KDE 3.2 feature plan

[olivier at linuxgraphic.org]

Hi,

> As I don't think I will be able to finish the plugin framework, I think we
> should focus on implementing missing POV-Ray objects, especially the new
> 3.5 objects.

This sounds particularly great! Will you implement only missing POV-Ray 
objects, or will you also implement features like a GUI for Photon rays?

Herafter, I'm trying to put along my wish-list about changes I feel as badly 
needed in KPM. Some of these changes are minor, some are more consequent, I 
think. Particularly, these changes aim to improve efficiency at modeling and 
setting of scenes with KPM, these steps being often painful when I'm involved 
in intensive modeling...

Among these:

-The possibility to use litterals terms (or words) unstead of numbers in the 
fields of the various objects, with an optional 'parameters setting window' in 
which all such declarations could be put; this way it could be easy to start 
playing with macros directly within kpovmodeler. Perhaps a few tags for the if, 
while etc and other loops could be intersting also for modeling complex items 
where duplication of shapes is required

-The possibility to insert/delete control points with the mouse on any existing 
segment (or in prolongation of a new one) when creating curves for use with 
Lathe, SOR, Prisms, etc. (perhaps does this exist already? Have I missed it?) 
This should help modelling efficiently with kpovmodeler

-When using curves (i.e. cubic or quadratic) it should be fine if the 
supplementary one or two points needed to complete mathematical calculations 
be added or suppressed automatically when changing the curves from linear to 
quadratic to cubic then back to linear... Default vector (or recalling the last 
vector tried before curve type change) should be easy to put up, I think? It's 
always a pain when trying to model a fork using prisms: I always start with 
linear curves, and then shift to quadratic or cubic according to the result, 
and often I try one system or another.

-When many cameras are set, the possibilty to choose which camera should be 
used for the rendering (currently, the last camera item is the one always used, 
if I'm not wrong).

-The possibility to see objects in shaded mode through OpenGL facilities (I 
know this is slightly more than minor change ;o) because it's often hard to set 
a scene in wire-mode only... This a whole feature which should be in the TOP 
list, according to a user's point of view

-The possibility to specify a different gravity/center point (and it's 
materialisation in the 3d window) to each objects instead of the asolute 0 
coordinate point (way more cool when trying to adjust the rotation angles of an 
object AFTER a relocation or a resizing...).

-The possibility to select two (or more!) objects and to align them top or 
bottom, left right or center, move them along a vector until contact is 
achieved, etc.

-The possibility to turn any primitive/result of CSG in meshes with triangular 
faces (no backward possibility, I guess?) that could be tweaked, extruded, 
etc... Meshes modelling tools (along with SubSurfs) are still lacking to KPM, 
and using only primitives or external softwares like jPatch could be painful 
and/or restrictive as KPM suffers not being a stand-alone software for complex 
projects... This should be added prior to (or along with) animation facilities, 
IMHO.

I know these are a lot of things on my wish-list but hey, I'm sure that's the 
direction KPM should take within the next few months in order to be very 
appealing... On the other hand, with the liberation of the code of a software 
like Blender and many other source-free softwares like jpatch, I'm sure you 
could already have at hand some code for implementing most basics features.

Of course, I also know that you are only two developpers involved in KPM, and I 
wish I could give some help, but the only thing I'm good at is modelling and 
writing tutorials (and complaining about missing features, of course ;o)

Keep up the good (and very promising) work!

Cheers,
Olivier