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From: Samuel Benge
Subject: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 21 Aug 2007 23:05:49
Message: <46cba80d@news.povray.org>
Hi everyone,

I discovered a way to accurately depict minerals with POV-Ray. I found a 
demo version of a program called KrystalShaper 
(http://www.jcrystal.com/products/krystalshaper/) which allows one to 
view various crystal morphologies for different minerals. The demo 
version does not allow you to save or export, but you can view the 
Miller indices (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_index) of a 
crystal's faces, and determine the angle between them.

Using the angles acquired from the program, I made an intersection of 
planes to create the crystal. It would not be too difficult to randomize 
the result to make unique, natural-looking specimens.

The render itself is nothing amazing, but the possibilities represented 
by it are exciting!

Questions and comments, welcome as always!

Sam


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Preview of image 'topaz.jpg'
topaz.jpg


 

From: Bill Pragnell
Subject: Re: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 22 Aug 2007 05:50:00
Message: <web.46cc06481b274c68731f01d10@news.povray.org>
Nice image, all the nicer for the colour bleeding!

> Using the angles acquired from the program, I made an intersection of
> planes to create the crystal. It would not be too difficult to randomize
> the result to make unique, natural-looking specimens.

Surely the Miller indices define the crystal planes, so you can use them
directly to define your intersection planes (i.e., no knowledge of angles
required)?

Bill


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From: Jim Charter
Subject: Re: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 22 Aug 2007 09:21:12
Message: <46cc3848$1@news.povray.org>
Samuel Benge wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I discovered a way to accurately depict minerals with POV-Ray. I found a 
> demo version of a program called KrystalShaper 
> (http://www.jcrystal.com/products/krystalshaper/) which allows one to 
> view various crystal morphologies for different minerals. The demo 
> version does not allow you to save or export, but you can view the 
> Miller indices (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_index) of a 
> crystal's faces, and determine the angle between them.
> 
> Using the angles acquired from the program, I made an intersection of 
> planes to create the crystal. It would not be too difficult to randomize 
> the result to make unique, natural-looking specimens.
> 
> The render itself is nothing amazing, but the possibilities represented 
> by it are exciting!
> 
> Questions and comments, welcome as always!
> 
> Sam
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
Actually I thought the render itself *was* pretty amazing.


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From: Samuel Benge
Subject: Re: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 22 Aug 2007 15:33:32
Message: <46cc8f8c@news.povray.org>
Bill Pragnell wrote:
> Nice image, all the nicer for the colour bleeding!

Thanks!

> Surely the Miller indices define the crystal planes, 

Yes....

> so you can use them
> directly to define your intersection planes (i.e., no knowledge of angles
> required)?

No. I wish that were true, because it would make everything much easier. 
Now, it *might* be true for cubic crystal systems, but I have to check 
on that. For hexagonal systems that theory just doesn't hold.

Look at the attached image. If we were talking just straight normals 
here, the numbers would be decimals or very large integers. Instead, we 
have angles represented by three small integers, ranging between -1 and 
1 (they can be higher, I've seen them as high as 6).

I don't understand how the Miller indices work, but I know it has to do 
with how molecules in the crystal are offset from one another. The 
Wikipedia article just confused me, as I have no formal training in 
higher mathematics.

If you have a way to calculate the normals for single faces (not the 
angle between two faces), by all means, let me know! Otherwise, I'm off 
to try the answer via Google....

Sam


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miller_indices.gif


 

From: Samuel Benge
Subject: Re: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 22 Aug 2007 15:34:22
Message: <46cc8fbe@news.povray.org>
Jim Charter wrote:
> Samuel Benge wrote:
>> The render itself is nothing amazing, but the possibilities 
>> represented by it are exciting!
>>
> Actually I thought the render itself *was* pretty amazing.

Thanks Jim! I'm a little too self-critical sometimes, I guess :)

Sam


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From: Alain
Subject: Re: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 22 Aug 2007 17:12:12
Message: <46cca6ac$1@news.povray.org>
Samuel Benge nous apporta ses lumieres en ce 2007/08/22 15:34:
> Bill Pragnell wrote:
>> Nice image, all the nicer for the colour bleeding!
> 
> Thanks!
> 
>> Surely the Miller indices define the crystal planes, 
> 
> Yes....
> 
>> so you can use them
>> directly to define your intersection planes (i.e., no knowledge of angles
>> required)?
> 
> No. I wish that were true, because it would make everything much easier. 
> Now, it *might* be true for cubic crystal systems, but I have to check 
> on that. For hexagonal systems that theory just doesn't hold.
> 
> Look at the attached image. If we were talking just straight normals 
> here, the numbers would be decimals or very large integers. Instead, we 
> have angles represented by three small integers, ranging between -1 and 
> 1 (they can be higher, I've seen them as high as 6).
> 
> I don't understand how the Miller indices work, but I know it has to do 
> with how molecules in the crystal are offset from one another. The 
> Wikipedia article just confused me, as I have no formal training in 
> higher mathematics.
> 
> If you have a way to calculate the normals for single faces (not the 
> angle between two faces), by all means, let me know! Otherwise, I'm off 
> to try the answer via Google....
> 
> Sam
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
intersection{
plane{Miler_indice, 1}
.
.
.
material{...}
}

-- 
Alain
-------------------------------------------------
Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.
Benjamin Franklin


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From: Samuel Benge
Subject: Re: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 22 Aug 2007 17:57:44
Message: <46ccb158@news.povray.org>
Alain wrote:
> Samuel Benge nous apporta ses lumieres en ce 2007/08/22 15:34:
>> If you have a way to calculate the normals for single faces (not the 
>> angle between two faces), by all means, let me know! Otherwise, I'm 
>> off to try the answer via Google....

> intersection{
> plane{Miler_indice, 1}
> .
> .
> .
> material{...}
> }

Attached is an image demonstrating the result of that approach.

Here is the code:
intersection{
  plane{z,1}
  plane{-z,1}

  plane{<0,-1,0>,3 }
  plane{<1,-1,0>,3 }
  plane{<1,0,0>,3 }
  plane{<0,1,0>,3 }
  plane{<-1,1,0>,3 }
  plane{<-1,0,0>,3 }

  pigment{rgb .5}
}

See the problem? These indices were supposed to make a hexagon, but 
instead produced 90 and 45 degree angles. Am I missing something?

Sam


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wrong.jpg


 

From: Leef me
Subject: Re: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 22 Aug 2007 20:55:00
Message: <web.46ccdab41b274c68ed05561a0@news.povray.org>
Samuel Benge <stb### [at] THIShotmailcom> wrote:
> Jim Charter wrote:
> > Samuel Benge wrote:
> >> The render itself is nothing amazing, but the possibilities
> >> represented by it are exciting!
> >>
> > Actually I thought the render itself *was* pretty amazing.
>
> Thanks Jim! I'm a little too self-critical sometimes, I guess :)
>
> Sam

I agree with Jim's comments, and add my own comments of "fantastic"

I've been wanting to do something like this, but had no clue how.
Nor even the knowledge to ask the question. I started searching with
the keywords: mineral, crystal and facet; but in over my head.

Thanks for sharing.
I'll be lirking around hoping to benefit from you hard work.

Leef_me


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From: Thomas de Groot
Subject: Re: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 23 Aug 2007 03:32:47
Message: <46cd381f$1@news.povray.org>
"Samuel Benge" <stb### [at] THIShotmailcom> schreef in bericht 
news:46cba80d@news.povray.org...
> Hi everyone,
>
> I discovered a way to accurately depict minerals with POV-Ray. I found a
> demo version of a program called KrystalShaper
> (http://www.jcrystal.com/products/krystalshaper/) which allows one to
> view various crystal morphologies for different minerals. The demo
> version does not allow you to save or export, but you can view the
> Miller indices (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller_index) of a
> crystal's faces, and determine the angle between them.
>
> Using the angles acquired from the program, I made an intersection of
> planes to create the crystal. It would not be too difficult to randomize
> the result to make unique, natural-looking specimens.
>
> The render itself is nothing amazing, but the possibilities represented
> by it are exciting!
>
> Questions and comments, welcome as always!
>
> Sam
>

This render is really beautiful! I'll keep a copy in my private depository 
of 'Beautiful images'.

Miller indices, yes... it's coming slowly back now. I used to have a 
'Wulff's net' to analyse crystal shapes 
http://euromin.w3sites.net/Nouveau_site/histoire/dates/pic_hist/wulff11.htm
and we used the Miller indices to place the normals of the faces on this 3D 
projection...

Thomas


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From: Samuel Benge
Subject: Re: topaz (84k jpg)
Date: 23 Aug 2007 19:16:12
Message: <46ce153c@news.povray.org>
Leef_me wrote:
> I agree with Jim's comments, and add my own comments of "fantastic"

Nothing like a little encouragement to spur me on :)

> I've been wanting to do something like this, but had no clue how.
> Nor even the knowledge to ask the question. I started searching with
> the keywords: mineral, crystal and facet; but in over my head.

Your post in p.general was what got me working in this direction. I've 
wanted to render crystals with accuracy for quite some time, but always 
ended up approximating the shapes, which never left me with a good feeling.

> Thanks for sharing.
> I'll be lirking around hoping to benefit from you hard work.

You're welcome! I hope to release file one in a series of mineral files 
soon. Which minerals would you like to see realized? You mentioned 
amethyst and fool's gold... what else?

Sam


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