other B5 resources

Star Wars Star Wars Modelling Alliance This site features the work of various Star Wars fans, who have assembled a comprehensive collection of images and virtual models drawn from the Star Wars universe - including the apocrypha and some new work based on Episode 1: The Phantom Menace!

Star Trek Wolf 359 This site features the work of various Star Trek fans (known collectively as "the Wolfpak"), who have assembled a comprehensive collection of images and virtual models drawn from the Star Trek and Star Wars universes - unfortunately, it seems not to have been updated for many, many months now; but it contains some 'neat stuff', whatever the vintage...

The Star Trek Meshes Collection This site gathers together an incredible number of free ship downloads from various sources on the web, including the Wolf 359 free resources (above), organized into Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Dominion, 'non-canon' categories, etc., along with a large number of links to other fan-based Star Trek sites on the web.

Martin Murphy	The Demigod of Bryce: Martin Murphy is a Toronto artist, one of the acknowledged premier users of the Metacreations suite, including Bryce, Poser, and Painter. His work is a seamless blend of these applications, leavened with his classical training in oil painting etc. - and a HUGE dollop of talent!
"Kennect Online"	The Demigod of Poser: 'Kennect' is known for the amazingly 'natural' poses he achieves with the male human figure - so much that the viewer tends to forget that these are Poser figures, rendered in Bryce.
"the Iguana's Den"	The Demigod of RayDream: Steve McArdle is another Toronto artist (I am fortunate in being able to get a lot of inspiration close to home!), whose work with RayDream has been an inspiration to many. His site has many tutorials and other resources for RayDream users

	Oasis Vocal Jazz - as discussed at greater length on my 'Hobbies' page, this is where I spend at least one evening a week - singing my heart out!
YMCA	Toronto's Metro Central YMCA is my gym - this website, of the larger "YMCA of Greater Toronto" is currently under development, but will hopefully grow over time

Babylon 5	The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5	Since the early days of Babylon 5's tumultuous history, this site has been one of the most dependable sources of B5 news and updates. If you're a B5 fan, *This* is your website!
	Hyperspace: a Babylon 5 Ship Guide	A beautifully-organized site showing all the known vessels of the various races encountered over the course of the series
	The Babylon 5 Tech Manual	I just discovered this site, a comprehensive list of the technology associated with the various races of the B5 universe.
	Voltayre's Encyclopedia Xenobiologica	Another amazingly complete site, listing the pertinent biological and sociological profiles of almost any creature or race mentioned over the course of the series! Sadly, the author seems to have shelved it, but I'll keep the link posted temporarily, in the hope that he'll decide to make the archived info available for posterity...
	Evelio's Babylon 5 Page	Evelio Perez-Albuerne has recreated a number of B5 vehicles, primarily Vorlon and Shadow ships, using RayDream, my application of choice. No conversion required! He also has a number of links to other B5 resources
Star Wars	Star Wars Modelling Alliance	This site features the work of various Star Wars fans, who have assembled a comprehensive collection of images and virtual models drawn from the Star Wars universe - including the apocrypha and some new work based on Episode 1: The Phantom Menace!
Star Trek	Wolf 359	This site features the work of various Star Trek fans (known collectively as "the Wolfpak"), who have assembled a comprehensive collection of images and virtual models drawn from the Star Trek and Star Wars universes - unfortunately, it seems not to have been updated for many, many months now; but it contains some 'neat stuff', whatever the vintage...
Star Trek	The Star Trek Meshes Collection	This site gathers together an incredible number of free ship downloads from various sources on the web, including the Wolf 359 free resources (above), organized into Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Dominion, 'non-canon' categories, etc., along with a large number of links to other fan-based Star Trek sites on the web.

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