Another mcpov render. This one features my penguin with some snow on top 
using the makesnow macro by Gilles Tran. Render took about 5 hours. Sky 
importance sampling is used so it renders pretty fast even with the focal 
blur.

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Attachments:
Download 'pengin_mcpov.jpg' (125 KB)

Preview of image 'pengin_mcpov.jpg'

"Mike Hough" <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
> Another mcpov render. This one features my penguin with some snow on top
> using the makesnow macro by Gilles Tran. Render took about 5 hours. Sky
> importance sampling is used so it renders pretty fast even with the focal
> blur.

I've got a lot of respect for you guys that can do complex shapes so well.  I'm
new to Moray and Pov-Ray and tried to model the nose of a Cessna 172 and as you
know it's rather complex in shape.  I tried to do it with several meshes and
it's not easy to get them to line up right and to smooth out the wrinkles in
the mesh.

So I thought I'd do something "boxy" instead and put together something I'm
calling a hanger for aircraft.  Here's the latest version of it.  The next step
is to put some airliners in there.  But there I go with the complex shapes
again.

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Preview of image 'hanger interior.gif'

I modelled the Penguin in Animation Master and exported to POV-Ray format as 
bicubic patches. There are two free program, sPatch and Hamapatch, that use 
the same general modeling system. I used sPatch quite a bit before I got AM. 
You might want to give one of them a try since it makes modelling organic 
shapes quite simple. Alternatively you could try Blender which can do much 
the same thing with subdivision surfaces.

Mike

"larryfulkerson" <lar### [at] yahoocom> wrote in message 
news:web.49a05a1fc1b1e6c42f4e5bbc0@news.povray.org...
> "Mike Hough" <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
>> Another mcpov render. This one features my penguin with some snow on top
>> using the makesnow macro by Gilles Tran. Render took about 5 hours. Sky
>> importance sampling is used so it renders pretty fast even with the focal
>> blur.
>
> I've got a lot of respect for you guys that can do complex shapes so well. 
> I'm
> new to Moray and Pov-Ray and tried to model the nose of a Cessna 172 and 
> as you
> know it's rather complex in shape.  I tried to do it with several meshes 
> and
> it's not easy to get them to line up right and to smooth out the wrinkles 
> in
> the mesh.
>
> So I thought I'd do something "boxy" instead and put together something 
> I'm
> calling a hanger for aircraft.  Here's the latest version of it.  The next 
> step
> is to put some airliners in there.  But there I go with the complex shapes
> again.
>

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Mike Hough wrote:
> You might want to give one of them a try since it makes modelling organic 
> shapes quite simple. Alternatively you could try Blender which can do much 
> the same thing with subdivision surfaces.

Having used both HAM and Blender to try modeling things, each for a couple 
dozen hours, I'd have to say I found blender far easier to model with. Hash 
isn't really any easier in terms of "organic" forms, and it seems 
outrageously difficult to model simple non-organic forms like a room or a door.

On the other hand, the texturing, image stamping, and animation all seemed 
easier in Hash. (For example, the different ways you can move the skin when 
the bones move the underlying vertices? Dunno how to do that in Blender.) I 
wouldn't put that past me just not having learned Blender enough, tho.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed with Hash, I don't think I got my money's 
worth, and their support wasn't noticeably better than Blender's. For 
example, I got banned from one forum for posting a Hash file and asking what 
in there makes Hash crash. Because, of course, Hash has no bugs and never 
crashes. And they sent the wrong version of the manual with it, because they 
had left over manuals from the previous years' release, and they didn't feel 
like actually shipping what you'd paid for. It's a rather expensive program 
for that kind of crap.

HTH.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   "Ouch ouch ouch!"
   "What's wrong? Noodles too hot?"
   "No, I have Chopstick Tunnel Syndrome."

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That is why I recommended sPatch. I had issues with Hash software crashing 
to the point where it made some projects impossible. However I did get very 
good at modelling with the program and even wrote several exporters that 
allowed me to render animations created in A:M with POV-Ray. Unfortunately I 
can't continue doing so because I can't afford to upgrade the 
software...well, more like I don't want to pay for it anymore. Lately I have 
been taking my old A:M files, exporting as OBJ and reconstructing them in 
Blender. For a free program Blender is impressive to say the least.

When you say move the skin when the bones move, you are talking about the 
muscle motion thing? Don't know how to do that in blender but you can make 
shape keys for vertex motion which can do mostly the same thing except you'd 
have to adjust the keys manually. Btw, you can export BVH files from A:M 
actions and import them into Blender and it will even reconstruct the 
armature for you. Then if you import the model you can link it to the 
armature and it will be ready to go.

Mike

"Darren New" <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote in message 
news:49a0a00e@news.povray.org...
> Mike Hough wrote:
>> You might want to give one of them a try since it makes modelling organic 
>> shapes quite simple. Alternatively you could try Blender which can do 
>> much the same thing with subdivision surfaces.
>
> Having used both HAM and Blender to try modeling things, each for a couple 
> dozen hours, I'd have to say I found blender far easier to model with. 
> Hash isn't really any easier in terms of "organic" forms, and it seems 
> outrageously difficult to model simple non-organic forms like a room or a 
> door.
>
> On the other hand, the texturing, image stamping, and animation all seemed 
> easier in Hash. (For example, the different ways you can move the skin 
> when the bones move the underlying vertices? Dunno how to do that in 
> Blender.) I wouldn't put that past me just not having learned Blender 
> enough, tho.
>
> Overall, I was pretty disappointed with Hash, I don't think I got my 
> money's worth, and their support wasn't noticeably better than Blender's. 
> For example, I got banned from one forum for posting a Hash file and 
> asking what in there makes Hash crash. Because, of course, Hash has no 
> bugs and never crashes. And they sent the wrong version of the manual with 
> it, because they had left over manuals from the previous years' release, 
> and they didn't feel like actually shipping what you'd paid for. It's a 
> rather expensive program for that kind of crap.
>
> HTH.
>
> -- 
>   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
>   "Ouch ouch ouch!"
>   "What's wrong? Noodles too hot?"
>   "No, I have Chopstick Tunnel Syndrome."

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Mike Hough wrote:
> When you say move the skin when the bones move, you are talking about the 
> muscle motion thing?

That, and the whole distinction between skin, scales, and (one other mode 
whose name I forget). You know,s o like the scales on the moving fish don't 
distort but just rotate in place when the "flesh" underneath turns?

They seem to have buried any sort of tutorials since last I was there, so I 
can't easily find the bit to show you visually what I mean.

> Don't know how to do that in blender but you can make 
> shape keys for vertex motion which can do mostly the same thing except you'd 
> have to adjust the keys manually.

That gets kind of lame, yes. Altho I'm pretty sure you can key several items 
to the same IPO curve in Blender.

> Btw, you can export BVH files from A:M 
> actions and import them into Blender and it will even reconstruct the 
> armature for you. Then if you import the model you can link it to the 
> armature and it will be ready to go.

That's cool. I never got quite that far with Hash. I was hoping that if I 
paid for a commercial product, it would be more polished than a free one.

> can't continue doing so because I can't afford to upgrade the 
> software...well, more like I don't want to pay for it anymore.

Doesn't the old version run indefinitely, tho?  I'm pretty sure I didn't see 
anything about the software expiring in the license or I wouldn't have 
bought it.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   "Ouch ouch ouch!"
   "What's wrong? Noodles too hot?"
   "No, I have Chopstick Tunnel Syndrome."

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> Doesn't the old version run indefinitely, tho?  I'm pretty sure I didn't 
> see anything about the software expiring in the license or I wouldn't have 
> bought it.

My problem is that I eventually upgraded to the netrender version which uses 
a parallel port dongle, and I can't get it to work with my current 
motherboard. It has a legacy port on it but it appears to be non-functional 
with the dongle. So even though the last version I paid for was 9.5, the 
latest I can run is 8.5 and that is only because I kept the CD. Lose or 
damage the CD and your sunk

Back when I was actively working on exporters I got many requests from 
artists who wanted me to improve my RIB exporter because they prefered 
modeling in A:M to most other packages. Even made a little money at it but 
eventually I hit a wall and couldn't take it any further as I am not all 
that good of a programmer. Some of them I believe were working for large 
studios, or at least that is what they told me. OBJ export was pretty 
popular as well. Don't think I ever got any feedback from anyone using the 
POV exporter.

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"larryfulkerson" <lar### [at] yahoocom> schreef in bericht 
news:web.49a05a1fc1b1e6c42f4e5bbc0@news.povray.org...
> I've got a lot of respect for you guys that can do complex shapes so well. 
> I'm
> new to Moray and Pov-Ray and tried to model the nose of a Cessna 172 and 
> as you
> know it's rather complex in shape.  I tried to do it with several meshes 
> and
> it's not easy to get them to line up right and to smooth out the wrinkles 
> in
> the mesh.
>

Try Wings3D. Simple and straightforward modelling of meshes, easily 
exportable to POV-Ray through Poseray.
http://www.wings3d.com/

Thomas

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