If interested here are some of my thoughts on features for the pov4.0
c++
release:

   1. This one is simple and could be implemented now without too much
trouble, but would be very convenient to povers.. we have a union, a
diff.
a ... ect why not a simple group keyword that does not physically
combine the objects just groups them so they can be manipulated as one,
like with translate or scale or something. this info could probably also
used
for calculating bounding slabs.(quicker, more efficiently??)
   2. One should be able to create and delete objects from a scene at
any time.(and a delete group object would recursively remove all the
object contained by that group...)
   3. The pov-core should be like a library, providing basic functions
to other programs. For example, it could define methods like
pov.parser.load_scene_from_file() pov.renderer.trace_scene(), making it
easy for new methods to be added like load_scene_from_binary_file() or
trace_partial_scene() for cluster rendering. these functions in turn
could be called by other
programs,(so that one program might say: load scene, render, write as
jpeg, another as gif, while others might be like modellers, where the
modeler doesn't have to worry about parsing pov-format files, it can
just call load_scene(), maybe even a write_scene(), and
manipulate_scene(), to modify an existing scene(imagine you can make a
change in a pov modeller/editor and then click the render button without
even saving the file and having pov reread and reparse it!!))and the use
would be independent from the
core, which would probably encourage more utilities and generally cool
stuff to be made by and for pov enthusiastic.
note: this would also make it more portable, nothing platform specific
would be included in the core. 
   4. plugable... plugable object types, plugable effects, plugable
cameras.. everything. If this happened, I would even write a
plugger-client/server to connect to the official plug-in site, and offer
all users a easy way to download/install/ any plug-ins.. you could even
have different channels.. ever seen helix-code update???
   5. multiple cameras, why can't I define 10 cameras in one scene, and
then say, pov.renderer.trace_scene(POVCamera camera)
   6. why not give each object, including group objects, and cameras a
name, so it can be easily referenced later(so it can be removed, moved,
scaled, change properties like color...(animator's might like this;>)
   7.  well thats it for now... any opinions?? by the way i don't mean
to be critical of povray, I just wanted to give everybody some stuff to
think about.

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