README: Math::Zap

Draw 3D objects in 2D

This package supplies methods to draw a scene, containing three dimensional objects, as a two dimensional image, using lighting and shadowing to assist the human observer in reconstructing the original three dimensional scene.

Example zap.pl

#!perl -w
#______________________________________________________________________
# Draw triangles with shadows in 3d
# Perl License.
# PhilipRBrenan@yahoo.com, 2004.
#______________________________________________________________________

use Math::Zap::Draw;
use Math::Zap::Cube unit=>'cu';
use Math::Zap::Triangle;
use Math::Zap::Vector;

#_ Draw _______________________________________________________________
# Draw this set of objects.
#______________________________________________________________________

draw 
  ->from    (vector( 10,   10,  10))
  ->to      (vector(  0,    0,   0))
  ->horizon (vector(  1,  0.5,   0))
  ->light   (vector( 20,   30, -20))

    ->object(triangle(vector( 0,  0,  0), vector( 8,  0,  0), vector( 0,  8,  0)),                         'red')
    ->object(triangle(vector( 0,  0,  0), vector( 0,  0,  8), vector( 0,  8,  0)),                         'green')
    ->object(triangle(vector( 0,  0,  0), vector(12,  0,  0), vector( 0,  0, 12)) - vector(2.5,  0,  2.5), 'blue')
    ->object(triangle(vector( 0,  0,  0), vector( 8,  0,  0), vector( 0, -8,  0)),                         'pink')
    ->object(triangle(vector( 0,  0,  0), vector( 0,  0,  8), vector( 0, -8,  0)),                         'orange')
    ->object(cu()*2+vector(3,5,1), 'lightblue')

->done; 

See directory eg for further examples.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

INSTALL

This is alpha code. It is written in pure Perl. It uses the standard Perl install mechanism.

Download Math-Zap-1.07.tar.gz from CPAN, untar and:

perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install

If you are on Windows, use nmake, available at:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/vc15/Patch/1.52/W95/EN-US/Nmake15.exe

For bug reports or suggestions please send email to: philiprbrenan@yahoo.com

TO DO

Help with this project would be appreciated, expecially in the following areas:

Optimization

Cylinders, spheres, torii

Integration of incident power

More object types

Lighting effects

Textures for each plane