> 
> Blobs are faster to parse and render than simple spheres? I didn't know that!
> 

Not parse faster. The rendering can benefit from the internal bounding 
and hierarchy mechanism of the blob.

> Overall, it sounds like #read-ing the generated data file from disc as an
> #include file would be the only time concern, re: parsing; Alain's extreme
> example of 50 000 000 'things'--even as simple data points/radii-- might take a
> fair amount of time to #read. But I've never used such a really huge .inc file,
> so I don't know for sure.
> 
> 
> 

In my case, it was done using a recursive macro. The parsing time was a 
little over 10 minutes, the bounding time using +bm2 about 2 to 3 minutes.

Parsing of a sequential cluster of 75000 small spheres should not take 
more than about a minute. The bounding time only a few seconds.

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