> Nicolas Alvarez <nic### [at] gmailisthebestcom> wrote:

>>> How is povray rendering those reflections?
>>>
>> If an object has a non-zero ambient, it doesn't need a lightsource to be
>> visible.
> 
> that's all fine and dandy.  What I'm asking for is how povray renders
> reflections in the absence of traceable light rays.
>

POV-Ray traces rays from the camera to the objects. Then from the 
intersection point on the object to the lightsources (if any!), to see 
if there is any object on the way (for shadows), and with some 
calculation based on the light angle, you get the basic object color. If 
the object has ambient, it would have a non-black color even without lights.

If the object is reflective, more rays are traced from the intersection 
point on the object to the other objects. That's why if one of those 
rays hits an object that has ambient, it would show on the reflection 
even without any light.

Post a reply to this message