Alain <kua### [at] videotronca> wrote:

>
> Parsing is strictly iterative and can only use a single thread.
>
> If you use any macro in a loop, it will get expanded and parsed each
> time it's used.
>
> If that macro is in an include file, that file will get opened and read
> each time the macro is invoked. EVERYTHING before the macro definition
> need to be read and skipped. Example : If you use any colour
> manipulation macro from colors.inc, they are located at the end, forcing
> the parser to read the whole include every time they are used...
> Cure : Copy any macro that is used in a loop into
> your main file. Remove any comment located within the macro, or move them
> before the macro definition.
>

That's a really good and concise explanation of what occurs. IMO, it should be
part of the POV-Ray documentation, at "1.7-- Speed Considerations."

And perhaps this as well: For using a particular function in "math.inc" (or some
other include file), copy that entity into your main scene file, rather than
#including the entire #math.inc" file. (It can get complicated of course, if the
particular entity uses *another* entity within it.)

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