That's what exactly what it does.
Feed it a shape array of 3D points and a path array 3D points and you have a
nice smooth shape, pipe-like, or drape-like, depending on whether the shape is
closed or not. I didn't try it on closed path though.
Since I'm no math wizard, I don't know exactly what kind of spline is used (I
borrowed the spline macro from someone named Steve Sloan, as credited in the
macro).
If you look at the "Hunters" picture I posted in pov.binaries on Jan 9, 1999,
the branches and background were made with a modified version of the macro,
where I had replaced the triangles with small discs to simulates "scales".
Another possible modification of the macro is to tinker with the part that
creates the 3D points (replacing the spline shape or spline path by an
equation, for instance).

Gilles Tran

Ken wrote:

> Gilles Tran wrote:
> >
> > Here is the mesh extruder macro I was talking about in my answer to
> > Ingo. It takes a spline and extrudes it along another one. It is
> > possible to change the resolution of the mesh, and there is a preview
> > mode that uses spheres.
> > Hint : modifiy the macro and replace the triangles by primitives, and it
> > works a little like the famous (and much better done of course) mesh
> > deformation macros by Chris Colefax.
> > I hope it's clean (and clear) enough though.
> > Have fun
> > Gilles Tran
>
>   If I understand correctly where you say "It takes a spline and
> extrudes it along another one." to mean I can define a shape with
> a set of 3D coordinates and then extrude that shape along a predefined
> path, be it a spline path, or any other set ot 3D points I wish to feed
> it. Is this correct ?
>
> --
> Ken Tyler
>
> mailto://tylereng@pacbell.net

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