Some ideas for KPM

[Daniel Matthews]

>> 1. Variables, Def. and use in any box that takes a numerical value, plus
>> math. e.g. 10.5 + myWidth / 3
>
>I thought about that, too. But imagine the memory overhead if a calculation 
>can be used for _every_ object attribute.
>Not in near and far future, maybe together with scripting and animations.

Awww! :o( What about simple variables and may be just -=*/() for object 
geometry? It would make a *huge* difference to the power of the interface.


>> 3. Object arrays - 3d, both rectangular and polar
>> 4. Integration of fundamental macros like the lighting and sunlight pos.
>> etc.
>Scripting and animation. Far far future.

I guess the object arrays follow as a plug-in anyway they are a form of meta 
tool for acting on/creating a group of objects.

Sunlight pos is just a light with the pos calculated from Time, Lat, Lon and 
Elevation. Even the color of the light is calculated from the position in the 
sky (more red as it goes lower, because of the atmosphere).
Then when there is Animation the Time variable controls the positional 
changes.

>> 5. Instant World Tool, ground plane - sky - sun - clouds - sea/water etc.
>>       actually a set of these including a Photo Studio setup would be a 
>>handy menu.
>
>I would say this fits into the idea of the object library. We could create a 
>library with basic scene elements.

Yes a new menu call object manager with an interface to a library (user 
expandable) would be cool, particularly if it had a rendered preview. I guess 
this touches on the issues of how to handle and represent reusable CSG groups 
and other finite object with variable geometry. Then from this flows 
parametrics, Parametric CSG being the ultimate in geometry reuse.

I wish I could help with the code development, but at the moment I haven't the 
skills and time, perhaps later in the year I could try a plug-in. In the mean 
time is there a place I can upload any demo .kpm files I have made?