I've been messing about with a microsoft beta download called hdview which
basically allows you to view large images in a viewer (similar to other
tools). You can also slice up an image using another download hdmake to
produce the tile set you need.

Well here's the crazy idea, anyone interesting in contributing to a large
image just for fun. I'm thinking along the lines of every participant
creating an object to be placed into the image. For instance as we're on
our way to xmas how about a toyshop with a myriad of toys on the shelf each
created by individual users.

There's one more little twist, we could create two versions of the image
(objects) so that zooming in on the detail will reveal something new (a
jack in the box popping out for instance).

To see what I mean look at the link I've knocked up here, you'll need to
download an activex control (the viewer) then zoom to the top left horse
(thing) of the clock face.

It's a crazy idea, but just though I'd air it for fun, in case there's any
takers. Could be along any theme, obviously the objects will need to be not
too complex (as their could be many,...or not).

http://www.mattmilton.eclipse.co.uk/Ben/HDView-Example.htm

Post a reply to this message

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

For starters, if you want people like me to participate, you'll have to
come up with something that we can actually see on our own computers.
:-) (Hint: ActiveX only works on Windows.)

Other than that, this sounds like a neat variation on the Pov-pong
concept, and I like it.

- --
William Tracy
afi### [at] gmailcom -- wtr### [at] calpolyedu

You know you've been raytracing too long when you have to buy a new
computer to do your homework on because the other 5 are still rendering
that cool finale of "Godzilla meets the Julia monster ... with
volumetric lights".
    00 AmaltheaJ5
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.6 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org

iD8DBQFHDPKacCmTzQ++ZncRAhCaAJ9Dmkhj35d/2rUQw8xQIHOumDo1iACgo2XJ
8tsT/rtv6nO2+Y96ZFAa/9k=
=9+TD
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Post a reply to this message

Yeah I did realize that it's windows only, I haven't look at other viewers
and how cross platform they are (and how easy it is to create content).

Anyone any experience of other similar viewers?

Post a reply to this message

"MattM" <mat### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
> Yeah I did realize that it's windows only, I haven't look at other viewers
> and how cross platform they are (and how easy it is to create content).
>
> Anyone any experience of other similar viewers?

Isnt the common language something all inet browsers understand, as in
write the functions you need, how much graphic power you need?

Post a reply to this message

There's two separate issues here.

1. Creating a large collaborative povray image.

2. Displaying it. Once we have an image we could display in many ways, via a
simple tiled html page that clicks through to the larger images for instance
(very easy) and/or we can create versions for any suitable viewer.

Post a reply to this message

"MattM" <mat### [at] hotmailcom> wrote:
> There's two separate issues here.
>
> 1. Creating a large collaborative povray image.
>
> 2. Displaying it. Once we have an image we could display in many ways, via a
> simple tiled html page that clicks through to the larger images for instance
> (very easy) and/or we can create versions for any suitable viewer.

Oh! Is that an advent calendar that you want to make? The French community
did one last year.
I have a music box with a revolving ballerina that I made for a tribute to
Moray Ver 3.5 a few years ago. It can be opened and closed for before and
after. Assuming it did not disappear into a HD crash black hole you can
have the Pov files. One problem we ran into was system recourses on the
machine that was used to do the rendering. When the individual scenes were
combined they were too big and resource hungry for the project to be
practical.


Stephen

Post a reply to this message

Well xmas it is then (I was open to any theme) I think ray-tracers all get
secretly exciting about rendering baubles etc when it comes down to it.

I'm glad you've had some experience of this, I think rendering resources is
a potential obstacle, as long as individual contributions are sensible, you
know, not using a 2MB mesh for each snowdrop etc we could create quite a
large pic. Also we could just render portions of the image then stitch them
together to get around that problem.

Your object sounds ideal.

I was going to mention some sort of standard to make things easy which is
basically to provide an .inc file with just the object/s (no scene, global
stuff etc) with details of what object/macro name to call from the main
file).

If you can see my email, I'd be happy to accept it there.

thanks

Now we need more takers! I mean if we're thinking gigapixel images (yes I
know pov has a limit) we need many many objects!

(It did cross my mind that a great image would rival/beat
themilliondollarwebsite in terms of a users interest, advertising etc, but
I'm not suggesting this to make money, its in the spirit of collaborative
art!!)

Post a reply to this message

"MattM" <mat### [at] hotmailcom> wrote in message 
news:web.470cf6eee510ffd24ef43cef0@news.povray.org...
> Yeah I did realize that it's windows only, I haven't look at other viewers
> and how cross platform they are (and how easy it is to create content).
>
> Anyone any experience of other similar viewers?
>
>

HTML has supported image maps more or less forever. It's a technology that's 
not used much these days, but, so far as I'm aware it works on every browser 
on all platforms. It's extremely easy to set up and doesn't need any fancy 
tools. You just define the shapes you want to control and actions to perform 
when something happens inside that shape.

You can overlay images using 'absolute' positioning. This means you can have 
a single big image with lots of small animated bits that don't take long to 
load. You can have as many areas as you want (circles or rectangles) and you 
can do more or less anything you want when the user initiates an event (by 
clicking the area/rolling the mouse over it etc.) e.g. running an animated 
gif, linking to a larger image/animation, loading a sound file etc.

The following example displays a big picture and overlays a small animated 
GIF that it hides away by specifying 'display:none'. When the specified area 
within the image is clicked it changes it to display=block, making it 
visible, showing the animation.


<img src=WholeScene.jpg
  style="position:absolute;left:0;top:0"
  usemap="#imagemap"
>
<img src=SmallAnimation.gif  id="Anim1" 
style="position:absolute;left:366;top:231;display:none">

<map name="imagemap">
  <area
    ALT="Click Me" TITLE="Click Me"
    SHAPE=CIRCLE COORDS="444,291,58"
    onclick='document.getElementById("Anim1").style.display="block"'
  >
</map>


regards,
Chris B.

Post a reply to this message

Cool Chris, my everyday job involves writing such code. I think we'd
definitly have to create a dhtml version for everyone to view.

In fact look at this...

http://www.gigapan.org

It's very much like google earth, upload your own gigapixel images and
browse them, no controls in sight.

Post a reply to this message

I tell a lie, it's a flash control deerrrr, still, it's pretty generic.

Post a reply to this message