TITLE: Sundogs10
NAME: Raymond Clancy
COUNTRY: USAWeb Page:  None

EMAIL: N6RE@mminternet.com
TOPIC: Frozen Moments
COPYRIGHT: I submit to the standard raytracing competition copyright.
JPGFILE: sundogsx.jpg
ZIPFILE: sundogsx.zip
RENDERER USED: 
    Pov-Ray for windows 3.5

TOOLS USED: 
    Windows Paint, MGI Video Wave Studio, Irfanview

RENDER TIME: 
    One second (640x480bmp output)

HARDWARE USED: 
    Athlon 1900+ Win98SE moboA7V333


IMAGE DESCRIPTION: 
    The image is a "Frozen Moment" generated by ice crystals at
3 to 6          miles in the atmosphere.  It is colloquially called a display
of "sundogs",                 possibly a term derived from hunters use of dogs
(well-trained dogs hunt at defined          distance and even with the hunter).
 Hunting dogs date back to 3000BC.
            With the gracious permission of the copyright holder, Philip
Appleton, I make            use of his "Sundogs at Winter Solstice"image.  I
have added two "frosty sundogs" to          this background image.  (Perhaps
they are wearing sundog sunglasses!).
            The technical name for the celestial phenomenon is "Parhelia".  The
presence of          sundogs is usually accompanied by high cirrus clouds of
ice crystals.
            I had the pleasure of observing sundogs from my home last month
(Nov) at mid-day          hours.  One instance included a second "halo" around
the normal 22 degree halo at            about 45 degrees.  Colored sundogs
appeared variably over the time span of                  four hours generating
"frozen moments".  A tangential curve appeared at the                 zenith of
the halo at times.
            Antarctica has unique displays of sundogs due to the low sun
position above the          horizon. A sundog search on the internet reveals
many facts and images of                   "Parhelia". A halo simulator program
is available therein.
            Photographing this phenomenon by Mr. Appleton shows skillful use of
photographic          paraphernalia.  I used his original image of
2472x1571x24bmp as the background.                File halodog1.bmp is 11.1mb. 

     

DESCRIPTION OF HOW THIS IMAGE WAS CREATED: 


            The .jpg image presented herewith was generated by editing the
background image,          removing the copyright statement to prevent erosion
during the processes required.
         The copyright statement was typed in during evolution of the combined
images. The           dog image was edited in Paint for color and size. 
Foreground places the dogs.
            The background image was entered into MGI Video Wave Studio wherein
the                  copyright statement was entered via the video mixer
feature and a single frame              output passed through Irfanview to
generate a .bmp.  Installed this .bmp into               Pov-Ray as a
sky_sphere image_map, adjusted parameters for the image and the camera         
to position the image.  Returned the .bmp to Video Studio wherein the dog
images            were integrated into the scene using the single frame
technique as before.  The             final.bmp was converted in Irfanview.
            This integrated image .bmp was then rendered in POV-RAY in one
second and the            .jpg conversion made in Irfanview.
            As you can probably tell, I am not expert at this, but I am having a
ball!  If           nothing else, the render speed will be an eye popper!!
            It was made with simple tools....K.I.S.S.  Happy New Year to all!  


