[Guide] Rendering LDraw models using POV-Ray

[Walter Kovacs]

I don't know. The +UA works fine for me and I'm using POV-Ray 3.7 RC6.

I believe 3.7 RC 6 was the last Beta version. I went ahead and downloaded 3.7.0, and the way +UA works has decidedly changed. It even mentions it in the help file.

So in summary, those using 3.7.0 will need to modify the Background line to get a transparent background.

Those using 3.7 RC 6 or earlier don't have to worry about it.

[Palathadric]

Ah, I didn't realize. Is it worth the bother to update from 3.7 RC6 to 3.7.0?

[Walter Kovacs]

Ah, I didn't realize. Is it worth the bother to update from 3.7 RC6 to 3.7.0?

I haven't seen any difference between the two, although I am hardly an expert user; I am a dabbler at best. I would think RC 6 was far enough along to have most of the bugs worked out.

[Palathadric]

So, I just installed another hard drive into my desktop and I wanted to run a POV-Ray render to the new drive by adding the "Output_File_Name=..." to the Master POVRay.ini file. However, I got a "IO restrictions prohibit write access to ..." error. I removed the restrictions and tried again, but then I got the error "Cannot create render state output file." I get this error whenever I try to change the directory of the render from the directory of the .pov file.

Have any of you encountered this error before or tried rendering to a different location than the default one?

[C3POwen]

GUIDE UPDATE: I have updated the LGEO-Update.zip file in the Downloads section with 12 new parts, 4 updated parts and 1 fixed part.

The FIXED, UPDATED and NEW LGEO parts from the 2014-02-10 update

Something I'd been wanting to do for a while (and always had trouble with) was add the rounded corners to the 1x1 and 1x2 "cheese" slopes, as the squared corners always bothered me. Although not perfect, the updated versions included here don't look too bad.

The personal highlight of the update for me is "33291 Plate 1 x 1 Round with Tabs". Up close, it has turned out looking pretty good!

It also shows off something I've been working on - a small join between the top surface and the stud. This now shows by default for all solid studs, although not for all hollow studs as it could cause issues where the join protrudes from a part (99206 being a case in point). This is something that would need to be done on a per-part basis, so would be quite time-consuming.

[papacharly]

Thanks, C3POwen, for updating the LGEO-parts!

Rendering a model I realised a strange phenomenom. Two edges of 30407 were colored green. See 30407 .

Any idea what the reason is? Might this just be a tiny LGEO bug?

thanks and regards

papacharly

[C3POwen]

Rendering a model I realised a strange phenomenon. Two edges of 30407 were colored green. See 30407 .

Any idea what the reason is? Might this just be a tiny LGEO bug?

It is indeed an issue with the LGEO part. When I'm creating new parts, I often set certain cylinders to a different colour for troubleshooting reasons, and it seems Lutz Uhlmann did the same when creating this part back in 2008. (Funnily enough, I tend to use green as well!)

I've fixed the green edge issue and you can download the updated part below. I've not included it in the full LGEO Update Pack, but will do so in the next update.

Download: lg_30407.inc

[papacharly]

I've fixed the green edge issue and you can download the updated part below.

Great! Many thanks for your extremely quick response.

[ponchon]

Hello,

I have a problem to do a render of the #21000 set. I am on Mac OS X 10.9.

I exported the model from LDD to Bricksmith, and I exported the .ldr file ton Pov-Ray using LD View.

I have the unofficial version of Pov Ray for mac (3.7), so I can not do the 6.2 step of the tutorial. So, I put the LGEO file in the section : "Set search path for additional include path".

After that, I tried to do the render, but I have an error message :

"Parse Warning: Should have at least 2 objects in csg.

Parse Warning: Should have at least 2 objects in csg.

Parse Warning: Should have at least 2 objects in csg.

Parse Warning: Should have at least 2 objects in csg.

Possible Parse Error: All #version and #declares of float, vector, and color require semi-colon ';' at end.

Possible Parse Error: Cannot find file 'colors.inc', even after trying to append file type extension.

"/Users/***/Documents/Bricksmith/ldraw/LGEO-Update/lg_color.inc"

line 45

Parse Error: Cannot open include file colors.inc.

Render failed

Thank you for your precious help.

[Courleciel]

Hi everybody !

I'm wondering if there is a way to prevent the reflection on some specific parts ?

I mean, I have a floor made with a lot of tiles and the objects which are on it reflect on the floor. So I would like to prevent these object accepting reflections from other objects.

I don't find anything to solve this problem, but I think that everybody may find it useful.

Thanks !

[JM1971]

Really neat info great for beginners like me.

[Alasdair Ryan]

Hello guys I am in need of some help,I always get error messages with pov-ray which indicates that it is having problems changing the colors of the parts.

Here is where I run into problems:

#include "lg_defs.inc"
#include "lg_color.inc"

If I remove the code it will then ask me to start removing the colors and then the parts themselves.

[papacharly]

Hello guys I am in need of some help,I always get error messages with pov-ray which indicates that it is having problems changing the colors of the parts.

Here is where I run into problems:

#include "lg_defs.inc"
#include "lg_color.inc"

If I remove the code it will then ask me to start removing the colors and then the parts themselves.

Not sure if I can help. However, lets make a shot…

Some questions:

- Have you transferred the LDraw-file to povray code by using LDview?

- Was this the very first time for you? If yes, so have you set the library path correctly? => Library_Path="C:\Program Files\LDraw\LGEO\lg" and Library_Path="C:\Program Files\LDraw\LGEO\ar" (or similar). Povray needs to know where to find the lg-files.

- Maybe just generate a very simple povray file containing one single brick and publish it here or send it to me. So I can better try to fix the problem.

Regards

papacharly

[Alasdair Ryan]

Hello thanks for trying to help,I think I did not have the right path specified, I changed it and it seamed to help but now I get this error:

LDX_48_slash_4_dash_4ri100_dot_dat_in_part

[papacharly]

Hello thanks for trying to help,I think I did not have the right path specified, I changed it and it seamed to help but now I get this error:

LDX_48_slash_4_dash_4ri100_dot_dat_in_part

BTW: This is not an error. This should be part of the codeline where the error occurs. So could you please let me know what is written in the error report?

However, try the following:

Add

#include "shapes.inc"

at the very beginning of your povray file.

Add

Library_Path="C:\Program Files\LDraw\LGEO" (or similar path)

to the povray.ini file.

Any progress?

[Alasdair Ryan]

I have hopefully uploaded a like to the pov file for you to see.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=6FB4AD5EF9A9317!910&authkey=!ACKQpOwcrmG02fg&ithint=file%2c.pov

I am unsure of where to put any of that code,the paths same fine.

[papacharly]

I have hopefully uploaded a like to the pov file for you to see.

https://onedrive.liv...thint=file,.pov

I am unsure of where to put any of that code,the paths same fine.

Your setup seems to be o.k. as I can copy the same errors on my system.

So far I dont understand what is going on. But I have "plan B solution":see here and here.

I just disabled the codelines which are generating an error report (5 times) by adding "//".

So at least you can see a first result of your project this way. By examining this render most probably you will never realize that there are some missing codelines.

Maybe Philo or Max Martin Richter may know a better advice as this certain code was generated by them.

Edited May 2, 2014 by papacharly

[Alasdair Ryan]

Ah ok I will try and remember that for future reference,thanks for your help.

Edit: can you tell me what line number you changed?

Edited May 2, 2014 by Alasdair Ryan

[lego2lego]

Hello thanks for trying to help,I think I did not have the right path specified, I changed it and it seamed to help but now I get this error:

LDX_48_slash_4_dash_4ri100_dot_dat_in_part

Ok this is a bug. You should add the letter "n" after "dash_4ri" so you get "dash_4rin100" This solves the matter and you will be able to render.

I believe there is a conversion error in LDview.

[Alasdair Ryan]

Thanks Lego2Lego,I just managed to work out what to change in the file,thank you all for your help.

[C3POwen]

GUIDE UPDATE: I have updated the LGEO-Update.zip file in the Downloads section with 12 new parts and 3 fixed parts (although these are only minor fixes).

The FIXED and NEW LGEO parts from the 2014-06-11 update

[RemtonDulyak]

I have a question regarding POV-Ray rendering.

I'm working with LDD (I'm not able to use the other softwares, I get lost in the interfaces), and Iuse LDD to POV-Ray converter to generate the POV file.

When it ends converting, it automatically starts POV-Ray (Ok, I have to say "yes", but that's not the problem).

The issue is, POV-Ray starts rendering, and when it's around 70-75% it "resets" to 0%, and starts again.

Any advice?

[hrontos]

LDD2POVRay by default uses radiosity which implies two pass rendering. That's may be why you see 70-75%, then start from 0%. Or may be I am completely wrong and it would be useful to see your settings.

[RemtonDulyak]

LDD2POVRay by default uses radiosity which implies two pass rendering. That's may be why you see 70-75%, then start from 0%. Or may be I am completely wrong and it would be useful to see your settings.

Yep, just noticed:

Now I have to choose if I should stop it, and restart it without radiosity, or just let it finish...

[hrontos]

Now I have to choose if I should stop it, and restart it without radiosity, or just let it finish...

Since you already managed to wait for the first pass(collection of the radiosity data) to finish, the second pass (rendering) will not be faster without radiosity. Actually rendering takes almost the same time with or without radiosity, collection of radiosity data is the extra time. And renderings with radiosity look better, especialy with some skysphere lighting image.