Hiya, POVRay bloke from the UK in full 3D.

[Crayons]

Hey Crayons - welcome! Good to see another maptool user here too. That POVRay stuff looks great. Definitely interested in seeing maps made that way.

Sure thing! Actually you're in luck (I think!?). This was a project where I originally generated the pub using Map Tool and then tried modelling part of it in POVRay - I've just dug out the other files and re-rendered some views -I've put them in an album called "2D vs 3D?" here. I hope you can find them.
Firstly - I hope I'm not representing myself as any kind of expert in any of these tools I've quoted! The Maptool pub was my first (and only, really) attempt with that tool so far - and - as is common with my work, I failed to really dot all the i's and cross all the t's. eg. some things have drop shadows, some don't and so on.
The POVRay version is even less completed - I really only did as much as was necessary for the interior view and other bits I was just plain enjoying doing. Don't judge POVRay harshly from this "map", it can be improved on immensely from this render - the lighting is very plain here - it's what I use in "workshop" mode as I call it.
I've not really used either Maptool or FM8 to any extent that might lead me to a preference. It strikes me that Maptool is easier for buildings and FM8 for "geography", I guess?
However, neither really gives me as much pleasure and satisfaction as modelling in POVRay does.

nice pub crayons ... did you model all yourself, or are the elements pulled from a library of sorts?

Jolly good question! All of the objects are my own design apart from the candle flame itself and some bottles in the far distance. I can't find the name of the guy who did the bottle meshes - he didn't put anything in his code, that's common enough. I do take care with attribution when I can but usually I prefer to generate my own, it's what makes it so satisfying. The flame is just too clever for me though.

[tilt]

okay.. .very nice... went to a 3D studio Max course once... but what I learned other than basics was that I don't have enough time in the day to learn it properly

[RobA]

My POVRay work generally never got too far beyond objects. I did author the first chains.inc in 1997. Some of that page still exists in the internet archive at old SoHo 7865!

-Rob A>

[Redrobes]

I'm impressed with the chains ! Nicely done.

[tilt]

yep.. nice chains indeed

[Immolate]

Beautiful stuff Crayons. Welcome to the guild!

[Crayons]

My POVRay work generally never got too far beyond objects. I did author the first chains.inc in 1997. Some of that page still exists in the internet archive at old SoHo 7865!
-Rob A>

1997 eh? Cripes!
I started my POVRay hobby in 2003 designing spaceships for a pbp wargame. Nowadays I've expanded my repertoire somewhat but I confess chains don't figure largely!! Sadly your zip file with the catenary code didn't seem to get into the archive too

[Katto]

I still own a howto book from 1993. It covers most of the things that are now in the help file. I don't know why it is still in my bookshelf.