TITLE: Reclaiming the Desert.
NAME: Jeffry J. Brickley
COUNTRY: USA
EMAIL: jbrickley@programmer.net
WEBPAGE: www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/3210
TOPIC: Nature
COPYRIGHT: I SUBMIT TO THE STANDARD RAYTRACING COMPETITION COPYRIGHT.
JPGFILE: desert.jpg
RENDERER USED: 
    POV 3.04

TOOLS USED: 
    FreeView to convert to JPG
         my own lightning include file (non-public version, yet)
            my own desert include file
            Chris Colefax's Lens Effects include file
            Crossroads 3D format converter (for windmill only)

RENDER TIME: 
    34 minutes 22 seconds

HARDWARE USED: 
    Pentium II 233

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: 


I have always admired lightning photos and and
started trying to make an include file that would generate lightning
bolts.  I was well on my way when the competitions for night came up
and got this idea.  But due to work related problems never got this 
started until the subject of nature came up.  I figured I'd better 
get it in this time because three subjects related to this would be
impossible.  The Windmill is the only non-natural object and nature
is well on it's way of removing it....


DESCRIPTION OF HOW THIS IMAGE WAS CREATED: 


The lightning is generated
by a series of gradually narrowing cones (almost cylinders) connected
together.  The turns and twists are all randomized with branches
created recursively in the include file.  The yucca plants were
created by revolving a series of half-cones (hollowed) to make the
leaves of a yucca.  Randomly the leaves are removed so as not to give
too much symmetry to the plant (yuccas are ~95ymmetrical).  They 
are randomly spaced and tilted to provide a more natural appearance
to the scene (this species of yucca is rarely perfectly vertical)
based on the area surrounding my place of employment.  The ground is
made by a height-map and smoothed with a khaki color and added 
turbulence to make it look like blown sand.  No photo textures are
used anywhere in this scene, everything is generated within POV.  The
model of the Windmill, was however, taken from www.3dcafe.com and
converted with Crossroads.  Lights are generated with fade distances
to show the light fading away from the lightning strike.  The final
addition is a lens effect from Chris Colefax's Lens effects include
file.