POV-Ray - Descriptions, Tutorials and Examples for the POV-Ray raytracing program for beginners and advanced users
Descriptions and Examples for the POV-Ray Raytracer by Friedrich A. Lohmueller
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Descriptions and Examples for POV-Ray

 0.   DOWNLOAD and How We Start This is the download page for of some of my descriptions (zipped up HTML) and also for the modified "Insert Menu" which was in use by the Computer Graphics Workshop and in the Computer Graphics Project at my school.
 1.     The Scene Description Langage of the POV-Ray Raytracer Version 3.7 / 3.6.2  Last update:   26-January-2011
 Basic POV-Ray Tutorial. An introduction for beginners - for a fast overview about POV-Ray.
 2.   Insert Menu Add-on for POV-Ray for Windows Version 3.6/3.7 Update: 20-July-2011
Also as a HTML version for all operating systems.   An add-on for an easier start for beginners and for a more comfortable use by advanced users. Ready_made scenes and shapes, 'shapes_lo.inc', 'shapes_lo2', Isosurfaces, loops, animation, math functions.
 3. Geometric Objects in POV-Ray Fundamentals and Samples: Update: 13-December-2010
sphere, cylinder, cone, torus, box, prisma, sor, plane, text object, Bevelled_Text, Circle_Text, unicode, height_field, HF-macros, paraboloid, hyperboloid, polygon, cubic, quartic, parametric, isosurface, smooth_triangle, mesh2, etc..
 4.   Geometric Objects in my own include File "shapes_lo.inc" Update: 23-July-2006
Here are some of my own defined objects: segment of a ring, segment of a torus, segment of object, round ring of tubes, n-gonal column + pyramid, an egg, a facetted sphere + egg, spheres formed by rings, a wireframed pyramid and a rounded pyramid. There is also a demonstration how these macros were made.
 5.   Geometric Transformations Update: 20-Oct-2008
Fundamentals about "translate", "rotate", "scale", "matrix" and "transform".
 6.   CSG - Constructive Solid Geometry - Boolean Algebra with Solids Update: 08-Jan-2009
How CSG works?
The use of "union", "merge", "difference", "intersection", "inverse" and "clipped_by".
 7.   Textures and Design of Surfaces Update: 13-December-2010
The use of "texture", "pigment","normal", "finished" "color", mapping with "color_map", "image_map" etc., "warp mapping" and "layered textures".
 8.   Design of the Interior of transparent Shapes with POV-Ray   Last update:   18-June-2009
The use of "fog", "material", "transparency", "ior", "caustics", "interior", "media" and "density maps" for transparent objects like glass, fog, smoke, steam, clouds, flames, fire etc. by emission, scattering and absorption media.
 9.   Cameras, Light Sources and Details in POV-Ray New: 10-April-2010
About the light sources (i.e. pointlight, spotlight, area_light etc.) and the cameras (from perspective, ultra_wide_angle and orthographic to panorama types) available in POV-Ray - usage, special tricks and hide and show objects.
10.   About Loops with POV-Ray Last update: 29-Oct-2011
About the application of while loops and for loops (only with POV-Ray 3.7) for placing objects in regular structures, a Moebius strip, screws, spirals, shells and ammonites.
11.   Loops, Sine, Cosine and POV-Ray Last update: 29-Oct-2011
About an application for the sine function or the cosine function together with while loops. How to create concentric waves and flying carpets.
12.   Branching with POV-Ray - #if, #switch, #while loops and #for loops. Last update: 29-Oct-2011
About conditional statements for branching and loops with examples.
13.   Short Include File Tutorial for POV-Ray New: 29-Oct-2011
About Include Files - How to make them, where to store and how to integrate in insert menu.
POV-Ray Details about the program structure - what's where?
14.   Elementary Geometry with POV-Ray   Last update: 19-Feb-2010
Geometrical basics for raytracing. About right-angled triangles, Pythagorean theorem, trigonomy basics, regular polygones, platonic solids, regular tetrahedron, regular octahedron, cube, regular dodecahedron and icosahedron.
15.   Grids and Axes for Systems of Coordinates
and Visualisation of Mathematical Functions Last update: 11-Feb-2011
How to create grids and axes for two- and three-dimensional coordinate systems.
Mathematical functions in POV-Ray.
16.   Analytical Geometry with POV-Ray ---- 3D Visualizations
with Calculations and Output of the Results Last update: 30-August-2011
How to use POV-Ray for 3D visualization of geometrical subjects in three-dimensional coordinate systems and how to use it for calculations and the output of results in the analytical geometry.
17.   POV-Ray Examples - How To Make Objects for POV-Ray
Geometry, Architecture, Engineering Last update: 29-May-2011
Some basic and advanced examples on how to make objects and scenes in POV-Ray.
18.   POV-Ray Objects - Ready-made Objects for POV-Ray
Geometry, Architecture, Plants, Engineering Last update: 20-July-2011
Some examples of objects declared in include files, ready to use in POV-Ray.
19.   Scale Modelling with POV-Ray. New: 14-Feb-2011
How to do scale modelling according to plans on squared backgrounds
an with Multiple Views Rendering with POV-Ray.
20.   Rail Track System for Model Railroading / Railway Modelling with POV-Ray. New: 29-May-2011
A collection of POV-Ray include files for modelling rail tracks.
21.   Realistic Skies with POV-Ray Last update: 23-Dec-2010 (POV-Ray 3.7 beta41)
Skies with realistic clouds, multiple layers of clouds and shadow casting clouds. Massive clouds with media and skies with skydomes and skymaps by panoramic photos of 360°. HDRI environment mapping.
22.   Realistic Water with POV-Ray Last update: 19-April-2011
Reflecting surfaces of water, simulation of waves and partly transparent water, whirling water, water in a glass and wavy surface of water by an isosurface.
23.   Random with POV-Ray Face lifting: 01-Aug-2010
Samples for the use of random numbers for creating natural looking irregularity in arrangement, orientation, size and color.
24.   Plants with POV-Ray - Samples from my raytracing gallery with source code.
Palms, reeds, flowers - natural, random looking distibutions.
25.   LEGO ® - CAD and POV-Ray New: 15-Feb-2009
How to render virtual LEGO® models and elements from CAD programs for LEGO ® - like i.e. LDraw - as POV-Ray objects.
26.   A SkyboxViewer for 3D Scenes. Update: 21-Jan-2010
With download of the SkyboxViewer, a freeware OpenGL program, and with a gallery of Skybox examples. How to create a skybox for a panoramic view of 360° with scenes from POV-Ray.
27.   Animations with POV-Ray - Some basics and samples on 3D animation. Last update: 02-Dec-2011
How to make it: cyclic animations, animations with spline curves for flybys and walkthroughs, with source codes.

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© Friedrich A. Lohmüller, 2012
email email: Friedrich.Lohmueller_at_t-online.de
homepage:http://www.f-lohmueller.de 		Visitors: www.webhits.de
since 08-May-1999
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