Perhaps you should just link to the rubyonrails site instead of claiming what it does/doesn't provide.
Ruby on Rails provides an amazing object-relation mapping for SQL databases called ActiveRecord. It uses ERb inside of ActionPack to provide JSP-like templating.
If you want a MVC development stack, RoR provides it. If you want distributed objects, message passing, etc just look at other standard and non-standard ruby libraries.
The most beautiful part of Ruby on Rails is that it doesn't required 100k lines of XML to configure it like Groovy and other similar frameworks.
If you actually read the posted review, you would see that things have come quite away from the standard SiS integrated chipset and others which weren't any good at anything, even desktop apps.
Despite the multitude of responses you've already received, I'll throw my two cents in.
A while back I wrote a raytracer. After I had it doing primitives, texture mapping, etc. It occurred to me maybe I should just go whole hog and write a 3D modeller. Well I changed my mind due to time considerations, but maybe I can help you a little:-
If you know the mathematics behind it, implement the different rendering engines you want: raytracing, radiosity, photon mapping, NPR, etc with the primitives you want to support (spheres, planes, triangles, nurbs, etc). Doing this lets you do what has already been mapped out for you by mathematics. Just implement them, the things I listed above really don't take that long if you have some solid time to dedicate, and a firm understanding of the math.
Also make sure you have good reference to backup that firm understanding. If you haven't already, check out: I found this book useful for basic CG related math.
Here, and here are useful as well. For particle streams and the such, see the papers residing somewhere in Pixar's servers.
The problem comes when choosing APIs, GUIs, etc. I would suggest going with something like OpenGL with GLUT. Most of the 3D modellers out there use OpenGL and it has good cross-platform support. You can then use OGL not only to display scenes rendered (I wrote mine out to png - I was lazy), but you can use the wonderful main loop of GLUT to write your UI. Mind you this can be a pain, but it means you can make your interface fully scriptable and skinnable on-the-fly using discrete objects to make up the whole. The other choice is to rely on any of the many well-supported UIs out there with OGL support. Just watch the platform (in)dependence if that matters to you.
Overall, take the project in stages, ideally from the best defined (math) to the least (UI). Make sure each chunk is highly modular so it's easy to alter or replace.
I'm not sure if this will help, but I wish the best of luck to you. Remember to start a sourceforge project. You might find you can get some help.
The desktop solution is cheap too: ~$130 for an old pentium system $78 for a Linksys WMP11 (amazon) $40 for some random PCI NIC Grand total: $248.
I know I had the old machine and random NIC laying around so I just picked up the card and voila.
Still though, can't argue with the footprint or POE. My wireless bridge machine has to live in a closet it's so big, and requires an extension cord going to the nearest outlet.
Actually, that wouldn't be much of a write-up. It's pretty quick:
I'm using a Linksys WMP11 PCI card + Debian. I compiled a 2.4.18 kernel with bridging support and am running the wlan-ng drivers in ad-hoc mode. It transparently bridges all wireless connections with valid external IP addys to my DSL bridge via an Intel EtherExpress Pro 100 PCI card.
The bridging+firewall patch kernel panicked on my machine, and I didn't bother to debug it. Plenty of people have had success with it though. I also used the HostAP drivers for a bit, but they were a little spotty (upwards of 2% packet loss) with my configuration. The difference between adhoc and ap really doesn't matter with my config.
I also used WEP for a while, but the Windows' Linksys helper app occasionally had trouble negotiating, so I rely on secure protocols for sensitive communication.
The downside is that this isn't much cheaper than the dedicated hardware solutions, but then again, you aren't limited in the same ways either.
If you want more info, post back. I'd be happy to provide all the quick'n'dirty setup details (kernel settings, wlan-ng settings, bridge config, scripts).
Progeny as a distro may be gone, but the installer is still going strong. There is a debian package for creating Debian install CDs retrofitted with the Progeny Installer, as well as customizable user docs, and other extras.
I have to say, imposing your own conservative beliefs on others does not prove a point. There are people in the world who would rather play video games than shoot for high materialistic goals, have quick meaningless physical relationships while pretending to crave and maintain oppressive patriarchal standards.
Perhaps the first game you should learn to play is 'open-mindedness'.
Apt can use CD sources. Even though those with broadband can easily download everything with apt, those with dial-up will still be happy to get a reasonably priced CD set.
In addition to maintaining some form of reasonable refresh rate, eye movement must be tracked in order to guarantee that the display is projected correctly onto the retina.
It is hard to keep your eyes consciously still, but your eyes also move constantly unconsciously to keep your retina from becoming desensitived to the visual input. AFAIK this problem hasn't been cleanly solved.
Slashdot Mirror
Perhaps you should just link to the rubyonrails site instead of claiming what it does/doesn't provide.
Ruby on Rails provides an amazing object-relation mapping for SQL databases called ActiveRecord. It uses ERb inside of ActionPack to provide JSP-like templating.
If you want a MVC development stack, RoR provides it. If you want distributed objects, message passing, etc just look at other standard and non-standard ruby libraries.
The most beautiful part of Ruby on Rails is that it doesn't required 100k lines of XML to configure it like Groovy and other similar frameworks.
If you actually read the posted review, you would see that things have come quite away from the standard SiS integrated chipset and others which weren't any good at anything, even desktop apps.
Despite the multitude of responses you've already received, I'll throw my two cents in.
A while back I wrote a raytracer. After I had it doing primitives, texture mapping, etc. It occurred to me maybe I should just go whole hog and write a 3D modeller. Well I changed my mind due to time considerations, but maybe I can help you a little:-
If you know the mathematics behind it, implement the different rendering engines you want: raytracing, radiosity, photon mapping, NPR, etc with the primitives you want to support (spheres, planes, triangles, nurbs, etc). Doing this lets you do what has already been mapped out for you by mathematics. Just implement them, the things I listed above really don't take that long if you have some solid time to dedicate, and a firm understanding of the math.
Also make sure you have good reference to backup that firm understanding. If you haven't already,
check out:
I found this book useful for basic CG related math.
This is a good one on radiosity.
And this one photon mapping.
Here, and here are useful as well.
For particle streams and the such, see the papers residing somewhere in Pixar's servers.
The problem comes when choosing APIs, GUIs, etc. I would suggest going with something like OpenGL with GLUT. Most of the 3D modellers out there use OpenGL and it has good cross-platform support. You can then use OGL not only to display scenes rendered (I wrote mine out to png - I was lazy), but you can use the wonderful main loop of GLUT to
write your UI. Mind you this can be a pain, but it means you can make your interface fully scriptable and skinnable on-the-fly using discrete objects to make up the whole. The other choice is to rely on any of the many well-supported UIs out there with OGL support. Just watch the platform (in)dependence if that matters to you.
Overall, take the project in stages, ideally from the best defined (math) to the least (UI). Make sure each chunk is highly modular so it's easy to alter or replace.
I'm not sure if this will help, but I wish the best of luck to you. Remember to start a sourceforge project. You might find you can get some help.
The desktop solution is cheap too:
~$130 for an old pentium system
$78 for a Linksys WMP11 (amazon)
$40 for some random PCI NIC
Grand total: $248.
I know I had the old machine and random NIC laying around so I just picked up the card and voila.
Still though, can't argue with the footprint or POE. My wireless bridge machine has to live in a closet it's so big, and requires an extension cord going to the nearest outlet.
Actually, that wouldn't be much of a write-up. It's pretty quick:
g e)
I'm using a Linksys WMP11 PCI card + Debian. I compiled a 2.4.18 kernel with bridging support and am running the wlan-ng drivers in ad-hoc mode. It transparently bridges all wireless connections with valid external IP addys to my DSL bridge via an Intel EtherExpress Pro 100 PCI card.
(phoneline-dslrouter/bridge-hub-linux_wifi_brid
The bridging+firewall patch kernel panicked on my machine, and I didn't bother to debug it. Plenty of people have had success with it though. I also used the HostAP drivers for a bit, but they were a little spotty (upwards of 2% packet loss) with my configuration. The difference between adhoc and ap really doesn't matter with my config.
I also used WEP for a while, but the Windows' Linksys helper app occasionally had trouble negotiating, so I rely on secure protocols for sensitive communication.
The downside is that this isn't much cheaper than the dedicated hardware solutions, but then again, you aren't limited in the same ways either.
If you want more info, post back. I'd be happy to provide all the quick'n'dirty setup details (kernel settings, wlan-ng settings, bridge config, scripts).
Progeny as a distro may be gone, but the installer is still going strong. There is a debian package for creating Debian install CDs retrofitted with the Progeny Installer, as well as customizable user docs, and other extras.
Progeny Installer
If someone whipped up a progeny iso, I wonder if all the anti-debian trolls would settle down a little.
Might as well mod me as flamebait now . . .
I have to say, imposing your own conservative beliefs on others does not prove a point. There are people in the world who would rather play video games than shoot for high materialistic goals, have quick meaningless physical relationships while pretending to crave and maintain oppressive patriarchal standards.
Perhaps the first game you should learn to play is 'open-mindedness'.
Apt can use CD sources. Even though those with broadband can easily download everything with apt, those with dial-up will still be happy to get a reasonably priced CD set.
In addition to maintaining some form of reasonable refresh rate, eye movement must be tracked in order to guarantee that the display is projected correctly onto the retina.
It is hard to keep your eyes consciously still, but your eyes also move constantly unconsciously to keep your retina from becoming desensitived to the visual input. AFAIK this problem hasn't been cleanly solved.
Why further the problem.
Check out this link to begin learning about denial-of-service attacks. Here's another if your appetite for self-education has been whet.