OK, people. We all work in 3D so we all have the concept of "light" down. The building you are currently occupying has a number of brightly lit rectangles, which are probably hidden by a piece of semi-translucent draped cloth. This is called a "window". Approach your nearest window. Reach out, and move the cloth. Don't worry, you won't crash anything and the simulation recalculates instantly with perfect collision detection. The "window"contains a piece of material with a Trans value of 1 and a Refraction of about 1.667. Because of this, you can see through the "window". You will notice tens of thousands of props, all with unbelievable texure, bump, transparency, displacement- every type of map and shader imaginable. Talk about OpenGL previews- You don't even have to wait for a render- And even Firefly can't hold a candle to the stunning realism. NOTE - At the risk of severe disappointment, be warned that you will probably NOT see anything having to do with temples, swords, bare-breasted women, etc. Of course, you probably also won't see any marauding dragons, hydras, orcs, or that sortof nastiness. You will see a bunch of pig men though and may see a house mouse or two. These are just simple quirks, nothing to be alarmed about. Somewhere in the building you occupy is an object called a "door". It is usually of darkened wood and sitting in a corner of a room or at the end of a hall. Open this door. Again note the perfect collision detection. Now step through the door, being sure to close it behind you. You are now "outside", which is the metaphorical equivalent of falling into the workspace - but don't panic! - You can always return to your studio through the same door. That is, unless you've forgotten your "key". Now step outside. You did bring warm clothes, yes? The atmospheric effects are unreal! Wind forces, waves, even things called "rain", or "snow". And talk about volumetrics! Look at all the figures walking around. All free! They may not be named Don, Judy, Will, Penny, Michael, or Victoria- In fact, it's a safe bet none of them have "Millennium" in their names. Most of them do resemble trolls, aliens, etc. with their funky proportions. Go ahead, laugh at them. They're products of a cheesy third-party outfit that thinks they can model. BUT - Admit it, no one can top those maps - and no application can top the EYES rendering engine for speed, reliability, and photorealism. Take a few deep breaths. Did I mention atmospheric effects? This place is like Adobe Atmosphere on steroids! Spend a few hours exploring and drinking in the stunning 3D effects. Interact with some of the figures. Now there's an AI engine for you! Take the time to truly explore your small section of this big 3D environment called "Earth". Enjoy it. After all that is done, come back to your home and go in through the same "door" you left from. Sit down in front of your artificial window and fire up any application you wish, be it 2D, 3D, or something unrelated. Play with it for a while. You'll eventually realize that nothing can ever truly replace the romp you just enjoyed. Best of all, you can go through your "door" and interact with the big studio beyond any time you want. In fact, the more you do, the longer you'll live - meaning you'll have even more time to play with your computers. I'm going to shut down and go practice what I preach for a while. Enjoy your Sundays! ;-) Anthony Hernandez Who is NOT speaking on behalf of any third party