POV-Ray : Newsgroups : povray.general : Request: new simple pattern : Re: Request: new simple pattern Server Time
8 Aug 2024 22:15:06 EDT (-0400)
  Re: Request: new simple pattern  
From: Christoph Hormann
Date: 12 Jan 2001 14:32:32
Message: <3A5F5BCF.7F2DDD66@gmx.de>
Ron Parker wrote:
> 
> The problem with that macro isn't that it's a macro.  The problem is that
> it's not documented.  I'd say that even without documentation, you stand
> a better chance of figuring out how it works than you would with a first-class
> pattern that wasn't documented.
> 

Since i originally wrote it, i'm probably the one to blame for that.  I
did not write it as something complete, furthermore i was quite in a hurry
at that moment.  Anyway, if you think it's useful for a macro collection,
i could describe it more detailed both for usage as well as how it works
internally.  

Concerning the rest of the discussion, i think it's quite reasonable to
expect some basic programming skills from an advanced povray user, since
povray code *is* some kind of programming language.  Furthermore most
povray users have some basic geometry knowledge.  

Anyway i don't think that means everyone should be able to understand this
macro at the first glance, but i agree with all of the arguments Warp
mentioned.  I also think that a typical povray user should be able to
teach him/herself how such a macro works using some basic math knowledge
or a math book from a local library and the povray documentation.  On the
other hand if such a function is implemented in the povray source code
it's much more difficult to understand it by looking at it.  

Christoph

-- 
Christoph Hormann <chr### [at] gmxde>
IsoWood include, radiosity tutorial, TransSkin and other 
things on: http://www.schunter.etc.tu-bs.de/~chris/


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