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- What's New in 3.0: [extract from CTDS300.DOC]
-
- - The official name of CTDS is now "Connect The Dots System."
- - 90% of the program has been rewritten from scratch.
- - CTDS now supports POVRAY 2.0 syntax.
- - Fuller support for VIVID and POLYRAY has been incorporated.
- Except for options which are specific to quadric data, most
- command-line parameters are now applicable to all three
- raytracers.
- - Object naming has been enhanced. Specifying a name on the
- command-line will create a defined/declared object with the
- desired name. If no name is specified, CTDS will simply write
- out an instance of the resulting object.
- - Sphere and cone primitives can now be grouped for easier
- manipulation.
- - Textures can now be specified for just the spheres, just the
- cones, or for the entire object.
- - Two output formats are now supported: standard and verbose.
- Standard format translates the input data into a concise,
- optimal description of primitives. Verbose format translates
- the input data into specific transformations, allowing further
- manipulation of the data.
- - Input data is now pre-scanned to perform variable-replacement
- of common values. Command-line switches are available to
- disable this feature for individual coordinate-components or
- for all components.
- - Stronger error-checking is now performed for file i/o,
- potential degenerate cones, and command-line conflicts.
- - The /sc option now supplies information that will allow you to
- center objects about the origin if desired.
- - The "cylindrical cones only" ("/c1") and "bounds only"
- ("/bo") options are no longer supported.
- - The "Quiet" option works correctly now. Previous versions
- tended to leak processing messages to the screen.
- - The IBM-compatible version now has a flashier color interface.