Among other things, myself wrote:

> Any thoughts? Other solutions? Fixes for HF_Sphere?

Thank you all for your comments.

First, the though thing. I should be ashamed of myself, it turn out I had
commented this same issue 4 years ago:

http://news.povray.org/povray.general/thread/%3C41d6bd46@news.povray.org%3E/
http://news.povray.org/povray.bugreports/thread/%3Cgk91u0h8lh17tscq6hplsijdfpcsmdt5j5%404ax.com%3E/

so now, if I apply my own patch, I shold be able to do more testing.

I am rendering an image at 4000x3000 resolution, and most of the screen is
filled by the modelled Earth and it's reflection (this makes it not too
useful to try to restrict the modelling to the visible parts, since between
the reflection and the shadows, most of the surface plays some role).

As for whether I need so high a resolution for the elevation data
(20000x10000), probably not, and I'm not aiming at close-ups or landscapes
(like in Chris Hormann's page, wonderful pictures!). But tried with
something like 4000x2000 and it wasn't really enough for final the
resolution I'm aiming at.

Anyway, I don't think the problem with the isosurface is the resolution, it
is equally (more or less) slow with a lower resolution image map, it is the
isosurface itself, plus radiosity, antialiasing, photons, reflections,
refractions... :D But I guess a mesh should improve speed over the
isosurface.

-- 
light_source{9+9*x,1}camera{orthographic look_at(1-y)/4angle 30location
9/4-z*4}light_source{-9*z,1}union{box{.9-z.1+x clipped_by{plane{2+y-4*x
0}}}box{z-y-.1.1+z}box{-.1.1+x}box{.1z-.1}pigment{rgb<.8.2,1>}}//Jellby

Post a reply to this message