Drawing a curved shape - 2nd attempt

[Randall Reetz]

This is a big problem with xtalk environments... they have not in general kept pace with the modernization of graphics capabilities.  Computer OS, have had spline curves built into their graphics engines for decades.  When hypercard came out, the processor and memory of the mac was so restricted that curves were off limits (as were colors!).  But we no longer live with computers that can not draw curves.  When i look at the real time rendering happening in modern pc driven first person games (or for that matter, in flash and java) i wonder why xtalk graphics still live a pre-1990 graphical life. 

For those of us using xtak to do prototypes, this is especially catistrophic.  How is one to design for the future if our tools pull us so far into the past.  Ever try, for instance to mock up a modern iphone app in xtalk... Good luck.  And what of things beyond the iphone?  
-----Original Message-----
From: "Graham Samuel" <livfoss at mac.com>
To: use-revolution at lists.runrev.com
Sent: 1/31/2009 1:23 PM
Subject: Drawing a curved shape - 2nd attempt

Dear list

I sent this mail a few days ago, and unless I missed it, (always  
possible if you get the digest, as  do) I got no replies at all. This  
is the first time this has happened to me, so I thought it might be  
worth a second try to see if I get anyone's attention.

TIA

Graham

It seems funny that after all these years I've never tried this, but I  
realise I don't know how to draw a curved shape by script. I see from  
the Rev documentation that the style of a graphic can be 'curve' and  
that the shape of the graphic can be defined by its points, but that  
doesn't tell me how to produce a smooth curve which will still look  
curved at any degree of enlargement or resolution.

For example if I set a graphic to style 'curve' and draw it by  
calculating a circular path with a point every few degrees, I will get  
a circle. But is this **really** a circle or is it rather a polygon  
with a lot of small straight sides? If the latter, it wouldn't look  
good after enlargement or when printed on a high-resolution printer,  
would it? And what if I want to draw a far more complex shape  
consisting perhaps of straight lines and more than one kind of curve?  
All this is easy in drawing programs, but how would one do it with Rev  
scripting? Maybe I just missed the relevant documentation, but up to  
now I can't see the answer.

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