The Persistence of Vision Raytracer (POV-Ray)
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+38
STARS · LAST 30 DAYS
1
PER DAY
#354
MOST-STARRED C++
| Window | 7 days | 30 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars gained | +0 | +38 | +90 |
| Per day | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Forks gained | +0 | +6 | +15 |
povray gained 38 stars in the last 30 days, about 1 a day, and now has 1.5K. It is about 13 years old and has averaged roughly 117 stars a year. It ranks #354 among C++ repositories and #4,557 across all languages on GitHubRepo.
Trending Record
8
DAYS ON TRENDING
#5293
BEST RANK
Oct 7, 2026
FIRST APPEARANCE
Active
STATUS TODAY
povray has maintained a continuous presence across global trending indexes, peaking at #5293. Below is the 30-day activity profile:
💡 Overview
povray is an open-source project written in C++: The Persistence of Vision Raytracer (POV-Ray).
Engineered for speed, consistency, and developer ease, it solves common hurdles in 3d-graphics, 3d-rendering, pov-ray. It provides clear interfaces, comprehensive configuration options, and seamless integration with existing tools across the modern development stack.
⚡ Key Features
Optimized execution pipeline written in C++ for predictable speed.
Zero-friction configuration with comprehensive sensible defaults out of the box.
Cross-platform runtime support across Linux, macOS, and Windows environments.
Strong typing and modular architecture designed for easy extension and maintainability.
Standardized CLI and API interfaces for smooth integration into CI/CD workflows.
Active community maintenance with regular dependency updates and security patches.
📥 Installation
$ git clone https://github.com/POV-Ray/povray.git
cd povray⚙ System Requirements
Platforms
- • macOS
- • Linux
- • Windows
Runtime & Dependencies
C++20 compliant compiler (GCC 11+, Clang 13+, MSVC)
Architecture
x86_64, ARM64 (Apple Silicon & Graviton)
🧠 How It Works
povray coordinates its core functionality through a modular C++ pipeline. It parses configuration parameters, validates inputs, and resolves dependencies asynchronously. By minimizing runtime overhead and keeping allocations localized, it delivers predictable performance in both local development environments and automated production workloads.
🎯 Production Use Cases
Production System Integration
Embed povray into C++ backend services to handle core application logic.
CI/CD Automated Pipelines
Run automated validation, builds, and integration suites during deployments.
Developer Tooling & Workflows
Accelerate developer onboarding with pre-configured project utilities.
Open Source Extension
Fork and customize internal modules under the repository's open AGPL-3.0 license.
🚀 Getting Started
Install povray using your package manager: `git clone https://github.com/POV-Ray/povray.git`
Initialize your project workspace or configuration file for povray.
Import povray into your codebase or invoke it directly from your terminal.
Execute your test suite or run `povray --help` to verify successful setup.
👍 Strengths
⚠️ Considerations
⇄ Alternatives & Direct Competitors
👥 Who Should Use This
Developers and engineering teams building with C++, seeking reliable, tested, and actively maintained tooling for production workloads.
🏆 Nearby in the Rankings
POV-Ray/povray is currently ranked #4,557 by stars across every repository tracked on GitHubRepo. These are adjacent projects:
| Rank | Repository | Language | Stars | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #4,549 | Optiscaler-Client/Optiscaler-Client | C# | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #4,549 | firelex/jeff | Python | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #4,554 | googleapis/google-api-dotnet-client | C# | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #4,554 | vkohaupt/vokoscreenNG | C++ | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #4,554 | mongodb/mongo-rust-driver | Rust | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #4,557 | POV-Ray/povray This Project | C++ | ★ 1.5K | |
| #4,558 | NPC-Worldwide/npcpy | Python | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #4,559 | liquidmetal-dev/flintlock | Go | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #4,560 | ovg-project/kvcached | Python | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #4,561 | webmachine/webmachine | Erlang | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
| #4,561 | fossasia/voxbento | Python | ★ 1.5K | Compare ↗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does povray do? +
The Persistence of Vision Raytracer (POV-Ray)
What language is povray written in? +
The primary language is C++. Topics include: 3d-graphics, 3d-rendering, pov-ray, raytracing.
Is povray actively maintained? +
Yes, the last recorded push was on Oct 7, 2026 with 222 open issues being tracked.
How many stars does povray have? +
povray has 1,516 stars and 305 forks on GitHub.
How does povray rank among GitHub repositories? +
With 1,516 stars, POV-Ray/povray is ranked #4,557 globally across all repositories tracked on GitHubRepo and #354 among C++ projects.
What license is povray distributed under? +
The repository reports a AGPL-3.0 license. Always verify the repository LICENSE file for legal terms.
