Tutorial Guide, Part 2

Objective

The objective of Part 2 of the Tutorial Guide is to give you more
practice with modeling and navigation techniques. You will be guided
through a series of exercises, and will construct a basic model. Before
you begin Part 2, please complete Part 1 and read the Virtus
WalkThrough VRML Reference where you will find a more detailed description
of terms and techniques.

Open a New File

Start Virtus WalkThrough VRML so that you have a new untitled document is on
your screen. If Virtus WalkThrough VRML is already started, close the current
model by choosing Close under the File menu and then choose New under the File menu.

Build a Structure

Now you will construct a building with a steeple. Virtus WalkThrough
VRML is uniquely suited for construction of architectural virtual space.

Drag the Observer Out of the Way

With the Select Object Tool, point to the Observer in the Top View
window (the Observer should be positioned at 0,0) and drag to the lower
left of the window.

Draw Rooms

Now you will draw four objects that will represent rooms of a house.
Select the Create Rectangular Object Tool. Point to the 0,0 coordinate,
click and drag to the 15,15 coordinate. With the Create Rectangular
Object Tool still selected, point to the 15,15 coordinate, click and
drag to the 40,0 coordinate. You may not be able to see the 40,0
coordinate, but as you drag to the right of the window and the mouse
cursor touches the window borders, the window will scroll automatically
for you.


With the Create Rectangular Object Tool still selected, point to 40,15,
click and drag to 30,40. With the Create Rectangular Object Tool still
selected, point to 30,15, click and drag to 0,40. Click the Zoom Out
Tool once.

Save Your Model

Under the File menu, choose Save. Enter My Building (Macintosh) or MYBLDG
(Windows) in the text box and click OK.

Navigate

Click the Walk View to make it active. Navigate to see what you have
created. Position the Observer so you are looking at the outside of one
of the boxes.

Advanced Navigation

In addition to the standard navigation techniques discussed  in Part 1
of the Tutorial Guide, there are also advanced navigation techniques.
Hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows), point the cursor
between the cross hair and the top of the Walk View window. Now press and
hold the mouse button; notice that you rise up rather than move forward.
Release the mouse button. Hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key
(Windows), point the cursor between the cross hair and the bottom of the Walk
View window. Now press and hold the mouse button; notice that you sink down
rather than move backward. Release the mouse button.

The Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) also allows you to slide
right or left, rather than turn, when you position the cursor on either side
of the cross hair and press the mouse button. Again, position the Observer
so you are looking at the outside of one of the boxes. Hold down the Shift 
key and point the cursor to the right of the cross hair. Then press and hold
down the mouse button; notice that the effect is the same as tilting your head.
When using the Shift key for this type of movement, it is very easy to
get lost or become disoriented. If you get lost or become disoriented
while navigating, choose Level Observer under the View menu or choose
Home Observer under the View menu.


Change Object Depth

Click in the Top View to make the window active. Under the Edit menu,
choose Select All. Under the View menu, select Change View and then
choose Front. You are now looking at the Front View. Notice the gray
inflation distance on the left side of the Front View window is set
from 0 to 8 ft. Click on the Zoom In Tool so you can read the ruler
more clearly. Also notice that the objects you drew in the Top View
were inflated to this depth; they are 8 ft. tall.


Suppose you want the objects to be inflated from 0 to 10 ft. You could
select each object individually and stretch it from 8 to 10 ft., but
there is an easier way to edit the inflation distance of all the
objects at once. In the Front View on the left ruler, point to the
upper endpoint of the depth control (the black mark at 8 ft.) and drag
to 10 ft. Double-click the gray inflation distance of the depth control
(between the two black endpoints). This will cause any selected objects
originally inflated along this axis to re-inflate to the distance from
the lower endpoint of the depth control to the upper endpoint, 0 to 10
ft.

Add Surface Features

Change views to the Top View and select the 15 ft. by 15 ft. object in
the lower left. Click the Surface Editor Tool. Point accurately to the
line between 0,0 and 15,0, then click. The surface you selected is
displayed in the Surface Editor window with handles (indicating it is
selected). Unselect the surface by pointing with the Select Object Tool
(away from the surface) and clicking in the Surface Editor window.

Click the Constrained Zoom Tool and drag a box around the surface in
the Surface Editor window. Try to keep the box close to the surface
outline. Click the Make Opaque Modifier. Select a color from the Color
Palette. Mouse down on the Color Bar and drag to select a new color.


Click the Create Rectangular Object Tool. Point to 3',7'6" and drag to
12,0. You have drawn an opaque surface feature that represents a door
frame. Click in the Walk View to make it active and then navigate so
you can see the surface that you are editing. Click the Surface Editor
window to make it active again. Now click the Make Translucent
Modifier. Click the Create Rectangular Object Tool. Point to the 3'6",7
coordinate and drag to 4'6",1. You have created a translucent surface
feature that will represent a window. With the translucent surface
feature selected (if it is not selected, click it with the Select
Object Tool), choose Copy, then Paste under the Edit menu to paste a
copy of the translucent surface feature. Drag the copy to the right
side of the surface so you have two matching translucent surface
features representing windows. Click the Make Transparent Modifier.
Click the Create Rectangular Object Tool. Point to the 5,7 coordinate
and drag to 10,0. You have created a transparent surface feature that
represents an open door or hole in the wall.


Close the Surface Editor by double-clicking the control menu icon in
the upper left of the Surface Editor window. Notice in the Top View
that the surface of the object you edited shows a thick line where
surface features have been placed. Save your model. (Under the File
menu, choose Save).

Connect Objects

Now you will make a doorway between two objects. Select the 15 ft. by
15 ft. object. Click the Surface Editor Tool. Point accurately to the
line on the right side of the object between 15,0 and 15,15 and click.
The surface you selected is displayed in the Surface Editor window.
Again, you may wish to use the Constrained Zoom Tool or the Zoom In
Tool so you can read the rulers more accurately. Click the Make
Transparent Modifier. Click the Create Rectangular Object Tool. Point
to the 6,7 coordinate and drag to 9,0. Close the Surface Editor window.


Navigate to a position inside the 15 ft. by 15 ft. object so you can
see the outline of the transparent surface feature that you just
created. Even though you created a transparent surface feature, you
cannot see through to the inside of the other object. The reason for
this is that you have created a hole in one object, but the adjacent
object does not know there is a transparent surface feature in the
object to which it is attached. To accomplish this, Virtus WalkThrough
VRML Special Edition uses the Connect Surfaces Tool.


Click the Connect Surfaces Tool. Point accurately to the line
representing the surface that you just edited and click. You may hear a
"snap," indicating that the surfaces of the adjacent objects have been
connected. Save your model.


Create a Tiled Floor

In the Top View, select the 15 ft. by 15 ft. object with the Select
Object Tool. Click the Tumble Editor Tool. Click the selected object in
the Top View. This opens the Tumble Editor window. When you open the
Tumble Editor window, the selected object is displayed with the front
surface aligned to the screen. Since you are going to edit the floor,
you need to tumble the object so the bottom surface is aligned to the
screen. Point to the object and drag upward until you see the bottom (b
on the Orientation Cube in the Tools window). When the b is visible on
the Orientation Cube, double-click the bottom surface of the object in
the Tumble Editor window and the object aligns itself so the surface
you clicked is facing the screen. The Orientation Cube also aligns
itself to the screen; you should be able to see the b clearly.


Click the Surface Editor Tool and click the bottom surface of the
object in the Tumble Editor window. The surface you selected is
displayed in the Surface Editor window. Zoom in with the Constrained
Zoom Tool. In the Surface Editor window, unselect the surface by
clicking with the Select Object Tool on the background of the Surface
Editor window. Click the Make Opaque Modifier. Select a dark color from
the Color Selector. Click the Create Square Object Tool. The Create
Square Object Tool is nested in the pop-up under the Create 8-Sided
Object Tool. Point to the 2'6", 12'6" coordinate, click and drag to
5,12'6". If you cannot see these coordinates, zoom in with the Zoom In
Tool.


Under the Edit menu, choose Duplicate. A copy of the square surface
feature appears. Drag it so that its left corner touches the right
corner of the original. Choose Duplicate again. Click the Select Object
Tool. Drag a box around all the surface features to select them. Choose
Duplicate again. All the surface features are duplicated. Drag the
duplicates below the originals so the upper corners of the duplicates
and the lower corners of the originals are touching. Choose Duplicate
again. Save your model.


Close the Surface Editor. The Tumble Editor should still be open. Close
the Tumble Editor. You have learned how to place surface features and
make connections, two fundamental features of Virtus WalkThrough VRML
Special Edition. You can use what you learned to edit each of the
objects in your model, creating windows, doorways and various surface
features wherever you like.

Walking in Faster Mode

Transparent and translucent surfaces add detail and a level of realism
to your models; but adding this kind of detail drains your computer's
processing power. The more translucent and transparent surfaces, the
slower your walk speed.


Click the Walk View to make it active. Navigate outside the 15 ft. by
15 ft. object so you are looking at the door and windows that you
created. Under the Walk menu, choose Faster. Notice that the
transparent and translucent surfaces are displayed as opaque. This
increases your walk speed when you navigate in the Walk View. Under the
Walk menu, choose Fastest. Notice that the objects in the Walk View are
displayed as wire frames. This further increases your walk speed when
you navigate in the Walk View. Under the Walk menu, choose Normal to
make the surfaces appear as they were originally created.


Add a Roof

In the Top View, adjust the depth control on the left ruler so the
lower endpoint is at -2 and the upper endpoint is at 42. As you try to
move the lower end of the depth control, you will notice that the
origin or 0 point moves instead. The origin on any ruler can be
adjusted by dragging to help you measure. You must first move the
origin out of the way to grab the endpoint of the depth control that is
hidden beneath it. After you adjust this endpoint, choose Reset Origin
under the View menu to move the origin back to its original position.
If you move the origin, remember to reset the origin immediately after
you finish measuring.



After you set the depth control to -2 and 42, change views to the Front
View. Select a new color for the roof that you are about to draw. You
may wish to zoom out so you can see all the objects. Click the Create
Irregular Object Tool. Point to the -2,10 coordinate and click. Move
the cursor to the 20,20 coordinate and click. Move the cursor to the
42,10 coordinate and double-click. Save your model. You have created a
roof with two-foot eves on each side atop your objects.

Add a Steeple

Select the roof object. Click the Tumble Editor Tool. Click the roof
object again. The object appears in the Tumble Editor window and the
front surface should be facing you. Point to the Origin on the left
ruler and drag it up so it is positioned at the peak of the roof
object. Now slice off the peak of the roof to create a flat surface.
Click the Slice Object Tool. Point to 5,-2, click and drag to -5,-2.
The bottom half of the slice disappears, but you want the top half to
disappear. To correct this, choose Reverse Slice from the Tumble menu.
Close the Tumble Editor.


In the Front View, point to the alley (the space where the depth
control resides) on the top ruler, hold down the Option key (Macintosh)
or Ctrl key (Windows) and click. This calls the depth control to the
position where you click. Drag the depth control so it is positioned over
the center of the roof object and align the endpoints with each edge of 
the sliced surface on the roof. Change views to the Right View. You may
wish to click the Zoom Out Tool so you are able to view the entire drawing.
Click the Create Rectangular Object Tool. Point to the 16,18 coordinate,
click and drag to 24,22.


In the Right View, adjust the depth control on the left ruler so the
endpoints are at 22 ft. and 50 ft. Change views to the Top View. Click
the Inflate Pointed Up Modifier. Click the Create Rectangular Object
Tool. Point to the 17,17 coordinate, click and drag to 23,23. You have
created a steeple. Save your model.

Add a Ground Plane
Now you will create an object to represent ground so
your house won't look as if it is floating in space. Change to the
Front View. Adjust the depth control on the left ruler so the endpoints
are on 0 ft. and -5 ft. Change views to the Top View. Click the Create
8-Sided Object Tool. Click the Inflate Straight Modifier. Point to the
20,20 coordinate, click and drag to 20,80. With the ground object
selected, choose Lock Selected, under the Edit menu. Save your model.

Add a Library Item

Change views to the Front View. Adjust the depth control on the left
ruler so the lower endpoint is on 0 (zero). The position of the lower
endpoint will determine the placement of the library item that you are
about to paste into the model. The location of the upper endpoint does
not matter.


Under the File menu, choose Library. The Macintosh/Windows Get File dialog
appears. Choose My Library or MYLIB. Select Mailbox in the item list. Under the
Edit menu, choose Copy. Close My Library or MYLIB by double-clicking the close
box (Macintosh) or control menu icon (Windows) in the upper left corner of the
window. In the Top View, click the 5,-5 coordinate with the Select Object Tool.
Under the Edit menu, choose Paste. The mailbox item should be pasted at the 5,-5
coordinate. Drag the mailbox to a position near the front door. Save your model.

Conclusion

This Tutorial Guide was designed to teach you basic modeling and navigation
techniques of Virtus WalkThrough VRML. After completing this Tutorial Guide you
will not have used every tool or selected every menu choice, but you will have
covered enough to get started to create your own VRML sites. Experimentation and
practice will hone your skill with the program.


If you are unable to solve a problem while working with the program,
look in the Virtus WalkThrough VRML Reference for discussions of each tool
and menu item, along with techniques for creating objects, recording paths 
and other subjects.