POV Break B. Arranging a Scene
This page contains links to all resources mentioned in POV Break B of the textbook.
Right-handed Basic Scene¶
Download here the .pov file of the
basic scene converted to a right-handed coordinate system.
Download basic-shapes.inc and my scene file¶
Download the basic-shapes.inc file to use in your project. It provides the 15 shapes you'll arrange as part of this project.
Download the scene file for my example of my own initials.
Free graph paper online¶
Tip
I recommend using graph paper to plan your projects before you begin them. You can get free graph paper online here, among other places.
Project Information for Instructors¶
When my students do this project, I create a wiki page in our course
management system (Blackboard) that contains instructions for how they can
post their work to that wiki. All student posts go on one wiki page, and
include both a rendered image and a download link to their original scene
(.pov) file. Since this is the first project I assign, I use some
in-class time to verify that everyone knows how to use the Blackboard wiki,
and we look at one another's work if anyone is able to post right there in
class.
I require my students to name their .POV files (and the corresponding
.PNG files) according to the filename convention
Project-B-Your-Name-Here.POV (or .PNG). For example, if I were doing
the project, I would submit the files Project-B-Nathan-Carter.POV and
Project-B-Nathan-Carter.PNG. Having a convention like this helps a lot
when downloading 30 files of each type for grading.
I use the following grading criteria. The portion for submission is as high as it is because this is their first time submitting a project, so I give credit for the fact that they must invest time in learning the wiki and submission process, which they will then use throughout the rest of the course without any additional credit for it.
| Completing and submitting a scene file that renders in POV (i.e., no errors if I run your file) | 30% |
| Submitting the corresponding image file | 10% |
| Correctly following directions for submission | 20% |
| Meeting the 3 criteria listed in the text | 30% (10% each) |
| Creativity and/or artistry | 10% |
I include a creativity and/or artistry component to each project's grade, to encourage my students to enjoy the work, and to treat it as something more expressive than typical math homework, a chance to have fun while gaining mastery of the material. The creativity and/or artistry component may not always be 10%, but it is for this first project. Doing only the minimum required earns a 0% for that portion, while 10% for that portion means impressing me with going far above and beyond the minimum. And of course students can earn 1%-9% as well.