waynehays1 wrote:
> I think this is part of what is going on, but it just doesn't tell me what I
> need to know.  I am sure it is here, but I just don't understand.  Thanks
> for being patient with a noob.
> 
> camera {
>   orthographic
>   location <SCALE_FACTOR/2,SCALE_FACTOR,SCALE_FACTOR/2>
>   up SCALE_FACTOR*z
>   right SCALE_FACTOR*x
>   direction -y
> }
> 
> What does this do? -and- what plane is my view in?
> 
Okay, I thought you were talking about light sources.
The meaning of vectors in camera definitions can be a little more
varied.

However the code you show locates the camera in the positive quadrant 
looking straight down at the x-z plane in its positive quadrant.  It is 
apparently designed to view the center of a unit box, lets say, in the 
positive quadrant, and adjust to any scaling of the box
ie.

#local SCALE_FACTOR = 2;


#if ( on )
         camera {
                 orthographic
                 location <SCALE_FACTOR/2, SCALE_FACTOR, SCALE_FACTOR/2>
                 up SCALE_FACTOR*z
                 right SCALE_FACTOR*x
                 direction  -y
         }

#end

box {
         <0,0,0>
         <1,-.1,1>
         scale SCALE_FACTOR
         pigment {
                 gradient x
                 pigment_map {
                         [0 rgb Red]
                         [1 rgb 1] }
                         scale 1
                 }
         finish { ambient 1 }
}

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