Jong wrote:
> 
> When a calcite crystal is laid on a page of newspaper, the characters would
> form double images. The refractive indices of the clacite crystal are 1.6584
> and 1.4864(n0 and ne, respectively)["Optics",p.337, Hecht]
> Would it be possible with some effort to simulate this phenomena for
> birefringent materials in the POV-ray 3.5?

That depends on the level of realism you want.  Birefringence is an effect
related to the polarization of light and a complete support for all
important effects related to polarization would require quite elementary
changes to POV-Ray.

If you however only want the optical effect of birefringent materials on
unpolarized light you could probably achieve this by a not that
complicated modification of the refraction code.  You would however
somehow have to define the orientation of the crystal, probably as a new
interior property.

> Are there any such programs to support this function other than POV?

Not that i know of.

Christoph

-- 
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