Am 19.08.2017 um 13:11 schrieb Sven Littkowski:

>> The solution has been mentioned multiple times already: In POV-Ray, a
>> `mesh` or `mesh2` object is considered solid if (and only if) it has a
>> (non-null) `inside_vector` parameter.
...
> Thanks. Yes, I remember to have read it before. Just, how to define such
> a non-zero parameter? I never did that before. As I understand, the
> location can be anywhere inside the mesh body.

I repeat: `inside_vector` is NOT a location, but a direction.

That direction is used in a test to answer the question "is location P
inside the mesh?", but that location P is nothing /you/ need to worry
about: POV-Ray of its own accord will come up with plenty of values for
P that it will want to subject to this test.

As for wondering "how to define such a non-zero parameter", that's the
equivalent of searching the "any" key on your keyboard: Literally /any/
vector parameter other than `<0,0,0>` will do. For example:

    mesh2 {
      ...
      inside_vector y
    }

Alternatively, instead of `y` you could also use `z`, or `x`, or
`<5,4,3>`, or `<sin(42*pi/180),-exp(23),4711>`. Anything for which
`vlength(V)` doesn't return zero. (Presuming, of couse, that your mesh
is properly closed. Otherwise, the best choice in your case is whatever
direction is considered to be "up" with respect to the mesh.)


> And in case there are gaps, is there any program that can close any open
> gaps in meshes, POV, obj, 3DS, whatever format?

I'm pretty sure meshlab is able to do that. Blender also surely provides
a way, though it might take you on a sightseeing trip through the entire
software. For very small gaps where the vertices of adjacent triangles
just don't meet up exactly, PoseRay also provides a tool.

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