Chris, keyframing can also be done though the use of splines. For an example
I'll use the Superpatch version (less complicated than yours).

#declare Movement =
spline {
cubic_spline
0,.5
.125,.75
.25,.25
.35,.666
.5,.333
.625,0
.75,.25
.8,1
}

sphere {<0,0,0+Movement(clock)>,1  translate y pigment {rgb x*2}}

camera {location <10,10,10> look_at 0}
light_source {<-20,10,20> rgb 1}


This is meant to be run on a 0-1 clock at about 40 frames. It produces
extremely smooth movements and it's uses in animation are endless. Movement,
rotation, and color are only the beginning.  I've even used this in a
animation to fake radiosity, with stunning results (its memory and render
time friendly!). Anyway, just want to point out a pov-native alternative.

H.E. Day

Chris Colefax wrote:

> David Parrott <Xam### [at] quayles1demoncouk> wrote:
> > I personally do not like to use the master POV .ini file.  I create an
> > .ini file for each animation that I create and have things in it like
> > The input and output file names, the first and last frame, first and
> > last clock value, and the height and width of the image.  However I
> was
> > set on finding out how to do animations so I used the docs (well it
> > shows some of us newbies read them!) the look up the settings.
> >
> > However that is about as far as my animations go, I have no idea how
> > people do the complex animations, the complexity of mine stand at a
> > spinning cube.  If you have any for using straight POV (i.e. not
> > ClockMod) for complex animations I would be very grateful.
>
> Something of a loaded question, I'd say!  Given the handful of INI file
> animation options, and the two animation variables (clock and
> clock_delta) you could be forgiven for thinking that POV-Ray isn't
> really suitable for animations.  A quick wander around this news server,
> however, should give you some idea of what's possible, and I've actually
> been fortunate enough to recently receive a 4:15 minute video clip
> (around 8000 frames) rendered entirely in POV-Ray by a certain Tobias
> 'Swift' Wiersch which shows just how powerful POV-Ray can be.
>
> You mention the Clock Modifier, and I actually created the original
> include file in response to people asking how to use the POV clock for
> more than basic, linear actions.  The include file works just like slope
> maps do on pigments/normals, allowing different 'shapes' than straight
> line interpolations.  But it, and the Automatic Clock Modifier macros,
> are only tools to help you to make use of the POV clock.
>
> Putting them aside, then, I think POV-Ray animation can be broken down
> into three types:
>
> 1) Timeline animation, where every action is defined as a direct
> function of the clock;
> 2) Keyframe animation, where actions are defined as interpolations
> between clock values;
> 3) Rules animations, where certain parameters and behaviours are
> programmed and then the animation is run frame by frame, each frame
> building on the previous one.
>
> Of course, these three types can be combined and used together in
> different ways.  For the first, I find it helps to visualise how certain
> mathematical functions affect the clock (in two dimensions), before
> using them to change aspects of the three-dimensional scene.  For
> example, using multiplication to 'scale' the clock, addition/subtraction
> to translate it, raising by powers to create accelerated/decelerated
> motions, sine/cosines to create smooth oscillations and waves, modulo's
> to clip and repeat functions, etc.  Combining these with conditionals
> allows you to reshape the clock to perform just about any action you
> like - but long, nested functions can get pretty unwieldy!
>
> This is where keyframing helps, because you can break the clock down
> into separate little actions much more easily, and modifying the order,
> lengths, etc. of each interpolated segment becomes much simpler.  Apart
> from the Automatic Clock Modifier, I believe there is a program
> available that will keyframe Moray scenes, and no doubt there is other
> software you can use as well.
>
> The final type of animation is quite feasible thanks to POV-Ray's file
> I/O features, and can be a lot of fun because once you've programmed,
> parameterised, and randomised the actions you can sit back and enjoy
> different results whenever you want!
>
> Of course, the best way to learn is by doing, and that requires having
> something to animate... throwing an whole other discussion open!  Camera
> flythroughs are a start, as are object studies (like a spinning cube).
> More complicated are mechanical animations (robots, engines, etc.) and
> most complicated of all are animations that aim to mimic nature: people,
> plants, thunderstorms, water, the birth of the solar-system....

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