Sorry KnifeLord, I don't think there'll be any updates anytime soon. I've been having some major computer problems lately and I lost a lot of my stuff. Although I do still have the files related to this backed up, I can't do anything until I get my computer issues resolved. Sorry.

The 3D program I used was Cinema 4D. What I had originally tried to do was make the different pieces of the Iris by following a ref image (which was a screenshot from the DVD's) and making the pieces myself. That is how I got the back part of it, but it was much more tedious work for the middle part that pops out; so after some trouble there I decided I would use a matrix extrude (on some primitive, I forget which one) and use that, which worked out fine (although it wasn't as good as I wanted) since the final image was only going to be 128x128.

I think the main problem with Iris definition that everyone keeps mentioning is my textures.. I was going to use the real texture (from the previously mentioned screenshot) but that didn't work out too well. And while I'm an amateur at 3D, I'm even worse at texturing. The problem with changing the textures is that while it might make the back look better, it may make my shortcut on the centerpiece much more noticeable. I'll have a look tonight at some of this stuff.

Morrisob, I might IM you sometime. If you are using C4D and think you can help, send me an email.

Eighth chevron is for atlantis and such. The ninth hasn't been used yet, as FortranDragon pointed out.

About a new iris.. I might be able to do that sometime in the future, but I modeled that part myself and, being an amateur, this is the best I could get it.

As for making the event horizon shimmer.. I also did that myself (it's basically all texture, no modeling), and if I had any idea how to do that realistically, I would. But as of right now, that is far beyond my skills.