Re: [Fwd: Re: Introducing real 3d in Gnuplot (Was: Re: please try POV-Ray and VRML terminals )]

[Robert H. <en...@no...>]

At the moment, the design of gnuplot assumes 2D output, and therefore
all the information passed to the terminals is just 2D, *even for 3D
plots*. So we are not really after a "more feature-full 3D", just a
sensible way of making the existing 3D information available to a
terminal (such as POV-Ray) that would have something useful to do with
it.

Rob

On Tue, 2005-04-12 at 03:47 -0500, Justace Clutter wrote:
> Guess I should have sent this to the list (opps)
>=20
> Justace
>=20
> email message attachment, "Forwarded message - Re: Introducing real 3d
> in Gnuplot (Was: Re: please try POV-Ray and VRML terminals )"
> On Tue, 2005-04-12 at 03:47 -0500, Justace Clutter wrote:
> > Well,
> >=20
> > 	I did not read the earlier posts, but based on the subject before the
> > subject change I can get an idea.  If I got this wrong then I will run
> > to the corner...  |-).  So, you are wanting a more feature-full 3D
> > interface, and really it is the output that you are most interested in I
> > am sure.  PovRay is a well developed application that does its job very
> > well.  To try to mimic the functionality of PovRay inside of gnuplot
> > would increase the complexity of the gnuplot code by an enormous amount.
> > Now, gnuplot can already do 3d plots, with hidden line removal, and
> > tentative shading.  This can give you an idea where you can then move
> > the plot over to povray.  Now as for the axes and the such, you would
> > have to build that.=20=20
> > 	Trying to make a 3D interface does sound cool, but at what expense.
> > Why not make a povray terminal where the plot is rendered with povray
> > elements that can then be rendered, or manipulated by any povray editor
> > later.  To paraphrase a quote that I saw earlier...  Unix is an idea, or
> > a style, where you create individually strong programs to work together.
> > So, did I get this all wrong or am I on the right track.  If I did not
> > get this right, what true benefit would creating a 3D interface have
> > over using povray?
> >=20
> > Justace=20
> >=20
> > On Mon, 2005-04-11 at 18:35 +0200, Ga=EBl Varoquaux wrote:
> > >   I have had a good look at gnuplot's source code to try to figure out
> > > what need to be done to build a 3d terminal interface.
> > >=20
> > >   My conclusion is that there is a quite large amount of work. As I
> > > really would like this to happen I am ready to give it a try, even th=
ough
> > > this is way beyond any project I have ever tackled yet. I will of cou=
rse
> > > need some coaching in the process, as I am new to gnuplot's code and =
I do
> > > not know what is the development policy.
> > >=20
> > >   I think our first goal should be to build a working 3d interface, e=
ven
> > > if it does not implement all of gnuplot's possibility. Here are a few
> > > random ideas I collected.=20
> > >=20
> > >   I think we should define a term3d api (the terminal code file .trm
> > > could go in a separate directory, term3d for instance). It would
> > > reproduce as much as possible the current terminal api, but in 3d
> > > (positions would be given in 3d).
> > >=20
> > >   The plotting code in gnuplot's main source file would have to be
> > > modified to use this api. As a temporary solution I suggested to tamp=
er
> > > only with the code called by splot and leave plot out for 3d terminals
> > >=20
> > >   A flag could say weather the current terminal is 3d or not. In the
> > > different functions called by splot a switch could call the 3d
> > > function's when needed. Something like :
> > >=20
> > > #ifdef TERM3D
> > >     if (term_is_3d) {
> > >=20
> > >     }
> > >     else
> > >     {
> > > #endif=20
> > >=20
> > > #ifdef TERM3D
> > >     }
> > > #endif=20
> > >=20
> > >   The functions that will require modification are all that call
> > > map3d_xy and map3d_xyz, all that do direct calls to term->move
> > > term->vector (I am forgetting other evil 2d calls ?).
> > >=20
> > >=20
> > >   That's the current state of my projects. To implement those ideas I
> > > will need some support and guidance from a gnuplot developer. What do
> > > you think of this plan of action ? can you give me some support ? I w=
ill
> > > be very slow at working on this project : my work does not give me a =
lot
> > > of free time.
> > >=20
> > >   I must stress that I am totally unexperienced as far as working on a
> > > real project goes.
> > >=20
> > > --
> > >   Ga=EBl
> > >=20
> > >=20
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> >=20
--=20
Robert Hart <en...@no...>
University of Nottingham


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