On 09/15/2016 08:33 PM, SecondCup wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I'm trying to render a scene in pov ray of a real life mineral ore body. The ore
> body has been made and is a complicated wireframe modeled in a mining software
> in .dxf format. What is the best way to convert this to something pov-ray can
> read, where I can then use the program to adjust the textures, colors and the
> usual stuff once its placed where I want it.
>
> Ive downloaded 'PoseRay' by FlyerX and had played with this for a while but I'm
> wondering if there is something that can make it a little easier to import.
>
> It doesn't have to be .dxf, if someone knows and easier format that pov-ray
> likes while retaining its detail, I'm willing to try this too.
>
> Apologies for the repeat question, but I've tried multiple links provided on the
> 'resources: Conversion utilities' page and many appear to be not in use anymore.
>
>

I'm not aware of a direct path to povray from dxf. If the mining 
software can output obj(povray import just added to 3.7.1) or something 
PoseRay can handle that is probably the easiest path into POV-Ray as 
others have suggested. The latter the better path, if you are getting 
materials/textures from which you'd like to start.

Though I've not used them, I know of FreeCAD and OpenSCAD. At least from 
their docs it looks like there is perhaps path for the mesh data:

dxf -> openscad -> off -> freecad -> povray

There is too the MeshLab tool I've played with a little, which can 
import/export many mesh formats as well as process them in various ways 
- but it doesn't import or export from the POV-Ray native mesh formats.

Bill P.

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