ingo <ing### [at] nomailcom> wrote:
> Why is POV-Ray (development) in decline? Lack of developers? Realy? Look
> at the wealth of include files.
>
> What if we can compile an include file, use it as a dll? What if after
> some time it gets integrated in the core?
>
> simple scene
>    -> include file      (sphere.nim imported, used directly)
>      -> plugin          (sphere.nim compiled as shared lib, loaded at
> runtime)
>        -> core feature  (merged into core)
>
> Then the author of the Nim programming languge published:
> https://nim-lang.org/araq/relays.html
> It clicked.
>
> That woud make it possible to write torus.nim as an "extension". Add
> `import torus` in a nim scene file. The parser would detect it, but does
> not know it. Looks for the file in the right place, compiles it to a dll
> and uses it
>
> `torus.nim` would contain just the torus intersection algorithm, a
> constructor and a few tidbits. In the future it will contain a proc that
> will result in a mesh of a torus and a pies of code that extends a scene
> parser with `torus`
>
> so, shapes are relays. Lights are relays, cameras and materials are.
>
> I've been discussing ratracing for quite some time with Claude, this
> brought it all together.
>
> A glimpse of the goal:
>
> Scene SDL
> │
> ├--> Raytracer backend       (analytical intersection, BVH/R-tree) ←
> reference
> |--> Path tracer backend     (physically based)
> |--> OpenGL / Vulkan backend (realtime preview, all geometry meshed)
> |--> STL / mesh backend      (3D printing, watertight meshes)
> |--> Audio backend           (acoustic simulation)
>
> Back-ends are also relays. When back-end is switched to vulcan all
> shapes will be meshified.
>
> So far very little is implemented. The little ray tracer does not
> support plug ins yet and it just has one fixed back-end. Shapes etc are
> relays.
>
> The first code I got running with the help of Claude:
> https://gist.github.com/ingoogni/c4ca054e37a79706ff9c05c75b435467
>
> You'll find SQlite references in the code. Not implemented yet, but the
> goal is to store a lot of data during tracing in a database. These data
> can be used for example for post processing the image(s). Re-colour a
> light source?
>
> ingo


Initiatives, brainstorming are always good ! And POV development is indeed not
at all in decline but I wouldn't look at macros to advocate that (because core
developers know best the real gap between lowest levels and the SDL, I would
rather look at master codebase pull requests:
And indeed flags are turning green there: Much awaited steps are being worked on
such as incrementing Visual studio version, adding more modern scalable
processors with future-proof architectures (AVX512) without throwing away
ubiquity (3.8 bsd port is available, as is a Termux package).
Even when considering only the couple of pull requests that are being closely
reviewed by the Chris Cason, main developer, and followed through by their
openers to conform to his suggested technical tweaks or legal conformity
demands. Slow train is steadily moving forwards, with a solid strategy!

POV versions have always been slow to happen, sometimes allowing branches to
appear as they did in the MegaPOV era. But since the git-hub era started, The
improvements of these branches could almost directly benefit the plain master
version of POV after thorough testing and pruning: a lot of the Uberpov features
got merged, and a lot of the POVR/YUQK fixes also did.
The currently underestimated number one bottleneck :
More time and focus should be given to documentation. because what prevented
latest 3.8 version to go out exactly as it used to, with binary installers etc.
is docs (not only draft bits and pieces, but finalizing them and all of it):
After the departure of the person who had for decades single-handedly maintained
POV documentation. And only someone who has been there long enough to be highly
trusted by the core team and the community could fill in to not lower the
currently triple A quality, with native language (US vs UK, good expressive
style...) and lots of free time to proofread, convert it to other formats, etc.

Post a reply to this message