"clock" is a built-in variable that has value of 0 for the first frame of an
animation and 1 for the last, spanning the intermediate range of values as
the progam progesses from frame to frame. To use it, one must set the
number of frames to be created using "final_frame".  IMHO, the easiest way
to deal with this is to edit the "quickres.ini" file and create a new entry
that is a copy of the resolution that you want to use and add on, for
example, "final_frame=60" to produce sixty frames.  (Remember to change the
label in the [ ] to show that this is an animation setting.) When you render
with this resolution setting selected, the program will render a series of
individual frames with names like: mypic01.bmp, mypic02.bmp,... to
mypic60.bmp  Hopefully, your instructor has provided you with some resource
with which to assemble the individual frames into an animated file type such
as a "gif", "mpeg" or "avi" (there are more kinds).  If not, that might be a
whole new help question.

Out of curiosity, did your insturctor specify POV-Ray as the software to use
for this?  Was this perhaps intended to be a much simpler assignment using
something like BASIC of some sort to draw a clock using the value of the
TIME function?  I love POV-Ray, but it seems a rather Rube-Goldberg-like
(e.g. needlessly elaborate) way of making an animated clock, especially
considering the fact that the resuling animation would always show the time
range specified in the pov file code and not the actual time of day.  I hope
you will continue to use POV-Ray and learn to love it as many of us have,
but the next step with regard to the task at hand is more likely than not
going to be defining the assignment in more specific terms.

Also, please note that this area of the newsgroups is intended for posting
animations, not questions.  You will probably get more and better help if
you are careful to post questions in the areas designated for that purpose.

Best Wishes,
-Mike


"nero.corporations" <ner### [at] webde> wrote:
> hi all,
>
> i`m quite new to pov ray and dealing with this subject in school. our
> teacher gave us the task to produce a clock animation which shows the exact
> time (h,min + secs) by the next three weeks.
>
> i have really no idea what do now and i need your help...
>
> hope for your assist...
>
> regards jan

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