Whenever I try to use a parametric object I get an error message
"float factor expected but function found instead."
For instance, if I use the example from the manual (sec 6.5.5) to
draw a sphere,

  parametric {
    function { sin(u)*cos(v) }
    function { sin(u)*sin(v) }
    function { cos(u) }

    <0,0>, <2*pi,pi>
    contained_by { sphere{0, 1.1} }
    max_gradient ??
    accuracy 0.0001
    precompute 10 x,y,z
    pigment {rgb 1}
  }

Parsing...  parametric {
    function { sin(u)*cos(v) }
    function  <----ERROR

parametric-sphere.pov:3: error: float factor expected but function found
instead.

I'm not really clear on the syntax, so I've tried variations, but I always
get this message.  I've tried a couple examples posted in the povray
newsgroups, and they also gave me this message.  I am using povray
3.0.20-10 in Debian Woody (i386).  Any clues?  Can someone post a complete
(reasonably short) working file with a parametric object usage?

Thanks for any help.
Liam

Post a reply to this message

Try putting commas after the first two functions:

     function { sin(u)*cos(v) },
     function { sin(u)*sin(v) },
     function { cos(u) }


I took that straight out of section 6.5.5 of the documentation (searched the
index for "parametric.")

 - Slime
[ http://www.slimeland.com/ ]

Post a reply to this message

In article <web.3e3472c9207607823b54632b0@news.povray.org> , "Liam" 
<lnp### [at] healywashingtondcus> wrote:

> I'm not really clear on the syntax, so I've tried variations, but I always
> get this message.  I've tried a couple examples posted in the povray
> newsgroups, and they also gave me this message.  I am using povray
> 3.0.20-10 in Debian Woody (i386).  Any clues?  Can someone post a complete
> (reasonably short) working file with a parametric object usage?

The version of POV-Ray included in Debian is completely outdated (by about
half a decade).  Even worse, it isn't even an official version but some kind
of patched version.

To run any current POV-Ray scene you will need either POV-Ray 3.1 or POV-Ray
3.5 which are available from www.povray.org .

    Thorsten

____________________________________________________
Thorsten Froehlich
e-mail: mac### [at] povrayorg

I am a member of the POV-Ray Team.
Visit POV-Ray on the web: http://mac.povray.org

Post a reply to this message

Slime wrote:
>Try putting commas after the first two functions:
>
>     function { sin(u)*cos(v) },
>     function { sin(u)*sin(v) },
>     function { cos(u) }
>
>
>I took that straight out of section 6.5.5 of the documentation (searched the
>index for "parametric.")
>
> - Slime
>

This doesn't help at all.  Believe me, I tried all combinations of commas,
lack thereof, etc.  This solution is in the next message.

Post a reply to this message

Thorsten Froehlich wrote:
>In article <web.3e3472c9207607823b54632b0[at]news.povray.org> , "Liam"
><lnp### [at] healywashingtondcus> wrote:
>
>> I'm not really clear on the syntax, so I've tried variations, but I always
>> get this message.  I've tried a couple examples posted in the povray
>> newsgroups, and they also gave me this message.  I am using povray
>> 3.0.20-10 in Debian Woody (i386).  Any clues?  Can someone post a complete
>> (reasonably short) working file with a parametric object usage?
>
>The version of POV-Ray included in Debian is completely outdated (by about
>half a decade).  Even worse, it isn't even an official version but some kind
>of patched version.
>
.... and even worse, it's apparently broken.

>To run any current POV-Ray scene you will need either POV-Ray 3.1 or POV-Ray
>3.5 which are available from www.povray.org .
>

and this is the solution, v 3.5 from the povray site works fine.  I finally
hit upon trying this version shortly after posting my original query.
What's really interesting to me is this question has never come up before
(google and google groups draw a blank).  That tells me nobody uses the
Debian version, at least for parametric objects.

>    Thorsten

Thanks Thorsten.

Post a reply to this message