Persistence of Vision(tm) Ray Tracer (POV-Ray(tm)) Reference Guide Version 3.0.6a Copyright 1996 POV-Team(tm)
1 Introduction
2 POV-Ray Options
2.1 Setting POV-Ray Options
2.1.1 Command Line Switches
2.1.2 Using INI Files
2.1.3 Using the POVINI Environment Variable
2.2 Options Reference
2.2.1 Animation Options
2.2.1.1 External Animation Loop
2.2.1.2 Internal Animation Loop
2.2.1.3 Subsets of Animation Frames
2.2.1.4 Cyclic Animation
2.2.1.5 Field Rendering
2.2.2 Output Options
2.2.2.1 General Output Options
2.2.2.1.1 Height and Width of Output
2.2.2.1.2 Partial Output Options
2.2.2.1.3 Interrupting Options
2.2.2.1.4 Resuming Options
2.2.2.2 Display Output Options
2.2.2.2.1 Display Hardware Settings
2.2.2.2.2 Display Related Settings
2.2.2.2.3 Mosaic Preview
2.2.2.3 File Output Options
2.2.2.3.1 Output File Type
2.2.2.3.2 Output File Name
2.2.2.3.3 Output File Buffer
2.2.2.4 CPU Utilization Histogram
2.2.2.4.1 File Type
2.2.2.4.2 File Name
2.2.2.4.3 Grid Size
2.2.3 Scene Parsing Options
2.2.3.1 Input File Name
2.2.3.2 Library Paths
2.2.3.3 Language Version
2.2.3.4 Removing User Bounding
2.2.4 Shell-out to Operating System
2.2.4.1 String Substitution in Shell Commands
2.2.4.2 Shell Command Sequencing
2.2.4.3 Shell Command Return Actions
2.2.5 Text Output
2.2.5.1 Text Streams
2.2.5.2 Console Text Output
2.2.5.3 Directing Text Streams to Files
2.2.5.4 Help Screen Switches
2.2.6 Tracing Options
2.2.6.1 Quality Settings
2.2.6.2 Automatic Bounding Control
2.2.6.3 Anti-Aliasing Options
3 Scene Description Language
3.1 Language Basics
3.1.1 Identifiers and Keywords
3.1.2 Comments
3.1.3 Float Expressions
3.1.3.1 Float Literals
3.1.3.2 Float Identifiers
3.1.3.3 Float Operators
3.1.4 Vector Expressions
3.1.4.1 Vector Literals
3.1.4.2 Vector Identifiers
3.1.4.3 Vector Operators
3.1.4.4 Operator Promotion
3.1.5 Specifying Colors
3.1.5.1 Color Vectors
3.1.5.2 Color Keywords
3.1.5.3 Color Identifiers
3.1.5.4 Color Operators
3.1.5.5 Common Color Pitfalls
3.1.6 Strings
3.1.6.1 String Literals
3.1.6.2 String Identifiers
3.1.7 Built-in Identifiers
3.1.7.1 Constant Built-in Identifiers
3.1.7.2 Built-in Identifier 'clock'
3.1.7.3 Built-in Identifier 'version'
3.1.8 Functions
3.1.8.1 Float Functions
3.1.8.2 Vector Functions
3.1.8.3 String Functions
3.2 Language Directives
3.2.1 Include Files
3.2.2 Declare
3.2.2.1 Declaring identifiers
3.2.3 Default Directive
3.2.4 Version Directive
3.2.5 Conditional Directives
3.2.5.1 IF ELSE Directives
3.2.5.2 IFDEF Directives
3.2.5.3 SWITCH CASE & RANGE Directives
3.2.5.4 WHILE Directive
3.2.6 User Message Directives
3.2.6.1 Text Message Streams
3.2.6.2 Text Formatting
3.3 POV-Ray Coordinate System
3.3.1 Transformations
3.3.1.1 Translate
3.3.1.2 Scale
3.3.1.3 Rotate
3.3.1.4 Matrix Keyword
3.3.2 Transformation Order
3.3.3 Transform Identifiers
3.3.4 Transforming Textures and Objects
3.4 Camera
3.4.1 Type of Projection
3.4.2 Focal Blur
3.4.3 Camera Ray Perturbation
3.4.4 Placing the Camera
3.4.4.1 Location and Look_At
3.4.4.2 The Sky Vector
3.4.4.3 The Direction Vector
3.4.4.4 Up and Right Vectors
3.4.4.4.1 Aspect Ratio
3.4.4.4.2 Handedness
3.4.4.5 Transforming the Camera
3.4.5 Camera Identifiers
3.5 Objects
3.5.1 Finite Solid Primitives
3.5.1.1 Blob
3.5.1.2 Box
3.5.1.3 Cone
3.5.1.4 Cylinder
3.5.1.5 Height Field
3.5.1.6 Julia Fractal
3.5.1.7 Lathe
3.5.1.8 Prism
3.5.1.9 Sphere
3.5.1.10 Superquadric Ellipsoid
3.5.1.11 Surface of Revolution
3.5.1.12 Text
3.5.1.13 Torus
3.5.2 Finite Patch Primitives
3.5.2.1 Bicubic patch
3.5.2.2 Disc
3.5.2.3 Mesh
3.5.2.4 Polygon
3.5.2.5 Triangle and smooth triangle
3.5.3 Infinite Solid Primitives
3.5.3.1 Plane
3.5.3.2 Poly, Cubic and Quartic
3.5.3.3 Quadric
3.5.4 Constructive Solid Geometry
3.5.4.1 About CSG
3.5.4.2 Inside and Outside
3.5.4.3 Union
3.5.4.4 Intersection
3.5.4.5 Difference
3.5.4.6 Merge
3.5.5 Light Sources
3.5.5.1 Point Lights
3.5.5.2 Spotlights
3.5.5.3 Cylindrical Lights
3.5.5.4 Area Lights
3.5.5.5 Shadowless
3.5.5.6 Looks_like
3.5.5.7 Light Fading
3.5.5.8 Atmospheric Attenuation
3.5.6 Object Modifiers
3.5.6.1 Clipped_By
3.5.6.2 Bounded_By
3.5.6.3 Hollow
3.5.6.4 No_Shadow
3.6 Textures
3.6.1 Pigment
3.6.1.1 Solid Color Pigments
3.6.1.2 Color List Pigments
3.6.1.3 Color Maps
3.6.1.4 Pigment Maps
3.6.1.5 Image Maps
3.6.1.5.1 Specifying an Image Map
3.6.1.5.2 The map_type Option
3.6.1.5.3 The Filter and Transmit Bitmap Modifiers
3.6.1.5.4 Using the Alpha Channel
3.6.1.6 Quick Color
3.6.2 Normal
3.6.2.1 Slope Maps
3.6.2.2 Normal Maps
3.6.2.3 Bump Maps
3.6.2.3.1 Specifying a Bump Map
3.6.2.3.2 Bump_Size
3.6.2.3.3 Use_Index and Use_Color
3.6.3 Finish
3.6.3.1 Ambient
3.6.3.2 Diffuse Reflection Items
3.6.3.2.1 Diffuse
3.6.3.2.2 Brilliance
3.6.3.2.3 Crand Graininess
3.6.3.3 Highlights
3.6.3.3.1 Phong Highlights
3.6.3.3.2 Specular Highlight
3.6.3.3.3 Metallic Highlight Modifier
3.6.3.4 Specular Reflection
3.6.3.5 Refraction
3.6.3.5.1 Light Attenuation
3.6.3.5.2 Faked Caustics
3.6.3.6 Iridescence
3.6.4 Halo
3.6.4.1 Halo Type
3.6.4.1.1 Attenuating
3.6.4.1.2 Dust
3.6.4.1.3 Emitting
3.6.4.1.4 Glowing
3.6.4.2 Density Mapping
3.6.4.2.1 Box Mapping
3.6.4.2.2 Cylindrical Mapping
3.6.4.2.3 Planar Mapping
3.6.4.2.4 Spherical Mapping
3.6.4.3 Density Function
3.6.4.3.1 Constant
3.6.4.3.2 Linear
3.6.4.3.3 Cubic
3.6.4.3.4 Poly
3.6.4.4 Halo Color Map
3.6.4.5 Halo Sampling
3.6.4.5.1 Number of Samples
3.6.4.5.2 Supersampling
3.6.4.5.3 Jitter
3.6.4.6 Halo Modifiers
3.6.4.6.1 Turbulence Modifier
3.6.4.6.2 Octaves Modifier
3.6.4.6.3 Omega Modifier
3.6.4.6.4 Lambda Modifier
3.6.4.6.5 Frequency Modifier
3.6.4.6.6 Phase Modifier
3.6.4.6.7 Transformation Modifiers
3.6.5 Special Textures
3.6.5.1 Tiles
3.6.5.2 Material Maps
3.6.5.2.1 Specifying a Material Map
3.6.6 Layered Textures
3.6.7 Patterns
3.6.7.1 Agate
3.6.7.2 Average
3.6.7.3 Bozo
3.6.7.4 Brick
3.6.7.5 Bumps
3.6.7.6 Checker
3.6.7.7 Crackle
3.6.7.8 Dents
3.6.7.9 Gradient
3.6.7.10 Granite
3.6.7.11 Hexagon
3.6.7.12 Leopard
3.6.7.13 Mandel
3.6.7.14 Marble
3.6.7.15 Onion
3.6.7.16 Quilted
3.6.7.17 Radial
3.6.7.18 Ripples
3.6.7.19 Spiral1
3.6.7.20 Spiral2
3.6.7.21 Spotted
3.6.7.22 Waves
3.6.7.23 Wood
3.6.7.24 Wrinkles
3.6.8 Pattern Modifiers
3.6.8.1 Transforming Patterns
3.6.8.2 Frequency and Phase
3.6.8.3 Waveform
3.6.8.4 Turbulence
3.6.8.5 Octaves
3.6.8.6 Lambda
3.6.8.7 Omega
3.6.8.8 Warps
3.6.8.8.1 Black Hole Warp
3.6.8.8.2 Repeat Warp
3.6.8.8.3 Turbulence Warp
3.6.8.9 Bitmap modifiers
3.6.8.9.1 The once Option
3.6.8.9.2 The "map_type" Option
3.6.8.9.3 The interpolate Option
3.7 Atmospheric Effects
3.7.1 Atmosphere
3.7.2 Background
3.7.3 Fog
3.7.4 Sky Sphere
3.7.5 Rainbow
3.8 Miscellaneous Features
3.8.1 Ambient Light
3.9 Global Settings
3.9.1 ADC_Bailout
3.9.2 Ambient Light
3.9.3 Assumed_Gamma
3.9.3.1 Monitor Gamma
3.9.3.2 Image File Gamma
3.9.3.3 Scene File Gamma
3.9.4 HF_Gray_16
3.9.5 Irid_Wavelength
3.9.6 Max_Trace_Level
3.9.7 Max_Intersections
3.9.8 Number_Of_Waves
3.9.9 Radiosity
3.9.9.1 How Radiosity Works
3.9.9.2 Adjusting Radiosity
3.9.9.2.1 brightness
3.9.9.2.2 count
3.9.9.2.3 distance_maximum
3.9.9.2.4 error_bound
3.9.9.2.5 gray_threshold
3.9.9.2.6 low_error_factor
3.9.9.2.7 minimum_reuse
3.9.9.2.8 nearest_count
3.9.9.2.9 radiosity_quality
3.9.9.2.10 recursion_limit
3.9.9.3 Tips on Radiosity
Appendices
#break
#case
#debug
#declare
#default
#else
#end
#error
#fatal
#if
#ifdef
#include
#max_intersections
#max_trace_level
#range
#render
#statistics
#switch
#version
#warning
#while
aa_level
aa_threshold
About CSG
abs
acos
acosh
adaptive
adaptive sampling|see{sampling}
adaptive super-sampling|see{sampling}
adc_bailout
Adjusting Radiosity
agate
agate_turb
albedo
all
alpha
alpha channel
ambient
Ambient Light
ambient_light
angle
Animation Options
Anti-Aliasing Options
aperture
arc_angle
Area Lights
area_light
asc
asin
asinh
Aspect Ratio
Assumed_Gamma
atan
atan2
atanh
atmosphere
Atmospheric Attenuation
Atmospheric Effects
atmospheric_attenuation
attenuating
Authors
Automatic Bounding Control
average
background
BANNER|see{streams}
Bicubic patch
bicubic_patch
bitmap modifiers
Black Hole Warp
black_hole
Blob
blue
blur_samples
bounded_by
box
Box Mapping
box_mapping
bozo
break
brick
brick_size
brightness
brilliance
Built-in Identifier 'clock'
Built-in Identifier 'version'
Built-in Identifiers
Bump Maps
bumps
bumpy1
bumpy2
bumpy3
bump_map
bump_size
Camera
Camera Identifiers
Camera Ray Perturbation
case
caustics
ceil
checker
chr
clipped_by
clock
color
Color Identifiers
Color Keywords
Color List Pigments
Color Maps
Color Operators
Color Vectors
color_map
colour
colour_map
Command Line Switches
Comments
Common Color Pitfalls
component
composite
concat
Conditional Directives
cone
confidence
conic_sweep
Console Text Output
constant
Constant Built-in Identifiers
Constructive Solid Geometry
control0
control1
Copyright
cos
cosh
count
CPU Utilization Histogram
crackle
crand
Crand Graininess
cube
cubic
cubic_spline
Cyclic Animation
cylinder
cylindrical
Cylindrical Lights
Cylindrical Mapping
cylindrical_mapping
debug
DEBUG|see{streams}
declare
Declaring identifiers
default
Default Directive
degrees
Density Function
Density Mapping
dents
difference
diffuse
Diffuse Reflection Items
Directing Text Streams to Files
direction
disc
Display Hardware Settings
Display Output Options
Display Related Settings
distance
distance_maximum
div
dust
dust_type
eccentricity
else
emitting
end
error
Error Messages
error_bound
exp
exponent
External Animation Loop
fade_distance
fade_power
Faked Caustics
falloff
falloff_angle
false
fatal
FATAL|see{streams}
Field Rendering
File Name
File Output Options
File Type
file_exists
filter
finish
Finite Patch Primitives
Finite Solid Primitives
fisheye
flatness
flip
Float Expressions
Float Functions
Float Identifiers
Float Literals
Float Operators
floor
Focal Blur
focal_point
fog
fog_alt
fog_offset
fog_type
frequency
Frequency and Phase
Frequency Modifier
Frequently Asked Questions
Functions
General Output Options
gif
Global Settings
global_settings
glowing
gradient
granite
gray_threshold
green
Grid Size
halo
Halo Color Map
Halo Modifiers
Halo Sampling
Halo Type
halo
aa_level
aa_threshold
attenuating
box_mapping
colour_map
constant
cubic
cylindrical_mapping
dust
dust_type
eccentricity
emitting
exponent
frequency
glowing
jitter
lambda
linear
max_value
octaves
omega
phase
planar_mapping
poly
samples
spherical_mapping
turbulence
Handedness
Height and Width of Output
Height Field
height_field
Help on Help
Help Screen Switches
hexagon
HF_Gray_16
hierarchy
Highlights
hollow
How Radiosity Works
hypercomplex
Identifiers and Keywords
if
IF ELSE Directives
ifdef
IFDEF Directives
iff
Image File Gamma
Image Maps
image_map
incidence
include
Include Files
Infinite Solid Primitives
Input File Name
Inside and Outside
int
Internal Animation Loop
interpolate
Interrupting Options
intersection
Introduction
inverse
ior
irid
Iridescence
irid_wavelength
jitter
Julia Fractal
julia_fractal
lambda
Lambda Modifier
Language Basics
Language Directives
Language Version
lathe
Layered Textures
leopard
Library Paths
Light Attenuation
Light Fading
Light Sources
light_source
linear
linear_spline
linear_sweep
location
Location and Look_At
log
looks_like
look_at
low_error_factor
mandel
map_type
marble
Material Maps
material_map
matrix
Matrix Keyword
max
max_intersections
max_iteration
max_trace_level
max_value
merge
Mesh
metallic
Metallic Highlight Modifier
min
minimum_reuse
Miscellaneous Features
mod
Monitor Gamma
mortar
Mosaic Preview
nearest_count
no
non-adaptive sampling|see{sampling}
non-adaptive super-sampling|see{sampling}
normal
Normal Maps
normal_map
no_shadow
Number of Samples
number_of_waves
object
Object Modifiers
Objects
octaves
Octaves Modifier
off
offset
omega
Omega Modifier
omnimax
on
once
onion
open
Operator Promotion
Options in Use
Options Reference
orthographic
Other Errors
Other Warnings
Output File Buffer
Output File Name
Output File Type
Output Options
panoramic
Partial Output Options
Pattern Modifiers
pattern1
pattern2
pattern3
Patterns
perspective
pgm
phase
Phase Modifier
phong
Phong Highlights
phong_size
pi
pigment
Pigment Maps
pigment_map
Placing the Camera
Planar Mapping
planar_mapping
plane
png
Point Lights
point_at
poly
Poly, Cubic and Quartic
polygon
pot
POV-Ray Coordinate System
POV-Ray Options
POV-Ray Output Messages
pow
ppm
precision
prism
pwr
quadratic_spline
quadric
Quality Settings
quartic
quaternion
Quick Color
quick_color
quick_colour
quilted
radial
radians
radiosity
radiosity_quality
radius
rainbow
ramp_wave
range
reciprocal
recursion_limit
red
reflection
refraction
Removing User Bounding
render
RENDER|see{streams}
repeat
Repeat Warp
Resuming Options
rgb
rgbf
rgbft
rgbt
right
ripples
rotate
roughness
samples
sampling
adaptive
non-adaptine
scale
scallop_wave
scattering
Scene Description Language
Scene File Errors
Scene File Gamma
Scene Parsing Options
Setting POV-Ray Options
shadowless
Shell Command Return Actions
Shell Command Sequencing
Shell-out to Operating System
sin
sine_wave
sinh
sky
Sky Sphere
sky_sphere
slice
Slope Maps
slope_map
smooth
smooth triangle
smooth_triangle
Solid Color Pigments
sor
Special Textures
Specifying a Bump Map
Specifying a Material Map
Specifying an Image Map
Specifying Colors
specular
Specular Highlight
Specular Reflection
sphere
Spherical Mapping
spherical_mapping
spiral
spiral1
spiral2
spotlight
Spotlights
spotted
sqr
sqrt
statistics
STATISTICS|see{streams}
STATUS|see{streams}
str
strcmp
streams
BANNER
DEBUG
FATAL
RENDER
STATISTICS
STATUS
WARNING
strength
String Functions
String Identifiers
String Literals
String Substitution in Shell Commands
Strings
strlen
strlwr
strupr
sturm
Subsets of Animation Frames
substr
super-sampling|see{sampling}
superellipsoid
Superquadric Ellipsoid
Supersampling
Surface of Revolution
switch
SWITCH CASE & RANGE Directives
sys
sysg
t
tan
tanh
test_camera_1
test_camera_2
test_camera_3
test_camera_4
text
Text Formatting
Text Message Streams
Text Output
Text Streams
texture
texture
bump map
image map
layered
material map
normal map
pigment map
slope map
texture map
Textures
texture_map
tga
The "map_type" Option
The Direction Vector
The Filter and Transmit Bitmap Modifiers
The interpolate Option
The map_type Option
The once Option
The Sky Vector
thickness
threshold
tightness
tile2
tiles
Tips on Radiosity
torus
Tracing Options
track
transform
Transform Identifiers
Transformation Modifiers
Transformation Order
Transformations
Transforming Patterns
Transforming Textures and Objects
Transforming the Camera
translate
transmit
triangle
Triangle and smooth triangle
triangle_wave
true
ttf
turbulence
Turbulence Modifier
Turbulence Warp
turb_depth
type
Type of Projection
u
ultra_wide_angle
union
up
Up and Right Vectors
User Message Directives
use_color
use_colour
use_index
Use_Index and Use_Color
Using INI Files
Using the Alpha Channel
Using the POVINI Environment Variable
u_steps
v
val
variance
vaxis_rotate
vcross
vdot
Vector Expressions
Vector Functions
Vector Identifiers
Vector Literals
Vector Operators
version
Version Directive
vlength
vnormalize
volume_object
volume_rendered
vol_with_light
vrotate
v_steps
warning
Warning Messages
Warnings during the Parsing Stage
WARNING|see{streams}
warp
warps
water_level
Waveform
waves
Where to Get More POV-Ray Stuff
while
WHILE Directive
width
wood
wrinkles
x
y
yes
z