Anyone Use POV-Ray or similar software?

Factual Questions
1

Help/Pointer to POV-Ray Specific Tutorials

I have this crazy idea that I’d like to take up 3D rendering/raytracing again. As part of this I’m looking at what I can and can’t do with some of the freeware packages out there.

Maybe it’s best if I say my ultimate goal, and people can tell me if they’ve seen anything - my ultimate goal is to use raytracing software to simulate interiors of rooms and buildings. My first trial I thought would be a couple of rooms of an art gallery - say, like two rooms from the Louvre. This I figured would be relatively easy at first, from a geometrical standpoint, but would involve a lot of work with textures, lighting, diffusion, etc. I mean, at its most basic, we’re talking about a rectangular large room, with ambient and track lighting (and/or window lighting), with paintings on the walls.

I cannot find a POV-Ray tutorials that focus on something like this. Many of them are focused on making individual objects, or exterior scenes. I’ve tried using planes and hollow box CSG objects, and I keep having perspective problems. The camera position isn’t right, or the room isn’t right, or something - but the perspective looks like the room is very off, and too small.

It would also be interesting to see how I would map a digital picture onto a “painting” successfully in the “room”.

I’ve Googled and searched on many terms, off and on over a few lunches, and not really found anything like this. Help? :slight_smile:

2

Would that be 1920s-style POV-Ray?

3

I work with Bryce, not POV, but in many cases, I would construct a room as four separate walls, not as a box, if you see what I mean. Beyond that, if my scene was really an interior, I would only construct what I need. If your scene involves a corner, then only make two walls. Depending on the project, you often will do better to think more about the scene than about the reality in which it exists. By making only what you need to see with the camera, you have more flexibility to tweak the objects as needed.

My guess about the perspective issues would be that they are related to the scale of your objects. Try making the room larger or smaller and see if it helps.

I hope this helps a least a little.