ok, i know that the pov-ray documentation is VERY good,
both tutorial-wise and syntax description.  but i went to barnes
and noble and there are no in-print books for pov-ray.

so i want somebody to write a big fat juicy pov-ray book
with beautiful renderings complete with chapters on using
third party software like 3DWin and Moray.   and chapters
on media and isosurfaces written so clearly that my pet
hamster can understand it.

so come on!  i know you experts don't have anything else to
do in your spare time!  ;-)

also, i would prefer the book to be given away for free, just
like the software.  fine print in the back saying its not exactly
free is acceptable.

miker

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"MR" <a### [at] bnet> wrote in message news:3bc70bd9@news.povray.org...

> also, i would prefer the book to be given away for free, just
> like the software.  fine print in the back saying its not exactly
> free is acceptable.
>

Correction, the text would be free, but they could still charge for the
materials and printing....

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Yeah, I'd pay at least $50 for the materials and printing for a
book like that. Although I'd rather it left Moray alone and had
a chapter on sPatch and Hamapatch. Of course it would have
a CD-ROM with those and other utilities on it. Anybody here
still have a copy of Image Lab? Ah, yes... good old PICLAB
and the original Stone Soup Group. Stop me before I become
too nostalgic ;-)

Harold

"Tom Melly" <tom### [at] tomandlucouk> wrote in message
news:3bc70fd5$1@news.povray.org...
> "MR" <a### [at] bnet> wrote in message news:3bc70bd9@news.povray.org...
>
> Correction, the text would be free, but they could still charge for the
> materials and printing....
>
>

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MR wrote:

> ok, i know that the pov-ray documentation is VERY good,
> both tutorial-wise and syntax description.  but i went to barnes
> and noble and there are no in-print books for pov-ray.
>
> so i want somebody to write a big fat juicy pov-ray book
> with beautiful renderings complete with chapters on using
> third party software like 3DWin and Moray.   and chapters
> on media and isosurfaces written so clearly that my pet
> hamster can understand it.
>
> so come on!  i know you experts don't have anything else to
> do in your spare time!  ;-)
>
> also, i would prefer the book to be given away for free, just
> like the software.  fine print in the back saying its not exactly
> free is acceptable.
>
> miker

We are working on one. The POV-Ray Book project at
http://www.povworld.de/book is underway, but running a little slow after
September 11.

We are still collecting material for consideration for inclusion, so
don't expect it to be ready by Christmas. (Sorry)


--
Josh English
eng### [at] spiritonecom
The POV-Ray Cyclopedia http://www.spiritone.com/~english/cyclopedia/

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3bc71b4f$1@news.povray.org...
> Anybody here still have a copy of Image Lab? Ah, yes... good old PICLAB
> and the original Stone Soup Group.

I do. This is the book that sent me into this hell-pit of perversion called
what-you-know. Ban books.
BTW I had to dig it out from a closet the other day because I needed the old
version of the Alchemy (a graphic file converter) that came with it.

G.

--

**********************
http://www.oyonale.com
**********************
Graphic experiments
Pov-ray gallery

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Harold Baize wrote:
> Although I'd rather it left Moray alone and had
> a chapter on sPatch and Hamapatch.

C'mon, give it a chapter on Moray.  And Rhino, since Rhino exports
POV/Moray.  Cover (even briefly) any 3rd party soft related to
POV.  Probably would only need a short blurb for most of the
tweaks/utilities, put those into one chapter under 'Other', but
Moray is complex enough to devote an entire chapter (if not a
separate book) to.
-- 
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.scifi-fantasy.com

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Yeah, that was want I meant to say. Moray
is way too complex for just a chapter, it
needs its own book, so I'd leave it out since
you can't do it justice. If you gave proper
coverage to all the various utilities the book
would have to come is six volumes!

HB

"Timothy R. Cook" <tim### [at] scifi-fantasycom> wrote in message
news:3BC721C3.D2FDAA69@scifi-fantasy.com...
>
> Moray is complex enough to devote an entire chapter (if not a
> separate book) to.
> --
> Tim Cook
> http://empyrean.scifi-fantasy.com
>

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Harold Baize wrote:
> If you gave proper coverage to all the various utilities the book
> would have to come is six volumes!

Or the main book, supplemented by a monthly magazine highlighting
different utilities and raytracings, then there's the breakfast
cereals, lunch boxes, collectable card games...really, the sky's
the limit ;)
-- 
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.scifi-fantasy.com

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MR <a### [at] bnet> wrote:
:  and chapters
: on media and isosurfaces written so clearly that my pet
: hamster can understand it.

  Don't get confused. Sometimes there just aren't any shortcuts. If something
requires knowledge and exprience, then it requires knowledge and experience.
There are no "magical" tutorials which can teach you in one hour what usually
requires years of experience. There's no such a thing as a free meal.
  Think about a foreign language: There just isn't any way you can teach it
to someone in a short time, no matter what you do. It just requires practice
and practice... No shortcuts.

  Isosurfaces are not as difficult as a foreign language, of course, but
there still isn't any shortcut. You need to know something about math, period.
  In fact, the best way to learn how to make good isosurfaces is not a
POV-Ray tutorial or book, but reading and studying *math* books! If you have
good mathematical knowledge about functions and mathematical surfaces, you
can master isosurfaces like a pro.
  For example, if you want to make a cone with elliptical end caps (of
different shapes), the best place to look is not a POV-Ray tutorial, but
a math book (or if you have enough math experience you can deduce it yourself,
which is the optimal situation).

-- 
#macro N(D,I)#if(I<6)cylinder{M()#local D[I]=div(D[I],104);M().5,2pigment{
rgb M()}}N(D,(D[I]>99?I:I+1))#end#end#macro M()<mod(D[I],13)-6,mod(div(D[I
],13),8)-3,10>#end blob{N(array[6]{11117333955,
7382340,3358,3900569407,970,4254934330},0)}//                     - Warp -

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Hmm gives me an idea for a rendering...
"Delicious, whole-grain cereal with the shapes of your favourite
primitives and some special treats (Look for all the stellations
of the icosahedron!  Collect the whole set!)."

...sorry ;)

-- 
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.scifi-fantasy.com

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PGP-(--) t* 5++>+++++ X+ R* tv+ b++(+++) DI
D++(---) G(++) e*>++ h+ !r--- !y--
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