Sometimes, when I close the render window, the POV-Ray window becomes minimized.
Brendan Ryan

Remco de Korte wrote:

> I know it's my own stupid fault and yet...
>
> I've lost hours, if not days of work by some peculiarities of the
> Windows-version of POV-Ray. First: if you load or saev a file from the editor
> the program sometimes looses focus. Another program that's running will suddenly
> come on top. I often run more then one instance of POV-Ray to do some tests in
> the background (it's even worse then that but that's not the point now). So,
> every once in a while I end up with another POV-window in front of me without
> noticing it right away. That's confusing, especially if a scene I was working on
> suddenly seems to be rendering (or not) while I didn't expect it too. So I take
> the appropriate (miss)steps.
> Second: I truely wish POV-Ray, or at least the Windows version, would support
> long filenames in the output of animations. I'd like to give my scenes more or
> less meaningfull names, with a trailing letter or number to identify the
> version. On rendering it as an animation POV-Ray truncates the name (without
> prompting) and overwrites any previous version. I've had that happen more then
> once now, often enough to write this message.
> Please understand: I'm just whining, while I think POV-Ray is the best there
> ever was when it comes to software. I use it intensely (intensively?) and not
> (anymore) just because it's free. I'm no C-programmer, otherwise I would have
> tried to patch these things. BTW: is there a patch that solves this? Does the
> SuperPatch? I have it downloaded but still didn't come round to trying it (too
> busy with the original :)).
>
> Regards,
>
> Remco

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Remco de Korte <rem### [at] xs4allnl> wrote in message
news:37FDBB97.E8824F02@xs4all.nl...
>  I use it intensely (intensively?)

[extensively] would be the correct word I believe.

>  is there a patch that solves this? Does the
> SuperPatch? I have it downloaded but still didn't come round to trying it
(too
> busy with the original :)).

If there is I'd use it, if I could break the habit of naming files with the
8.3 convention enough anyway.  I do have many files named with long file
names now, even with spaces in them, and POV for Win seems fine for just the
pov and inc scripts.  The short names is so deeply embedded in my psyche
it's tough to bypass.  I guess another thing to consider is what animation
programs also accept the long file (Joliet?) names.

Bob

Post a reply to this message

I don't know about the multiple-instances thing because I've never used
multiple-instances, but I definitely agree with long filenames for animations. But I
have noticed other peculiarities, like when you do something that cuts off the undo
stack and makes it loop around. I've lost info that way. I'm guessing that POV was
written with Visual C++, because I have it and am somewhat familiar with the
AppWizard, It'll automatically put in things like Save and Load. So it may be a C++
thing.

According to the American College Dictionary they're the same. But I'll look in
Webster's New International, which is 20x as long. (Bad grammer there, starting a
sentence with a conjunction...)

Remco de Korte wrote:

> I know it's my own stupid fault and yet...
>
> I've lost hours, if not days of work by some peculiarities of the
> Windows-version of POV-Ray. First: if you load or [SAVE] a file from the editor
> the program sometimes [LOSES] focus. Another program that's running will suddenly
> come on top. I often run more then one instance of POV-Ray to do some tests in
> the background (it's even worse [THAN] that but that's not the point now). So,
> every once in a while I end up with another POV-window in front of me without
> noticing it right away. That's confusing, especially if a scene I was working on
> suddenly seems to be rendering (or not) while I didn't expect it [TO]. So I take
> the appropriate (miss)steps.
> Second: I [TRULY] wish POV-Ray, or at least the Windows version, would support
> long filenames in the output of animations. I'd like to give my scenes more or
> less meaningfull names, with a trailing letter or number to identify the
> version. On rendering it as an animation POV-Ray truncates the name (without
> prompting) and overwrites any previous version. I've had that happen more then
> once now, often enough to write this message.
> Please understand: I'm just whining, while I think POV-Ray is the best there
> ever was when it comes to software. I use it intensely (intensively?) and not
> (anymore) just because it's free. I'm no C-programmer, otherwise I would have
> tried to patch these things. BTW: is there a patch that solves this? Does the
> SuperPatch? I have it downloaded but still didn't come round to trying it (too
> busy with the original :)).
>
> Regards,
>
> Remco

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Intensely is the better word choice. Which is surpising given the myraid other
errors in your post (j/k).
intense = extreme
intensive = thorough
Technically they can be used the same, but commonly, intensive is used for
academic/research type subjects. I looked in the big dictionary, and one actual
definition of intensive was "given a large ammount of material to be studied
intensely (~ course)". Although the first definition of intensive in both
dictionaries was "of, relating to or pertaining to intensity".

Post a reply to this message

On Thu, 14 Oct 1999 13:38:09 +0200, Remco de Korte wrote:
>Larry Fontaine wrote:
>> 
>> Which is surpising given the myraid other errors in your post (j/k).
>
>I don't know what this means.
>I even don't know what (j/k) is.

(j/k) is "just kidding."  As for stupid errors, David misspelled
myriad. :)  There's a law somewhere that says every language flame
will contain a language error.  I know this wasn't a flame, but I
guess the law still applies.

Anyway, since he started it, here are the errors I noticed.  I'm sure
you don't care, of course, and many native English speakers have trouble
with the same words.  This isn't a flame, just an elucidation of what he
meant when he mentioned the other errors.  Personally, I've just gotten
used to them so I ignore them:

>the program sometimes looses focus. 

The correct word is "loses."  "looses" is a rarely-used word meaning
"sets free."

>while I didn't expect it too. 

The correct word is "to."  "too" means "also."

>I truely wish POV-Ray

truly

>more or less meaningfull names

meaningful

>BTW: is there a patch that solves this? Does the SuperPatch? I have it 
>downloaded but still didn't come round to trying it (too busy with the 
>original :)).

Not a spelling flame, but an answer:  not yet.  The superpatch has the
same problem at the moment.

Post a reply to this message

On Thu, 14 Oct 1999 16:51:13 +0200, Remco de Korte wrote:
>Ron Parker wrote:
>> 
>
>Funny how a thread that started with a message about mistakes I make with POVRay
>focuses on my stupidity with the English language. What to do now?

I really really tried not to offend you with my post.  If I did so anyway,
please accept my most profound apologies.  My point was not to point out 
your mistakes, it was to clarify David's claim that you had made some.  As
I said, many native English speakers have the same problems with the same
words; I don't consider any of those mistakes to be a mark of stupidity.  
It's not an easy language to master.  I hope we can now drop any discussion
of anyone's facility with a language that has become dominant not because
of any technical superiority - indeed, it's got more special cases than just
about any other European language, I'd guess -  but only because some of its 
users (i.e. most Americans) are too stupid to speak any other language. :)

For what it's worth, I agree with your comments on long file names.  That's 
not so much your stupidity as shortsightedness on the part of the program.
And the bit about it switching sessions is something I've found annoying, too,
though in my case it usually switches to some other application instead since
I rarely have more than one instance running.

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There's more. "Save" was mispelled in the original post, and "then" was used
where it should have said "than".

Ron Parker wrote:

> On Thu, 14 Oct 1999 13:38:09 +0200, Remco de Korte wrote:
> >Larry Fontaine wrote:
> >>
> >> Which is surpising given the myraid other errors in your post (j/k).
> >
> >I don't know what this means.
> >I even don't know what (j/k) is.
>
> (j/k) is "just kidding."  As for stupid errors, David misspelled
> myriad. :)  There's a law somewhere that says every language flame
> will contain a language error.  I know this wasn't a flame, but I
> guess the law still applies.
>
> Anyway, since he started it, here are the errors I noticed.  I'm sure
> you don't care, of course, and many native English speakers have trouble
> with the same words.  This isn't a flame, just an elucidation of what he
> meant when he mentioned the other errors.  Personally, I've just gotten
> used to them so I ignore them:
>
> >the program sometimes looses focus.
>
> The correct word is "loses."  "looses" is a rarely-used word meaning
> "sets free."
>
> >while I didn't expect it too.
>
> The correct word is "to."  "too" means "also."
>
> >I truely wish POV-Ray
>
> truly
>
> >more or less meaningfull names
>
> meaningful
>
> >BTW: is there a patch that solves this? Does the SuperPatch? I have it
> >downloaded but still didn't come round to trying it (too busy with the
> >original :)).
>
> Not a spelling flame, but an answer:  not yet.  The superpatch has the
> same problem at the moment.

Post a reply to this message

Ron Parker wrote:

> I really really tried not to offend you with my post.  If I did so anyway,
> please accept my most profound apologies.  My point was not to point out
> your mistakes, it was to clarify David's claim that you had made some.  As
> I said, many native English speakers have the same problems with the same
> words; I don't consider any of those mistakes to be a mark of stupidity.
> It's not an easy language to master.  I hope we can now drop any discussion
> of anyone's facility with a language that has become dominant not because
> of any technical superiority - indeed, it's got more special cases than just
> about any other European language, I'd guess -  but only because some of its
> users (i.e. most Americans) are too stupid to speak any other language. :)

Now THAT is offensive! Some people [RON] can be real jerks [RON] sometimes, you know?
I wouldn't say Americans are too stupid to learn another language; I'm taking Spanish
and am doing just fine in it. Actually, I would say most Americans have the ability
but never do because America is so damn big they don't need another language. In
Europe, you drive for two minutes and you're in a different country. Europeans learn
foreign language out of necessity. In certain cases I would agree with you, but that
kind of generalization is not acceptable.

Speaking of English:
Why do we play at a recital and recite at a play?
If the plural of mouse is mice, should the plural of house be hice?
Why do we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway?
(If this sounds familiar, yes, we had to listen to that stupid famous essay on the
English language in Biology, which was about the tenth time I've heard it to date.)
Also, English English and American English are completely different. Chips are fries
and all that nonsense. I heard there's a dish in Britain called "spotted dick" and
one called "f*gg*ts in their own oil". If you ordered that in America you'd be
arrested. I hear they used to repel many a tourist with their infamous bad food,
though now that has changed a bit I think.

Post a reply to this message

On Thu, 14 Oct 1999 17:42:03 +0200, Remco de Korte <rem### [at] xs4allnl> wrote:

>Ron Parker wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> I really really tried not to offend you with my post.  If I did so anyway,
>> please accept my most profound apologies.  My point was not to point out
>> your mistakes, it was to clarify David's claim that you had made some.  As
>> I said, many native English speakers have the same problems with the same
>> words; I don't consider any of those mistakes to be a mark of stupidity.
>> It's not an easy language to master.  I hope we can now drop any discussion
>> of anyone's facility with a language that has become dominant not because
>> of any technical superiority - indeed, it's got more special cases than just
>> about any other European language, I'd guess -  but only because some of its
>> users (i.e. most Americans) are too stupid to speak any other language. :)
>> 
Remco
It's great that all the many people in this ng who do not have english as their mother
tongue are able to communicate so fluently.  The "mistakes" in english that are made
add
charm and humanity to the brief postings.  To me each participant has his/her own
personality, part of which is the particular variety of english they use.
BTW the comments you made on my Forth Bridge image were excellent english as well as
being
most useful. Thanks,
David
------------
dav### [at] cwcomnet
http://www.hamiltonite.mcmail.com
------------

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>Speaking of English:
>Why do we play at a recital and recite at a play?
>If the plural of mouse is mice, should the plural of house be hice?
>Why do we drive on a parkway and park in a driveway?


And why are you loading cargo on a ship when there's a shipment coming in by
car?

>Also, English English and American English are completely different.

I refuse to put things in the boot of my petrol-powered motorcar, when
they'll fit better in the trunk of my gasoline-powered automobile! And I
will not tolerate any crisp or chip eating in it either! You can only eat
potato-chips and french-fries! Don't even think of wiping the windscreen,
because you'll surely leave the windshield dirty! I mean, I could have an
accident because of your negligence. Calling the dustman won't help either,
because they won't clean it any more than my garbage man! And don't think
employing a solicitor will help you much, 'cause I'll sue your pants off
with my lawyer! And after that, I'll find you on the street and run into
you. I don't care if my hood gets dented, because you Brits can only dent
bonnets! ;)

PS: Thank you, thank you. I have a couple more to go, but I can't think of
anything else.
PS2: God save the Queen, and all that... =)

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