Pov Format

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The pov format is for exporting your Silo scenes to be rendered with the Povray renderer, including when calling such a renderer from within Silo through the Render command.

All instances and subdivision surfaces are written to the pov file as actual geometry, so there's no need to de-instantiate instances or refine control meshes. Default lighting will be provided if no user lights appear in the scene.

All of the options in the Import/Export Settings window will have an effect on pov file exports, except the Render Size fields. You must set your render size through the command options or in the Povray interface. If you choose to include a header or footer file, they will be added to the beginning or end of your pov file, respectively. A header file might, for example, include special lighting information or additional materials. You can then choose to not include materials (in the Import/Export Settings window) but use material names in your scene that are the same as special materials you've set up in your header file, and the renderer will use those materials from the header.

An example of what you might put in the Render Command/Program field of the Render Options dialog for Povray rendering is "C:\Program Files\Povray\bin\pvengine.exe/RENDER". The location of your exe file may be different, but adding the "/RENDER" to the end of the path will cause the file to be rendered with Povray immediately rather than being opened in its editor.

Notes

  • The only export options not supported by the pov format are the Render Size fields.
  • You must install your Povray renderer separately – no renderer is included with Silo.