Thorsten Froehlich wrote:
> > Also, PovRay *needs* an accessible api (I realise that this
> > would be difficult to implement in a portable way), and perhaps this 
api
> > could be accessed via Python.
> 

> The question is what would you want such an API for?  It is kind of the

> nature of POV-Ray to use a scene description language and just to inter
face
> POV-Ray to a modeller you wouldn't need it.  A "small API" like the one

> POV-Ray for Windows has is already enough to allow Moray to use it.

i think it is better to have _BOTH_ solutions: scene description
language and api. the api is useful to work with other programs. on
unix-systems you can use pipes, you do not need to save the (maybe
huge??) scene you can simply put the pov-file from standardoutput of



dos/windows the pipe is stored to disk and then copied to the STDIN of
the second program.

the solution with the api is a good idea. think about this: you can
write the pov-scene-parser (or parsers for other formats!) as a
standalone application wich is only linked (dynamic or static) to the
rendering engine. the users may use (if they want) a script or a program
wich calls the rendering engine. in a script or a program some things
are easier then in the scene description language. the user can choose
the method they like api or scene-file. if they decide for the api, they
can choose their favourite programming language.

well, you have to change the pov-licence..
but this is IMHO no big problem, write something like this: "the povray
rendering engine is permitted to be used from free software. you have to
say that your program uses the povray rendering engine. etc."

this was my $0.02, some other ideas?

cu stefan
-- 

"All my friends and I are crazy.  That's the only thing that keeps us
sane."

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