I've been working with <a href = "http:\\www.blender3D.org">Blender's</a>
POV export script and doing the actual texturing in POV-Ray. It's been
working for stills, but the problem comes when I animate the meshes.

The script exports one mesh for each frame with an all inclusive pointer to
the meshes (i.e, you only have to edit one file for the texture to apply to
all frames). When I apply a pattern such as agate or bozo or a normal such
as bumps the pattern transforms each frame. For example, I have a robot
with bumpy orange "skin" that's torn to reveal metal. Each frame the "skin"
moves, grows, shrinks, etc.

Is there any way to get it to be constant so that when the mesh moves
forward the textures remain constant, meaning the same amount of "skin" is
on the hand and in the same location for the entire animation?

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Wasn't it dwmitch who wrote:
>I've been working with <a href = "http:\\www.blender3D.org">Blender's</a>
>POV export script and doing the actual texturing in POV-Ray. It's been
>working for stills, but the problem comes when I animate the meshes.
>
>The script exports one mesh for each frame with an all inclusive pointer to
>the meshes (i.e, you only have to edit one file for the texture to apply to
>all frames). When I apply a pattern such as agate or bozo or a normal such
>as bumps the pattern transforms each frame. For example, I have a robot
>with bumpy orange "skin" that's torn to reveal metal. Each frame the "skin"
>moves, grows, shrinks, etc.
>
>Is there any way to get it to be constant so that when the mesh moves
>forward the textures remain constant, meaning the same amount of "skin" is
>on the hand and in the same location for the entire animation?

Is it possible that you are not uvmapping the texture? That would have
the effect of the texture remaining fixed in space as the robot's hand
moves through it, so you get different parts of the texture on the hand
when the hand moves. If you use uvmapping, then the texture should move
with the hand.

I don't use Blender. If it doesn't output uv information in the mesh,
then you'd need to do something like outputting it as an OBJ file, using
UVMapper to add the uv information and something like ObjUVPov to
convert it to a POV mesh.

-- 
Mike Williams
Gentleman of Leisure

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It does output UV coordinates, but I'd like to be able to use features like
normal statements and reflection/refraction. I don't think that would be
possible through UV mapping, but I guess it wouldn't be possible anyway
without having the textures deform.

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Wasn't it dwmitch who wrote:
>It does output UV coordinates, but I'd like to be able to use features like
>normal statements and reflection/refraction. I don't think that would be
>possible through UV mapping, but I guess it wouldn't be possible anyway
>without having the textures deform.
>

I find that normals, reflection and refraction work just as well with uv
mapping as without, but you're never going to get textures to stick to a
non-rigid body without uv mapping.

-- 
Mike Williams
Gentleman of Leisure

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That's it! You're a genius! The way the export script works is by producing
a scene file, an INI file, and a whole crapload of include files
(Modeluvco, Modeltext_list, mainFilenamelamp(or lamps<frame number>), etc.)

I found out that the texture list file references the UV coordinates and
indices to make the texture. I just need to change the texture using the UV
data to a declare and include it in a texture map. Now I can have robots
with "skin" peeling off, objects with chunks broke off of them, and glowing
orbs partially concealed by rock and have it animate without the holes
getting bigger and changing shape!

>
>I find that normals, reflection and refraction work just as well with uv
>mapping as without, but you're never going to get textures to stick to a
>non-rigid body without uv mapping.
>
>Mike Williams
>Gentleman of Leisure
>

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