Noah A wrote:
> 
> what is this array thing and how's it work?

An array is a method of storing data and then later using that stored date
within a function or operation. For example I could predefine a string of
numbers that I want to pass to a pigment statment. I could use an array
to store those string and then later use them in the following way:


#declare Dnum = 6;
#declare Data = array [Dnum][5]
{ {0.60, 0.50, 0.3, 0.1, 0.66},
  {0.70, 0.13, 0.4, 0.3, 0.55},
  {0.60, 0.17, 0.5, 0.2, 0.44},
  {0.70, 0.25, 0.6, 0.4, 0.33},
  {0.60, 0.31, 0.7, 0.6, 0.22},
  {0.70, 0.50, 0.8, 0.5, 0.11}}

 #declare I=0;
  #while (I < Dnum)
#declare Acid_Trip = 
 pigment {
  rgbft < Data[I][0], Data[I][1], Data[I][3], Data[I][4], Data[I][5] >
  }
  #declare I =I + 1;
 #end


  I could also use similar data to translate an object to a fixed number
of points in space like so:

#declare Dnum = 6;
#declare Data = array [Dnum][3]
{ {  10.60, -10.50,  10.3},
  { -10.70,  10.13, -10.4},
  {  10.60, -10.17,  10.5},
  { -10.70,  10.25, -10.6},
  {  10.60, -10.31,  10.7},
  { -10.70,  10.50, -10.8}}

 #declare I = 0;
  #while (I < Dnum)
    sphere { < Data[I][0], Data[I][1], Data[I][3] >, 1
   }
  #declare I = I + 1;
 #end

  The above example should produce six spheres located in space corrosponding
to the numbers stored in the array.

  There are many other possibilities with this function and I have only
just begun to explore them myself. In fact it is quite possible that my
syntax is wrong but the basic idea is correct.

-- 
Ken Tyler

mailto://tylereng@pacbell.net

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