Shay wrote:
[snip]
> Thomas de Groot wrote:
> > I guess technical preoccupations overrule the wish to
> > finish an image...
>
> > maybe people are not really
> > interested any more in producing quality.
[snip]
> Many members of the POV community have a fascination and familiarity with
> Beginnings. They understand and are able to discuss nascent ideas and basic

> appreciated because the path from Beginning to End cannot be seen. To each his
> own, but obviously this short-attention-span focus has a hard time maintaining a
> community.

This is a fascinating observation.

I had some experience with something like this regarding the f_mandelbulb
function I posted several years ago. There was some good discussion about
implementation (Beginnings), but almost no feedback from users. For all I know,
no one but me has ever used either the SDL include file or the source code
patches I posted. Although I have implemented some other weird variations
(quaternion and bicomplex versions) for my own amusement, I haven't bothered to
post them for the apparent lack of interest. But back to the topic at hand.

Here's why I have never entered any of the ray tracing competitions, despite
having used such software since I got my first Amiga, and followed the
competetions as long as I can remember. First, it takes me at least a week, and
often longer, to come up with an idea that fits both the topic and what I
consider my skills, and is something I think I can do in half of the remaining
time. I am in the habit of doubling my estimatate of how long it will take me to
finish a programming task, which is why I halve the remaining time available.
Unfortunately, even this rule of thumb has proven insufficient. Every scene (and
once or twice animation) I have started for a competition has taken closer to
five to ten times the effort I originally estimate. But, the fact that I won't
complete it in time becomes obvious a week or two before the deadline, so I
abandon the project, often before having something suitable even for posting as
a work in progress.

Perhaps extending the competition period will help. It's hard to say at this
point. The current topic has proven to be particularly difficult for me to come
up with a suitable idea.

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