This is a post for coders, about implementing features, to enable and retain
interoperability with existing and future features in POV-Ray.

We have the original direct lighting model, the radiosity model, and photons, we
have different material attributes like surfaces/finishes (ambient, diffuse,
specular), different volume attributes (basic interiors, media, SSLT, fog), and
we have different modelling constructs (primitives shapes, implicit surfaces,
CSG, closed composites/patches).

The problem is that they do not all talk to each other as we would casually
expect. For example, ambient radiosity light sources don't work with most
volume attributes.

Is it worth asking a fundamental design question about standards and interfaces
for the very top-level classifications of POV objects? (surfaces, interiors,
models), so that all compliant features, new and old, will operate with all the
others?

In the above, I'm not stating the absolute hierarchy (merely proposing an
example top-level classification), but just the idea of broad standards for
general classes of POV object. I also appreciate that new features might
necessarily introduce new elements to the interfaces, if they are radical
enough.

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