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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Functions and macros available in v3.5
From:       Leon Pennington <leon () leonscape ! co ! uk>
Date:       2003-11-14 19:46:19
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On Friday 14 November 2003 10:04, olivier@linuxgraphic.org wrote:
> They are also a lot of functions in functions.inc usable for isosurfaces. I
> know that this feature is currently being implemented and it could be cool
> to also have the possibility to pick among these predefined functions
> (could we also have a little preview of these functions like we have
> preview of materials/textures?) or even to add custom functions in the
> list.
>
> What do you think of all of this? Is it easy to do? Is it like adding
> objects or is it more complicated?
>

I think the real hard part is parsing the functions, and understanding them. 
The Current parser for importing Povray files is over 7000 lines not 
including the scanner and tokens, and thats with a very strict set of 
keywords and a strict structure.

When their in relation to an object say like an Isosurface, we've got a 
reference to work from. When you start using them to create objects, it gets 
even harder as the functions are designed for a solid Object, and not 
wire-frames. For instance how would you represent the clouds object from the 
Povray Benchmark scene in a wire-frame? Its basically a pixel representation.

Generating Heightfields from functions would be easier (its something I've 
been thinking about.) Maybe we need a part to deal with functions? So we can 
tap into it for Heightfields, Isosurfaces, etc.. I think Andreas has been 
working on this anyway, (Although I could be way out here.)

But objects from functions would be extremely difficult. Well I think so 
anyway :)

Previews? Well if its done heightfields and Isosurfaces wouldn't need previews 
as you could see them in the views, But for Objects I could understand that, 
but size would be difficult to control with the preview window. Also theirs 
the fact that most functions don't mean much on their own.

Just my thoughts on it.

-- 
Leon Pennington

"The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree, is by 
accident. That's where we come in; we're computer professionals. We cause 
accidents." 
 Nathaniel Borenstein. 
 
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