---
name: "r.out.pov"
section: "1grass"
platform: "linux"
package: "grass-doc"
version: "8.4.1-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/r.out.pov"
---

# r.out.pov(1grass)

Converts a raster map layer into a height-field file for POV-Ray.

## NAME

**r.out.pov**  - Converts a raster map layer into a height-field file for POV-Ray.

## KEYWORDS

raster, export, output

## SYNOPSIS

**r.out.pov**\
 **r.out.pov --help**\
 **r.out.pov** **input**=*name* **output**=*name*  \[**hftype**=*integer*\]   \[**bias**=*float*\]   \[**scale**=*float*\]   \[--**overwrite**\]  \[--**help**\]  \[--**verbose**\]  \[--**quiet**\]  \[--**ui**\]

### Flags:

- **--overwrite**

  Allow output files to overwrite existing files

- **--help**

  Print usage summary

- **--verbose**

  Verbose module output

- **--quiet**

  Quiet module output

- **--ui**

  Force launching GUI dialog

### Parameters:

- **input**=*name* **\[required\]**

  Name of input raster map

- **output**=*name* **\[required\]**

  Name of output povray file (TGA height field file)

- **hftype**=*integer*

  Height-field type (0=actual heights 1=normalized)

- **bias**=*float*

  Elevation bias

- **scale**=*float*

  Vertical scaling factor

## DESCRIPTION

*r.out.pov* converts a user-specified raster map layer (map==name) into a height-field file for POVray (tga==name). The hftype==value option (where value is either 0 or 1) specifies the height-field type. When the user enters 0 the output will be actual heights. If entered 1 the cell-values will be normalized. If hftype is 0 (actual heights) the bias==value can be used to add or subtract a value from heights. Use scale==value to scale your heights by value. The GRASS program r.out.pov can be used to create height- field files for Persistence of Vision (POV) raytracer. POV can use a height-field defined in Targa (.TGA) image file format where the RGB pixel values are 24 bits (3 bytes). A 16 bit unsigned integer height-field value is assigned as follows: RED = high byte, GREEN = low byte, BLUE = empty.

## EXAMPLE

An example Povray script file may look like this:

```
#include "shapes.inc"
#include "colors.inc"
#include "textures.inc"
#declare Scale = 7;
light_source { <40000, Scale*3000, 5000> color MainLight }
camera {
   location < 23000, Scale*2000, 0>
   angle  90
   look_at < 23000, Scale*1400, 5000>
}
height_field  {
   tga "dem.lr.tga"
   smooth
   water_level 0.11  // 726 / 6553.6 = 0.111
    texture {
      pigment {
          image_map { // image is always projected from -z, with front facing  +z, top to +Y
             ppm "map.lr.ppm"
             once
          }
          rotate x*90 // align map to height_field
      }
    }
   finish {
          ambient 0.2         // Very dark shadows
          diffuse 0.8         // Whiten the whites
          phong 0.2           // shiny
          phong_size 100.0    // with tight highlights
          specular 0.5
          roughness 0.05
   }
   scale < 14500, Scale*6553.6, 13000 >
   translate <18300, 0, 1100>
}
```

## AUTHOR

Klaus D. Meyer, GEUM.tec GbR, eMail: *GEUM.tec@geum.de*

## SOURCE CODE

Available at: r.out.pov source code (history)

Accessed: Monday Feb 24 17:50:44 2025

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