These are YouTube videos that use the Datamax UV-1. The UV-1 computer
(basically, a beefed-up, very expensive Astrocade) was used in the early
eighties. Some of these videos try pretty hard to be "artsy," so bare with
them. Also, most of the videos seem incomplete; only the first minute or
minute and a half are shown.
All of these videos were uploaded by Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL)
https://www.youtube.com/user/evltube
Drive or Be Driven
By Dana Plepys, 1984
This is an early example of electronic art design created at the Electronic
Visualization Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago by Dana Plepys
(MFA alumni). This work incorporates video image processing using the Sandin
analog IP and Datamax UV1 graphics system (ZGrass programming language).
Eat Meat
By Dana Plepys, 1984
This is an example of early computer animation created by Dana Plepys using
the Datamax UV1 system, ZGrass programming language developed at the Electronic
Visualization Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The video
incorporates unique morphing, which was new to computer graphics at the time.
Floater Final Sequence
By Jane Veeder, 1983
This is an example of early computer graphics animation developed by Jane
Veeder at the Electronic Visualization Lab, using the Datamax UV1 graphics
system and ZGrass programming language.
Only Eyes
Maggie Rawlings, 1983
This is an example of early computer graphics animation developed by
students at the Electronic Visualization Lab using the Datamax UV-1. This
animation was developed by Maggie Rawlings.
Paint Piece
Mark McKernin, 1983
This is an example of early computer graphics animation developed by
students at the Electronic Visualization Lab using the Datamax UV-1. This
animation was developed by Mark McKernin. [This looks "too hi-res" to really be
on the UV-1 to me. - Adam]
P.I. Piece
By Mark McKernin, 1983
This is an example of early computer graphics animation developed by
students at the Electronic Visualization Lab using the Datamax UV-1. This
animation was developed by Mark McKernin.
Ralph the Punk
By Charlie Athanas and Johnie Hugh Horn, 1985
This is an example of early video animation developed by students at the
Electronic Visualization Lab using the Datamax UV-1. This video was developed by
Charlie Athanas and Johnie Hugh Horn.
Real Time Design, Inc. Zgrass Demo
By Tom DeFanti, Rick Frankel, John Friedman, Copper Giloth, Phil Morton, Mark Pierce, Dan Sandin and Jave Veeder, 1982
This is one of the movies that document the early history of the research
that resulted in the creation of the EVL Lab.
This is a demo with several shorts, showing the image manipulation
capabilities of the the GRASS3 language that was designed to run on the Z Box.
The language then became known a Zgrass. This video and the content were created
by Thomas DeFanti, Daniel Sandin, Copper Giloth, Jane Veeder at the Electronic
Visualization Laboratory.
Return to Planet Claire
By Sue Forner and Rick Frankel, 1981
This is an example of early computer graphics animation developed by
students at the Electronic Visualization Lab using the Datamax UV-1 and Zgrass.
This video was created by Sue Forner and Rick Frankel.
Warpitout
By Jane Veeder, 1982
This is an example of early computer graphics animation developed by
students at the Electronic Visualization Lab. This video was created by Jane
Veeder.
Zgrass Paint Demo
Hosted by Tom DeFanti, 1980
This is one of the movies that document the early history of the research
that resulted in the creation of the EVL Lab.
Tom Defanti presents a demo of the Zgrass paint application for use on the
Datamax UV-1.
The basis for the Datamax UV-1 was the GRASS programing language,
originally developed by Tom DeFanti for his 1974 Ohio State University Ph.D.
thesis.
The GRASS language was further developed into the GRASS3 language that was
designed to run on the Z Box. The language then became known a Zgrass.
The Z-Box was a raster graphics machine, unlike the original GRASS systems,
so while most of the GRASS3 style was maintained in Zgrass, it added a number of
commands dedicated to raster images.