Andrey Skvortsov wrote:
> I have a simple question. Bernd, why do you think it's easier to write 
> xml/xslt parser with the suport of advanced features rather than to 
> extend current Povray SDL.  i think to write XML parser is more difficult.

You're right and I am wrong. I just overlooked some features that POVRay 
is able to do (these # seemed a bit like preprocessing directives and 
thus I thought for some time that POVRay is basically nothing more then 
a raytracer with a very advanced preprocessor). I see now that it is a 
programming language but I still think that it isn't a good one. Some 
missing features have been mentioned by "Warp". I don't know if it's all 
true or if you can do some things some awkward way. Because of certain 
abilities of POVRay that can't be done in XML that good XML won't be a 
good solution. At least it might not be fast enough, especcially since 
XSLT isn't advanced enough yet.
What should be thought of is this: There are a lot of good programming 
languages out there: C/C++, Java, Pascal/Delphi, JavaScript, XML, 
Scheme, Prolog, PHP, and so on. Why does POVRay need to have it's very 
own programming language that is compatible to none of the existing 
ones? The only thing that POVRay needs to do is this (simplified):

* Assemble scene from different sources (include files, macros, geometry 
generating code and so on).
* Render scene.

So one has to ask: How can I get all that date in a clean and easy way 
from all kinds of different sources to the renderer? What sources might 
that be?
* Texture generating programs, texture files (in all kinds of formats)
* Geometry generating programs, 3d files (like 3dsmax, DXF and so on)
* material libraries.

So tell me: What way should be used to assemble all that data and send 
it to the POVRay renderer?

> Have you tried Povray?  it's  a very easy script.

I have written some simple scenes. Then I tried to make my own little 
object generation function library. Then I tried to generate pictures 
with labels (orthogonal camera mode) which did not work the right way.
So I say: POVRay SDL is easy for easy things but hell for certain 
advanced things (esp. modularization).

 > May be you could help
> in Pov parser/SDL development? 4th version would appear sooner.

Cool. Where do I have to go to join development team? #4 doesn't seem to 
be under development. Or is it? Couldn't find any info, any invitation, 
anything.

Regards,
Bernd Fuhrmann

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