[comp.archives] [graphics] Rayscene - Ray tracer scene generator

v134hhhy@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Matthew J Kolokowsky) (12/06/90)

Archive-name: graphics/raytrace/rayscene/1990-12-05
Archive-directory: tolsun.oulu.fi:/pub/rayscene/ [128.214.5.6]
Original-posting-by: v134hhhy@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Matthew J Kolokowsky)
Original-subject: Rayscene - Ray tracer scene generator
Reposted-by: emv@ox.com (Edward Vielmetti)


     This was previously posted from Finland, but did not make it to the 
States, so the original author asked me to repost it.
     Please send all questions and replies to 

			hole@tolsun.oulu.fi

as he is the author.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Rayscene - Ray Tracer Scene Generator, Animation Utility for Raytracers

    Brad Skrbec asked about animation for Autodesk Animator; I have few, and
I'm willing to post them, but this is how I made them.

  OK, Rayscene is a program to help you to create smooth animations very easi-
ly. It's machine independent and does not care, which raytracers you are using
All you need to run Rayscene is C-compiler and raytracer (anything goes). We
(me + my friend Panu Hassi) got so frustrated creating animations without any
utilities, so we made one.

  Rayscene handles datafiles, before rendering. First, edit your datafile,
and replace values, you want to change. For example, you want to change
viewpoint <0 0 0> to move smoothly to point <480 240 0>. You replace values
with your variable_names:

viewpoint <#Yep, the x-coordinate# #Should I woke up?# 0>

  After that you create array-file, which has 240 values. That can be done
by creating little c-program, like

for (x=0;x<480;x+=2)
  printf(" %d %d\n", x, x/2);

 Or something like that. Redirect output to array.arr-file. Then add variable-
names to array-file. After that, the array-file should look like this:

Yep, the x-coordinate/Should I woke up?,240

2 1
4 2...
480 240

 Then run Rayscene.

Rayscene -d[data.file] -a[array.file] -c240

  Rayscene replaces those variables with values from array-file and creates
240 scene-files with different values. Every numbervalue can be replaced,
positions, amount of light, reflection, everything... Then render all pictures
(rendering script is very easy to create with Rayscene), and put pictures
together. Quite simple? And it works! We have few animations to proof that...

  Rayscene is not published yet, but if there's enough intrest, we make it
FTP'able. Also, we put those animations created this far with Rayscene
available.

  You want Rayscene? Just let me know!!


Email:hole@rieska.oulu.fi
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------