hi,

"Bald Eagle" <cre### [at] netscapenet> wrote:
> "jr" <cre### [at] gmailcom> wrote:
> > what POV-Ray "needs" is a decent book or two written about it.  :-(
> I'd rather see a better editor, with a context-sensitive menu and a feature like
> #alias.

never used the Windows version, so cannot comment.

> I'm wondering if there's a word processor that uses macros which can be used to
> start a POV-Ray render of the saved document file...

with the Vim editor you have both macros and the option to execute a program
with the current (by default) buffer containing the scene; check out the 'make'
command  option; worth noting that Vim also supports a number of scripting
languages directly.  you can also (ab)use 'Makefile's.

(word processors have the (nasty) habit of embedding control codes in the text)


> > write a pre-processor which translates "I want ..." to assorted primitives and
> > outputs scene code?  :-)
>
> Another thing along those lines was the idea of having a [semi] lockable data
> format, to protect against inadvertent changes.

you already have that, provided by the operating system.  you could use a shell
(or such) script which "locks" (ie marks read-only) or unlocks the
working/project directory.


> As a present alternative to that, I thought it would be interesting to have a
> spreadsheet that could show the current value of any #declare[d] variables,
> ranges, graphs, etc, would create SDL in a print area for saving to a .pov file,
> and then the cells could be password protected.

or a database!?


> And REALLY what I would love to see is a way to embed the SDL for a render into
> the image file itself.  No more losing the code - or working version of the code
> - that made the image.
> I know there's a way to merge a zip or other archive file into things like jpg,
> so that you can open the file like an archive and extract the files ----
> but I distinctly recall someone posting an example of a file where it was a book
> cover, and when you simply renamed the image file to .txt or .doc or .pdf or
> whatever it was - then the OS (Windows) recognized it as _that_ and opened it in
> the appropriate application.
>
> Still working on hunting down how to do that...

won't work like that on a Linux box though, the file extension is .. eye candy,
mostly.

thought your reply to Ton was interesting too, and concur that interested users
should be able to support web site "maintenance" and such.  it would be helpful
to get some input/feedback from the .. gods.


regards, jr.

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