In this tutorial you will create a simple office scene add a coke machine to your office.
Portal Beta 1
Hello! Thank you for purchasing Portal, a scene layout tool for assembling VRML worlds in a realtime rendered environment. Using Portal, you will be able to import Autodesk's DXF, 3DS files, Sense8's objects into a . There are thousands of 3d files on the internet. Try the following URL for 3d freeware and shareware. Once you are at the URL below, choose the "model market":
http://www.lightside.com/~dani/
Conventions
RMB means "right mouse button"
The term "scene" refers to a Portal file containing objects. When you save a scene it is saved as my_scene.por. You can export a "scene" to a VRML format which becomes my_scene.wrl
Multiple menu selections are represented with brackets as follows: [Key1] [Key2]. For example, [Object] [New Sphere] means click on the "Object" menu option in the 3D View Window, drag the left mouse button to the submenu option, "New Sphere" then select that option. Keystrokes that should be pressed simultaneously are represented by brackets: For example, the bracketed items <Ctrl> or <Select> indicate that you should hold down the Control key while selecting an object with your left mouse button.
Overview Of Windows
The first two windows appear at the top of your monitor.
3D View Window From this window, you can view the current scene in a real time 3D solid-filled rendered window. modifying the viewpoint (see 'Fly Mode' under Options menu). The user may also pick objects in the world (see 'Pick Mode' under Options menu) and move objects around inside the universe (see 'Object Fly' under options menu).
Object Master This window displays a tree of objects currently in the scene. The user may select different objects by clicking on the object name. If the <Control> is held down and you click on another object, you are allowed to select multiple objects. This is useful for using aligning or moving multiple objects.
The bottom set of windows are called Orthogonal or Ortho Views. These windows are useful for visualizing your objects in one plane at a time. You can not pick (select) objects from these windows but you can move preselected objects (objects highlighted in red) in any of these windows. You can only move objects which are selected. If you selected multiple objects from the Object Master Window, you can move them simultaneously in any of the Ortho Views.
Top View A viewpoint looking down the scene (along the -Y axis). This is also called the X-Z plane.
Front View A viewpoint looking at the face of the scene in line (along the -Z axis). This is also called the X-Y plane
Side View A viewpoint looking at the side of the scene (along the X axis). This is also called the Y-Z plane.
Portal obeys the left hand rule for describing 3d coordinates
+x +z (into the monitor) +yThe Ortho Windows provide the scene assembler with three views to assist in moving and aligning objects. They are organized as follows: 3D View Object Master theUniverse A Camera1 Block C Light1 B Top View +z Front View +x Side View +z +x A B C
1. Drag down the options menu and select 'Auto See All'. This should 'un-check' this option. This option is disabled because we are not sure which video card you own. For this tutorial, we are unche2. Click the icon in the 3D View window that looks like a light bulb. This action launches a dialog box for editing a light. Position the cursor at the end of the word, "Light" in the "Name field." Append the number "1." Leave all other options alone and choose "O.K." You have now positioned a light analogous to the sun pointing over your left shoulder.
3. Choose <Object> <New Terrain>. In the terrain window click on the Patch Color 1 button and choose a light color from the color window. Next click on Patch Color 2 button and choose the default color white by clicking on "O.K." In the Location box place the cursor in the X Location box, backspace to erase "0." and enter -10. In the Y Location box, backspace to erase "0." and enter 3. Click on the OK button. Now position the cursor in the 3D View window so
4. Choose 'desk.nff'. Drag down the object menu and select import. From the import window, under name, type 'Desk'. Click LMB on browse.
5. Select 'Desk' in the Object Master window.(Object Master window is located in the upper right section of your screen) . This will highlight desk in blue. Position the cursor over the desk in the 'Top View' window. Click and hold LMB and drag the mouse down. You should see the desk moving away from you (into the screen) in the View window. Position the desk in the center of the terrain.
6.Hold down the 'CTRL' key and click the LMB on the 'Terrain' in the Object Master window. You should see both 'Terrain' and 'Desk' highlighted.
7.Click on the 'Alignment' menu and select 'Align'. In the Alignment Tool window select 'Y' circle in the axis section. Click and hold the down arrow in the 'Anchor' section. Select 'Terrain' from the list and release the mouse. Select the bottom button. Click on Apply. Click on Close. You have now dropped the desk onto the terrain. The 'Bottom' of the desk touched the terrain.
Feel free to walk around your new, but sparse, virtual office. Press 'F2' and hold LMB in the view window. Moving the mouse forward and back moves you... forward and back. Left and right turns you left and right.
Next we will place a desklamp on the desk, using the same methods as were used in placing the desk on the terrain.
1. Drag down the the View menu and drag it to Reset Camera. From there, select Move to Origin. This sets the camera back to the origin of the universe.
2. Drag down the Object menu and select Import. Click LMB on the browse button and select 'lampa.nff' from the file list. In the import object box click LMB in the name box and type 'Desk_Lamp'.
3. Click LMB on the name 'Desk_Lamp' in the Object Master window. Click and hold the LMB over the lamp in the Top View window. Drag the lamp over any section of the desk.
4. Hold down the CTRL key and click the LMB over 'Desk' in the Objet Master window.
5. Drag down the Alignment menu and select Align. In the alignment window press the LMB on the Y circle in the Axis section. Click the LMB on the Touch circle. Make sure the anchor is Desk, if it isn't, hold the LMB on the down arrow in the Anchor box and select Desk. Click the LMB on Apply.
Now you may walk around your lamp on desk furnished office by using the methods described after the first section.
Next we will use the scaling tool to make a longer desk in the universe.
1. Drag down the the View menu and drag it to Reset Camera. From there, select Move to Origin. This sets the camera back to the origin of the universe.
2. Drag down the object menu and select 'Deselect All'
3. Drag down the object menu and select 'Import'. In the Import window select 'Browse' and click LMB on 'desk.nff'. Click LMB on the 'Name' box and type in Desk_2.
4. Click LMB on 'Desk_2' in the Object Master window.
5. Click and hold the LMB in the Top View window and drag Desk_2 to anywhere on the bottom section of the terrain, beyond the first desk.
6. Hold down the 'CTRL' key and click LMB on Terrain in the Object Master window.
7. Drag down the Alignment menu and select 'Align'. In the Alignment Tool window click LMB on the Y circle. Click LMB on the Bottom circle. Click and hold LMB on the down arrow next to the anchor box and select Terrain. Click LMB on Apply. Click LMB on Close.
8. Hold down the CTRL key and click LMB on Terrain in the Object Master window.
9. Double click LMB on Desk_2 in the Object master window. This will bring up the Edit Object window.
10. In the Object Edit window everything should be set to scale along the X axis. Click and hold the LMB on the Edit Object title bar and drag it out of the way of the View window. Click the LMB on the right arrow of the Scale/Stretch box. You will notice that Desk_2 begins to get larger along the X axis. Stretch it so its outer edges touch the edges of the terrain.
11. Click the LMB on the Close button.
Congratulations! You now have a large desk. Lets put some nice comfy chairs in the scene.
1. Drag down the the View menu and drag it to Reset Camera. From there, select Move to Origin. This sets the camera back to the origin of the universe.
2. Drag down the object menu and select 'Deselect All'
3. Drag down the object menu and select 'Import'. In the Import window select 'Browse' and click LMB on 'chair.nff'. Click LMB on the 'Name' box and type in Chair_1.
4. Click LMB on 'Chair_1' in the Object Master window.
5. Click and hold the LMB in the Top View window and drag Chair_1 between the two desks.
6. Hold down the 'CTRL' key and click LMB on Terrain in the Object Master window.
7. Drag down the Alignment menu and select 'Align'. In the Alignment Tool window click LMB on the Y circle. Click LMB on the Bottom circle. Click and hold LMB on the down arrow next to the anchor box and select Terrain. Click LMB on Apply. Click LMB on Close.
8. Hold down the CTRL key and click LMB on Terrain. This should deselect it.
9. Press the F4 key. This puts the view window into 'Object Fly' mode. The cursor, when placed over the view window, should appear as four arrows pointing outward.
10. Drag down the Speed menu and select Constraints and Sensitivity. Click LMB on the Y box in the Linear Constraints field. This locks out any Y , or up and down, movement. Click LMB on close.
11. Click and hold LMB in the View window and drag the mouse forward and back. As you can see, this causes the chair to move forward and back in the universe. Push the mouse left and right. This causes the object to rotate along the Y axis. Release LMB and click and hold RMB down. Move the mouse left and right. This makes the object slide along the x axis. If the mouse is moved up or down nothing happens. This is because the Y plane is locked out of all movement from the Linear Constraint you set earlier. Use these methods to move the chair where you would like it in the office space.
12. To add another chair, follow the exact steps above but name it something different while importing it, such as 'Chair_2'.
Now we will stick a point light on our desk lamp. Due to the limitations of the Portal beta, point lights do not illuminate correctly in the view window, but if they are converted into Webspace they will appear as they should.
1. Drag down the the View menu and bring it to Reset Camera. From there, select Move to Origin. This sets the camera back to the origin of the universe.
2. Drag down the object menu and select 'Deselect All'
3. Drag down the Object menu and select 'New Light'. In the New Light window click LMB on the 'Point' circle. Click LMB on Name and type 'Light_2' Click LMB on OK.
4. Click LMB on Light_2 in the Object master window. Click and drag LMB on the Top View window and drag the light over the lamp on the desk. Click and drag LMB on the Side View window and drag the light so its sitting in the center of the desk.
5. Press F3 and click LMB twice on Light_2 in the View window. This will bring up the Edit Object window. Click LMB on the Scale circle in the Scale/Stretch section. Click and drag LMB on the title bar and move it so you can see all of the View window. Click and hold LMB on the left arrow in the Scale/Stretch section. This will begin to make the light smaller in the view window. Scale it so it is as large as the green section of the desk lamp.
6. Drag down the Speed menu and select 'Constraints and Sensitivity'. Click LMB on the left arrow in the Linear Sensitivity section and bring the number down to 1.000. This makes the viewpoint and objects move slower while they are manipulated in the view window. Since we are about to move a small pointsource light under a small desk lamp, this makes it much easier.
7. Drag down the Options menu and select 'Object Fly'. Use the LMB and RMB in the view window to manipulate the position of the light so it is directly under the desk lamp.
Now we have a point light source under the desk lamp. If you export this file to a VRML browser, the point light will illuminate the desk directly under the desk lamp.
Next we will go over how to apply textures to objects. This process will be made much easier when Drag and Drop is implemented in Beta 2, but for now we will use this process. Another point of note is that in the early alpha of Worldview and the NT beta of Webspace textures did not seem to be properly loaded. This will inevitably be fixed, and the textures that are saved into the .WRL file by Portal are fully VRML spec 1.0 compliant.
1. Drag down the the View menu and bring it to Reset Camera. From there, select Move to Origin. This sets the camera back to the origin of the universe.
2. Drag down the Object menu and select 'Deselect All'
3. Drag down the Options menu and select 'Fly Mode'.
4. Use the LMB in the view window to fly up to the desk with the lamp on it. Get fairly close, as if you were standing 2 feet away from it.
5. Drag down the Options menu and select 'Pick Mode'. Click LMB on the desk.
6. Click RMB on the top of the desk. This will bring up the Polygon window. Click LMB on the Texture button. This will bring up the texture selection box. Click LMB on 'wood4.tga'. Click Lmb on Close. As you can see in the View window, a wood texture has been applied to the top of the desk.
7. Drag down the Options menu and select 'Fly Mode'.
8. Use LMB and RMB to fly around the edges of the desk. Repete steps 5 and 6 on each edge of the desk to texture the whole top of the object with wood.
Wow! Doesn't that desk look great now?
In the final lesson we will go over how to embed a URL link onto an object in the universe.
1. Drag down the the View menu and bring it to Reset Camera. From there, select Move to Origin. This sets the camera back to the origin of the universe.
2. Drag down the Object menu and select 'Deselect All'.
3. Drag down the Object menu and select 'New Group'. This will launch the 'Create New Group' window. Click LMB on name and enter 'Link_1'. Click LMB on the Anchor circle. Click LMB on the entry field in the Link area. Type in 'WWW.LAMPS.COM'. Click LMB on Close. This created a group with a link to WWW.LAMPS.COM, a fictional lamp reseller.
4. Click and hold LMB on 'Desk_lamp' in the Object Master window and drag it over Link_1 and release LMB. This makes Desk_Lamp a clickable URL link to WWW.LAMPS.COM when it is in a VRML browser.
