IMHO,

http://10best.raytrace.com/short/shortvote.html

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"Thorsten Froehlich" <tho### [at] trfde> wrote in message
news:3c8b6717@news.povray.org...
> In article <3c8b6598@news.povray.org> , "Hershel Robinson"
> <her### [at] yahoocom> wrote:
>
> > even the free ones.
>
> Because there are no other free ray-tracers that are still supported or
still
> being developed?
>
> As for commercial programs, if you have several thousand US$ to spare
there is
> nothing wrong if you buy and use them.  Of course, you should be honest
and
> really buy them and not get them from other sources.
>

Just out of curiosity, what other raytracers (free or otherwise) support
direct scripting to the extent of pov?

Are there other rt progs where a text-file can be the single source for
complex scenes, and where meshes and similiar can be occasional luxuries
rather than an essential element?

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On Sun, 10 Mar 2002 20:13:02 -0000, Tom Melly wrote:
> Are there other rt progs where a text-file can be the single source for
> complex scenes, and where meshes and similiar can be occasional luxuries
> rather than an essential element?

Well, there's BMRT...

--
#macro R(L P)sphere{L __}cylinder{L P __}#end#macro P(_1)union{R(z+_ z)R(-z _-z)
R(_-z*3_+z)torus{1__ clipped_by{plane{_ 0}}}translate z+_1}#end#macro S(_)9-(_1-
_)*(_1-_)#end#macro Z(_1 _ __)union{P(_)P(-_)R(y-z-1_)translate.1*_1-y*8pigment{
rgb<S(7)S(5)S(3)>}}#if(_1)Z(_1-__,_,__)#end#end Z(10x*-2,.2)camera{rotate x*90}

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All graphical modellers I have seen and tried was a complete turn-off for
me. On the other hand I am used to programming from my childhood and POVray
was immediately attractive, when I found it. Since then, I have not been
disappointed by this program, or by the friendly community here.

Hugo

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In article <3c8b8493$1@news.povray.org>,
 "Thorsten Froehlich" <tho### [at] trfde> wrote:

> Hence I said "still supported or still being developed" :-)

You said "there are no other free ray-tracers that are still supported 
or still being developed", but there *are* free raytracers that are 
still being actively developed and supported. My point was that none of 
them have the features and community of POV-Ray, and either can't 
compete or are targeted at a completely different audience. There are a 
few that had sizeable communities, but they are now pretty much dead.

-- 
Christopher James Huff <chr### [at] maccom>
POV-Ray TAG e-mail: chr### [at] tagpovrayorg
TAG web site: http://tag.povray.org/

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> We're not a cult, you know.

What?! So David K. Buck isn't a god? What a rip-off! I'm outta here.

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I've been using/learning POV-Ray for 3
years now (so, I'm a total newbie on some
things... That'll stick to every POVer, I
guess), and it still fascinates me.

I can program algorithms and have immediate
effects visible. For over a year now I am working
on a particle system, and the SDL of POVRay
is just awesome.

The community is great, and you can always,
ALWAYS have the feeling of having achieved
something when you've finished an image.
Look at 3DS, for example. Hand on the mouse,
squish, squash, here's a car. Squish, squash, a
house.
Well, okay, it may not be that easy. But you
always get so many options, controls, whatever,
that it sometimes seems to be more luck than
skill to achieve something.

I do think that there are great artists out there
not using POV-Ray, don't get me wrong. But
the satisfaction I get is bigger, because I can
tell myself:
Aside the raytracing job, and the SDL,
everything POV-Ray spits out is my job.
Textures I averaged, finishes I experimented
with, medias I fiddled with.

You really are NOT limited when using
POV-Ray. With other programs, you need
to have a lot of skill to actually write something
that thing would understand...



--
Tim Nikias
Homepage: http://www.digitaltwilight.de/no_lights/index.html

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> Why should we waste valuable ray-tracing time trying to convince you?
> Try it for yourself; if you like it, use it.  We're not a cult, you know.

LOL!  Well said!  Love that response!

Jim


"Ron Parker" <ron### [at] povrayorg> wrote in message
news:slr### [at] fwicom...
> On Sun, 10 Mar 2002 15:56:28 +0200, Hershel Robinson wrote:
> > why POV-Ray is the best ray-tracer available today and why I shouldn't
> > bother wasting my time investigating the others, even the free ones.
>
> Why should we waste valuable ray-tracing time trying to convince you?
> Try it for yourself; if you like it, use it.  We're not a cult, you know.
>
> --
> #macro R(L P)sphere{L F}cylinder{L P F}#end#macro P(V)merge{R(z+a z)R(-z
a-z)R(a
> -z-z-z a+z)torus{1F clipped_by{plane{a 0}}}translate V}#end#macro Z(a F
T)merge{
> P(z+a)P(z-a)R(-z-z-x a)pigment{rgbf 1}hollow interior{media{emission
3-T}}}#end
> Z(-x-x.2x)camera{location z*-10rotate x*90normal{bumps.02scale.05}}

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"Tim Nikias" wrote:
> The community is great, and you can always,
> ALWAYS have the feeling of having achieved
> something when you've finished an image.
> Look at 3DS, for example. Hand on the mouse,
> squish, squash, here's a car. Squish, squash, a
> house.
> Well, okay, it may not be that easy. But you
> always get so many options, controls, whatever,
> that it sometimes seems to be more luck than
> skill to achieve something.

That's true.

Of course, if one likes it that way, it's also possible to have it that way
in POV-Ray. There are so many include files and macros around ready to use
which also have many options and controls, and where the user don't have to
do all the work on his own.

These macros and include files can be found on this news server and
scattered around the web. Many links available at
http://www.povray.org/links/POV-Ray_Include_Macro_and_Object_Files/

Rune
--
3D images and anims, include files, tutorials and more:
Rune's World:    http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk (updated Feb 16)
POV-Ray Users:   http://rsj.mobilixnet.dk/povrayusers/
POV-Ray Webring: http://webring.povray.co.uk

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Ron Parker wrote:

>  We're not a cult, you know.

We're not? Dang!

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