Hi all,

I was wondering if it is possible to create a photographic plate in POV-Ray? You
could use this plate to create a camera obscura with upside-down image on the
plate, or visualize the typical upside-down candle when using a lens.

I guess not, reading on how POV-Ray works by casting rays from the origin of the
camera to every pixel in its viewport. What I ask requires the inverse: casting
rays from the light sources, and see if they happen to fall on the sensor.
Obviously, the former one is faster.

If not possible out-of-the-box, are there techniques to achieve this? I was
thinking along the lines of putting a 'milk-glass' plane where the photographic
plate, or sensor, should be.

I just read about photon mapping
(http://wiki.povray.org/content/Knowledgebase:Language_Questions_and_Tips#Topic_27).
Would that be of any help for what I like to do?

Keywords, to know at least what to google for, would be handy.

Cheers!

Bart

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