> Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
>> PM 2Ring wrote:
>>> How do you turn a df3 density file into a mesh?
>>   You don't turn a df3 density file into a mesh. You calculate a mesh
>> from the original fractal.
>>
>>   (Granted, it's not a trivial task, requiring using something like the
>> marching triangles algorithm, but still beneficial in terms of rendering
>> speed.)
> 
> Thanks, Warp.
> 
> I found the Marching Cubes C code (cunningly disguised as C++ code...) in p.b.u.
> It
> converts 8 bit df3 files ok, but of course the resulting mesh isn't quite as
> accurate as a POV isosurface. The mesh renders much faster, but it does take
> more memory & is much slower to render. So for some applications (eg a lot of
> small renders for an animation) I prefer to use the isosurface.
> 
> Maybe I need to use the df3 file more efficiently. Currently, I'm only storing 1
> bit per voxel: 0 if it's not in the Mandelbulb, 255 if it is. I'm wondering if
> there's a better way.
> 
> 
> Someone mentioned earlier about doing a glass Mandelbulb. I don't know if this
> would work very well, since the surface is fractally bumpy. I've done a glassy


> doesn't look very shiny; as you can see below, it's more like a scrunched up
> ball of foil.
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
If you want to make it glass or metallic, you need to change a few 
things for the DF3 way:
Outside value: 16
Inside value: 200
This is to get rid of the overshot artefacts you can get with the 
interpolation. Interpolate 2 realy don't work well when you have sharp 
jumps to zero and 255.

Use interpolate 2
Gives you a nice smooth, curvy, interpolation.




Alain

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