On 06/03/2023 01:07, Bald Eagle wrote:
> Given that Josh English has inquired recently about the sample scenes, and we
> have new and returning users to the forum, perhaps it's time to take a poll
> about what small code snippets people would find most useful, and what sorts of
> macro or function-based shapes would be desirable to have in the Insert Menu.
Hi, Bald.

You are doing a great job improving the POV and asking very interesting 
and, IMHO, important questions. As a new user, I would like to say that
'Insert menu' is a really great part of the POV environment, as it makes
the learning curve much smoother and pleasant.

The ability to try one of many POV features in only one click  is 
difficult to overestimate and the amount of objects and techniques is so
huge, that at first I even can't imagine that something else can be
included there, but despite that here are my two cents:

As the present menu demonstrates only a set of objects and basic
operations, I suppose we can extend it by:

1. Complete and attractive scenes with well-thinked composition,
coloring, etc, not heavy and complicated, but more 'artistic'. This way
we can demonstrate to  new user what _really_ he can do with POV.

2. Some tips and tricks or receipts that can be easily implemented to
achieve spectacular results:

2.1, Playing with shifting colormaps in pigment statement
(like here, for example: 
https://github.com/syanenko/Yes-World/blob/main/stem_01.pov )

2.2 Almost-real-time camera animation (I mean using keys: "+w270 +h360
-cc +am3 +a0.1 +ag1 -j +rtr +kla -kc", thanks to jr for advise:)).

2.3 You already mentioned height fields, as Kenneth suggested, they can
be used in CSG operations, producing interesting effects:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BEon-n-KTg

3. Library of parameterized and possibly animated simple objects:

3.1 Ready-to-use low-poly objects grouped by themes: home, technics,
sport, etc. ZBrush, for example, has special brushes for that:
https://www.artstation.com/marketplace/p/nkdA9/pack-of-45-screws-bolts-volume-01
Such libraries can simplify scene creation process and free time for
other more interesting and important works, tuning lightning and
materials, for example.

3.2 Animated toys / artifacts, restricted only by fantazy: tweeking
their parameters will produce interesting and unpredictable results.
Some of them you can find here: https://github.com/syanenko/Yes-World
I am extending this library intensively now.

In general, the main idea is to make POV more accessible and friendly to 
new users, as SDL can seems too complicated for them.
--
YB

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