JeffBTX wrote:

Boop me some test files and I'll give what I've written a whirl.
Right now my code assumes you start at offset zero, not one, and that each 
line has four values on it (x,y,z,v). Bop me a test file like that and I'll 
see what comes out, then pass you the code when it's working.

> I've checked on Microsoft Visual C++ Express. Free, but you have to register it

You don't have to register it, by the way.


-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   There's no CD like OCD, there's no CD I knoooow!

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> I've checked on Microsoft Visual C++ Express. Free, but you have to 
> register it
> (to use it past 30 days), and to register it you need a "Microsoft Live 
> ID". (I
> hate to keep track of those things). Apparantly, there are occasional 
> problems
> UNinstalling the product in Vista. The online readme has a "Known Bugs"
> section. I hate bugs... we ALL hate bugs. "Known" bugs? EXECUTE them (no I
> don't mean "run" them... I mean use the headsman's AXE! There shouldn't be 
> any
> "KNOWN" bugs!)

Been using the MS free C++ compiler for a while now, even converted over 
some projects that used to be on the the full VS Pro compiler.  Never had 
any issue with bugs and have written a wide range of apps from moderately 
complex .net form based to 3D games in DirectX.

Once you've activated VC++ Express you never have to log in again to Live, 
so just create an account and then forget about it if you don't like to keep 
track of such things.

> Failing that... again, if anyone is equipped to do so, maybe someone could 
> build
> these two apps? (I indicated 2 major functions; 1 to create a DF3, one to
> manipulate it, but there isn't any reason these two things couldn't be in 
> the
> same app).

I would attempt this, but a) I have almost zero free-time at the moment due 
to work, and b) if I did attempt it I would end up making it far too complex 
with a nice GUI, hmm I wonder how big a DF3 you can render in real time on 
the GPU... :-)

Post a reply to this message

Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
> JeffBTX wrote:
>
> Boop me some test files and I'll give what I've written a whirl.
> Right now my code assumes you start at offset zero, not one, and that each
> line has four values on it (x,y,z,v). Bop me a test file like that and I'll
> see what comes out, then pass you the code when it's working.
>
> > I've checked on Microsoft Visual C++ Express. Free, but you have to register it
>
> You don't have to register it, by the way.
>
>
> --
>    Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
>    There's no CD like OCD, there's no CD I knoooow!

Ooops - Thanks, Darren, I don't have any test files at the moment, but I'll post
something off-the-top-of-my-head (what was THAT doing up there?) in a moment.

I am getting back into POVRay after a long hiatus (actually just started
yesterday), using: "version 3.6.1.msvc8.win64". Previously, I used POVRay 3.5
on an older machine (WinME). I've had this computer since 2007 (Win Vista Home
Premium 64). I am just now getting back into it; when I lost my previous
computer in an accident, I had started some work modeling tornadoes with .DF3
files.

The procedure I am using (at present, with a calculator (for hex conversion) and
a *hex editor* of all things);

The offset into the DF3 is x + (y*MaxDim) + (z*MaxDim*MaxDim) + 6 (6 for the DF3
header)
.... if using "zero base" coords (zero to Max Dimension-1, versus 1 to MaxDim),
assuming a symmetrical cube shape (otherwise for 1-base, it is (x-1) +
((y-1)*MaxDim) + ((z-1)*MaxDim*MaxDim) + 6).

Doing it this way the render of a DF3 is *exactly* as visualized (x = LeftRight,
y=UpDown, z=ForwardBack). (I think the TGA2DF3 utility "reverses" an axis in an
unexpected way, if I recall... its been a while since I used it. Not a BIG
problem.... ). Orientation was one of my concerns when I started experimenting
yesterday morning.

BUT because of my limitations (no compiler) I've only used 10x10x10 and
100x100x100 DF3s in my first couple of experiments.

A simple test, though... for say, a 100x100x100 DF3 (8 bit) ... to test
orientation, play with density a little (this will be zero based; coords 0 to
99, 8 bit data values);

1,1,1,127
3,1,1,64
49,49,49,255
49,98,49,255
98,98,98,32

.... so that is 1 voxel away from the forward left corner and 1 away from the
front face... then a blank voxel to the right, and then another voxel; density
127 and 64

.... a voxel in the middle and one on "on top", full density.

.... and finally a somewhat faint density 32 voxel that is 1 away from the back
right corner.

The reason for NOT putting pixels AT corners and edges is that I've noticed
artifacts... a kind of "edge-wrapping"/"bleeding" that occurs if you place a
voxel in a corner (and I assume an edge). The "opposite" corner also shows some
density, when it shouldn't. This is another topic, and I've thought about
posting / asking about it, but it's obvious what is happening.

"What you've thrown together"; can it handle 16 and 32 bit DF3s? (just
curious... most of the time of course 8 bit would be used, and 8 bit is
suitable for almost every purpose. Perhaps all purposes. I'm not experienced
enough yet).

-Thanks
- Jeff

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JeffBTX <nomail@nomail> wrote:
> I've checked on Microsoft Visual C++ Express. Free, but you have to register it
> (to use it past 30 days), and to register it you need a "Microsoft Live ID".

  You register it once and that's it. You can use it forever. It's not such
a big problem.

  You can create command-line programs, native Win32 programs and C++.NET
programs with it, so it should meet your needs. (The graphical interface
designer can only be used with C++.NET, which is somewhat of a bummer, but
if that's not a problem, then it's surprisingly easy to use.)

-- 
                                                          - Warp

Post a reply to this message

"scott" <sco### [at] scottcom> wrote:
> > I've checked on Microsoft Visual C++ Express. Free, but you have to
> > register it
> > (to use it past 30 days), and to register it you need a "Microsoft Live
> > ID". (I
> > hate to keep track of those things). Apparantly, there are occasional
> > problems
> > UNinstalling the product in Vista. The online readme has a "Known Bugs"
> > section. I hate bugs... we ALL hate bugs. "Known" bugs? EXECUTE them (no I
> > don't mean "run" them... I mean use the headsman's AXE! There shouldn't be
> > any
> > "KNOWN" bugs!)
>
> Been using the MS free C++ compiler for a while now, even converted over
> some projects that used to be on the the full VS Pro compiler.  Never had
> any issue with bugs and have written a wide range of apps from moderately
> complex .net form based to 3D games in DirectX.
>
> Once you've activated VC++ Express you never have to log in again to Live,
> so just create an account and then forget about it if you don't like to keep
> track of such things.
>
> > Failing that... again, if anyone is equipped to do so, maybe someone could
> > build
> > these two apps? (I indicated 2 major functions; 1 to create a DF3, one to
> > manipulate it, but there isn't any reason these two things couldn't be in
> > the
> > same app).
>
> I would attempt this, but a) I have almost zero free-time at the moment due
> to work, and b) if I did attempt it I would end up making it far too complex
> with a nice GUI, hmm I wonder how big a DF3 you can render in real time on
> the GPU... :-)

Scott - thats good news... I dialogued with a programmer in a games forum, and
he indicated the same thing a few minutes ago. Just to verify: you are using
VC++Express under WinVista? (and if it matters, I am using WinVista Home
Premium 64 bit).

There is something in the MSDN forums about problems UNinstalling VC++Express
under Vista. Possibly (hopefully) a rare problem.

Okay then, I will dig further into the MSDN forums, and educate myself (bugs,
problems, work-around, etc) before I decide... looks like I juts might end uop
downloading & installing it.

-Thanks
-Jeff

Post a reply to this message

Warp <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote:
> JeffBTX <nomail@nomail> wrote:
> > I've checked on Microsoft Visual C++ Express. Free, but you have to register it
> > (to use it past 30 days), and to register it you need a "Microsoft Live ID".
>
>   You register it once and that's it. You can use it forever. It's not such
> a big problem.
>
>   You can create command-line programs, native Win32 programs and C++.NET
> programs with it, so it should meet your needs. (The graphical interface
> designer can only be used with C++.NET, which is somewhat of a bummer, but
> if that's not a problem, then it's surprisingly easy to use.)
>
> --
>                                                           - Warp

Thanks for the info, Warp - it looks like I will be downloading & installing it
soon, after I do a little bit of research on MSDN.

Post a reply to this message

> Scott - thats good news... I dialogued with a programmer in a games forum, 
> and
> he indicated the same thing a few minutes ago. Just to verify: you are 
> using
> VC++Express under WinVista? (and if it matters, I am using WinVista Home
> Premium 64 bit).

I am using it mainly under WinVista Business 64bit, but also have installed 
and used it under Vista Pro 32bit and XP Pro 32bit.

> There is something in the MSDN forums about problems UNinstalling 
> VC++Express
> under Vista. Possibly (hopefully) a rare problem.

Don't know about that because I have never tried to uninstall it :-)

> Okay then, I will dig further into the MSDN forums, and educate myself 
> (bugs,
> problems, work-around, etc) before I decide... looks like I juts might end 
> uop
> downloading & installing it.

Well it's always worth a try, just give it a go and see what happens.

Post a reply to this message

"scott" <sco### [at] scottcom> wrote:
> > Scott - thats good news... I dialogued with a programmer in a games forum,
> > and
> > he indicated the same thing a few minutes ago. Just to verify: you are
> > using
> > VC++Express under WinVista? (and if it matters, I am using WinVista Home
> > Premium 64 bit).
>
> I am using it mainly under WinVista Business 64bit, but also have installed
> and used it under Vista Pro 32bit and XP Pro 32bit.
>
> > There is something in the MSDN forums about problems UNinstalling
> > VC++Express
> > under Vista. Possibly (hopefully) a rare problem.
>
> Don't know about that because I have never tried to uninstall it :-)
>
> > Okay then, I will dig further into the MSDN forums, and educate myself
> > (bugs,
> > problems, work-around, etc) before I decide... looks like I juts might end
> > uop
> > downloading & installing it.
>
> Well it's always worth a try, just give it a go and see what happens.

Thanks for reply & info, Scott.

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JeffBTX wrote:
> "What you've thrown together"; can it handle 16 and 32 bit DF3s? (just

Yes. It makes two scans thru the input, first figuring out the largest X, Y, 
  Z, and voxel value, then building the right sized output file with the 
right number of bytes to hold the highest voxel.

I fear I've already screwed around too much this morning, so it might wait 
until the weekend before I can run some samples thru it just to make sure I 
didn't have any dumb bugs.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   There's no CD like OCD, there's no CD I knoooow!

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Warp wrote:
> (The graphical interface
> designer can only be used with C++.NET, 

The reason for that is the GUI elements are .NET components. And the 
designer looks at the metadata in the components to know how to help you 
"design" with them.  Plus, when you drop a control on the page, it actually 
invokes the code to draw itself, for example.  Not the sort of thing that's 
easy to do with native code that has no metadata in it.

Do you happen to know if it does plain C also? I was going to do this 
program in C, but then I just kind of said "screw it" and did it in Tcl.

Maybe next time I'll do it in Python just to practice. :-)

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   There's no CD like OCD, there's no CD I knoooow!

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