Modeling Programs

• Ayam: a free 3D modelling environment for the RenderMan interface
• Moray: It can output POV-Ray format.
• AC3D: It can output POV-Ray and RenderMan formats.

    The following programs are commercial products with trial versions that you can download and try:

• Rhino: It's a powerful 3D modeler that can handle curve surfaces, and it can output RenderMan format.  But it costs US$195 for a single educational license.
• X-Frog: great for generating trees and other botanic objects.

Now I'm Interested.  But How Do I Start?

    The 3D models or scenes that are rendered by POV-Ray are described in its own "Scene Description Language."  If you installed POV-Ray for Windows on your PC, then you probably have seen the test scenes when it started up.  Read the source files of the test scenes, and you will see that it is not hard to understand or modify.

    But it is more likely that you will use a 3D modeler to create your 3D scenes.  Download one of the modeling programs that are mentioned above and give it a try.  If you prefer freeware or shareware, then start with Ayam for creating RenderMan and BMRT compatible models, or Moray for creating POV-Ray compatible models.

3D Graphics Technology in the Movies

• Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within