Chapter 2. MegaPOV References

Table of Contents

2.1. Options
2.1.1. Frame_Step
2.1.2. End_Row with value 1
2.2. Expressions
2.2.1. Language directives
2.2.2. Built-in tokens
2.2.3. Functions
2.2.4. Internal functions
2.2.5. Polynomial solver in parser
2.2.6. Splines
2.3. Objects
2.3.1. Common features
2.3.2. Parametric
2.3.3. Text
2.3.4. Cloth simulation
2.3.5. Isosurface
2.3.6. Height Field
2.3.7. Torus
2.4. Effects
2.4.1. Glow
2.5. Textures and patterns
2.5.1. Listed pattern
2.5.2. Displace warp for patterns
2.5.3. Noise pigment
2.5.4. Fix for normal copying
2.6. Global Settings
2.6.1. Film exposure simulation
2.6.2. Radiosity
2.6.3. Mechanics simulation patch

The Frame_Step=n (+STPn) option introduces breaks in the order of rendered steps. It splits the order of rendered frames into a 'virtual' and a 'real' order.

'Virtual' order is the same as the traditional (used in POV-Ray™ 3.5) order described with Initial_Frame, Final_Frame, Initial_Clock, Final_Clock, Subset_Start_Frame, Subset_End_Frame. This order is what the scripts reads from initial_frame, clock_delta and other animation related build-in tokens in SDL.

'Real' order is a subset of 'virtual' order. It is every n-th frame where n is the value of Frame_Step. Selected frames are reordered (with ascending or descending order) according to the sign of Frame_Step option.

Frame_Step is supposed to use parallel rendering over one source with one location shared between instances of renderer.

[Important]Important

Frame_Step different than 1 works fine for those animations where variables are not passed between frames when using external files and where the next frame does not use values derived from a previous (in the meaning of virtual order) frame by other ways.