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- *****************************************************************************
- * *
- * PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE LICENSE *
- * *
- * The following program(s) and/or data file(s) are declared Public Domain. *
- * *
- * Provided the end user sticks to the following author's wishes, he or she *
- * is authorized to use, copy, analyze and improve the items. *
- * *
- * Conditions of use: *
- * ------------------ *
- * *
- * 1) No part of this distribution will be omitted (incl. this README file) *
- * 2) None of the Copyright texts will be modified. *
- * 3) None of the files should be stored and/or converted onto environment- *
- * ally damaging media. (paper listings, faxes, etc...) *
- * *
- * *
- * The Author, *
- * *
- * Laurence Vanhelsuwé *
- * *
- * Auroville 27/MAY/94 *
- * *
- * *
- *****************************************************************************
-
- Program Title(s): Earth, Globe.C (C) L. Vanhelsuwé 1994
-
- Author: Laurence Vanhelsuwé
-
-
- 0. Short description:
- ------------------
-
- Earth : This program shows a real-time rotating Earth.
- You can rotate and zoom in or out with at least one joystick
- plugged in (2 are needed for full control).
-
- The small executable gets its data from the file "3D.Globe"
-
- Globe.C: This is the C source to the program which converted a 2-D image
- of the world into a 3-D image-wrapped-on-a-sphere.
-
- EarthMap.IFF: Source picture to create the 3-D data using GLOBE.
-
-
- 1. Requirements/Installation:
- --------------------------
-
- To see the animation you need the data file '3D.Globe' in the current
- directory when Earth is run.
-
- Globe.c and EarthMap.IFF are not needed.
-
-
- 2. How to use it:
- --------------
-
- Simply install the program as outlined above.
-
- Joystick #1 controls Y-rotation and ZOOM.
- Joystick #2 controls X- and Z-rotation.
-
- Press FIRE BUTTON #1 to quit !!
-
- (Note that if, as usual, a mouse is plugged into port #1, then the program
- will interpret mouse moves as joystick changes...).
-
-
- 3. Internals:
- ----------
-
- Although the filename of the datafile is hard-coded to be '3D.Globe', the
- contents of that file could easily be replaced by another 3-D model.
-
- The format of the data file is ultra simple:
-
- WORD 0 : number of (x,y,z) triplets in this model.
-
- WORD 1 : X coordinate of point 0
- WORD 2 : Y coordinate of point 0
- WORD 3 : Z coordinate of point 0
-
- WORD 4 : X coordinate of point 1
- WORD 5 : Y coordinate of point 1
- WORD 6 : Z coordinate of point 1
-
- :
- :
-
- WORD 3*n : X coordinate of point n
- WORD 3*n+1: Y coordinate of point n
- WORD 3*n+2: Z coordinate of point n
-
- That's right: the model is just a collection of unrelated points in space.
- A cloud of points !
-
- Since this kind of representation is much faster to render than polygon-
- (triangles in reality !)- based models, one can get quite stunning animations
- out of this renderer.
-
-
- 4. Limitations/Warnings:
- ---------------------
-
- No user-interface.
- No command line options.
-
- **!! CRASH !!**
-
- Don't ZOOM the model in such that any model edges go off-screen... the pixel
- plotter doesn't clip and will scribble all over memory !!
-
- 5. History:
- --------
-
- Very long. Started in 1987 when I did a wireframe animation of the Space Shuttle.
- This code is a recent re-incarnation.
-
- 6. Future:
- -------
-
- Dependent on user's feedback.
-
-
- 7. Credits:
- --------
-
- Laurence Vanhelsuwé
- Christinastraat 105
- B-8400 Oostende
- Belgium
-