Exporting to VRML 2.0

About the VRML 2.0 Translator

Features

• Cameras are converted to VRML2.0 Viewpoints.

• Ambient Lights are converted to a VRML point light with ambient properties.

• Per-vertex normals and texture coordinates (if desired).

• Material animation is converted.

• Animation is converted intelligently (only dynamic objects have animation information).

• Initial navigation mode can be specified in the translator.

• Double-sided/single-sided setting (in Render stats) is converted for groups.

Limitations

• Does not support VRML2.0 embedded textures.

Installation

The VRML translator does not require any installation.

Running the VRML Translator

To run the VRML2 translator with MakeGame options, either:

• From the modeling window, choose File > Export > VRML2-. The VRML2.0 Translator Options window appears.

• From the MakeGame window, choose VRML2 from the list of translators. Set the options in the MakeGame window, then click Go.

To go to the VRML2 translator where you can specify further VRML translation options:

• Select Go from the VRML 2.0 Translator Options window you opened above.

• From the modeling window, choose File > Export > VRML2.

VRML2.0 Translator Options

GUI

ON - Use the VRML 2 translator's graphical user interface.

OFF - Use the saved settings from the last time you clicked Save in the VRML 2 Translator window (do not open the graphical user interface).

Reload DSO

ON - unload the translator after each use.

OFF - keep the translator in memory for multiple runs.

Options

Do not type anything in this text box. It is provided for any command line options that might be added in the future. To set options for the VRML 2 translator, use the translator's graphical user interface.

Export Dir

The directory in which to put converted VRML files.

VRML2.0 Translator Additional Options

This window appears when you select Go from the options window described above. Alternatively, you can access it directly by selecting File > Export > VRML2.

After you have used this window to set translation options, click on its Go button to start converting.The translator creates a file (<scene>.wrl) containing VRML code describing the scene.

Pushbuttons

Save

Saves the current settings in the window.

Go

Starts the conversion.

During conversion, this button changes to Abort. Click on it again to stop the conversion.

Exit

Closes the translator window.

Text Section

This section appears at the top of the window. Type a comment for saving with the scene. To clear its contents, click on Clear text.

Animation Section

The text at the top of this section indicates the animation frames available for export. If you add frames while this window is open, this number will no longer be accurate. (Click Update to update the frame count.)

Start Frame and End Frame

Specify the start frame and end frame of the animation you want to convert.

Frame step

Defines the number of animated frames between exported frames.

Frames per sec

Specifies the playback speed of the converted animation.

Animate

Lets you choose what to animate. Select one or more of transformations, vertices, shaders, and lights.

View frames

When checked, lets you view the animation frames in the Alias view windows while you export them.

Hierarchy Section

Hierachy

World-do not export hierarchy (all vertices use world space)

Flat-one level of hierarchy: transformations use world space, vertices use local space

Full-export the full DAG tree hierarchy: transformations and vertices use local space

Export

All-export everything visible in the scene

Picked-export everything picked in the scene (items lower in the DAG tree from the DAG nodes of picked objects are not included).

Active-export everything picked in the scene (items lower in the DAG tree from their DAG nodes of picked objects are also included).

Navigation Section

These settings control the initial set-up of the VRML browser when it opens the .wrl file:

Viewer

The initial type of navigation.

Headlight

When ON, the viewer will cast light on the scene.

Travel speed

The initial speed of the viewer.

Other Options

Textures

Export textures.

Normals

Export normals.

Color per vertex

ON - calculate color for each vertex.

OFF - calculate color for each polygon.

Long Lines

ON - save the VRML text file with long lines.

OFF - break the VRML text file into short lines (each value on a separate line).

Turn this option OFF if you want to edit the output file with a text editor that does not handle lines longer than 80 characters well (such as vi). Note that turning this option off will increase the size of the output file.

Auto launch viewer

When ON, opens the new VRML file in Netscape Navigator after export.

To view VRML files in Netscape Navigator, you must have the Navigator VRML plug-in installed.

Sample Textures

Converts procedural textures to image files.

Textures

Imbedded -includes texture image data in the .wrl file (not currently supported).

SGI image file - converts texture images to SGI format and reference.

Use texture path in URL

Includes the texture path in the URL of the .wrl file.

Texture path

Save textures to this directory.

Output Section

Scene name

Base name for the scene, to which the translator will add the suffix .wrl.

Setting VRML2 Properties in Alias

VRML Plug-ins

The VRML plug-ins let you attach tags to objects that have no effect in Alias (sometimes called "blind data"), but will be converted to VRML code.

To add VRML properties to objects while modelling in Alias, first load the VRML plug-ins and then use the VRML palette:

1

Select Utilities > Plug-in Manager.

2

Click the Load check box next to the VRML plug-ins (VRML2Billboard, VRML2Collision, VRML2Coord, VRML2Link, and VRML2Primitive).

3

Click the Object Edit > VRML tools icon on the tool palette. The VRML palette appears.

• The windows associated with these plug-ins are "continuous". You can continue to pick objects and the windows will reflect the picked objects' settings.

• After you set options in a plug-in window, click Go to confirm the changes. In the Link window, press the Enter key to confirm changes to the text boxes.

Linking Objects to Web Addresses with VRML2Link

VRML2Link plug-in lets you create, verify or remove hypertext links.

1

Choose Object Edit > VRML tools > LinkVRML in the Tool palette.

The system prompts:

Select object or enter URL:

2

Click on the object (or objects) you want to link.

You can select several objects before using the tool. When you enter a URL, it will be linked to all the selected objects.

3

Enter a Universal Resource Locator (URL). For example,

http://www.aw.sgi.com

You can also add a description of the destination using the form

URL*DESCRIPTION

where URL is the destination, the * (asterisk) is a separator, and DESCRIPTION is a description that will be displayed in the VRML browser when the user points at the link.

For example:

http://www.aw.sgi.com*Alias|Wavefront Web Page

4

When you output the scene using File > Export > VRML, the objects will become active VRML links.

Notes

• To verify a link, choose LinkVRML and then pick the object. If the object is a link, the link information appears in the command line.

• To remove a link, choose LinkVRML and then pick the object. Type "-" (a hyphen) in the command line to remove the link information.

Creating preset VRML Viewpoints

Viewpoints are predefined camera positions and views in a VRML world. Viewpoints help viewers navigate your VRML worlds (for example, allowing them to return to an entrance point, or view close-ups of objects).

To create VRML viewpoints, do the following:

1

Create a new camera by choosing Layouts > New camera.

2

Open the Camera Editor (Windows > Edit > Cameras). In the Name field, give the camera a meaningful name (for example, EntranceView).

3

Select Object Edit > VRML tools > LinkVRML. Pick an object that will trigger the change of viewpoint. The system prompts:

Select object or enter URL:

4

Type the name of the viewpoint this object will trigger, preceded by "#". For example:

#EntranceView