> Well, we can combine several 'If' statements.
> For example, you can perform an AND by nesting one If in another:
> If (slope>0.5)
>       If (height>0.8)
>             color = constant (1,1,1)
> which results in color white (snow) if slope is more horizontal than 0.5
> AND if height is higher than 0.8 (just a random example).

   Right , OK . Hmmm ... just dusted off my beautiful copy of the V3.53
manual , into the RPL section , and as you remember , we were graced with
practically unlimited boolean logic operators . Not only that , but we
also had access to the awesome RPL word "Eval" !

  "Eval" gave us the ability to write algebraic expressions for RS to
... evaluate ! "Eval" has been omitted from VSL , thus my comment about
VSL not being very Boolean/Algorithmic friendly , from what I can gather .

  As much as I hated RPL (Reverse Polish Notation) an RPL programer could
run rings around anyone else, doing in 2 or 3 lines of code what would take
other languages several times more . A true thing of beauty but beyond me.

  However , a scripting language , like the one in MS Excel , would be per-
fect for algebraic/full boolean logic evaluation . Only so much time though,
and the market place clamoured for shiny this and that , and I think perhaps
our Java scripting documentation and examples may have got placed on the
back burner since there is not much call for that particular feature .

> If only it were possible to attach a GUI to a Level material that
> allowed control of the materials inside it... anyway I'll try to work
> something out but that'll be next week, gotta go now.
> -Mark H

  Well , nice interfaces are awesome , but I think they would have to be
C++ programed in , using the free SDK . I would have to think that the
first steps would be in determining the limitations of using VSL for
complex boolean evaluations (if this 'quality' then "grass images x 10
and 1 tree with snow image , polygon color brown #5 , no displacement")

   Personally , I think this "Landscape plugin" idea could be a great way
for a group of people to push the envelope with RS and it's VSL and SDK ,
and maybe even it's Java (do we still have RPL?) . If it was made sort of
opened sourced , and enough people wanted to get in on it , it could be an
excellent way of showing what can be done with RS by typical users .

Garry Curtis
http://www.niagara.com/~studio










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