"syntotic" <nomail@nomail> wrote:
> Should be the SIMPLEST advanced PovRay task: to wrap a simple Windows BMP image
> astexture. Just specify camera, lights, object... and the texture. Then the
> object is wrapped by a SIMPLE Windows BMP (bit-map file) ad the object becomes
> the bitmap image!...(etc.)

I'm not sure about this, but I don't think any CGI program is that simple to
use; or if it is, then it has built-in commands that are specialized for *each*
kind of object--in other words, applying an image to a plane vs. a box vs. a
sphere involves different operations (mathematical, spatial, etc.) and therefore
there can't be a 'one-button' approach that works with *all* objects--unless the
program is specifically set up with (invisible) sub-programs to take care of
such things for the user. But that has it's downside: You're locked into the
specific ways that the program does these things. That would be OK most of the
time--but what if you wanted to 'change' this behavior in some way?

POV-Ray, on the other hand, can be thought of as a giant sophisticated toolbox,
where the user has control over all aspects of things, down to the smallest
coding detail. But along with that power comes the need to actually specify all
details--after all, the program doesn't know what to do unless we tell it.
That's the nature of POV-Ray; it's different from typical 'easy-to-use' CGI
programs, because it offers such power.

In any case, it actually *is* possible to set up POV-Ray with what amounts to
'one-button' solutions for things (well, with just a minimum of extra coding):
by using macros, and/or by putting often-used things (like a box with an applied
image) into the INSERT menu, where you can call what you need and simply insert
the entire sub-code into your scene. It does take work to initially set up such
constructs, but once done, they're easy to use--and it also allows you to make
changes later (like replacing the image with another one, or making changes to
your macro code.) The best of both worlds.

Ken

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