12-3-91


Bob Galbraith
Computer Graphics
53 Avery St.
E. Longmeadow, MA 01028
Tel. (413) 739-0603

NOTICE:

This 3D drawing database (AZ-CITY.DWG) is the property of Bob
Galbraith Computer Graphics and may be freely distributed,
viewed, or enhanced for personal use only. Commercial use is
prohibited without the notification and consent of its creator,
Bob Galbraith.

WARNING:

This is a huge AutoCAD Release 11 file. While it database weighs
in at 1.1 megs, that is only half the story, this file makes
abundant use of blocks to conserve its size. It is strongly
recommended that a fast 386 with at least 4 megs of memory
(probably more) be used to view this file. It was created with a
25 Mhz i486 with 8 megs of memory and a 200mb 15ms hardrive. The
file takes this machine 1 minute 25 seconds call up into the
AutoCAD editor. 

INTRODUCTION:

This 3D database is based on a photograph of a physical model
which was created by architect Ignacio Marquina. This vivid
image appeared in a book "The Mighty Aztecs" which is published
by The National Geographic Society. The only other reference was
a book called "The Cities of Ancient Mexico" which had a plan
drawing of the recently excavated "Great Temple". Somewhere in
text it was stated that wall which surrounded the ceremonial
center was some 440 meters on a side. Armed with this
information and eyeball, I was off to the races. It is sincerely
hoped that my efforts do justice to the glory of ancient city of
Tenochtitlan.

Only the temples, palaces, wall and other notable structures
were included. If someone wants to add some 3D people. fauna,
and few graven images, be my guest. A lot of AutoCAD colors were
used which could mapped for rendering outside AutoCAD. Hopefully
someone with a very high powdered workstation could render or
even do animated walkthru of this model. At the present time
using AutoShade Renderman, I can only do single images of single
structures while throwing my system page mode.

AutoCAD Release 11 has a primitive shader for checking work.
There are two saved views ("city & perspect") to restore. If you
have a high resolution 256 color display, try setting system
variable "shadedge" to 0 and evoking the shade command.

In closing, it should be mentioned that the scale of the model is
1 AutoCAD unit = 1"-0".

If one can put aside the hideous brutal religious rites that
were practiced by the Aztecs it is obvious that these were a
highly energetic and gifted people.

 
Bob Galbraith