POV-Ray : Newsgroups : povray.general : Speed of light : Speed of light Server Time
20 Nov 2024 10:15:48 EST (-0500)
  Speed of light  
From: Andrew
Date: 17 Sep 2001 19:35:45
Message: <3ba688d1$2@news.povray.org>
OK, here's an idea, if someone feels up to programming it.  How about
have a finite speed of light for use in animations?  The clock variable
would define "time" in the scene, and light would travel outwards at a
given speed from all the lights in the scene, illuminating things only
when the light had reached them and had enough time to travel back to
the camera.  Presumably, one would have to keep track of the distance a
particular ray would have "travelled", and check if it has had long
enough to reach the camera.

This could be used to very interesting effect in animations with a slow
speed of light.  A room illuminated by a few lights would gradually
light up, but then any mirrors in the room would begin to light up
later.  Also, moving objects would appear at different places in
mirrors.

I guess this wouldn't work too well with radiosity, though.


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