One of the few tasks I've set myself in order to stay sane is to get back into
using POV-Ray and not dumping for one of the visual based programs. On that
front, one of the first things I want to do is make a dream catcher that I can
plug simple numbers in as variables and the coding does all the rest of the
work.

So, you set Diameter as the diameter of the hoop (the first part of torus
descriptor) and Thick as the thickness of the hoop (variable 2 of the Torus
descriptor). Automatically you can set the starting point of the thread (Start)
as Diameter-(Thick/2) (as i understand it, the 2nd variable of a torus sets the
total diameter of the cylinder used in making the torus, so finding the inside
edge is half that).

Now, to the hard stuff as I was never more then a geometry kid in high school.

1) I figure telling the computer that the length of each initial cylinder
'thread' is 1/nth (where n = the # of times you wrap the thread around the hoop
that establishes the first part of the weave) the circumference of the inside of
the torus {3.141593*[(r-thickness of hoop)squared]} or (3.141593 * Thick)/n. (if
I'm wrong correct me)

2)How do I tell POV-Ray to draw the Thread from the starting point to the proper
place along the inside of the Hoop without having to manually type in the
coordinates? I mean I understand I know how far the thread with stretch, but I
can't get my head to wrap around telling POV how to find that point. In the real
world I would use a ruler to measure to that point, but what 'ruler' do I get
POV to use?

Post a reply to this message