I'm new to POV and this simple problem has been driving me nuts for days. 
I created a height field bitmap for a lunar crater, and no matter where I
put the camera I can only see an edge-on view of the crater.  I can't seem
to get above it and look down into it.

I've moved the camera to every concievable location in the known universe,
and all I ever see it side views (bigger or smaller depending on distance),
but NEVER a top down view. 

camera{ location <0, 30, -30>  look_at < 0, 0 , 0 >  }
//( or camera location < 0, 30, 0 > or < 0, 300, -5 > or , <-200, 3000, -10
> it seem to matter doesn't matter )
 light_source{ <1000,5000,-1000> White }
 height_field {
    gif "crater.gif"
    smooth
    pigment { White }
    translate < -0.5, -0.5, -0.5 >
    scale < 10, 10, 0.2 > //(If I make the z-scale value bigger it gets WAY
too tall and the walls are too steep.)  
}

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Hi,
Try this:
translate<-0.5,0,-0.5>//the heightfield is now centred.
scale<10,h,10>// and scaled.See the povray documentation, section 7.5.2.5

where h is the height you wish.




> I'm new to POV and this simple problem has been driving me nuts for day
s.
> I created a height field bitmap for a lunar crater, and no matter where
 I
> put the camera I can only see an edge-on view of the crater.  I can't s
eem
> to get above it and look down into it.
>
> I've moved the camera to every concievable location in the known univer
se,
> and all I ever see it side views (bigger or smaller depending on distan
ce),
> but NEVER a top down view.
>
> camera{ location <0, 30, -30>  look_at < 0, 0 , 0 >  }
> //( or camera location < 0, 30, 0 > or < 0, 300, -5 > or , <-200, 3000,
 -10
> > it seem to matter doesn't matter )
>  light_source{ <1000,5000,-1000> White }
>  height_field {
>     gif "crater.gif"
>     smooth
>     pigment { White }
>     translate < -0.5, -0.5, -0.5 >
>     scale < 10, 10, 0.2 > //(If I make the z-scale value bigger it gets
 WAY
> too tall and the walls are too steep.)
> }

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