POV-Ray : Newsgroups : povray.windows : Calling POV from an external program Server Time
28 Jun 2024 22:26:06 EDT (-0400)
  Calling POV from an external program (Message 1 to 5 of 5)  
From: Chuck Roberts
Subject: Calling POV from an external program
Date: 12 Feb 2003 14:44:27
Message: <3E4AA3BD.8FAB8C4@netzero.net>
I am working on a POV texture generator which calls POV to preview
the texture. I'm using Delphi 6pe. How do I know when POV is done
with the image so I can display the BMP file of the texture preview?
Is there a way to check if the file is locked or in use by another
app? 

If I check just if the file exists, the file could be half done and
I don't want to load that. 

Thanks.

-- 
-----
Please remove n o s p a m from my username before sending a reply to
me.


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From: Nicolas Calimet
Subject: Re: Calling POV from an external program
Date: 12 Feb 2003 16:03:50
Message: <3E4AB6B5.3060900@free.fr>
> If I check just if the file exists, the file could be half done and
> I don't want to load that.

	I'm not an expert in Windoz platforms, but here is a possible
solution: I assume that you generate pictures of a constant size for
previewing the textures. BMP files are not compressed, so for a
particular resolution/color depth the filesize should be constant.
You could eventually check that size periodically, and display the
image when the expected filesize is reached (or even does not change
any longer).
	However I'm sure there are better solutions out there.

	- NC


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From: hughes, b 
Subject: Re: Calling POV from an external program
Date: 12 Feb 2003 16:31:22
Message: <3e4abd2a@news.povray.org>
"Nicolas Calimet" <pov### [at] freefr> wrote in message
news:3E4### [at] freefr...
> > If I check just if the file exists, the file could be half done and
> > I don't want to load that.
>
> You could eventually check that size periodically, and display the
> image when the expected filesize is reached (or even does not change
> any longer).
> However I'm sure there are better solutions out there.

There is, and this might not be a question that should be asked here in
povray.programming. It's more of a general question. But I can tell that it
was probably considered to need programming knowledge to do what was asked,
so that's understandable.

By using Post_Scene_Command, from an INI file, you can call a program after
the rendering. See the documentation section 5.2.4 Shell-out to Operating
System. If you use Windows you'll need to UNcheck in the Options menu,
Script I/O Restrictions, the item Disable Starting Other Programs. Only
thing is, it seems the opposite is wanted, calling to POV-Ray from another
program which then displays the image file. Maybe it can be done either way.
I'm just letting you know of the usual tools to work with such things from
withn POV.

This texture display idea might require GUI extensions instead, something I
know nothing about. And having now looked that up in the Doc (section
1.10.10 GUI Extensions Menu) it refers readers to this news group if you
want to discuss such things.
 ;-)


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From: Tom Galvin
Subject: Re: Calling POV from an external program
Date: 13 Feb 2003 00:23:42
Message: <Xns93213D69628Btomatimporg@204.213.191.226>
Chuck Roberts <chu### [at] netzeronet> wrote in news:3E4AA3BD.8FAB8C4
@netzero.net:

> I am working on a POV texture generator which calls POV to preview
> the texture. I'm using Delphi 6pe. 


How do you write a POVRay GUI-Extension in Delphi?

Sample Delphi Source code is available at   
http://news.povray.org/povray.binaries.programming/14358/97416/pvguiext.zip

An Explanation is located at 
http://news.povray.org/povray.programming/17152/


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From: andrel
Subject: Re: Calling POV from an external program
Date: 14 Feb 2003 16:48:26
Message: <3E4D64B5.4020901@amc.uva.nl>
i often call POV from Matlab, what i do is that i select the
'exit from POV' from the 'render/on completion' menu
The only drawback is that POV has to restart everytime.

	Andrel

Chuck Roberts wrote:
> I am working on a POV texture generator which calls POV to preview
> the texture. I'm using Delphi 6pe. How do I know when POV is done
> with the image so I can display the BMP file of the texture preview?
> Is there a way to check if the file is locked or in use by another
> app? 
> 
> If I check just if the file exists, the file could be half done and
> I don't want to load that. 
> 
> Thanks.
>


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