I have a question I was hoping someone here could help me with.

Edmund Keefe made a very nice light cycle mesh seen here:

http://www.a1eddie.com/cycle.htm

His model is downloadable here:

http://www.a1eddie.com/models.htm

and he's using 3d studio max 6.

A friend used AccuTrans 3D to convert his model into the pov format and I'm
comparing it to my CSG 100% POV-Ray light cycle.  Check out this little gif

http://www.wwwmwww.com/TRON/compare2.gif

So here is my question... why do all the edges of his mesh jump out as very
sharp edges in my renders when everything he's does in 3d studio max 6
comes out looking like it has nice smooth curves?  Is there something I
could do in POV-Ray to smooth out these edges?

Thanks,
Carl

Post a reply to this message

Wasn't it Carl who wrote:
>I have a question I was hoping someone here could help me with.
>
>Edmund Keefe made a very nice light cycle mesh seen here:
>
>http://www.a1eddie.com/cycle.htm
>
>His model is downloadable here:
>
>http://www.a1eddie.com/models.htm
>
>and he's using 3d studio max 6.
>
>A friend used AccuTrans 3D to convert his model into the pov format and I'm
>comparing it to my CSG 100% POV-Ray light cycle.  Check out this little gif
>
>http://www.wwwmwww.com/TRON/compare2.gif
>
>So here is my question... why do all the edges of his mesh jump out as very
>sharp edges in my renders when everything he's does in 3d studio max 6
>comes out looking like it has nice smooth curves?  Is there something I
>could do in POV-Ray to smooth out these edges?

One of the things that's going on is that you're losing some or all of
the normals in the conversion process. If you convert the model directly
from the 3DS file using PoseRay, you'll preserve the normals and get
smoother shapes.

There's something else going on as well. The geometry I get via PoseRay
just looks like a smoothed version of what you get. It's not the same as
the geometry of the comparison image.

-- 
Mike Williams
Gentleman of Leisure

Post a reply to this message

"Carl" <car### [at] semisouthcom> wrote in message 
news:web.43fc8743ad5fa38070dc520d0@news.povray.org...
>I have a question I was hoping someone here could help me with.

I'm someone, so I'll try, even though I'm not good with meshes. I just 
happened to be here.

> A friend used AccuTrans 3D to convert his model into the pov format and 
> I'm
> comparing it to my CSG 100% POV-Ray light cycle.  Check out this little 
> gif
>
> http://www.wwwmwww.com/TRON/compare2.gif
>
> So here is my question... why do all the edges of his mesh jump out as 
> very
> sharp edges in my renders when everything he's does in 3d studio max 6
> comes out looking like it has nice smooth curves?  Is there something I
> could do in POV-Ray to smooth out these edges?

Directly in POV yourself? I doubt it. What probably would need to be done is 
another conversion using more triangles next time-- or smooth triangles, as 
POV would like them to be. Well, even more likely, both things. All depends 
on the options available in AccuTrans. Looking for that program I see it 
converts to POV version 3.0, so that would leave uv mapping out but I think 
smooth triangles exist for that.

If anyone else here will help you just wait for their more knowledgeable 
answer.  ;)

Bob H

Post a reply to this message

Mike Williams <nos### [at] econymdemoncouk> wrote:
> There's something else going on as well. The geometry I get via PoseRay
> just looks like a smoothed version of what you get. It's not the same as
> the geometry of the comparison image.

Well my comparison image is of two different light cycles and their shapes
are different.  I made a Light Cycle in Pov-Ray using CGS and I wanted to
compare it's shape with the mesh created by Edmund Keefe.

So... not being familiar with PoseRay and it sounds like you've already made
the conversion could you email me the .pov file that PoseRay made.  If not,
I'll be looking into PoseRay soon.

Thanks,
Carl

Post a reply to this message

Thanks Mike,

   That sure looks much better...

http://www.wwwmwww.com/TRON/Animation3.gif

Here is a comparison of the same model, one imported with PoseRay v3.8.2.327
and the other with AccuTrans 3D.

http://www.wwwmwww.com/TRON/Animation4.gif

Even here it looks like there are some minor shape differences aside from
just the edges getting smoothed.  Odd...

Thanks again,
Carl

Post a reply to this message