Hi everyone!

I find myself with internet access again, although its not mine (laptop bought 2
years ago + neighbor handing out wireless password = sudden loss of exercise).

My hiatus was nice. Took up knitting, crotchet, topiary... just kidding.
Actually, among other things, I started getting into some 3D programming thanks
to: a previously downloaded version of Fragmentarium (guidance); a C++ compiler
& libs; GLSL documentation; POV docs. You know, raytracing via raymarching is
actually a lot easier to achieve than traditional raytracing due to the fact
that to make objects you pretty much just produce shape functions, and to render
you increment a ray variably from the camera until you reach a function's
threshold (as apposed to developing intersection functions for different shapes
and using octree optimizations). There's more to it of course, but the point is
it's simpler (to me anyway). Unfortunately, rendering on the GPU is much more
limited due to video memory. But hey, real-time isosurfaces! Yeah!

Being connected again is nice but ... along with high-speed internet access
comes trouble. Thanks to malware (was it paint.net? that Minecraft clone?) I had
to reset Windows (wiping the HD in the process), so most of the progress I made
on all digital fronts (POV stuff included) is GONE! Because I had been working
on the laptop the whole time without back anything up. I do still have some
earlier versions of the shader programs I was developing (including a promising
heightfield editor), but the loss isn't huge. Everything important is still in
the old noggin.

Not having internet access has been a relief, for the most part. Plus, I found
out something cool. People used to convey information in the oddest way. They
would put marks on processed, pressed wood pulp, and would then bind them
together forming what they called 'books.' These books contained a great deal of
knowledge, but they had no 'like' buttons. Not only that, but to discover
knowledge, people would travel outside their homes, and... OK, I'm getting a bit
carried away with that.

Anyway, that's all for now. I'll be around occasionally, and I might even start
posing images again :)

Sam

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On 7/2/2015 5:38 AM, Samuel Benge wrote:
> Anyway, that's all for now. I'll be around occasionally, and I might even start
> posing images again:)

Nice to see you again, Sam.
What is a like button btw?

-- 

Regards
     Stephen

Post a reply to this message

> Actually, among other things, I started getting into some 3D programming thanks
> to: a previously downloaded version of Fragmentarium (guidance); a C++ compiler
> & libs; GLSL documentation; POV docs. You know, raytracing via raymarching is
> actually a lot easier to achieve than traditional raytracing due to the fact
> that to make objects you pretty much just produce shape functions, and to render
> you increment a ray variably from the camera until you reach a function's
> threshold (as apposed to developing intersection functions for different shapes
> and using octree optimizations). There's more to it of course, but the point is
> it's simpler (to me anyway). Unfortunately, rendering on the GPU is much more
> limited due to video memory. But hey, real-time isosurfaces! Yeah!

Yes you can create some really cool effects that way, especially things 
like repetition essentially come for free. Being able to watch your CSG 
isosurface repeated off to infinity in every axis and be able to explore 
around it in real time is pretty cool.

I tinkered about using shadertoy.com as it allows you to write your 
shader code immediately without having to fuss about with pages and 
pages of C++ boiler-plate code just to get a blank screen rendered. Some 
people have made some amazing creations on there.

Also you can always write your raymarcher to run on the CPU, it won't be 
as fast but if you're running into memory troubles with a small GPU it 
might allow you to do things not possible otherwise.

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Am 02.07.2015 um 07:11 schrieb Stephen:

> What is a like button btw?

Something I don't.

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On Thu, 02 Jul 2015 00:38:36 -0400, Samuel Benge wrote:

> Anyway, that's all for now. I'll be around occasionally, and I might
> even start posing images again :)

Welcome back - and cool, I always liked your images. :)

Jim



-- 
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and 
besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw

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On Thu, 02 Jul 2015 06:38:36 +0200, Samuel Benge <stb### [at] hotmailcom>  
wrote:

Welcome Back :)

-- 
-Nekar Xenos-

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Long time no see.

Post a reply to this message

Stephen <mca### [at] aolcom> wrote:
> On 7/2/2015 5:38 AM, Samuel Benge wrote:
> > Anyway, that's all for now. I'll be around occasionally, and I might even start
> > posing images again:)
>
> Nice to see you again, Sam.

You too, Stephen.

> What is a like button btw?

A useless sentiment gauge.

Post a reply to this message

Jim Henderson <nos### [at] nospamcom> wrote:
> On Thu, 02 Jul 2015 00:38:36 -0400, Samuel Benge wrote:
>
> > Anyway, that's all for now. I'll be around occasionally, and I might
> > even start posing images again :)
>
> Welcome back - and cool, I always liked your images. :)
>
> Jim

Likewise, Jim!

Post a reply to this message

"Nekar Xenos" <nek### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> On Thu, 02 Jul 2015 06:38:36 +0200, Samuel Benge <stb### [at] hotmailcom>
> wrote:
>
> Welcome Back :)

Thanks Nekar :)

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