POV-Ray : Newsgroups : povray.documentation.inbuilt : HF_Gray_16 docs can be misleading Server Time
28 Mar 2024 14:23:24 EDT (-0400)
  HF_Gray_16 docs can be misleading (Message 1 to 4 of 4)  
From: Kenneth
Subject: HF_Gray_16 docs can be misleading
Date: 17 Apr 2014 05:15:01
Message: <web.534f9ae240533f5c2d977c20@news.povray.org>
Something has always bugged me about the docs on this subject (old docs as well
as the new ones for 3.7.)

It says there...

"3.4.1.4 HF_Gray_16
Grayscale output can be used to generate heightfields for use in other POV-Ray
scenes..."

That's well and good!

But not this...
"With Grayscale_Output=true, the output file will be in the form of a
heightfield, with the height at any point being dependent on the brightness of
the pixel..."

Uh, no, the output file is not 'a heightfield'; it's just a grayscale image that
*can be used to create* a heightfield (or for other things.)  That partial
sentence should be sliced and diced and generally re-worded-- IMHO, of course
;-) -- so that its meaning is clearer to new users.

The reason I bring this up is that it *really* confused me during my early
POV-Ray learning-curve. Could it be confusing to other newbies as well? I was
expecting (out of naivete and lack of experience) that, by using HF_Gray_16, its
*own* render would produce a beautiful craggy-mountain HF on the screen (!). A
silly thought, now that I know better-- but not at the time. :-/ I would imagine
that a HF is one of *the* coolest CG objects that newbies would like to create.
But if the concept of how a HF is made is new to them, the offending sentence
could be confusing, or at least off-putting.

My two-cents for the day ;-)


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From: James Holsenback
Subject: Re: HF_Gray_16 docs can be misleading
Date: 17 Apr 2014 06:23:18
Message: <534fab96$1@news.povray.org>
On 04/17/2014 05:12 AM, Kenneth wrote:
> Uh, no, the output file is not 'a heightfield'; it's just a grayscale image that
> *can be used to create* a heightfield (or for other things.)  That partial
> sentence should be sliced and diced and generally re-worded-- IMHO, of course
> ;-) -- so that its meaning is clearer to new users.

is this better?

http://wiki.povray.org/content/Reference:Global_Settings#HF_Gray_16


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From: Kenneth
Subject: Re: HF_Gray_16 docs can be misleading
Date: 17 Apr 2014 18:25:00
Message: <web.5350548023dbca2dc2d977c20@news.povray.org>
Excellent! I'm happy now ;-)

Many thanks.


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From: Mr
Subject: Re: HF_Gray_16 docs can be misleading
Date: 18 Apr 2014 03:55:02
Message: <web.5350d9d423dbca2d16086ed00@news.povray.org>
"Kenneth" <kdw### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> Excellent! I'm happy now ;-)
>
> Many thanks.


Jim Holsenback is why POV-Ray documentation is the best ever !


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