Off-forum comments about Great Stella

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robertw
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Off-forum comments about Great Stella

Post by robertw » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:32 am

I already have a quotes page, containing comments I've received which I have reproduced there with permission.

To get the ball rolling on this forum, I'll quote from the quotes page :wink:

Here are some comments about Great Stella (which could equally well apply to Stella4D)
  • Fr. Magnus Wenninger (author of "Polyhedron Models", "Dual Models" and "Spherical Models")
    "I want everyone to know right off the bat that I am finding Great Stella the greatest program ever devised for the use of polyhedron model makers... What amazes me most is seeing the speed with which any one of the 75 uniform polyhedra and any of their duals can be instantaneously brought on screen using Great Stella... The ease with which I can zoom in and out and move all around in the Stellation Diagram is fantastic, then to view the Base Stellation immediately as well is something I have to call miraculous, i.e., wonderful... Finally the nets - wow! I can print them out to any size I want"
  • Charles Fleischer (the voice of Roger Rabbit!)
    "You are a genius... I will tell everyone about yer work. It is the best of all the polyhedron engines"
  • Mark Ellis
    "Utterly brilliant software... I have never used such brilliant and well written mathematical software as this, and I really can't praise it highly enough. I dug out my old copy of Coxeter's Regular Polytopes and it all makes a lot more sense!"
  • Edward Popko
    "I spent a couple of days with Magnus Wenninger and he is your best marketing agent. His skill with Stella is truly impressive. I was ashamed to tell him I was back a level. Knowing that I work in computer aided design, he asked me what impressed me most about Stella. I told him the core elegance is in the data structure. So many byproducts come from it: veiws, nets, cell maps, etc etc. I have take my hat off to the cook... This program is a steal for what you get. Every college kid in math with a PC ought to have it. It is fabulous value."
  • Paul Strike
    "Great Stella installed perfectly. Having spent a couple of hours playing, I would like to thank you for a brilliant bit of software. I know nothing about this facet of geometry (I am a statistician... simply attracted to pattern in any shape or form), but your program is endlessly surprising... something around every corner, and so many corners! My best (self-indulgent) purchase in years."
  • Yvonne Banks
    "Just a short message to say what an excellent package I think it is. I am very much enjoying using it - its in danger of becoming a bit of an obsession!"
  • Brian Vale
    "Thankyou for your excellent Software. I have been looking for something like it for a long time! ... You are a legend!"
  • Karl Horton
    "Thankyou for enriching the world with Stella."
  • Stephen Rhodes
    "I thought it was about time I dropped you a note and thanked you for a brilliant program. I used to build models the "hard" way, working out the nets, drawing a template etc, then by chance I came across your web page. I liked the look of the program very much, but felt it was quite expensive - for my pocket anyway. Eventually I gave in to temptation and purchased what was then version 1, and I loved it, upgrading to version 2 as soon as it became available. Now, having used it, I take back my thoughts about the program being expensive; it's been worth every penny."
  • Leigh Christopher
    "The models in this program are truly awe inspiring. Watching them rotate and morph makes me feel I'm getting a glimpse of another dimension. Great Stella is the perfect tool for discovering some of the most beautiful hidden jewels tucked in an intricately mathematical part of reality. The program is a joy to use and runs extremely smoothly. I look forward to building models from the printed nets. I just love it! Thanks."
  • Ned Batchelder
    "Stella is Rob Webb's astoundingly comprehensive polyhedron exploration application. Starting with an exhaustive list of polyhedra (including some I'd never heard of), he provides a mind-boggling array of operations to perform: dual, stellate, facet, augment. All aspects of the operations can be adjusted, then nets printed out to make models. If you have the time and the inclination, Stella provides an endless set of rabbit holes to explore."
  • Richard Stratton
    "After using your program for the last couple of days, I am truly amazed what can be produced."
  • Francis Jones
    "I just wanted to say that I continue to be amazed at Great Stella - absolutely superb!!"
  • Burt Clawson
    "The best program I've ever seen for exploring polyedra. Recommended!... This program is fantastic! I thought I knew quite a lot about polyhedra, and I've never even seen any of the 'drilled' polyhedra. I also like the way you can explore duality through all the different manners, truncation, etc... Great program!"
  • Jim McNeill
    "I was printing off some nets last night ... I was extremely impressed with that section of Stella (which I hadn't used before). That's a fantastic piece of software you've put together."
  • Ulrich Mikloweit
    "I'm VERY PLEASED about the functions of the great stella program version. Indeed, it will be much easier for me to construct the most complex uniforms."
  • Mark Balaam
    "fantastic program! I am overwhelmed by the sheer number of stellations that exist"
  • L. Tomaino
    "Your program is a pleasure to have and work with. The ability to morph forms, in many ways, simultaneously, especially after setting them into rotation, makes exploring the worlds of geometries that stretch between the still images we normally see a wonderfully rich experience - and possible. You must be very proud of it.

    The interactive folding of nets are wonderful. The choice of 3D viewing options (I do it cross-eyed) are satisfying. The color choices are also a pleasure."
And now it's over to you to write your own reviews! :)
(Please start a new thread)

Rob.

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