"Matte" <Eil### [at] earthlinknet> wrote in message 
news:web.43560c97c82d2f24bca9d8930@news.povray.org...
> "Chris B" <c_b### [at] btconnectcomnospam> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Matte,
>>
>> It sounds from your question as though you think POV-Ray is a modeller,
>> which it isn't. It's a ray tracing engine that takes text based scene
>> definition files and renders them. So to take 3D objects modelled in a
>> modeller you would convert them into POV-Ray format and include them in a
>> scene file using a text editor (no concept of import involved). To write
>> anything in POV-Ray you need to understand POV-Ray's Scene Definition
>> Language to at least a basic level.
>>
>> If you were looking for a modeller instead, there are plenty about.
>> There's a list at
>> http://www.povray.org/resources/links/3D_Programs/Modelling_Programs/
>>
>> Regards,
>> Chris B.
>
> Hi Chris, well that's a "Mind blower!" a graphic image understood as text!
> So let me get this "straight?"  I take for example my 3D model that I
> created in SketchUp or Autocad.  And export it as text.  And then just 
> open
> it up the text file in Povray?  That's amazing!  How it can bounce light 
> off
> of text info data?  I have a lot of learning to do, this is Wild!  Can I 
> add
> lights in various places, add direction and intensity to each of them?  I
> really know almost nothing about rendering programs...Yet, just starting
> to learn!
> Mahalo, Thanks,
> Matte

Hi Matte,

   :-)

Well, POV-Ray scene files are not really *graphic images* described as text: 
It is closer to written programs describing what's in a 3-dimensional scene. 
The language is specifically POV-Ray's own,.and of course, scenes are 
designable by people who enjoy typing.
    :-)
The idea isn't really that weird.  You write out a description of the scene: 
The language has definite structure and is feature-rich, but EXTREMELY 
basically, it boils down to you saying:  "This big red round thing is here, 
that little blue conic shiny thing is there, there's a white light yonder, 
look at it all from this standpoint."

When you run it, POV-Ray reads your description.  From it, POV 
mathematically models the shapes, locations and optical properties of your 
objects and light sources.  Then it uses its programmed ability to solve 
algebra and trigonometry to "bounce the light" off the equations it has 
built up, which model your scene.  It repeats this math over and over, 
"looking" through every single pixel in the rectangular camera frame, to 
build a picture of your objects as would be seen from the camera position 
you specified, as if it were a "real-life" scene.  That's "Ray Tracing" 
(rougly put).

Yes, you can add lights, move them around, change colour, direction, 
intensity, etc.

To see what POV Scene Description looks like, look at some of the 
contributions in povray.text.scene-files.  You'll get the general idea of 
what's a POV scene file's about, and what it's not.  A word is worth a 
thousand pictures  ;-)

Cheers,
  Brian

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