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28 Mar 2024 15:00:15 EDT (-0400)
  My recent updates (Message 1 to 9 of 9)  
From: Cousin Ricky
Subject: My recent updates
Date: 12 Oct 2014 19:20:01
Message: <web.543b0ad4296e2627192ae5f10@news.povray.org>
With no quarterly reports in 5 years and very little feedback from the users, I
thought I'd mention what I've been up to.

2013 June 15 - RoundEdge 1.3
 - Blob-related functions are given more intuitive names.
 - Important notes are added to the documentation concerning sqrt()
   calls with the alternate isosurface blob function, and the demo
   scene is changed accordingly.
 - The missing illustrations have been added to the Collection.

2013 July 22 - SphereSweep 1.0
 - The sphere_sweep primitive is prone to artifacts.  This module gives
   various workarounds.

2013 September 6 - RC3Metal 1.2
 - I added a macro to coordinate specular highlights with brilliance.
   It gives good results.

2013 December 23 - Caption 1.0
 - Annotations are sometimes hard to read over a busy scene.  With this
   module you can easily add legible captions to such scenes.

2014 January 10 - Spectrum 4.0
 - This module creates calibrated color maps and pigments of the visible
   spectrum.
 - The initial public version is 4.0.  You have seen output from earlier
   versions in my p.b.i postings, but due to copyright restrictions, the
   source code for those versions shall remain forever private.

2014 October 5 - AndroidRobot 2.2
 - The arms are now separated from the body, as in the 2-D logo.

2014 October 9 - TiltedTorus 2.0
 - A long overdue lathe version is added.

Planned updates:

  BeamTest
   - Why didn't I think of using the orthographic camera way back in
     2007?
   - Add a parameter to better accommodate Ive's SpectralRender and (if
     it is as seamless as I hope) CLipka's spectral patch.  (The current
     version of BeamTest can be used as-is with SpectralRender, but the
     environmental lighting looks terrible.)

  CoffeeMug
   - In 2008 when I first submitted this, I had not yet discovered the
     cylindrical warp.  I can probably use it for more elaborate mug
     textures without having the user resort to the Labeller module.

  RC3Metal
   - Derive updated metal colors from analysis of digital photos.  I
     believe I have a system to compensate for environment biases.  At
     this time I have no idea where I will get gold, silver, and bronze
     specimens.

  RoundEdge
   - The module already includes elliptical toroids in mesh form, but
     an isosurface function or two is still a dream of mine.  I have
     formulas by Nicholas George, Sebastian H., and myself, but I'm not
     satisfied with any of them.  Nicholas' formula doesn't yield the
     correct shape.  Sebastian's formula may be correct--it yields a
     shape that is virtually satisfactory--but I haven't vetted his
     math, and the max_gradient is a nightmare.  My own formula was a
     hack that I used for one project, but it is certainly not library
     quality.

  SphereSweep

   - Enable gradient textures along the sweep, most likely concurrent
     with a mesh version.

I also have several brand new modules in development, and ideas for even more.


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From: Bald Eagle
Subject: Re: My recent updates
Date: 23 Oct 2014 20:55:00
Message: <web.5449a35aeb5f82295e7df57c0@news.povray.org>
"Cousin Ricky" <rickysttATyahooDOTcom> wrote:

 RC3Metal
   - Derive updated metal colors from analysis of digital photos.  I
     believe I have a system to compensate for environment biases.  At
     this time I have no idea where I will get gold, silver, and bronze
     specimens.

I have a bronze box manufactured by Tiffany.  It has 3 major colorations - that
"shiny new copper" color, the usual "old patina'd penny" look, and then on the
inside of the cover is - as far as I can tell, and example of the very reddish
copper color which I believe arises from "dezincified bronze"

I believe various bronze alloys are used for marine purposes like screw
propellers, due to their resistance to salt water, and there are a lot of bronze
alloys used for motor bearings and gun barrel cleaning brushes are "phosphor
bronze" - not sure how you'd get a good look at a bristle...

You could see if you could get gold leaf from an art supply store - they (still)
use it for gilding high-end frames.  Maybe see if a coin shop will let you
photograph something.  Then there is the obvious jewelry store or maybe less
obvious - precious metal refinery.  I suppose the same goes for silver - and I
know a LOT of people who are heavily into silver rounds, since the US Federal
Reserve Note is becoming more & more worthless by the moment...

Thanks for what looks like an awful lot of hard work.  Perhaps some time in the
future I can look at and experiment with any of the innumerable features that
POV-Ray has that I haven't even begun to explore...


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From: Le Forgeron
Subject: Re: My recent updates
Date: 24 Oct 2014 15:28:58
Message: <544aa87a@news.povray.org>
On 24/10/2014 02:54, Bald Eagle wrote:
> "Cousin Ricky" <rickysttATyahooDOTcom> wrote:
> 
>  RC3Metal
>    - Derive updated metal colors from analysis of digital photos.  I
>      believe I have a system to compensate for environment biases.  At
>      this time I have no idea where I will get gold, silver, and bronze
>      specimens.
> 
> I have a bronze box manufactured by Tiffany.  It has 3 major colorations - that
> "shiny new copper" color, the usual "old patina'd penny" look, and then on the
> inside of the cover is - as far as I can tell, and example of the very reddish
> copper color which I believe arises from "dezincified bronze"

Bronze is Copper+Tin (Cu / Sn), Brass is Copper+Zinc (Cu / Zn). No Zinc
in Bronze. (memotrick: you got only one Z, either in component or in
alloy's name)

Dezincified bronze seems a non-sense. It does exist for brass, nevertheless.

http://corrosion-doctors.org/Forms-selective/dezinc-valve.htm

Pure copper is rich pink/orange, not deep red. Oxydized copper can be
green or blue. The usual green stains on outside statues are
copper-oxyde leaking from the bronze alloy.

Beware, both Bronze and Brass might be abbreviated Br inadvertently, but
usually Brass is Br, and Bronze Bz.

-- 
IQ of crossposters with FU: 100 / (number of groups)
IQ of crossposters without FU: 100 / (1 + number of groups)
IQ of multiposters: 100 / ( (number of groups) * (number of groups))


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From: Bald Eagle
Subject: Re: My recent updates
Date: 24 Oct 2014 17:40:01
Message: <web.544ac719eb5f82295e7df57c0@news.povray.org>
Le_Forgeron <jgr### [at] freefr> wrote:

> Bronze is Copper+Tin (Cu / Sn), Brass is Copper+Zinc (Cu / Zn). No Zinc
> in Bronze. (memotrick: you got only one Z, either in component or in
> alloy's name)
>
> Dezincified bronze seems a non-sense. It does exist for brass, nevertheless.

I suppose it gets confusing with the poor nomenclature and definitions out
there.

"Commercial bronze (90% copper and 10% zinc) and architectural bronze (57%
copper, 3% lead, 40% zinc) are more properly regarded as brass alloys because
they contain zinc as the main alloying ingredient. "

So who knows what my box is actually constructed out of..


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From: Cousin Ricky
Subject: Re: My recent updates
Date: 6 Nov 2014 13:05:02
Message: <web.545bb828eb5f822985de7b680@news.povray.org>
"Bald Eagle" <cre### [at] netscapenet> wrote:
> You could see if you could get gold leaf from an art supply store - they (still)
> use it for gilding high-end frames.  Maybe see if a coin shop will let you
> photograph something.  Then there is the obvious jewelry store or maybe less
> obvious - precious metal refinery.  I suppose the same goes for silver - and I
> know a LOT of people who are heavily into silver rounds, since the US Federal
> Reserve Note is becoming more & more worthless by the moment...

I am on a fixed income, so I have to guard my savings carefully.  I've already
blown too much on what, in retrospect, I should have seen as cash sinkholes.

Another question I thought of: Is there a significant difference in appearance
between pure gold and the 14K gold used in jewelry?


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From: Le Forgeron
Subject: Re: My recent updates
Date: 6 Nov 2014 14:10:53
Message: <545bc7bd$1@news.povray.org>
On 06/11/2014 19:04, Cousin Ricky wrote:
> "Bald Eagle" <cre### [at] netscapenet> wrote:
>> You could see if you could get gold leaf from an art supply store - they (still)
>> use it for gilding high-end frames.  Maybe see if a coin shop will let you
>> photograph something.  Then there is the obvious jewelry store or maybe less
>> obvious - precious metal refinery.  I suppose the same goes for silver - and I
>> know a LOT of people who are heavily into silver rounds, since the US Federal
>> Reserve Note is becoming more & more worthless by the moment...
> 
> I am on a fixed income, so I have to guard my savings carefully.  I've already
> blown too much on what, in retrospect, I should have seen as cash sinkholes.
> 
> Another question I thought of: Is there a significant difference in appearance
> between pure gold and the 14K gold used in jewelry?
> 
> 
> 
Yes, There is even a significant difference between 18k, 14k and 9k
yellow gold.

And plated is even more recognizable.

-- 
IQ of crossposters with FU: 100 / (number of groups)
IQ of crossposters without FU: 100 / (1 + number of groups)
IQ of multiposters: 100 / ( (number of groups) * (number of groups))


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From: Bald Eagle
Subject: Re: My recent updates
Date: 7 Nov 2014 10:40:00
Message: <web.545ce73deb5f82295e7df57c0@news.povray.org>
"Cousin Ricky" <rickysttATyahooDOTcom> wrote:

> I am on a fixed income, so I have to guard my savings carefully.  I've already
> blown too much on what, in retrospect, I should have seen as cash sinkholes.

Like that time I got married...

I have some savings, and at the moment a fixed income - zero.
Be practical.  See what you can get without needing to buy anything.
Ask people to look at or borrow something that they own.
Ask someone in the trade to show you things and let you photograph them.
I don't know what sort of specific information you need to gather, but I would
think that there have to be an endless number of photographs on the internet of
different types of metal.

If you need images of super-clean metal, maybe look up plating,
dissolution/dissolving, chemistry, elemental metal, refining, etching, etc.
Those keywords might net you some pristine surfaces.

> Another question I thought of: Is there a significant difference in appearance
> between pure gold and the 14K gold used in jewelry?

There sure is.  Hit some of the jewelry supply companies' websites like Rio
Grande, Stuller, and Gesswein.

AFAIK, silver just came way back down.  I should have spent every cent I had on
silver back when it was $8 an oz.  I can only imagine that it's set to go back
up.  We'll see what bitcoin does....


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From: Cousin Ricky
Subject: Re: My recent updates
Date: 7 Nov 2014 15:40:00
Message: <web.545d2dd3eb5f8229192ae5f10@news.povray.org>
"Cousin Ricky" <rickysttATyahooDOTcom> wrote:
> 2014 October 9 - TiltedTorus 2.0
>  - A long overdue lathe version is added.

Wouldn't you know it, /now/ I find a serious error in the user manual that had
been just sitting there for more than 2 years.  Version 2.0a is now uploaded
with the corrected user manual.

http://lib.povray.org/searchcollection/index2.php?objectName=TiltedTorus&contributorTag=Cousin%20Ricky


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From: clipka
Subject: Re: My recent updates
Date: 13 Nov 2014 09:15:19
Message: <5464bcf7$1@news.povray.org>
Am 07.11.2014 16:37, schrieb Bald Eagle:

> We'll see what bitcoin does....

Delibarately wasting computing power, thereby needlessly gobbling up 
energy, that's what it does.


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