We moved!

[Andreas Zehender]

Hi!

On Monday 08 April 2002 15:26, CARVALHO Luis Passos wrote:
> Hmm...
>
> I have some ideas on a plugin framework, however, i'm not sure i can
> implement them in a reasonable timeframe, since plugins must handle glx
> and in that area my memory just points to null :).

No, they don't have to.
All objects use the PMViewStructure class to represent the wireframe. You 
only have to define points and connections between them.

> Why don't we trade ideas and you take care of the plugins and I take
> care of the libraries.

Agreed.

An interesting class to look at is the KArchive class (kdelibs/kio) that 
can operate on tar files. Each object library is then a tar file with 
subdirectories and object/texture entries.
Each texture/object is represented by the kpovmodeler (xml) code, a 
description and a preview image.

The files in the archive for an object will be:
blablub.entry (the description, keywords, translations (!?) ...)
blablub.kpm (the xml code)
blablub.png (guess what :-)

The objects can consist of several declarations. Textures should contain 
only one declaration (that's why I added the examples/includes/inlined/* 
examples).

The import dialog will then be similar to a file manager dialog with 
directories and files. The objects are displayed as file with the preview 
image as icon.
Different libraries will be merged or displayed as sub folders. 
Additionaly you should be able to search the objects by description or 
keyword.

If objects are imported into the scene and the data contains ids that the 
scene contains already, the user should have the option to add it again 
to the scene or to use the existing one.
That will be no problem to implement because if a declaration with an 
existing id is pasted into the scene, it will be renamed already (a 
suffix is added) and the links inside the paste data will be corrected.

> Also, I don't have povray's documentation beside me, but I think the
> texture objects are nearly complete. At most one or two texture objects
> are missing. However, I think we'll have to add some user friendly
> features in that area, because kpovmodeler doesn't help that much when
> developing textures. If you know what you want to implement, in povray
> terms, then you can introduce it in kpovmodeler, but if you want to
> develop a texture in kpovmodeler without a clear idea on how you're
> going to do it then, my friend, you're on your own.
>
> I remember reading on the list some comment about kpovmodeler not being
> very helpful when developing textures.
> If anyone has any idea on how to improve texture development on
> kpovmodeler, I'm open to suggestions.
> Plug-in wizards could help, and a library of pre-made textures as well,
> but I fear it won't be enough.

We could add some entries to the insert menu that insert predefined 
texture templates.
solid color pigments: pigment { solid color }
color list pigment: { ... }
color map pigment: pigment { pattern, colormap }
texture map
layered texture
...

I have no better idea. I had the same problem with moray.

Greetings, Andreas
-- 
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 Andreas Zehender, Dipl. Ing. (BA)
 Student, 9th semester computer science
 http://www.azweb.de
 az@azweb.de | zehender@kde.org      
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