I have decided to fix/improve some of the standard include files that come 
with PovRay, and submit them to the POV Team for inclusion. The first on the 
list is metals.inc.

The include files will be done one by one, starting with the texture 
includes.

I would also like to have the community donate their best textures to this 
effort. It will be important for these textures to use features that v3.7 
will have, no megapov specific textures, please. Compatibility with 
radiosity also a plus.

Depending on the volume of response, I may make a portal available on my 
site for this purpose. That would be later if needed at all.

I will take care of contact sheets.

So for now, bring your best textures!

ian

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Forgive me if I am wrong, but just a question: There has been an major 
updating effort of the .inc files done by Jim Holsenback c.s. somewhen last 
year. Is your project not duplicating their effort to some extent?

Thomas

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I seem to be wrong indeed. Those updates concerned the sample scene files, 
not the .inc files.

[I type faster than my thoughts...]

So, to answer your request, that seems a great idea. I shall browse through 
my texture collection to see if anything is worthwhile there.

Thomas

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"Thomas de Groot" <tDOTdegroot@interDOTnlANOTHERDOTnet> wrote in message
news:49cc917d@news.povray.org...
> I seem to be wrong indeed. Those updates concerned the sample scene files,
> not the .inc files.

yes that's correct, however I did make some changes to glass includes ...

Post a reply to this message

"[GDS|Entropy]" <gds-entropy AT hotmail DOT com> wrote in message
news:49cbdec4@news.povray.org...
>  Compatibility with radiosity also a plus.

This one gets my vote! If I want to use any of the "canned" textures I've
been redefining the finishes by setting a variable, then a conditional test
in the finish block .... so moving that overhead into an include file sounds
like a winner to me.

Jim

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"Thomas de Groot" <tDOTdegroot@interDOTnlANOTHERDOTnet> wrote:
> Forgive me if I am wrong, but just a question: There has been an major
> updating effort of the .inc files done by Jim Holsenback c.s. somewhen last
> year. Is your project not duplicating their effort to some extent?

What has happened to that effort then?

Post a reply to this message

"clipka" <nomail@nomail> wrote in message
news:web.49cd002843368518208afb30@news.povray.org...
> "Thomas de Groot" <tDOTdegroot@interDOTnlANOTHERDOTnet> wrote:
> > Forgive me if I am wrong, but just a question: There has been an major
> > updating effort of the .inc files done by Jim Holsenback c.s. somewhen
last
> > year. Is your project not duplicating their effort to some extent?
>
> What has happened to that effort then?

maybe I wasn't clear (wouldn't be the first time) ....

there was work done on sample scene files. I didn't mess with the includes
with the exception of the glass includes

Cheers

Post a reply to this message

"Jim Holsenback" <jho### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
> "[GDS|Entropy]" <gds-entropy AT hotmail DOT com> wrote in message
> news:49cbdec4@news.povray.org...
> >  Compatibility with radiosity also a plus.
>
> This one gets my vote! If I want to use any of the "canned" textures I've
> been redefining the finishes by setting a variable, then a conditional test
> in the finish block .... so moving that overhead into an include file sounds
> like a winner to me.
>
> Jim


I have done something similar to make my finishes work during test renders with
no radiosity, then switch to a more radiosity-compatible version with a single
variable change.

My default finish settings are similar to below, as set by a custom include
file:
//CODE:
#ifndef( scene_ambient ) #local scene_ambient = 0.15; #end
#ifndef( scene_diffuse ) #local scene_diffuse = 0.85; #end

#default{

#default{
    finish
    {
        ambient scene_ambient
        diffuse scene_diffuse
    }
}


Within the actual scene, I have something like:
#declare use_radiosity = off;
#declare use_mc = off;

#if( use_radiosity | use_mc )
 #declare scene_diffuse   = 0.99;
 #declare scene_ambient   = 0.00;
 #declare light_intensity = 0.50;
#else
 #declare scene_diffuse   = 0.90;
 #declare scene_ambient   = 0.15;
 #declare light_intensity = 0.85;
#end

The most important part is mainly the ambient component of the finish, since
using the same ambient value for a radiosity scene as compared to a
non-radiosity scene usually looks wrong.

I know there is always the concern of identifier name collisions, but having a
switch or two that toggles some of the commonly changed components of the
finishes would be very handy.


-Reactor

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"[GDS|Entropy]" <gds-entropy    AT    hotmail   DOT  com> wrote:
> I have decided to fix/improve some of the standard include files that come
> with PovRay, and submit them to the POV Team for inclusion. The first on the
> list is metals.inc.
>
> The include files will be done one by one, starting with the texture
> includes.
>

Not concerning textures, but rather shapes.inc:  I came up with some
changes/fixes to the HF-generating macros there (some necessary, some of my own
choosing), which I posted...

http://news.povray.org/povray.advanced-users/thread/%3Cweb.48e0b5a74b96f64378dcad930%40news.povray.org%3E/

and

http://news.povray.org/povray.general/thread/%3Cweb.48f6d3aa220cdb3e78dcad930%40news.povray.org%3E/

The thing is, I'm not so sure how to proceed; my changes probably need vetting
by the POV team.  (They work great for me, no problems--but my code could
probably be improved by more astute programmers.  And some of my simple changes
*do* slow down the .inc file's execution...which could probably be fixed by some
better code.) And there are one or two needed fixes that I never got around to,
due to a lack of code knowledge on my part.

But all in all, I think my changes are good ones, and remove some buggy behavior
with hi-rez HFs. Consider my efforts to be a 'template' to be further improved.

Ken W.

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BTW, I'd be happy to post my modified shapes.inc file, if it would be helpful.

KW

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"[GDS|Entropy]" <gds-entropy    AT    hotmail   DOT  com> wrote:

> I would also like to have the community donate their best textures to this
> effort. It will be important for these textures to use features that v3.7
> will have, no megapov specific textures, please. Compatibility with
> radiosity also a plus.
>
> Depending on the volume of response, I may make a portal available on my
> site for this purpose. That would be later if needed at all.
>
> I will take care of contact sheets.
>
> So for now, bring your best textures!
>
> ian

Regarding our texture ideas: Should we post them here? If so, I'm thinking that
it might be better to switch this thread over to p.b.i--before it gets too
involved--so that we can post images of what our textures look like. Just a
thought.

KW

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Greetings.

Any modified .inc files that others have done would be great to post as 
well.

Below you will find a program which can assist finding textures on your HDD 
for this project:
http://www.friedemann-schmidt.com/software/index.html

It will not properly preview with 3.6/3.7, but does generate valid contact 
sheets.

I have contacted the author about updating or relaesing the source, but I 
expect no joy in either department.

Find here Fredrich Lohmullers insert menu add-on:
http://f-lohmueller.de/pov_tut/addon/insert0.htm

I think this might be a good thing to include in the default installation of 
povray as well.
I have asked him if he would be cool with this, currently waiting for a 
response.

ian

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"Kenneth" <kdw### [at] earthlinknet> wrote in message 
news:web.49cd4bf8b8d33e5f50167bc0@news.povray.org...
> "[GDS|Entropy]" <gds-entropy    AT    hotmail   DOT  com> wrote:
>
>> I would also like to have the community donate their best textures to 
>> this
>> effort. It will be important for these textures to use features that v3.7
>> will have, no megapov specific textures, please. Compatibility with
>> radiosity also a plus.
>>
>> Depending on the volume of response, I may make a portal available on my
>> site for this purpose. That would be later if needed at all.
>>
>> I will take care of contact sheets.
>>
>> So for now, bring your best textures!
>>
>> ian
>
> Regarding our texture ideas: Should we post them here? If so, I'm thinking 
> that
> it might be better to switch this thread over to p.b.i--before it gets too
> involved--so that we can post images of what our textures look like. Just 
> a
> thought.
>
> KW

That could be a good idea. If we used the txview342 program we can generate 
contact sheets for all textures, then select the ones we wish to submit for 
inclusion, and generate contact sheets for those.

You can always e-mail me the files as well, and let me do the dirty work.

BTW your modified shapes.inc and macros would be good to post. Anything that 
improves povray should be included.

I'm trying to convert some c++ gaussian/other rand code to povray as well. 
That is rather difficult thought do to the fact we don't have datatypes and 
proper for/do loops. :-(

ian

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"Jim Holsenback" <jho### [at] hotmailcom> wrote in message 
news:49cd1fd8@news.povray.org...
> "clipka" <nomail@nomail> wrote in message
> news:web.49cd002843368518208afb30@news.povray.org...
>> "Thomas de Groot" <tDOTdegroot@interDOTnlANOTHERDOTnet> wrote:
>> > Forgive me if I am wrong, but just a question: There has been an major
>> > updating effort of the .inc files done by Jim Holsenback c.s. somewhen
> last
>> > year. Is your project not duplicating their effort to some extent?
>>
>> What has happened to that effort then?
>
> maybe I wasn't clear (wouldn't be the first time) ....
>
> there was work done on sample scene files. I didn't mess with the includes
> with the exception of the glass includes
>
> Cheers
>

Hey, throw those into the mix as well. Anything that helps, helps. :-)

ian

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Given that the .inc and sample scene files are covered under the 
povlegal.doc, I doubt that source forge will approve my project for hosting 
there, but I tried anyway and sent them a copy of the doc.

If they do not approve it, I will probably setup some kind of hosting on my 
website.
I will probably give out usernames and passwords to people who wish to 
contribute, and have their submissions go into an XML file within a CDATA 
block. I will probably not support image upload, but I might. Hopefully 
sourceforge will be cool and approve the project because I really don't feel 
like setting up all that crap unless I really have to. ;-D

ian

Post a reply to this message

"[GDS|Entropy]" <gds-entropy    AT    hotmail   DOT  com> wrote:
> I'm trying to convert some c++ gaussian/other rand code to povray as well.
> That is rather difficult thought do to the fact we don't have datatypes and
> proper for/do loops. :-(

Are the rand.inc macros *that* bad?

Post a reply to this message

"Jim Holsenback" <jho### [at] hotmailcom> schreef in bericht 
news:49cca446$1@news.povray.org...
>
> yes that's correct, however I did make some changes to glass includes ...

I think that is where I erred in my (faulty) memory... My excuses for the 
confusion.

Thomas

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"clipka" <nomail@nomail> wrote in message 
news:web.49cd8e2eb8d33e5208afb30@news.povray.org...
> "[GDS|Entropy]" <gds-entropy    AT    hotmail   DOT  com> wrote:
>> I'm trying to convert some c++ gaussian/other rand code to povray as 
>> well.
>> That is rather difficult thought do to the fact we don't have datatypes 
>> and
>> proper for/do loops. :-(
>
> Are the rand.inc macros *that* bad?
>

Hmm....so it appears that it already HAS gaussian rand...lol....less I have 
to do now. ;-)

ian

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Yup...sourceforge didn't like the POV terms...oh well...screw them then. ;-p

I guess for now just either post to PBI or e-mail me whatever you guys come 
up with for textures..

ian

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"[GDS|Entropy]" <gds-entropy    AT    hotmail   DOT  com> wrote:
> Hmm....so it appears that it already HAS gaussian rand...lol....less I have
> to do now. ;-)

One thing that *might* come in handy would be a set of complementary functions
to compute the distribution density.

Post a reply to this message

> Yup...sourceforge didn't like the POV terms...oh well...screw them then. 
> ;-p

Since you are touching up the include files it probably would be best just 
to
mark them as LGPL to be licence compatible in the future?

Post a reply to this message

"Tim Attwood" <tim### [at] anti-spamcomcastnet> wrote in message 
news:49ceaa02$1@news.povray.org...
>> Yup...sourceforge didn't like the POV terms...oh well...screw them then. 
>> ;-p
>
> Since you are touching up the include files it probably would be best just 
> to
> mark them as LGPL to be licence compatible in the future?
>

THe only problem with that is that those files are covered under the 
povlegal.doc and so I can't just go switching licenses on the POV 
team....I'd have to get their permission to do something like that. I was 
actually suprised to read in the doc that we can't even use sample scenes to 
create derivative works! So I guess technically I need to get permission 
from the pov team to even do what I'm currently doing. :-|

ian

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