Talk:Utah teapot

Dataset

A really useful ext ln would be one to the actual dataset. If someone finds it before I do, add it! :) Dysprosia 04:05, 14 Nov 2003 (UTC)

it's in the "history" page, linked to by this article. It moderately large, so I didn't put it in, fearing interminable "wiki is not a source repository" blabber. -- Finlay McWalter 10:57, 14 Nov 2003 (UTC)

As User:Phil Boswell points out, the teapot is also in the windows pipes screensaver. Details (and screenshot) at [1] -- Finlay McWalter 14:35, 14 Nov 2003 (UTC)

Shouldn't there be some mention of the fact that it was originally a whole teaset that was digitized? SteveBaker 00:02, 7 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Coffee pot

Erm, doesn't this have nothing at all to do with the Trojan Room coffee pot? Intrigue 00:06, 19 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Newell teapot

I've heard this teapot referred to in different places as the NEWELL teapot. I'm not sure how to create redirections and soforth, or edit properly, but I think a redirection from this could be useful.

Good point. Google confirms that this expression is also used. I'll make a redirect from that name. Thanks for the info. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 22:06, July 18, 2005 (UTC)

Picture?

Where's the picture?

In the top right corner. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 16:11, August 31, 2005 (UTC)

I wonder if maybe we shouldn't use an example without a normal map for the picture, as the original version and most occurances dont use a normal map or shaders, etc. Dgies 04:57, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Remember that this is an article about the data set and where it came from - not about how that data might or might not be rendered. I don't think we have to reproduce Newell's original rendering style...although if we had a copyright-free image from his original rendering, that would be a neat thing to put there. Having said that, this is a particularly ugly rendering - the multiple coloured light sources certainly confuse the image and de-clarify the shape of the teapot - which is what we're trying to get across here. If I have time, I'll render something nicer tonight. SteveBaker 18:56, 8 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

about the year

The (real) teapot was from 1974, as you can read om http://www.sjbaker.org/teapot/ (you can find many other information there). I think it one should point out that the "graphic" teapot is from 1975, and not the real one. gala.martin

The information on physical teapot on that web page (which I wrote BTW) came from Sandra Newell (the wife of the guy who made the original graphic teapot)...so I think 1974 is an accurate date for the physical teapot - but I don't know when the virtual teapot was made - 1975 sounds reasonable but I havn't seen a date for it quoted anywhere. SteveBaker 18:58, 26 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Windows

If i'm not wrong this teapot was used as easter egg in a windows screensaver (windows 98?)

Yes, the article says "The teapot also occasionally appears in the Pipes screensaver shipped with Microsoft Windows." -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 16:47, 26 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm told (although I don't run Windows myself) that it shows up in that screensaver at 'teatime' - like maybe 4pm or something. SteveBaker 18:51, 26 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Teapot in the Photo

The teapot in the photograph is not just any old Melitta teapot - it's the one in the computer museum - and it's the actual one that Martin Newell digitized. The teapot was donated by his wife, Sandra - who told me that she misses it. SteveBaker 19:26, 3 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The image is incorrectly marked up as "the prototype", which it is not, it can be the model, or even the muse, but it was not built for the purpose of proving or improving the digital model. --Ear1grey 09:01, 30 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]
- Good point - fixed! (You do know you can fix these kinds of things yourself don't you!) SteveBaker 13:16, 30 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In 3d editing

There are several basic shapes that the fundementals for editing primatives in 3D editing programs such as spheres, boxes and piramids, but the teapot still remains as one of these primatives even though a teapot as a primative is rarely, if ever, useful. So it would seem that it was left in as an in joke, right there with all the useful tools and shapes is the teapot, which doesn't serve any kind of use at all. I don't know how to word all that into the article, but I can source it all from an industry expert (it comes as a videofile from chad perkins of Lydia fame). JayKeaton 16:48, 18 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, it's half joke, and half useful. Since it is curved, and capable of self-shadowing and self-reflecting, it is actually a really handy shape for doing quick tests. If you don't see the handle reflected in the body, then you screwed up something in setting up reflections. If it looks flat shaded, you screwed up setting up smoothing, etc. The geometry is just complicated enough to be useful as a test case for a wide range of things, especially where a sphere isn't. It also helps that most people in the field are already familiar with the shape of it, so when seeing an example of a shading model, they know what they are seeing. This is especially helpful when looking at an example of bump mapping because you can't easily tell what aspect of the shading comes from actual geometry, and what aspect comes from the shading alone. It's hard to explain how it is extremely useful, but also just a silly joke and nothing more. Blender's "Suzanne" model serves something of a similar purpose. - Forkazoo 05:48, 5 December 2007 (UTC)