Plug-In Power Pack for Netscape Communicator/Plug-In Power Pack for Netscape Communicator.iso/plugins/demos/real/ste.z/ENGHINTS.TXT

Text File | 1997-06-12 | 55KB | 1,080 lines

"##OnFileNew##"
"You have created a new, empty RealiBase, to form the basis of your virtual world.
Start by adding shapes and models, then adding materials, textures and behaviours
as well as cameras, lights and atmospherics to bring the world to life.  Each time
you take a step in RealiMation a Hint Card will appear to show you what to do next.

We recommend that you start by defining a view for the world for displaying your
world - do this using the 'Create | View' menu.

Use the Create menu to create the different object types from the drop down menu
- some default materials have already been created for you to use!

Use the File | Import option to import objects from other sources, such as DXF, 3DS,
Windows Clipboard.  Follow the instructions for more information.

RealiMation's coordinate convention is that the X and Z axes define the ground plane,
and the Y axis defines height. The positive Z axis is also treated as 'forward', so
an aircraft,for example, would have its nose pointing along the Z axis, and the wings
spread out across the X axis. This is important when making the models move automatically
with actions. We recommend that you follow this convention, though it is not mandatory.
To help you remember, just think of 'Looking down from on Y', which is a terrible pun,
but will hopefully work as a reminder."


"##OnFileOpen##"
"Opens an existing RealiBase.  If you are new to the world of RealiMation, then why
not look at some of the example databases supplied, found in the samples directory.
When you close the hint card, a standard File Open dialog will appear - simply select
the RealiBase you want to open. "


"##RealiMateStart##"
"You have just started the RealiMation sequence set up for the current views.  You will
see that all the placements with actions attached will begin to move.

If the camera currently being used by a view is attached to an action, the camera (your
viewpoint) will also move.

Stop the RealiMation using the Stop button or F10. You can also configure how the
RealiMation is controlled by using the 'Customise | RealiMate' option."


"##RealiMateStop##"
"You have just stopped the RealiMation sequence for the current view. Re-starting the
sequence will continue from the exact position where it stopped.

You can restart the RealiMation from the beginning, by pressing the Rewind button or F11
(the RealiMation will reset to zero) followed by the Play button or F10.

To move to a particular point in the sequence, type in the number of seconds in the edit
box, and press the <Enter> key."


"##RealiMateRewind##"
"This has stopped the RealiMation and reset it back to time zero.  You can now start to
play the RealiMation again (F10)."


"##RealiMateForward##"
"This has stopped the RealiMation and moved it to show the last frame (at the end of
the sequence)."


"##RealiMatePrevious##"
"You have just stepped back to the previous frame. You can use the Customise | RealiMate
option to change the time / frame difference."


"##RealiMateNext##"
"You have just stepped forward to the next frame. You can use the Customise | RealiMate
option to change the time / frame difference."



"##CreateView##"
"You have just created a new 3D View window in the RealiBase, which can contain shapes,
cameras,atmospherics (set up by default), multiple placements etc.

(A RealiBase can have multiple views, where each one can contain the same or different
placements, cameras, and atmospherics.) A reference has also been added to the Views
Lister.

(If you cannot see the Lister, click on the View button on the Lister toolbar, or on the
icon at the bottom of the application window.)

Everything contained in a view is displayed in this Lister.  Click on the small plus sign
next to the name of the view and you will notice that default atmospherics and cameras
have been created.

As you add other objects and shapes to the view the Lister will be updated to include
them.  If you are new to RealiMation, try creating a new shape to put in the view by
using the Create|Shapes menu. Choose anything but 'Empty', which does not have any
faces to see!

AutoTile the windows with the F5 key helps tidy up the desktop.

RealiMation's coordinate convention is that the X and Z axes define the ground plane,
and the Y axis defines height. The positive Z axis is also treated as 'forward', so
an aircraft, for example, would have its nose pointing along the Z axis, and the wings
spread out across the X axis. This is important when making the models move automatically
with actions. We recommend that you follow this convention, though it is not mandatory.
To help you remember, just think of 'Looking down from on Y', which is a terrible pun, but will
hopefully work as a reminder."


"##F3Locate##"
"The F3 / Edit | Fit to View option moves the camera within the scene to fit the selected
placement in the view window.

You can only 'fit' one placement at a time - if two or more placements are selected,
then the option is disabled.


You can use the Fit to View command for more than just finding placements.  For example:
Display action nodes in the view, highlight a node in the Action Properties, then use Fit
to View to move the camera to be at the node.

If a 3D view is active, the Fit to View command will move the camera so that all objects
are visible.

Additionally, when used with action nodes or placements, it adjusts the Orbit centre, so
that the thumb wheels rotate the camera about the located object.
Also, the speed of camera flight is scaled to adjust to the size of the located object.
This is useful if you find flying too sensitive.

Note:  any cameras which are either attached to a placement, or have an action associated
with them, will not move if you try to locate a placement."



"##DisplayMode##"
"Each view is rendered using the currently selected display mode.  The modes available
are wire-frame, flat shaded, and smooth shaded, and can be toggled from the 'View' toolbar
which appears after you have opened a view window, or the View menu.  You can toggle the
toolbar from the Toolbars menu.

Anti-aliased displays are currently only available with certain specialised display
drivers.  If the driver you are using is not capable of anti-aliased display, the option
will be disabled.

NB:  You can select different display modes for different placements in a view by
changing the Placement Properties. To do this: select the placement (select it in the
View window, or a Lister) and double click on it to display the Properties. Override
the different options in the Display page."


"##DropGeomOnView##"
"You have automatically created a placement of the selected shape and added it to the
view. Notice how the placement has been added to the Placement Lister and to the  View
object in the View Lister and the Placement Lister.

The placement is autonamed - to rename it, select it in the Lister and either use the
Edit|Rename option, Ctrl+R to display the Rename dialog box or change it on the Name
page in the Placement Properties."


"##DropInstOnView##"
"You have added the selected placement to the view.  Notice how the placement name has
automatically been added to the View object in the View Lister. From here you can rename
the placement by using either the Ctrl+R hot key shortcut, the Edit|Rename option or the
Placement Properties.

To make the placement move (i.e. RealiMate it), you can attach actions to the placement.
The appearance of the placement can be modified with the
Display page of the Placement Properties."


"##DropAtmosOnView##"
"The selected atmospheric (ambient light and other effects, e.g. fog) have been added
to the view.  You can edit the atmospherics by doubling clicking on the atmospheric in
any of the Lister windows, to display the Properties."


"##DropCameraOnView##"
"You have changed the camera used in the View window.  A reference to the camera has
also been added to the view object in the View Lister.

You can manipulate the camera with a variety of tools. The thumbwheels on the sides of
the 3D view allow you to navigate through a scene. Additionally you can select camera
flight mode (Pick | Mouse flies camera or F9), and drag the mouse in the view to control
camera flight. The online help gives full information on how to control camera flight.

Another way to control the camera is to attach an action to it. If you do this, then
the camera will move along the action when you RealiMate a scene. When a camera is
flying along an action, you could try changing the camera's offset (accessed from its
properties). This will enable you to follow a vehicle that is also travelling along
the same path, for example."

"##DropImageOnView##"
"This has changed the background in the current view to use the selected image.  Any
image can be set up for use as a background, and you use the View properties and the
View | Set Size options to  setup the display and effects.

If you have a large image, you can set up a panning background that moves with the
camera. You need to set up the background information of the image properties, and
also select Move With Camera in the View Properties. See online help for more detailed
information."

"##DropGeomOnGeom##"
"When you drop a shape onto another shape in a Lister or View Window, you create a
placement of the shape and embed it as part of the destination shape as a hierarchy."


"##DropInstOnGeom##"
"By picking up a placement of a shape and dropping it onto a different shape in the
list, you have embedded the placement as part of the shape. By this mechanism, you are
creating an object hierarchy."


"##DropGeomOnInst##"

"By picking up a shape and dropping it onto a placement in the Lister, you can either
change the shape which is referenced by the placement, or add the shape as another level
of detail.

To edit the level of detail thresholds, select the placement in a Lister and double click
the mouse over it. Use tab in the Properties called 'Level of Detail', to control the
threshold values.
You can also choose to switch levels of detail according to either the distance or the
projected size of the object.

You can change the order of the shapes referenced by a placement by selecting one of the
shapes, and using the 'Edit | Move Up/Down' menu (also available on ALT + Up/Down arrow)
options in the lister window."


"##DropPathOnInst##"
"You have just added an action to the selected placement. The placement will now move,
following the settings defined for the action and will affect the object's behaviour in
all views in which it exists.

To preview the motion, press the Play button (F10) from the main RealiMate control bar.

Note: When an action is assigned to a top level object (i.e. immediately referenced from
a view), the location of the action is in world space. This means that the placement
will move to the first node position (but be offset from it by its current transformation).
If, on assigning an action to a placement, your placement disappears off into space,
you will need to reset your placement transformation. Do this from the Placement
Properties.

A side effect of top level actions being fixed in world space is that making an object
spin, say, about its local axis (no matter where in the world it is placed) requires
an extra step. You need to create an extra level in the hierarchy, to put the object in.
For example, a shape called TOP, needs to be spinning about its own axis, but the
placement of TOP is away from the origin. Here, create a new empty shape called TOP-
MASTER, and put the original shape TOP into it as a child object. Then put a placement
of TOP-MASTER into the view. If you attach a spin path to the placement of TOP (i.e.
the child object), it will now spin around its local axis."


"##DropPathOnCamera##"
"You have just added an action to a camera, to move the camera along the defined action
when you begin the RealiMation sequence. The camera behaviour will change position and
orientation following the settings defined for that action.  This will affect the camera
wherever it is being used.

When an action is associated with a camera, you can change the viewpoint using the
thumb wheels at the side of a view using the camera.  However, you cannot fly around
with the mouse, or use the Fit to View / Find options.

You can offset a camera's position and orientation in the Camera Properties when the
camera is attached to an action to change the view as you move around.

To preview the motion, press the Play button in the RealiMate control bar."


"##DropInstOnPath##"
"By dropping a placement onto an action you have selected the 'terrain following'
function of RealiMation. This feature has been designed to make terrain following very
simple - instead of having to create the different action nodes individually, you can
make placements follow a landscape within the RealiMation world. For example drop a
landscape over an action, and any placements associated with that action will travel
over the landscape. "


"##DropImageOnMaterial##"
"You have just added a texture to a material to bring realism to the scene.

An image must be set up as a Texture Image to make sure that it is displayed.
Other image properties can be set to change how the texture is displayed e.g.
enable 'Mix Colour with Face' blends the underlying material colour with the colour
the image. Try the different options to see how the effects differ.

Once you have associated an image with a material you can use RealiMation's powerful
texture mapping tools to align the image accurately on your model."


"##RenameObjects##"
"You have just renamed the selected objects in the RealiBase. These names can be used by
RealiMation applications to access objects directly and independently of the RealiBase.
Object names must be unique but can be made up of any characters, including numbers and
spaces.

User defined names are optional, and all objects are named automatically using the
following sequence:  <OBJECT_TYPE NUMBER>, where OBJECT_TYPE can be shape, placement etc.
and NUMBER is derived from RealiMation's internal storage mechanism which assigns a
unique number (or ID) to each object."


"##EditDetach##"
"You have just detached selected faces or objects from another object.  When you detach
faces, you can choose to create another new object using them.  This option is useful
for breaking up large complex shapes into smaller, more manageable ones.
Detached objects and faces are not deleted from the RealiBase."


"##EditDelete##"
"You have just deleted the selected objects from their hierarchy.  Objects deleted from
their own Lister will be deleted from the RealiBase.  However, if you are simply deleting
objects from a view object then they still exist but are no longer part of the hierarchy.
You can restore the deleted objects using the Undo button or the Edit | Undo menu."


"##EditDelete_Detach##"
"You have deleted some objects and also removed others from their parent objects. This
action can be reversed by selecting Undo."

"##CreatePrimitive##"
"You have just created a new shape.  If AutoView is enabled (the default), then a
placement will be created automatically and placed in some, or all, of the views.

A placement has been added to the view objects and the placement Lister.

You can also add objects to a view 'manually' by dragging the new shape from the
Shapes Lister into the View windows.

NOTE:  RealiMation's coordinate system uses the X and Z axes to define the ground plane,
and the Y axis defines height. The positive Z axis is also treated as 'forward', so an
aircraft, for example, would have its nose pointing along the Z axis, and the wings
spread out across the X axis. This is important when making the models move automatically with
actions. We recommend that you follow this convention, though it is not mandatory.
To help you remember, just think of 'Looking down from on Y', which is a terrible pun,
but will hopefully work as a reminder."


"##CreateMaterial##"
"You have just created a new material. Materials are used to define how light reflects
off surfaces to determine how an object looks. Images can be used as textures which are
then applied to the materials for a more realistic appearance.

Materials can be assigned to individual faces in a shape."

"##CopyObject##"
"You have just created copies of the selected objects. The new objects are displayed at
the bottom of their corresponding Listers. You can use the Edit | Rename option to
rename objects."


"##AppStarted##"
"Welcome to RealiMation, Datapath's desktop Virtual Reality World Builder.  These
pop-up Hint Cards will appear as you move through the program, to introduce you
to the various features of RealiMation as you work your way around.

Once you have read a Hint you can click on the check box 'Do not show this again' and
the Hint will not re-appear. You can also disable and re-enable the hints from the
Customise menu.

You can also show the last displayed hint card again, by selecting the Help|Show Last Hint
option from the menu bar.

Now that you have the application running you can:

1. Start by running through the tutorials.  We STRONGLY recommend that you do this.
The tutorial is accessed from the Help menu, and has been designed with new users in
mind, explaining some of the powerful features and functionality of RealiMation.

2. Load an existing RealiBase from the Examples directory supplied with RealiMation, by
using the File|Open menu.

3. Create your own new RealiBase from the File|New menu.


NOTE:  RealiMation's coordinate convention uses the X and Z axes to define the ground
plane, and the Y axis defines height. The positive Z axis is also treated as 'forward',
so an aircraft, for example, would have its nose pointing along the Z axis, and the
wings spread out across the X axis. This is important when making the models move
automatically with actions. We recommend that you follow this convention, though it is
not mandatory. To help you remember, just think of 'Looking down from on Y', which is
a terrible pun, but will hopefully work as a reminder."


"##CreatePlacement##"
"You have just created a placement referencing the selected shape. The placement stores
it's own position and movement through space.

Once you have created a placement, you can edit it in several ways. Using the editing
features of RealiMation you can move within your world, adding motion characteristics
with actions. Drag them over other shapes to build up hierarchical models, which you
can then articulate separately or together. You can also define placements to act as
'terrain models' for automatic terrain following.

The display characteristics of placements can be set to optimise your scene's display
processing. See the Frequently Asked Questions section of the online help for
more details of this powerful feature."

"##CreateCamera##"
"You have just created a new camera object.  Cameras can be added to views by dragging
and dropping them from the Camera lister window into the view window.

A view can only contain one camera at a time, although one RealiBase can contain multiple
views each one with a different cameras.  You can then view your world from different
angles, using multiple views and multiple cameras.

You can also add actions to cameras to move them around a scene automatically."

"##CreateOrthoCamera##"
"You have created an ortho camera, i.e. one that is restricted to the selected axis
fixing its orientation.
Any view can be split into four with the Window | Split menu, where the view uses
three ortho cameras and the current normal camera."


"##CreateImage##"
"You have created a new image, which you can use either as a texture (associated with
a material) or as a background image to a view.

If you have a large image as a view background, you can set it up to pan with the
camera. You need to set up the background information of the image properties, and
also select Move With Camera from the view's properties. See online help for more
detailed information."

"##CreateAtmospheric##"
"A new atmospheric object has been created.  Atmospherics allow you to change the ambient
lighting in a scene by changing the colour values and intensity.  You can also add
atmospheric effects, such as fog.

An atmospheric object can also contain any number of light source objects. You can use
the Create | Light option to create either a directional, positional or spot light
source, then simply drag the light source onto the atmospheric object. Alternatively,
you can drag the light source into a 3D view, and it will be added to the atmospheric
which the view is currently using. (If the view does not use an atmospheric, then one
will automatically be created for you.)"


"##CreateSpinPath##"
"You have created a spin action, which you can associate with a placement or a camera,
to cause it to spin - either on a roll, pitch or yaw orientation.

You can also add a spin action to another action, to create nested actions, so when you
associate the action with a placement or camera, it will spin at the same time as it
moves along the main action."


"##CreatePath##"
"The general action you have created can be assigned to any placement or camera in a
world.  General actions are not restricted and any number of nodes can be positioned
anywhere with any orientation at a particular speed.

To start a placement moving, drag an action over the placement or camera, and press
F10 to start the RealiMation.

RealiMation has extensive action editing features, which are accessed from the Action
Properties.  (Select the action in the Lister and double click or select Edit |
Properties)

You can drag an action (completely or as separate nodes) around the world, smooth the
motion, and change the speed, as well as alter the orientation etc.

To manipulate an action directly in the 3D view, use the 'Display' option from the Action
Properties, select the pick mode to select either actions or action nodes, and then
pick the actions directly.

NOTE:  RealiMation's coordinate convention is X and Z axes define the ground plane, and
the Y axis defines height. The positive Z axis is also treated as 'forward', so an
aircraft, for example, would have its nose pointing along the Z axis, and the wings
spread out across the X axis. This is important when making the models move automatically
with actions. We recommend that you follow this convention, though it is not mandatory.
To help you remember, just think of 'Looking down from on Y', which is a terrible pun,
but will hopefully work as a reminder."


"##F3FitToView##"
"The option you have just used will move the camera in or out of the scene to fit the
selected placement in the view window. This option can be accessed either from the
Edit | Fit to View menu, or by using the F3 key.

You can only 'fit to view' with one placement at a time - when two or more placements are
selected, the option is disabled.

Instead of selecting a view in the Views lister window, select a single top level
placement.  Pressing F3 will move the camera so it is looking at the placement.

The Fit to View command can be used for more than just finding placements.  For example,
when action nodes are visible in the view, and a node is highlighted in the Action
Properties, then the Fit to View option will move the camera to the position of that
node.

If a 3D view is active, the Fit to View command will move the camera so that all
objects are visible.

A useful benefit is when it is used with action nodes or placements, it adjusts the Orbit
centre, so that the thumb wheels rotate the camera about the located object. Also, the
speed of camera flight is scaled to adjust to the size of the located object. This is
useful if you find flying too sensitive.

Note : any cameras which are either attached to a placement, or have an action associated
with them, will not move if you try to locate a placement."


"##ImportFiles##"
"You have just imported geometry files from another source. Use the Listers to see what
has been added to the RealiBase. All new objects will be added to the end of the lists.

Imported geometry can often be unsuitable for fast 3D display, particularly in formats
not originally designed for 3D e.g. DXF.
Common faults include inconsistent face directions, superfluous vertices and faces and
lack of information for smooth shading and texture mapping. One of the tutorials takes
you through correcting some of these faults using RealiMation's powerful model
manipulation facilities.

Generally, the first steps you should take after importing a model is to use the Merge
Vertices and Faces commands to get rid of unnecessary information. Once these  have been
merged, other features such as normal smoothing, normal flipping, and face orientation
will work much better.

All these options can optimise your imported data for faster display."


"##ExportFiles##"
"You have just exported all of the geometry information of the current RealiBase to
another file. This export has ignored views, cameras, and atmospherics, and only
exported the data objects required to describe shape, position, motion, and material
of the elements of your scene."


"##CameraFlight##"
"You have just toggled the camera flight option. When it is enabled, any mouse picks
in a 3D view will let you control, or fly, the camera using the mouse. When disabled,
mouse picks select objects that can be subsequently edited by dragging them around
the screen.

There are a number of 'flight options' available which affect the way the camera moves -
'ground flight mode', 'solid camera', 'terrain following camera' and 'sliding camera'.

Refer to the online help for details on flying the camera with the mouse."


"##IDProperties##"
"This displays the Property information for the selected object. Move between the
different tabs/pages to change different Properties.

The Properties remain visible, even when they do not have focus.  This means that you
can continue to work, change different Properties, edit the shape, change more
Properties etc. without closing and reopening the Properties.

To change a value, click on the form, select a new setting, and then hit <RETURN> or
click on the Apply button to apply the changes. Any views using that object  will be
updated.

You can change the object currently referenced in the Properties, by selecting a
new object of the same type in a Lister and dragging it over the Properties page. As
you release the mouse button, the information will be updated.

Certain types of Properties contain a preview window which can be customised in a
number of ways using the 'Customise | Preview'. Options include changing the background
colour, and turning on/off the spin of the object in the preview. "


"##ActionProperties##"
"The Action Properties allow you to change the parameters of a general action object.

Since an action can be very complex, the Properties splits the action up into its
different components - position, orientation, scale, speed, and orientation rate.

The individual nodes (or keypoints) of a general action are listed in a listbox on each
page. By selecting a single node, you can type in new parameters for applying only to
that node.  However, if you select more than one node (either by using the Control/Shift
keys while picking, or by dragging the mouse over the list), you can change the
individual Properties of a number of nodes simultaneously."


"##OnPlacementMode##"
"You have just selected a placement. The placement has been surrounded by an 'edit box',
which allows you to alter the position and/or scale of the placement. The edit box is
in 'translation mode' by default - to alter the orientation, double-click over the edit
box.  You will notice that the 'handles' around the object have changed - this is to
show that the box is now in 'rotation mode'.

Hold down the Control key to select multiple placements.  The last object selected has
the focus for the editing.  When you have changed the object with main focus, i.e.
translated or rotated it, all other selected placements will change when the selected
one is changed.

Drag anywhere in the edit box to move the placement around, parallel to the viewing
plane.  A helpful hint is to split the view into multiple ortho views (which can be
activated using the Window|Split option or Ctrl + W shortcut).

The triangular corners of the box can be used to scale the placement. Simply click and
drag on any corner, and the placement will scale about the opposite (diagonal) corner.
To scale the placement about the object's local origin, hold down the Shift key whilst
dragging.

The square 'face handles' in the centre of each face can be used to either scale or
translate along a single axis.  Dragging a face handle will translate the placement,
and if you hold down the Control key as you drag, the placement will be scaled along
the selected axis.  The default setting is to scale about the opposite face, to scale
the placement about the object's local origin hold down the Shift key as you drag.

The keyboard can also be used to control placements. Refer to the online help for
details."


"##OnRotationMode##"
"You have just double-clicked over an edit box to switch it into 'rotation mode' - in
this mode you can alter the orientation of the placement.

Dragging one of the triangular corners of the edit box will rotate the placement as
if it is surrounded by a trackball, and you are spinning that trackball. The circular
'spin handles' (normally located in the centre of each face) allow rotation about a
single axis.  These spin handles are aligned with the local origin of the placement,
and so may appear to be offset from the centre of the faces - or, in some cases, not
even on the face at all.

By holding down the right mouse button, and dragging on the spin handles, you can alter
the local origin of the shape, and, thus, the point about which the shape will rotate.

The keyboard can also be used to control placements. Refer to the online help for details."

"##OnCollisionDetect##"
"You have just enabled 'collision detection'. While you are using the edit box mechanism
to alter the position, orientation and scaling of a placement, the collision detection
option will prevent the placement from intersecting with any other placements. If the
placements are already intersecting, then they will continue to do so until you separate
the placements.

Please note that enabling collision detection can slow down the interaction."

"##OnPickFilter##"
"The pick filter allows you to choose whether to edit lights, cameras, actions or
placements, or alter the actual geometry of a shape (using the 'Face Pick Mode' option)."

"##OnFacePickMode##"
"You have selected shape pick mode. Picking on a shape will now select either a face,
edge or vertex in the shape, depending on which 'Snap to' option is enabled in the
'Pick|Snap to'menu. This option can be temporarily overridden by holding down one of
the 'F', 'E' or 'V' keys as you pick, to pick faces, edges or vertices, respectively.

The Control key can be used to select multiple faces, edge or vertices, or a mixture of
the three.

Selected vertices are marked with a small cube, the size and colour of which can be
altered in the 'Customise|Edit Display...' and 'Customise|Edit Colours...' dialogs.
Dragging the cube will drag the vertex.

Selected faces are marked in a 'highlighted face' material, the colour of which can be
altered in the 'Customise|Edit Colours...' dialog.

By dragging faces/vertices about, you can alter the actual shape in
any way you wish. There are a number of options available to help you whilst you are
dragging :

By holding down any of the 'x', 'y' or 'z' keys whilst you are dragging, then you can
restrict the drag to the shape's local x, y and z axes

If you are dragging a face about, then holding down the Control key whilst you drag will
restrict the drag to the direction of the face normal. Also, if you are holding down the
Shift key when the drag starts, you will 'extrude' the face from the shape, creating new
faces around the edges.

While a drag is taking place, information is displayed in the status bar at the bottom
of the screen. This information remains visible until another drag takes place.

RealiMation's coordinate convention is that the X and Z axes define the ground plane,
and the Y axis defines height. The positive Z axis is also treated as 'forward', so an
aircraft,
for example, would have its nose pointing along the Z axis, and the wings spread out
across the X axis. This is important when making the models move automatically with
actions. We recommend that you follow this convention, though it is
not mandatory. To help you remember, just think of 'Looking down from on Y', which is
a terrible pun, but will hopefully work as a reminder.
"

"##OnShowVertexNorms##"
"With this feature enabled, all selected faces will have normals shown at each
vertex. These normals are shown as coloured 'wires', the length of which can be altered
in the 'Edit Display Options' tab of the 'Customise | Edit Display' dialogue."

"##OnShowFaceNorms##"
"With this feature enabled, all selected faces will have normals shown at the centre of
each face. These normals are shown as coloured 'wires', the length of which can be
altered in the 'Edit Display Options' tab of the 'Customise | Edit Display' dialogue."

"##OnFlipVertexNorms##"
"This operation has reversed the direction of all the vertex normals for the selected
faces."

"##OnFlipFaceNorms##"
"This operation has reversed the direction of all the face normals for the selected faces.
This will effect whether the faces are shown, if back-face culling is enabled."

"##OnSmoothVertexNorms##"
"This operation will alter the vertex normals of the selected faces, in order to produce
a 'smooth' appearance when the view display mode is set to 'smooth shaded'.

The process relies on adjacent faces sharing vertices.  You can make sure that this is
the case by using the Edit | Merge Vertices option. If the adjacent faces are not sharing
vertices, then this option will force the vertex normals point in the same direction as
the face normal (which gives a 'faceted' appearance to the shape, even when the view
display mode is set to 'smooth shaded').

The vertex normals can be aligned with the face normal (even when adjacent faces
share vertices), by using the Tools|Unsmooth Vertex Normals option.

If you are performing the operation on a large number of shapes, the temporarily closing
down any realised views should make the operation faster."

"##OnUnsmoothVertexNorms##"
"For each face, this option will align all the vertex normals which that face uses to the
same direction as the face normal. This means that, even when the display mode is set to
'smooth shaded', the shape will still have a 'faceted' appearance, with sharp edges
visible between adjacent faces. This can be usefully for shapes like cubes, or 'cut
diamonds', which are angular in nature.

If you wish the shape to have a smooth appearance, you can use the 'Tools|Smooth Vertex
Normals' option.

If you are performing the operation on a large number of shapes, the temporarily closing
down any realised views should make the operation faster."

"##OnMergeVertices##"
"Depending on how a shape has been created (or from where it has been imported), some
shapes may have more vertices defined than they need to. Faces which appear to share
common vertices may actually be referencing different vertices which are set to the
same point in space.  This will slow down any processing of the shape (including
rendering), increase the size of the RealiBase, and prevent some options (such as
'Match Face Orientations' and 'Smooth Vertex Normals') from working as expected.

The option searches through the list of vertices, looking for any which are closer
together than the distance specified in the dialog, and removing any duplicated ones.

If you are performing the operation on a large number of shapes, then temporarily
closing down any realised views should make the operation faster."

"##OnMatchFaces##"
"This option will attempt to match all the face orientations, so that all the faces are
pointing in same direction (i.e. 'inside' or 'outside').  The orientation of a face can
have an effect if back face culling is turned on.  If the faces turn out to all be
oriented in the 'wrong' direction, you can use to 'Tools|Flip Face Normals' option.

This option relies on the faces sharing vertices and edges, so you may wish to use
'Tools|Merge Vertices...' if it does not appear to have the correct effect.

If you are performing the operation on a large number of shapes, the temporarily closing
down any realised views should make the operation faster."

"##OnCentreShapes##"
"This operation will centre the geometry of the selected shapes (in local coordinates),
so the local origin now coincides with the centre of the bounding box for the object."

"##MergeShapes##"
"You have just created a new object by merging all the faces of selected shapes."

"##CreatePathCircle##"
"You have just created a circular action. Like any action, this can be attached to
cameras and placements to make them move over time.

A circular path can often act as a good starting point for creating your own actions,
since actions can be interactively modified in a number of ways. You can edit each
node's position, orientation, speed etc. from the Action properties pages."

"##CreatePathLinear##"
"You have just created a linear action. Like any action, this can be attached to cameras
and placements to make them move over time.

Having set the start and end point, RealiMation distributes the chosen number of nodes
evenly between them. You can edit each node's position, orientation, speed etc. from
the Action properties pages. "


"##CameraSolid##"
"When moving the camera, either by flying the mouse or using the view thumbwheels, you
can normally pass through any objects in the scene. The solid camera option gives the
camera some 'solidity', so that it is no longer possible to walk through solid objects,
such as walls, floors, vehicles etc.

Solid cameras are used in conjunction with Hotlinks. Hotlinks are special properties of
placements (set up from the placements properties view) that enable the activation of
external programs, the loading up of other RealiBases, or the automatic connection to
a World Wide Web browser.

For example, you may have a model of the outside of a building,
and another RealiBase describes the interior. By attaching the interior RealiBase to the
door of the exterior and flying into it with a solid camera, RealiMation will
automatically load up the model of the inside of the building.

Another example is that you could attach a spreadsheet file to a placement of an object
(an engine, say). Then, when the Hotlink is activated, RealiMation will automatically
invoke your spreadsheet program with the specified file, which may list performance
information, parts lists etc.

Please note that enabling Solid Cameras may slow down your frame rate slightly. "


"##DropPathOnPath##"
"You have just embedded one action within another. There is no limit to the depth of
embedded actions.

A good example of this in use is to create a circular action, and then a spin action that
defines a roll motion. By attaching the roll to the circle, objects following the
circular action will simultaneously roll about their axes.

You are not limited to, say combining only actions which alter only position and
orientation. For example, you could create two actions - one circular, and one linear
- both which alter position and orientation. By combining these together, you can
produce a helical path."


"##RecordToAVI##"
"You have just selected the Record to AVI option. This will record a RealiMation in the
current view to an AVI format file, that you specify. The dialog box will allow you to
alter settings which affect the quality/size of the AVI file produced, along with the
start and finish times of the RealiMation. By default, these times are set up from
the longest action in the RealiBase. You may wish to alter them to record only
a section of the RealiMation."

"##DetachFaces##"
"You have just selected the option to detach the set of selected faces from the current
shape, and create a new shape consisting of these faces. By default, the new shape
created will be added back into the hierarchy.
Also, you may wish to select the 'Don't delete faces from shape' - this will still
create a new shape containing the face, but will not delete the faces from the original
shape.

The detach faces option is useful for breaking up a large shape into a number of smaller
shapes, which may be rendered more quickly, especially if the camera is inside the
shape (e.g. a building), and there are large parts of the shape which are not
currently in the cameras field of view. Detach faces may also be used as a mechanism
for producing different levels of detail for the same shape."

"##SelectUnused##"
"You have selected the option to select all the unused items in the current Lister window.
This option will look through the list of all objects in the window, and check if any
of them are referenced by another object. The ones which are not referenced by another
object will be highlighted.

This provides you with an quick way to remove all the unused objects from your RealiBase,
thus reducing its size. Since the unused items are selected in the lister, you can
just hit the Delete key (or Edit | Delete), and the spare objects will be removed.
Note that view objects are considered to be unused if they are not currently realised
(shown).

The recommended way of cleaning your entire RealiBase is to work through you lister
windows in a 'top down' way. First, select and delete from the views lister. Then do
the same in order for placements, shapes, cameras, actions, atmospherics, materials and
images. In some situations you may need to repeat on the placements and shapes listers
a few times, due to the hierarchical nature of objects.

To find out which objects are currently referencing another object, you can use the
Edit|Usage option."

"##UsageList##"
"This option will search the entire RealiBase for any objects which reference the
currently selected object. For example, if you have an image object selected, you could
get a list which includes any views using the images for their background, and any
materials which are using the image for a texture.

If you wish to find out which objects are currently 'unused' (i.e. not referenced by any
other object), you can use the Edit|Select All Unused option."

"##ApplyTransformation##"
"For each of the selected placements (which currently have 'edit boxes' around them),
the placement transformation will be permanently applied to the referenced shape, and
the placement transformation reset back to no rotation, scaling or translation, so that
the object does not appear to move.

This can be useful if you know the placement transformation is correct, and will not
change, since a placement with an 'identity' transformation (i.e. no rotations, scaling
or translation) can be rendered slightly quicker than one with a more complicated
transformation.

If you merely wish to alter the local origin of the shape (the point about which it
rotates), you can do this when the edit box around it is in 'rotation' mode, by holding
down the right mouse button, and dragging the spin handles where you want the new origin
to be.

RealiMation's coordinate convention is that the X and Z axes define the ground plane,
and the Y axis defines height. The positive Z axis is also treated as 'forward', so
an aircraft, for example, would have its nose pointing along the Z axis, and the wings
spread out across the X axis. This is important when making the models move automatically
with actions. We recommend that you follow this convention, though it is not mandatory.
To help you remember, just think of 'Looking down from on Y', which is a terrible pun,
but will hopefully work as a reminder.
"

"##AlignOrientation##"
"This option will alter the orientation of all the selected placements (which currently
have edit boxes around them), so that they are the same (in world space) as the last
placement selected. This placement will be shown with a coloured edit box, whilst all
the others are shown in a 'disabled' state.

You can also match position and sizing of the selected placements using the 'Tools|Align
Placements|Position...' and 'Tools|AlignPlacements|Sizing...' commands."

"##AlignPosition##"
"This option will alter the positioning of all the selected placements (which currently
have edit boxes around them), so that they can be made to align (in world space) with
the last placement selected. This placement will be shown with a coloured edit box,
whilst all the others are shown in a 'disabled' state.

You have the option to align either the minimum, maximum or centre points of each
placements bounding box, and any, or all three, of the x, y and z axes.  Please note,
the alignments are made in world coordinates, not the local coordinates of the current
edit box.

You can also match orientation and sizing of the selected placements using the
'Tools|Align Placements|Position...' and 'Tools|AlignPlacements|Orientation' commands."

"##AlignSizing##"
"This option will alter the scale factors all the selected placements (which currently
have edit boxes around them), so that they are the same size (in world space) as the
last placement selected. This placement will be shown with a coloured edit box, whilst
all the others are shown in a 'disabled' state. You will have the choice to match the
sizes in any, or all, of the x, y and z axes.

You can also match position and orientation of the selected placements using
the 'Tools|Align Placements|Position...' and 'Tools|AlignPlacements|Orientation'
commands."


"##OnEnterFacePaint##"
"You have just switched to 'Face Paint' mode - either by dragging a material over a face
in a 3d view, or by choosing the 'Tools|Face Paint' options from the menu. Note that the
cursor in the View window has now changed into a paint brush.

In this mode, you can paint the individual faces with any material - just left-click
over the face you wish to paint. To leave Face Paint mode, use the 'Tools | Face Paint'
option from the menu.

You can select a new material to paint with, either by using the 'Tools|Select
Material...' option, or by picking up a new material from the materials lister
window, and dragging it over face to be painted."

"##CreateFace##"
"This option has created a single, 3-sided face, using the vertices which were selected,
and added it to the current shape. The option has taken a 'guess' as to which way the
face should be oriented (i.e. which side is 'inside', and which side is 'outside'). If
this is wrong, then use the Flip Face Normals option on the menu to correct the
orientation."

"##StartMappingTool##"
"You have just invoked a texture mapping tool. The mapping tools are designed to help you
set up the texture coordinates for selected faces, and work by mapping the texture onto
the surface of a mapping tool (which is a 'simple' shape), then the mapping tool will
map the texture down onto the selected faces in the shape (which may be complex).

The mapping tool is surrounded by handles, just like the edit box for a placement. By using
the handles, you can alter the orientation, position and size of the mapping tool in
relation to the shape.

In addition, a dialog entitled 'Texture Map Tool Configuration' has been created. This
mainly controls how the texture is mapped onto the surface of the mapping tool. From
here, you can control how many times a single image is tiled over the surface of the
mapping tool, how much of an offset to use, and whether to mirror the image in either,
or both, axes.

Also in this dialog is a 'continuous update' check box. If this is checked, then any
changes you make (on either the dialog, or with the spin handles in a 3d view') will
be applied immediately - so you can position the texture interactively. In this case,
the 'Apply' button is always disabled.

If the continuous update is not checked, then no changes you make are applied to the
shape until you press the 'Apply' button - this includes using the changes made by
dragging the mapping tool in the 3d view.

If you are using the 'Planar Mapping Tool', then the 'Align to Faces' button will be
enabled. This will attempt to align the tool so that it is 'flat on' to the selected faces."

"##StartTCE##"
"You have just started the Texture Coordinate Editor (TCE). This allows you to 'fine tune'
the texture coordinates already assigned to faces. In the background is the image being
used as a texture, with the selected faces drawn over this, in texture
coordinate space. By dragging either vertices, edges, single faces or all faces, you
can interactively alter the texture coordinates for the selected faces. The green
cross represents a centre point, for scaling, rotation and 'flipping' faces about. "

"##RestoreLastSelection##"
"This option has restored the previous set of faces which were selected.
"

"##InvertCurrentSelection##"
"This option will invert the set of selected faces. All faces in the shape that were
not selected become selected, and all the faces which were selected become unselected.
"

"##DropLightOnView##"
"You have just dropped a light source on a 3d view. This has added the light source to
the atmospheric the view was using. If the view did not have an atmospheric object,
then one will be created."

"##DropDepthImageOnView##"
"This has changed the image the current view is using as a depth buffer. When used in
conjunction with a background visual image, this allows for the effect of objects in the
view disappearing behind part of the background image.

Some display drivers do not support the ability to use an image as a depth buffer."

"##DropMaterialOnGeom##"
"By dropping a material on a shape, you have painted all the faces in the shape with
the same material. "

"##DropPathOnLight##"
"You have just added an action to a light source, which will now move along the defined
action when you begin the RealiMation sequence. The light sources position and/or
orientation will change over time, depending on the type of light source (infinite,
point or splot).

When an action is associated with a light source, the value of the light source's position
and orientation do not have any effect - the information is taken from the action. You can
build up nested actions, by dropping on action on another, to create complex actions for a
light from simple ones. "

"##DropLightOnAtmospheric##"
"You have just added a light source to an atmospheric object. An atmospheric object can
contain any number of light sources of different types (infinite, point or spot)."

"##OnMergeFaces##"
"A major factor in the speed of 3D graphics is the number of polygons (or facets) defined
in your scene. Often, after editing or importing data, you can optimise your use of
polygons by merging together those faces that are in the same plane (or surface).
The Merge Faces operation does just this.

If you are performing the operation on a large number of shapes, then temporarily closing
down any realised views should make the operation faster.

Whether neighbouring faces are considered to be planar is decided by the 'coplanar
angle tolerance'. Faces which are at an angle to each other which is greater than this
tolerance will not be merged together.

By setting large tolerances (eg > 10 degrees), faces can be produced which are not planar.
These non-planar faces may or may not be rendered correctly. Another possible result of a
large tolerance is 'fracturing' of a curved surface. This is where some faces can be
pulled-away from their neighbours, resulting in a hole."

"##OnCullHierarchy##"
"Due to the way some import filters work, 'extra' levels of hierarchy can be created when
they are not needed. For example, placements with no transformation, no actions, and
which reference 'empty shapes' (ie, shapes with no points or faces) will not
affect the final display.

This option will search down a hierarchy, removing any of these 'extra' levels (placements
and shapes). This can result in a hierarchy which is not only clearer, but may also improve
performance."

"##OnMergeHierarchy##"
"This option will create a single new shape from an entire hierarchy. If there are any
actions present in the hierarchy, then the resultant shape will be like a 'snap-shot' of
the hierarchy at that particular time."

"##OnPurgeRealiBase##"
"This option will search through the current RealiBase, looking for any objects
which are unused, and then deleting them.

The option is 'recursive' - for example, if it removes a placement, it then checks the
shapes that the placement referenced to see if any of those are now unused. It then
checks any placements that those shapes referenced, and so on... The entire hierarchy is
checked.

One exception are 'Views' - these are never considered to be 'unused', and so are never
deleted."


"##OnPreLightOn##"
"Normally, lighting calculations are performed on every object in a scene every time a
view is displayed. For complex objects/scenes, this can involve a significant amount of
work.

In many cases, the lighting calculations for an object remain the same each time the view
is displayed. For example, if the object is not moving.

By turning on pre-lighting for an object, the lighting calculations are performed once, and
the results stored with the object. Each time the view is displayed, these stored results
are then used, instead of performing the lighting calculations. This can significantly
increase performance."