update docs and comments

Author: robertsulej

CHANGELOG.rst

@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ NVIDIA driver >= 450 is required to run this release.
 Added
 ~~~~~
 
-- support for the normal buffer in AI denoiser
+- enabled normal buffer in AI denoiser
+- new geometries for curves: BSplineQuad and BSplineCubic approximating data points, SegmentChain for a piecewise-linear plot
 
 Changes
 ~~~~~~~

README.rst

@@ -39,9 +39,7 @@ No need to write shaders, intersection algorithms, handle 3D scene technicalitie
 
 ... but PlotOptiX is much faster on large data and, with all the raytraced shades and DoF, more readable and eye catching.
 
-`Documentation pages <https://plotoptix.rnd.team>`__ are currently generated from the source code docstrings. Please,
-see `examples on GitHub <https://github.com/rnd-team-dev/plotoptix/tree/master/examples>`__
-for practical code samples.
+Check `examples on GitHub <https://github.com/rnd-team-dev/plotoptix/tree/master/examples>`__ for practical code samples and `documentation pages <https://plotoptix.rnd.team>`__ for a complete API reference.
 
 PlotOptiX is based on `NVIDIA OptiX 7.1 <https://developer.nvidia.com/optix>`_ framework. It is a set of CUDA shaders by `R&D Team <https://rnd.team>`_ wrapped in RnD.SharpOptiX C#/C++ libraries with a Python API. PlotOptiX makes use of RTX-capable GPU's.
 
@@ -53,7 +51,7 @@ Features
 
 - progressive path tracing with explicit light sampling
 - pinhole camera, thin-lens camera with depth of field simulation, panoramic camera for making 360 deg environment maps
-- geometries: particle (sphere), parallelepiped, parallelogram, tetrahedron, bezier line, mesh (generated from parametric surface or f(x,y) plots; defined with vertices and faces; import from Wavefront .obj file)
+- geometries: particle (sphere), parallelepiped, parallelogram, tetrahedron, linear segments, bezier curve, b-splines, mesh (automatically generated from parametric surface or f(x,y) data; or defined with vertices and faces, e.g. created with `pygmsh <https://github.com/nschloe/pygmsh>`__; or loaded from a Wavefront .obj file)
 - parameterized materials shading: flat, diffuse, reflective, refractive; including: light dispersion, surface roughness, subsurface scattering, and nested volumes
 - spherical and parallelogram light sources, light emission in volumes
 - environmental light, environment maps, and ambient occlusion

examples/1_basic_plot_making/2_parametric_line_plot_3d.py

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 Parametric line plot 3D.
 
 This example shows how to:
-   - create a line plot using bezier curves
+   - create a line plot using one of curve geometries
    - present data feature as a line thickness
    - setup 2-color lighting
 """
@@ -45,9 +45,13 @@ def main():
     rt.set_background(0.99) # white background
     rt.set_ambient(0.2)     # dim ambient light
 
-    # add plot, BezierChain geometry makes a smooth line interpolating data points
+    # add plot: BezierChain geometry makes a smooth line interpolating data points
     rt.set_data("curve", pos=xyz, r=r, c=0.9, geom="BezierChain")
+
+    # or use SegmentChain for a piecewise-linear plot
     #rt.set_data("curve", pos=xyz, r=r, c=0.9, geom="SegmentChain")
+
+    # or use b-spline geometry (approximating data points, flat end caps)
     #rt.set_data("curve", pos=xyz, r=r, c=0.9, geom="BSplineQuad")
     #rt.set_data("curve", pos=xyz, r=r, c=0.9, geom="BSplineCubic")
 
@@ -60,6 +64,7 @@ def main():
     # camera auto-configured to fit the plot
     rt.camera_fit()
 
+    # or fixed camera position, e.g. for comparison of geometry performance
     #rt.update_camera(eye=[200, -1000, 350], target=[0,180,0], fov=25)
 
     # 2 spherical light sources, warm and cool, fit positions with respect to

plotoptix/__init__.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 __author__  = "Robert Sulej, R&D Team <dev@rnd.team>"
 __status__  = "beta"
 __version__ = "0.9.0"
-__date__    = "17 July 2020"
+__date__    = "20 July 2020"
 
 import logging