"Raymond" <ray### [at] trimbleconz> wrote in message
news:web.3e3390b894ba8eb2802871ed0@news.povray.org...
> Below is a scene that attempts to do a much simpler version of the
> optics.pov scene. Essentially it it a spotlight shining along the Z axis
> onto a mirror sitting at the origin and inclined 45 degrees. The light
> source and mirror sit within a box containing media that is intended to
> react to photons to produce a light scattering showing the path of the
> lightbeam before and after it is reflected by the mirror.
>
> Unfortunately, while the light beam is visible as it approaches the
mirror,
> it is not visible after it has been reflected by the mirror.
>
> I have attempted to model this scene as closely as possible to the
technique
> that is used in optics.pov. However, I have obviously missed some detail
> that eludes me :-(

It can be frustrating, even if you set it up as right as seems necessary,
when you see one scene file do what you can't get POV to do yourself.

Main things you have wrong is the lack of a photons block in the mirror
object and too low samples in the media. I removed the photons block from
the media container since that isn't needed (apparently). So basically what
I did is add:

  photons {
   target
   reflection on
   collect off
   }

and used intervals 4 samples 40,80. Which still wasn't enough really, and it
is already very slow. I realize intervals is supposed to be on auotpilot
whhen method 3 is used but it seems to help setting it and keeping samples
lower. Otherwise I was having to go real high on the samples (100 or more).
Oh, and I also went with a spacing 0.02; since I never use count in the
global photons block I don't know it as well.

Post a reply to this message