Re: [Fwd: Re: Introducing real 3d in Gnuplot (Was: Re: please =?utf-8?q?try=09POV-Ray_and_VRML_terminals?= )]

[Petr M. <mi...@ph...>]

> Notwithstanding that, if people really want glossy 3D output images
> I offer a separate package that I have maintained for many years:
> 	http://www.bmsc.washington.edu/raster3d/raster3d.html
> Raster3D wasn't designed for this purpose, but then again neither was
> PovRay.  My package renders *much* faster than PovRay, because it
> "cheats" by using algorithms that are not truly ray-tracing.
> This is not much of a limitation unless you really need to model higher
> order properties like internal relection or refraction.
> On modern hardware it is very nearly fast enough to use as a
> software rendering engine for interactive use.  But not quite -
> a hardware-assisted OpenGL terminal would still be better for
> interaction, though not as good for final image quality.
> Raster3D also has the advantage that it is designed for use via a
> pipe, and writing a gnuplot terminal driver for it would be relatively
> simple (well, relative to PovRay anyhow :-).
>
> Please note that I'm not really pushing for development of a Raster3D
> terminal type, although I do think it would be more suited than PovRay.

I think gnuplot-3D should support output text files for:
- Povray
- Raster3D
- VRML


> To return to my original point, I think the driving force for revamping
> 3D plotting in gnuplot should be the creation of an interactive 3D
> terminal.  I would have thought OpenGL the obvious way to go, but
> VRML is also a possibility.

set out "a.wrl"
!freewrl a.wrl
=> and the OpenGL terminal is up and running without gnuplot's overhead.

FLTK or another 3D-capable terminal would be a major homework.

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PM