> Would it be possible to do Z-buffer rendering in MoI?
> Or something like it?

Hi Jesse, it should be possible eventually but it will be a while. I will probably try to add some types of rendering capabilities for version 2.

Positioning the light won't really get you a height map image, because the standard light-based shading creates a color depending on the angle between the surface normal and the light.

For a height map you don't care about the angle, you care just about the position...

Rhino used to have a "ZBuffer" command that you could use to create a height map, so you could give that a try.

- MIchael

I found another posibility to render height maps last night http://www.anim8or.com/ and a halfway good tutorial http://www.anim8or.com/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html . Getting the 'Start' and 'End' settings set properly seems to be the only tricky part. The programs UI is MUCH better than Blender IMHO, so now I will venture to create in MoI and render the heightmap in anim8or.

maybe you have a problem with the text editor :)
here the adresse
http://www.anim8or.com/tutorials/from_users/focal_blur/focalblur_1.html

Yes, I guess I was having problems, thanks for correcting it! I have made progress and can now create things in MoI and render a heightmap in Anim8tor. It is a workable solution but the rendering in Anim8tor leaves 'freckles' which I cleaned up with a slight gaussian blur. Now since I know how to make use of the beuatiful thigns I can create in MoI on my carving machine I'll get busy learning with MoI. Thanks again everyone for your help.

Funny method before your carvermachine accept the import files !

http://support.vectric.com/cut3d-questions/item/can-you-use-carvewright-pattern-files

...again, provided you own the CarveWright STL Importer...

(There is also a CarveWright dxf importer...)

- Brian