I for one wouldn't even want to begin such a monumental task as this kind of
thing being talked about.  Take for instance the descrepency between the
Windows platform of POV-Ray Insert menu, which shows a 'blob' to be:

// create a smooth blobby shape
#declare StrengthVal = 1.0 // (+ or -) strength of component's radiating
density
#declare RadiusVal   = 1.0 // (0 < RadiusVal) outer sphere of influence on
other components
blob
{
  // threshold (0.0 < threshold <= StrengthVal) surface falloff threshold #
  threshold 0.6
  sphere { < 0.75,   0,    0>, StrengthVal, RadiusVal }
  sphere { <-0.375,  0.65, 0>, StrengthVal, RadiusVal }
  sphere { <-0.375, -0.65, 0>, StrengthVal, RadiusVal }
  cylinder { -z, +z, 0.1, StrengthVal, RadiusVal }
  // [sturm]
  scale 2
}

And the Scene Help shows it as:

BLOB:

blob { BLOB_ITEM... [BLOB_MODIFIERS...]}

BLOB_ITEM:

sphere{<Center>, Radius, [ strength ] Strength [COMPONENT_MODIFIER...] } |
cylinder{<End1>, <End2>, Radius, [ strength ] Strength
[COMPONENT_MODIFIER...] } |
component Strength, Radius, <Center> |
threshold Amount

COMPONENT_MODIFIER:

TEXTURE | PIGMENT | NORMAL | FINISH | TRANSFORMATION

BLOB_MODIFIER:

hierarchy [Boolean] |
sturm [Boolean] |
OBJECT_MODIFIER

 Notice the strength and radius reversal (and why hasn't that been corrected
yet? :^D
  It would be a daunting task to get a book made on POV-Ray whether it be
about the source or the program scripting and expect it to be 100% correct.
I know I'm just a pessimist, so aside from this I'm behind anyone all the
way on the project.


Bob (not blob)

"ingo" <ing### [at] homenl> wrote in message
news:8E99C38E2seed7@204.213.191.228...
> David Vincent-Jones wrote:
>
> >Maybe a solution would be a community wide expansion of the current
manual.
> >If one person was established as the project coordinator through whom all
> >contributions were forwarded for final editing and ensuring a standard
> >format.
>
> That poor person would go crazy within a month. The first week everybody
> sends his tutorial and personal wishes to him. Two weeks later everybody
> starts asking when the book will be ready and why their tutorial is not
> incorporated.
> To do someting like that you'll need an editorial team, something like the
> POV-team or the IMP-team. A teamleader/spokesman and 3 - 5 (skilled)
editors.
>
> >Possibly we are looking at 3 volumes, much as the current manual, a. A
> >Basic Tutorial; b. A Technical Reference; and c. Specialty Functions and
> >Add-ons.
>
> This is one of the important things to do for a Doc-team. Set up a
structure
> for the book, what chapters, what levels etc. Once this (and more) is done
> they can go search the right autors for each part (chapter / paragraph
..).
> They have to give the autors quite detailed info on what is expected on a
> certain item.
> One the article is written the team can edit it into the desired form.
> Illustrations and demo-scenes have to be made.
> Then the next group of people come to action. The translators (German,
> French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, ...). The English language is
> not as common as manny people seem to think. I know of several Dutch who
> never really got to using POV because they simply don't understand the
> manual.
>
> >The 'current' version of the book could always be available in pdf or
other
> >formats for those who treasure the printed page. Most 'quick print' shops
> >now charge very little to run a pdf to paper.
>
> This is a matter of using the right tools (SGML/XML?)to make the basic
> document. From there convert to anything you want.
> Make shure the document is easy extendible. Adding a chapter for a patch
> should be a matter of writing the text with the right template and
updating
> the index.
>
> Ingo
>
> --
> Photography: http://members.home.nl/ingoogni/
> Pov-Ray    : http://members.home.nl/seed7/

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