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- Gobo_Light.POV
-
- What it does and how to use it.
-
- Ever wanted to have a bit shadowy light in your POV scene rather than
- a full on light ? Well, this might help you.
- In theatre lighting ( my back-ground ) we use so called Gobo's to create
- shadow effects on stage. A gobo is basically a small steel template that
- you insert in a spotlight. There are hundreds of different pattern to
- choose from. I just thought it would be nice to have the same possibilities
- in POVray.
-
- The system is quite easy. There is a open cylinder along the Y-axis with
- a sphere on one end to stop the light pouring out at one side. On the other
- side there is a box with an image_map. Inside this contraption is a
- light_source. This allows you to point the light at where you want it
- without having it all over the shop. By moving the light_source in the -Y axis
- you can control the beam angle. Note that the < 0, 0, 0 > position points
- straight down. This means that if you rotate Y before Z, you can rotate
- the image but it won't change the angle of the light. That's why there
- are two rotate lines in the file. Rotate Z first and then Y if you want
- to pan a side light along the Z axis.
-
- Place the image you want to use in the image_map. I have include the GIF-files
- I used in the samples. Best effect is achieved with two-colour B/W images
- for which you set White filter 1 ( remember that Black filter 1 is sort of
- useless ). You can use any image file if you want to but you will have to
- set the filters for each colour you use. For POV version 1 I originally used
- a material_map, which was easier, but using a material_map in a declared
- statement doesn't seem to work in version 2, at least it didn't for me.
-
- That's all really. Just have a play with it.
-
- Comments are more than welcome ( CompuServe 100237,3073 ) If there is a
- demand for it, I might create a nice library of gobo's.
-
- Please note that the artwork for the files GAM201.gif & GAM575.gif is copyright
- of the Great American Market Pattern.
-
- Roderick van Gelder
- Sydney, Australia
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