Re: [Jmol-developers] PovRay development

[Nicolas V. <nve...@cl...>]

Miguel wrote:

>Nico wrote:
>  
>
>>Ok, let's start with trace then.
>>IMHO, here is the list of things I need to render them with PovRay :
>>
>>1. Get the path for each structure :
>>I am currently using JmolViewer.getPolymerCountInModel() and
>>JmolViewer.getPolymerLeadMidPoints()
>>    
>>
>
>I think that we should define this in a more abstract way.
>
>Rather than you making many calls and retrieving the points one-by-one, I
>should return a data structure that gives you all the data at once.
>  
>
Yes, that should be a lot better and will avoid adding many, many 
functions to JmolViewer API.
I was thinking of specific Classes for each kind of structure, but your 
solution below seems good to me also.

>  
>
>>2. Know if the structure is visible or not (probably not necessary, see 3)
>>
>>3. Know which part of the structure is visible and what to do when only
>>a part of the structure should be drawn
>>
>>4. Know the radius(es) to use
>>    
>>
>
>The radius is used to determine visibility. If the radius == 0 then it is
>not visible.
>  
>
Ok

>  
>
>>5. Know the color(s) to use
>>    
>>
>
>I think that I should return java.awt.Color objects to you
>  
>
Yes, it would be better.

>  
>
>>6. Other things ?
>>- transparency ?
>>    
>>
>
>Translucency is part of color ... it will be the alpha channel of the
>Color object.
>  
>
Ok

>  
>
>>I don't believe that points 2 to 6 are currently available in the
>>JmolViewer API.
>>    
>>
>
>Correct
>
>  
>
>>I can probably add methods in the API, but I know this is a sensitive
>>part that need to be well thought.
>>    
>>
>
>Agreed.
>
>I think that I should return all of the data to you in one call. You
>should call and ask me for the attributes of a structure (using a string
>like "trace") and I should return all of the data to you.
>
>I think it should come back to you as a property list.
>
>(It also occurs to me that it could go back to you as a single XML string
>.... but I am quite reluctant to go down that path.)
>  
>
Or eventually, it could return a specific Class :
a single method (for example getAttributes("trace") would return an 
Objet that I could cast to something more specific.

Properties would also work of course and would require less work at first.

>You can fetch the properties and use the values associated with the
>properties.
>
>We can then use this same basic 'api' to fetch data for other shapes.
>
>There is a lot of stuff associated with 'models' and 'polymer/chain' that
>is complicated. Because of this, I think that the property values will
>probably be several levels of arrays.
>
>First level will be the model.
>Second level will be the polymer
>Third level will be the data values.
>
>First and second level will probably be of type Object[]
>Third level will probably be primitive data types ... boolean[],
>java.awt.Color[], java3d.vecmath.Point3f[], etc.
>
>I will give this some more thought.
>  
>
Ok

Nicolas