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PROGRAMMING. POV-RAY

Persistence Of Vision Raytracer (POV-Ray) is a fascinating scripting language. Using just a few lines of code, realistic and surreal scenes are easily described. The code is clear and intuitive: solid figures in space, textures, lights and points of view, all parameterisable. We don't know what whoever programmed POV was smoking! It is programmed surrealism. The real usefulness of POV-Ray is debatable, except for travelling to other worlds. These are some of the examples I have generated. The code for each example is included.

Install Persistence Of Vision Raytracer and run examples in the terminal: povray example.pov

Example 1. Eggs of doubtful nature, floating in a mysterious ocean of another planet.

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Figure 1. Artistic image. Landscape on an imaginary planet.

   View code: povegg1.pov.html Download code: povegg1.pov

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Figure 2. Artistic image. Something floating can be seen in the distance.
Use the previous code by adjusting: camera {angle 130
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Figure 3. Artistic image. Large eggs of doubtful nature, floating in the ocean or lake.
Use the previous code by adjusting: camera {angle 15

Example 2. More eggs, and a pinkish evening

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Figure 4. Artistic image. Eggs of different density, floating in liquid or gaseous metal.

   View code: povegg2.pov.html Download code: povegg2.pov


Example 3. Spheres in the ocean

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Figure 5. Artistic image. Spheres in the ocean.

   View code: sphe_ocean1.pov.html Download code: sphe_ocean1.pov


Example 4. Planet 1

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Figure 6. Artistic image. Planet 1.

   View code: planet1_ocean.pov.html Download code: planet1_ocean.pov


Example 5. Red sun and clouds in the sky

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Figure 7. Artistic image. Red sun, moon and clouds in the sky.

   View code: sk_sphere2.pov.html Download code: sk_sphere2.pov