Hello.  Some of you may know me, some of you may not.  I was involved in the
early days of POV-Ray and even DKB Trace.  I'm afraid that I probably burned
myself out after several years of not only creating traces, but doing
CompuServe support and attempting in a limited way to add functionality to
the POV-Ray source code, which I barely understood with my FoxPro and Basic
background.

I've stopped by a few times over the years, posted a couple of messages, and
have frequently perused the competition sites.  I have to tell all of you
that I am SO blown away by how you're using POV-Ray, and by the
mind-boggling features that have been added to it!  We only used to DREAM
of these days.  I wrote a suite of programs that rendered an image in
slices on a network of 5 x286's and then pasted the slices together.  It
took all night to do an antialized 800x600 image of a glass sphere over a
checker
board!

Enough war stories... I just had to say that I am so very glad to see that
my dream of a free and totally state-of-the-art raytracer has flourished.
I also must blushingly admit that I have felt much pride in noticing many
of my now humble old scene files still proudly available as samples.

I doubt that I will ever get back to creating my own scenes.  I'd have to
start back at square #1, and there are now so many new squares on this
checkerboard now!  Still,  looking at what you've all done with what David
started, and Drew, Chris, and so many others continued has been a very rare
and precious experience.  And I must also thank Chris Cason.  He has taken
this project to places we never dreamed of.   Thanks, buddy!

Dan Farmer

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"Dan Farmer" <dmf### [at] msncom> wrote:
> Hello....

And we must thank you for helping to make this all possible.  Many years ago
when I was a poor student just getting interested in 3D rendering, I
stumbled across POV-Ray and was delighted to find it completely free.  Now,
many years later, it is still the only renderer I use and am a fierce
supporter of the program, the open source concept it is based on and the
ever-changing POV community present here that make it all work and seem so
easy.  Even though I have no direct affiliation beyond being a user and
active newgroup personality, I feel very proud when I see a POV image stand
up against images created using some of the most cutting edge, high-end
renderers out there.  Thank you to you and everyone else who helped make
POV (and it's associated user community) what it is today!

-tgq

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Hey, Dan:

Wonderful to hear from you again - it's been *years* since we spoke (and
would've been on CompuServe), and I wish I'd gotten the chance to meet up
with you in MN so many years ago when I found out you were based not far
from where I grew up.

I've often wondered how you've been and how things turned out for you -
just good to hear a familiar voice from way back when.

Hope things are good for you these days. :-)

Jim

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Good to hear from you, Dan!

I think it is mainly this terrific open (and free) concept that makes 
POV-Ray so successful and draws such a variety of personalities form all 
over the world. As each one contributes, according to his/hers own 
capacities, the results become truly amazing. And - should I really mention 
this? - this community is an exceptional and dedicated one. Perhaps the 
POV-godfathers are not so foreign to that either... :-)

When I started with POV-Ray, almost 10 years ago, your work was often a far 
away challenge to me. And over the years, I slowly learned my lessons :-)

Thomas

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Dan Farmer <dmf### [at] msncom> wrote:
> I also must blushingly admit that I have felt much pride in noticing many
> of my now humble old scene files still proudly available as samples.

  Those are very valuable history of POV-Ray and thus a must to preserve.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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"Warp" <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> schreef in bericht 
news:454495d5@news.povray.org...
>
>  Those are very valuable history of POV-Ray and thus a must to preserve.
>

I agree to that. Isn't there (shouldn't there be) some kind of historical 
repository?

Thomas

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hi, man!  Nice to hear from you!  I was interested in povray ever since i
bought an used book called "Raytracing Creations".  You were one of the
authors! (including some of the sample scenes, if i'm not wrong).

have taken a look at Povray Hall of Fame yet?
http://hof.povray.org/

On the one hand i'm happy for such wonderful images, by people who know how
to make povray work right, on the other hand i feel desperate for my crappy
images... :P

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nemesis wrote:
> hi, man!  Nice to hear from you!  I was interested in povray ever since i
> bought an used book called "Raytracing Creations".  

Hey, I have that one.... it still has the disk in the back cover! Great 
book :)

~Sam

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It good to hear from an old name. I started using POV-Ray back when it 
was version 3.0..... a little late in the game. I have loved the program 
from the very first time I opened it up... I couldn't believe my luck! I 
had been wanting a 3D program so badly, but did not have the money for 
one... and here was POV! I stayed up many nights learning it... and 
enjoying every minute of it.

I would like to thank the POV Team for their efforts in making POV what 
it is today. Sometimes we get lost in feature requests and bug reports, 
and we forget how good of a program it is NOW. Thank you!

~Sam

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"Dan Farmer" <dmf### [at] msncom> wrote:

> I doubt that I will ever get back to creating my own scenes.  I'd have to
> start back at square #1, and there are now so many new squares on this
> checkerboard now!

You should definitely try, it's easier than you may think.  Would be
great to see what you come up with now -- your originals are legend.

On one of *my* fresh starts I made a version of fish13 with modern water
and media clouds ... i wonder why i can't find it now ..

When was the last time you used Fractint? :-)

--
jussi

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