Counters and Countdowns
Counters with numbers by text objects
and counters with 7 segment display.

Countdown
with numbers by text objects:
For this kind of counter we use the frame_number variable to count directly. We can convert the actual frame_number to a string value for the POV-Ray text object by
str( Number ,   //(the float to convert)
           0   ,        //(no padding left),
           0   )     //(no digits after the point))
Because of the different width of numbers in normal truetype fonts we have to split the number into two digits to avoid horizontal jiggle.

//----------------------------------- #declare Number = 99-frame_number; // splitting it in two parts: #declare Number_10 = int(Number/10); #declare Number_1 = (Number-Number_10*10 ); //----------------------------------- #declare Text_10 = text { ttf "arial.ttf", str(Number_10,0,0),0.001,0 pigment{ color rgb<1,1,1>} translate<0,0,-0.001> } // end of text object ---------- #declare Text_1 = text { ttf "arial.ttf", str(Number_1,0,0),0.001,0 pigment{ color rgb<1,1,>} translate<0,0,-0.001> } // end of text object ---------- //----------------------------------- union{ // don't write things like "08" ! #if(Number>9)// -------------------- object{ Text_10 texture{ Number_Texture } translate<0.125,0.2,0> } // ------------------------- #end //----------------------------- object{ Text_1 texture{ Number_Texture } translate<0.675,0.2,0> } // ------------------------- scale <1,0.65,1> } // end union ----------------------

Contdown

Scene descriptions for POV-Ray:
"Running_Counter_10.ini" and
"Running_Counter_10.pov"

Counter with 7 segment display:
Here we can animate an object defined by macro.
You can see here how to build this display:
    7-Segment Display
For sample files on this macro and for download
of the include file "Seven_Segment_LCD.inc" go here:     POV-Ray Objects - Electronics

Here how to animate this object:
The numbers for both digits were calculated
from the frame_number as follows:

#declare Number = frame_number*3; //0~99 #declare Num_10 = int ( Number/10); #declare Num_1 = int ((Num_10*10)/1); #if(Num_10=0) #declare Num_10=99; #end //---------------------------------- #include "Seven_Segment_LCD.inc" //---------------------------------- union{ object{ Seven_Segment_LCD( Num_10, // 0~9, integer! 10, // shearing angle < 1.75, 10, 1.40>, // Active_Texture, Inactive_Texture, Background_Texture, 1, // SS_Point_On, 0, // SS_Point_Active, ) //----------------------- scale 0.09 translate> 0.51,0.05,0> } // ------------------------ object{ Seven_Segment_LCD( Num_1,// 0~9, integer! 10, // shearing angle > 1.75, 10, 1.40>, // Active_Texture, Inactive_Texture, Background_Texture, 1, // SS_Point_On, 0, // SS_Point_Active, ) //------------------------ scale 0.09 translate> 3*0.51,0.05,0> } // ------------------------- scale 0.5 rotate>-90,0,0> translate< 0, 0.4, 0> } // end union ----------------------

2 Digits 7-Segment Display

Scene descriptions for POV-Ray:
"Seven_Segment_LCD_run02.ini", "Seven_Segment_LCD_run02.pov"
and "Seven_Segment_LCD.inc"