> You might be thinking too hard and overlooking the simplicity of it.

Probably...

> The splines have all three axes. Or I'm not thinking hard enough.
> Maybe you're needing a way to create the path based on what
> the room shape is and obstacles in it? If so, then 'trace' is
> probably the answer. That could be applied to sense surroundings,
> but it can slow up animations.

No... I'm more thinking along the lines of having no room, no floors,
no walls.  Do you have the "3D Pipes" screen saver that comes with
Windows.  Run that with the settings of
Pipes: Multiple
Pipe Style: Traditional
Joint Type: Elbow
Surface Style: Solid
And it will show you the effect I'm trying to get.  Now stick a
"Light Flyer" in front of each Pipe that's creating the trail behind
it much like the Light Cycles do.

If one follows this path:
<0,0,0> to <1,0,0> to <1,1,0>   the "Light Flyer" is going up
                                                  into the y-direction

And have another follow this path:
<0,0,0> to <0,0,1> to <0,1,1>  this "Light Flyer" is now also
                                                 hearded up into the
y-direction.

If the observer is standing at <0,0,-10> he'll see the side of
the first "Light Flyer" and the top of the second.  So I need to
know more then just which direction they are headed in.  At
the start of each path I want each "Light Flyer" parked with
its top pointed in the y-direction but after it makes a few turns
I'm not sure how to tell POV-Ray where up is any longer.

For the above two examples:
At the end of path 1 I need to know: forward = y up = -x
At the end of path 2 I need to know: forward = y up = -z

However all this at the moment is overshadowed by the
problem that I can't even animate the trails forming.

> I had figured you would be plotting out the path yourself
> though, in advance.

Yes... I will be.

> If that were the case, all you'd do is set the vectors to
> include each value, i.e. <0,0,0> to <1,0,0> to <1,1,0>
> moves forward (+x) then stays at x*1 but moves up y*1.

I follow that... and as long as I'm just flying a sphere around
the screen that will work.  Now I want the sphere to leave a
trail and I want to give the sphere a shape that will need to
be properly positioned at the head of the trail.

Am I defining the problem clearly?

Carl

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