  We present a new radiative transfer code for axi-symmetric stellar
atmospheres and compare test results against 1D and 2D models with and without
velocity fields. The code uses the short characteristic method with
modifications to handle axi-symmetric and non-monotonic 3D wind velocities, and
allows for distributed calculations. The formal solution along a characteristic
is evaluated with a resolution that is proportional to the velocity gradient
along the characteristic. This allows us to accurately map the variation of the
opacities and emissivities as a function of frequency and spatial coordinates,
but avoids unnecessary work in low velocity regions. We represent a
characteristic with an impact-parameter vector p (a vector that is normal to
the plane containing the characteristic and the origin) rather than the
traditional unit vector in the direction of the ray. The code calculates the
incoming intensities for the characteristics by a single latitudinal
interpolation without any further interpolation in the radiation angles. Using
this representation also provides a venue for distributed calculations since
the radiative transfer can be done independently for each p.
