Anim8or is a great and easy to use free 3D Modelling program. Anim8or save your projects in .an8 files. These files stores the description of your models and scenes. Other programs can't read .an8 files. Ani2Pov was originaly just an Anim8or to PovRay file converter. PovRay is a famous free RayTracing Renderer. The RayTracing is an algorithm used to produce realistic pictures. PovRay use also other algorithmes and features which are not supported by Anim8or.

Know Ani2Pov can convert several file formats.
Ani2Pov can only export animations in the MilkShape3d and SMD file formats (and only from sequences). The PovRay export can convert one or more static scene with objects and materials. It supports .an8 files from Anim8or v0.85 to v0.97 only. Anim8or and PovRay do not always work in the same way. Some additionnal features are available to reduce some limitations.

	Anim8or (.an8)	ASSIMP (.*)	Pov (.pov;.inc)	Collada (.dae)	ASE (.ase)	AC3D (.a3d)	Ogre (.xml)	Irrlicht (.irrmesh)	MilkShape (.ms3d;.txt)	Half-Life (.smd)	VideoScape (.obj)
Anim8or
ASSIMP
VideoScape

In order to understand how Ani2Pov works, you should read this manual, but you should also read the Anim8or manual and the PovRay manual (For the .an8 to PovRay conversion).

Execute "Ani2pov.exe" in the "Ani2Pov.zip" file.
The installer should create several files and folders:

Ani2Pov.exe : The file converter

example.an8 : A .an8 file to test Ani2Pov.

manual.htm : The manual.

3 folders : "material", "objects", "scenes" : Store your files used for the special features. These folders already have some example files.

Some pictures and textures.

Ani2Pov recquires the MicroSoft .NET runtime and the MicroSoft Visual C++ runtime (links can be found on the readme.txt file)

Linux: (no longer supported for the time beeing)

Unzip "Ani2Pov.zip".
The extraction should create several files and folders:

Ani2Pov.exe : The file converter with a Graphic User Interface (GUI).

example.an8 : A .an8 file to test Ani2Pov.

manual.htm : The manual.

3 folders : "material", "objects", "scenes" : Store your files used for the special features. These folders already have some example files.

Some pictures and textures.

Ani2Pov recquires Gtk+ under Linux

III. Features

Ani2Pov can convert:

Several Meshes in an object with textures and Colors.

Spheres, cubes, cylinders (using PovRay functions. It will look very smooth)

Several Objects in one scene.

Basic material settings (Diffuse color or texture. Ambient, diffuse and specular factor. Bumpmap, Alpha).

One Camera (position and orientation).

Infinite, local and spot Lights (position, directions, color, In/Out Radius, In/Out Angle).

Background color.

Fog (but not very well).

Ani2Pov cannot convert:

Animations, sequences and figures (and will not for a long time).

Subdivided (the original meshes will be exported)(use "Build->Convert to mesh" in the Anim8or's menu to keep the good number of polygons)

2D shapes (such as lines).

Groups. Ani2Pov Ungroups all groups.

Some material settings.

Positions and orientations of objects, lights and camera must be relative to "Parent" (Check this radio button in the Anim8or dialog box). Roll is also always enable for these elements.

Special features:

The name of the scenes can be used to add extra scene descrition from an external file.

The name of the objects can be used to add extra object descrition from an external file.

Materials can be replaced using the materials file names.
Read part IV for more details.

Subdivisions:

Ani2Pov can export subdivided meshes. This option is not activated by default because PovRay do not support subdivisions. But you can find an unofficial version of PovRay which support subdivision at the link:
PovRay with Subdivision

Warning:

Warning:

You have to check the "Output normals" option in Anim8or if you don't want Ani2Pov to be very slow (Menu "Options->Debug->Output normals"). By doing this, Ani2Pov can read and convert vertex normals created by Anim8or.

If you do not check this option before saving your file in Anim8or, Ani2Pov will have to create vertex normals by itself, and it's very very slow (several minutes, or hours for big scene). I have some optimizations to do :).

Warning:

Anim8or and PovRay do not work in the same way. You will probably have to change the material, light and fog settings. (Note: The materials are declared in the beginning of all .inc files).

Use only english characters for the names of your objects, materials,lights,... Do not use special characters (such as german umlauts: ä)

if you use spaces in the names of your objects, materials,lights,... (example: "My Name") the space characters will be replaced by a string by Ani2Pov (Because PovRay do not support spaces in the names). You can change this string in the Ani2Pov GUI.

IV. How to convert a file

In Anim8or:

1) Launch Anim8or.
2) Create one or more Objects (use "Mode->Object" in the Anim8or's menu).
3) Convert subdivided, spheres, cubes and cylinders into meshes (use "Build->Convert to mesh" in the Anim8or's menu) if you want to keep the same polygons as in Anim8or.
4) Add these objects in your scene (use "Mode->Scene" in the Anim8or's menu) with your camera and lights.
5) Change the color of the background and add fog (not necessary).
6) Check the Output normals option in Anim8or (Menu "Options->Debug->Output normals")
7) Save your Anim8or scene in an .an8 file.

Roll will be enable for all elements (objects, lights, camera) even if it's not the case in Anim8or.

Elements must be relative to "Parent" (Check this radio button in the Anim8or dialog box of your element).

Conversion:

1) Give your .an8 file to the converter. Use the ani2povGUI.exe or use the MS-DOS console ("ani2pov file_name.an8" with console. Drag-and-drop is also possible).
Warning: The file name directories (of the .an8 file and of the destination directory) must not have spaces: "c:\My folder\file.an8" is bad. "c:\MyFolder\file.an8" is good.
2) Several files will be generated. The scene description is stored in a .pov file (the name of the file is the name of the scene). The objects descriptions are stored in one or more .inc files (one per object)(the name of these files are the names of the objects).
3) Launch PovRay with the .pov file.

You don't need to create a scene in Anim8or. But you will have to create it by yourself in PovRay.

If you have a problem, open you .an8 file with Anim8or and try to delete all not supported features (like lines, animations ...). And try again.

About the GUI: Ani2Pov can be launch without GUI. You must use the terminal:
"ani2pov file_name.an8"
To enable subdivision:
"ani2pov file_name.an8 -s"