8
STAR*TECH JOURNAL/DECEMBER 1983
COMPUTER CREATIONS
DOES 3-D BACKGROUNDS FOR WILLIAMS'
NEW LASER DISC GAME - STAR RIDER
PRICE
CONVERSION
BREAKTHROUGH!
FOR ROWE
CIGARETTE
MACHINES
• Will vend up to $1.75 in
increments of 5¢.
• Same mechanical
dependability using your
present totalizer. No
electronic components.
• Accepts any combination of
nickels, dimes and quarters.
• 4-minute installation on
location OR
• Send us your totalizer - we
will convert it ($5.00 service
charge).
PRICE
REDUCED
$29.95 (In Lots of 10)
1 to 9 Units - $34.95 each
All orders shipped UPS/COD.
TELEPHONE:
516-928-6868
COIN UP-DATE
INDUSTRIES, INC.
14 Hulse Road
E. Setauket, NY 11733
The road to South Bend, Indiana, is paved with
quarters these days as Computer Creations
finishes work on a new laser disc video game
produced for Williams Electronics. The pioneer-
ing computer animation firm, led by President
Tom Klimek and his team of artists and
engineers, have once again created a big stir
with their eye-arresting 3-dimensional graphics
for Williams Star RiderN game, the newest
entry in the latest developmental trend in video
arcade games.
"With Star Rider, we took a completely
different approach than other laser disc game
manufacturers. We added our own high-
resolution real-time computer generated images
to the spectacular graphics and fantastic
animation developed by Computer Creations.
The graphics combined with a unique hardware
system that allows complete player involve-
ment and interactivity, make Star Rider the
most technically advanced game in the
industry," says Ron Crouse, Vice-President at
Williams Electronics.
The major differences between Star Rider
and other laser disc games are the graphics and
the playability. The cartoon images have been
replaced by videoCel animation, the exclusive
process used by Computer Creations. The
results are bold, dynamic computer graphics
which show the game player not one, but
NINE new universes. Made up of brilliantly
colored hexagons, crystals and other fabulous
forms, these worlds are inhabited by titanic
space lords, whizzing comets and cosmic flora
and fauna as yet undiscovered by men or
satellites.
As the video game player races down the
curving black strip of intergalactic roadway, he
is in control(?!) of his own speed and steers his
own course while being pursued by menacing
adversaries on spacecycles. All this action
takes place on a TV monitor screen the player
is viewing while seated on his own spacecycle
seat Speeds of up to 240 mph may be reached
by turning the controls on the handlebars - but
watch out!
Star Rider has roads that are not likely to
exist anywhere but in the Amazing Space of the
Mind that Conveived It ...
COMPUTER CREATIONS, South Bend,
Indiana, is a digital computer animation facility
dedicated to the production of excellent quality
motion graphics for use on television and laser
disc. The videoCel animation process, devel-
oped by Thomas F. Klimek, president of the
firm, is a quick and efficient way to make clean,
colorful animated graphics and special effects.
Since 1976, advertising agencies, television
stations and cable companies, corporations
and manufacturers and entertainment/program
producers have used videoCel animation for
mechanical and industrial moving illustrations,
medical explanations, television program opens,
corporate "news" magazines and special video
presentations that require elegant motion
graphics.
Artists control the process; using a data
tablet, black and white line art is the input
medium, colors are selected from a choice of
over 16 million and motion instructions are
entered into the computer via a keyboard. A
pencil test can be viewed prior to seeing the
finished key frames. Finally, the computer
electronically generates each individual frame
of video, combining the drawing files, color
files and animation instructions, and a video
processor "grabs" the segment as it is laid into
place.
Computer Creations' staff of artists,
engineers and television production profes-
sionals count on the computing power of a
DEC VAX 750 host computer, Ikonas-Adage
3000 frame buffers, triple-station Evans &
Sutherland Multi-Picture System for creation
of the vector graphic art and viewing of real-
time motion pencil tests and Ampex videotape
recording equipment for assembly of final
work.
000
CENTURI
GYRUSS SHORTED POWER SUPPLY PROBLEM
We recently received the following letter from Mark A. Balint, Service Manager at Coastal
Vending in Washington, D.C.
Dear Sirs:
This letter is in reference to the Centuri Gyruss power supply "PALCO", i.e., shorting out of
the power transistor "Q-3". I feel this letter would not even be necessary if"Q-3" were heat sinked
The part does not cross from Japanese to American. After finding the problem and failing
many times to cross the part, I talked to the distributor. He informed me that the part was not
available even to him! I would have to tum in the power supply for a new one at a cost of$45.
In essence, the cost of many calls out of state, money lost from the machine being down, time
and cost of sending a man to the distributor with the power supply and the cost for a new one each
time you might need one should not be necessary when the problem is known and the part is simply
unattainable.
As the technician who has to go out in the middle of the night to repair machines, I feel it is the
manufacturers' responsibility and obligation to make sure parts are available, as with foreign cars.
If any of your readers have had this problem and have found a solution, it would be greatly
appreciated if they would share that experience.
Thank you for allowing me to bring this matter to light
]Jyou have a solution to this problem or can offer Mr. Balint any.further i,iformation regarding
this problem, you can contact him at Coastal Vending Co., 2629 30th Street #2, Washington,
DC20020.