Thanks for that really long explanation!

If I understand right you say that both, a scanline algorithm and an 
unoptimized ray-tracing algorithm will take [image pixel] * [objects in 
scene] * [some constant factor] time (the objects could be triangles).

Then you explain how the raytracing algorithm could be optimized and 
compare it again with the (unoptimized!) scanline algorithm. Hmmm...

But couldn't the same (or other - e.g. octree) optimizations be applied 
to the scanline algorithm too?

Maybe I'm completely wrong, but doesn't your posting suggest that a 
raytracer will always outperform a scanline-renderer if just the number 
of objects is large enough?

I really don't want to start another scanline vs. raytracing flame-war 
here - each has its pros and cons which have already been discussed a 
million times - I just doubt that speed is a pro of raytracing...

Sascha

Thorsten Froehlich wrote:
> In article <3ee46215@news.povray.org> , "Thorsten Froehlich" 
> <tho### [at] trfde> wrote:
> 
> 
>>c2*m*sqrt(n^(1/3)) = c2*m*n^(1/6)
> 
> 
> Ups, this should be c2*m*sqrt((n^(1/3))^2*3) and thus c2*m*n^(1/3), but it
> does not change anything.
> 
>     Thorsten
> 
> ____________________________________________________
> Thorsten Froehlich, Duisburg, Germany
> e-mail: tho### [at] trfde
> 
> Visit POV-Ray on the web: http://mac.povray.org

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