What ?

Peflp is a front-end for Persistence Of Vision Ray Tracer, written using TCL and TK.

Yet another one ?! Bored by the ini and command line PovRay stuff under linux ( mainly when rendering small parts of the image),i started searching for a front-end fitting my needs. While there's a few cool ones, i couldn't find exactly what i was looking for. As i also wanted to make a try at TCL/TK, well, i started typing.

Adding code lines from time to time, sometimes even functionnalities, i ended up with 'peflp'.

And as i find it usefull, you may also, so here it is.

News

2001/07/29 pefelp 0.74
• Corrected bugs around missing '/' char in paths leading to missplaced files
• Another bug prevented peflp to delete temporary 'tga' stamp image, now corrected
2001/07/08 pefelp 0.73
• peflp first startup improvement
2001/06/17 pefelp 0.72
• Pefelp :
• Added keyboard shortcuts
• Added command line file load so that peflp can be used from a MIME capable file manager
• Site : counters indicate that people come here, but i do not get that much emails. Is there anybody out there ?
2001/03/22 Last MIR day ?
• Site : Google do not point on 'index.html' page on my site, merely due to a bad HTML code ( wrongly placed keywords ? ) tried a hack, let's see
• Pefelp : too lazy to update archive. Later.
2001/02/05 pefelp 0.7
• Site : Added another screenshot
• Pefelp : some features and bug corrections
2000/12/18 Start
Finally decided to take time and make this site. Everything is rough still, well it's there...

ScreenShot(s)

Peflp - running through an X server under NT, hence the Window(tm) border- It is what it look like when started for the first time.
Peflp 0.7 rendering the selected image part

Doc

Requirements

• TCL/TK ( tested with 8.3 under Linux, may work with previous versions )
• ImageMagick ( at least the 'convert' program ).
• I've only tested it under Linux, and HP-UX 11. It may work on other OS ( after all, it a TCL script ).

Installing peflp

There's actually no install procedure. I may write something if it seems usefull. So installing peflp is a matter of copying the 'peflp' file in a directory which is in the $PATH, making it executable if needed ( 'chmod a+x peflp' give execution rights for all users ), and adding it in the menu/taskbar of your Gnome/KDE/IceWm/etc.. environment.

The first time it is run, peflp will
• create a directory '.peflp' in your home directory.
• create a 'stamps' directory in the .peflp directory.
• complain that the 'defaultStamp.gif' image is missing.

Everything is right :
• just copy the 'defaultStamp.gif' image found in archive in the '.peflp/stamps' directory.

Finally, set up peflp to your needs: in the 'settings->options' window
• indicate which renderer you use ( bare povray, megapov, etc ... )
• indicate what is your favorite editor - try Nedit ;)
• Point peflp to an ( existing ) directory in which ( full ) renders will reside
• Add your include/macros/libraries directory(ies)

Using peflp

Well, everything in on the screen. The 3 buttons are for

1. render only the stamp version ( using image quality settings as specified in settings->stamp options ). You may also double-click on stamp image.
2. render the image part selected on the stamp ( using settings selected on interface ).
3. render the full image ( using settings selected on interface ). After a full render, the stamp image is also refreshed if the corresponding setting is checked in settings->stamp options )
You can also use the shortcuts 'Ctrl-s for stamp, Ctrl-p for partial, and ... Ctrl-F for full image. In povray trace window, 'Ctrl-s' stops the current rendering.

Features

• Easy (?) to use
• Stamp render
• Easy to use partial render
• Settings are saved and reloaded at next start

Missing features

• There is no animation support for now, because ... my computer is an old P100, so doing animations is next to impossible ( still images either ... ) But if you want it, mail me, may be..
• User should be able to define his own ini file that would be included in peflp generated ini file at render time, so that user can use the needed-once-in-10-years options that are not available directly from front-end.
• Stamp images( small gif files ) are created in ~/.peflp/stamps, but never deleted. While theses files are not really big, you may keep an eye on this directory.

Download

Try 'shift-click' to download on Netscape

Download peflp 0.74, tar gzip format

Download peflp 0.73, tar gzip format

Download peflp 0.72, tar gzip format

Download peflp 0.7, tar gzip format

Download peflp 0.63, tar gzip format

Legals

This software is free. I work on it when i feel like it. I give it away in case it may be usefull, but you use it at your own risk, i'm not liable for anything in any way.

Bugs

• Seems to have problems using TCL/TK 8.1 on HP-UX ( using peflp directly or trough an X server ). Look like someone ( X server, tcl ? ) do not like when the main window hide when rendering
• There's probably other bugs ...
• English is not my native language... Please send me a mail with corrections :)

Contact

Feel free to mail me at mogzay@multimania.com.

Links

Here are some other PovRay front ends

• TclPOV( using ... tcl/tk ) at http://www.nasland.nu/programming.html
• Xpfe ( using Xforms ) at http://yebo.co.za/~10251338
• PovFront ( using gtk ) at http://perso.club-internet.fr/clovis1/
. This one is good, i found it too late.
• PovRay links at http://www.povray.org/links/
, particularly front ends section. PovLinks is worth the visit i think.