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VRML Tools for 3D Cyberspace
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VRML_Tools_For_3D_Cyberspace.iso
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glossary.txt
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Reference, Part 3
Glossary
Active Window - The window that you are currently working in. A window
is active if its Title Bar is highlighted.
Alley - The area on a ruler where the Depth Control is displayed.
Ambient Light - A surrounding light source that casts its light on all
surfaces of the object that you are editing and on all surfaces of any
objects contained within the object you are editing.
Anchor - Embedded URL information saved with a file.
Aspect Ratio - The ratio of horizontal to vertical dimensions of the
Walk View.
Color Selector - A spectrum of colors that can be assigned to objects
or surface features.
Cross Hair - Located in the middle of the Walk View and used as a
reference point for navigation.
Depth Controls - Appears on each ruler in the Design Views and on the
ruler in the Depth Window. It determines the inflation distance and the
position of objects.
Depth Window - Contains a ruler and Depth Control that allow you to
manipulate inflation distance and position of objects.
Design View - A two-dimensional area where you draw objects. There are
six possible Design Views: Front, Back, Top, Bottom, Left and Right.
Dock - A gray box that appears on the end of each ruler. The Dock
displays the letter, X, Y or Z, which determines the axis the ruler is
on. Docks also contain Non-Reproducing Guidelines, which you can drag
to any position on the ruler.
Drawing Tools - Allow you to draw 2-D polygonal outlines of basic
shapes that are interpreted as 3-D objects or 2-D surface features.
Full Screen - This command opens the Walk View to cover the entire
monitor screen, including the menu bar.
Group - This command groups all selected objects, treating them as a
single object.
Handle - A small square block which represents the meeting of two or
more planes, or in the case of an object, the meeting of two sides. If
an object is selected, its handles are visible.
Home - A 3-D location in the Virtus world used as a base or reference
for the Observer or for a Design View.
Inflation - The process of taking a 2-D polygonal outline and adding
depth to create a 3-D object.
Inflation Distance - The depth or the distance that a 2-D polygonal
outline is stretched to create a 3-D object.
Inflation Modifier - Determines the inflation type, or 3-D shape, of an
object. Inflation is the process of interpreting a 2-D polygonal
outline in the Design Views as a 3-D object in the Walk View.
Lens Focal Length Tool - Determines the zoom factor of the virtual
camera. The Lens Focal Length Tool can be adjusted to give the effect
of viewing the Walk View through a wide angle lens or a telephoto lens.
Levels - The number of decrementing sides of an object whose inflation
type is rounded or double-rounded. The maximum number of levels allowed
is 16.
Library Item - Can be a single Virtus WalkThrough VRML
object, but is usually several objects grouped together to form a
complex shape, such as a piece of furniture. Library Items are stored
in a Virtus WalkThrough VRML Special Edition Library.
Library - A collection of Virtus WalkThrough VRML Special Edition
objects (Library Items) that can be copied and pasted into multiple
models.
Navigation - The process of moving through the Walk View.
Non-Reproducing Guidelines - These help align objects. Non-Reproducing
Guidelines are dragged out of the Dock and positioned anywhere on the
ruler.
Observer - Represents your eyes in the virtual environment. In a Design
View, the Observer is shown as a circle with a line that indicates the
viewing direction.
Opacity Modifiers - Determine whether an entire object or a selected
surface is opaque, translucent or transparent.
Opaque - Describes a selected object or surface feature that appears
solid (you cannot see through it), even though it is volumetric.
Orientation Cube - Shows the orientation of the Virtus world as seen by
the Observer in the Walk View. In the Tumble Editor, the Orientation
Cube represents the selected object within the Virtus world and shows
the side(s) of the object visible in the tumble window.
Placement Modifiers - Determine which side of a surface will be edited.
Preferences - The dialog that allows you to set preferences for the
appearance of the Design and Walk Views, navigation, measurement units
and other application and model attributes. You can customize your
application with the Preferences dialog.
Rendering - Translation of 2-D objects in the Design View to 3-D
objects in the Walk View.
Rotation Constraint Tools - These affect how the selected object or
light source can be rotated.
Selection Rectangle Method - A means to select objects by dragging the
Select Object Tool to form a bounding box around the objects that you
wish to select.
Slice List - Displays the word slice and a number for each slice that
you make in an object while in the Tumble Editor. If you wish to edit a
slice, click on the slice number of the slice and it will appear in the
Tumble window.
Slice Tool - Adds a surface to an object by slicing off a piece of that
object.
Snapshot - This command allows you to save a Design View or Walk View
perspective or a recorded walk path in BMP (bitmap) format.
Surface Editor Tool - Accesses the Surface Editor from the Design Views
or the Tumble Editor. The Surface Editor allows you to edit a selected
object surface.
Surface Feature - A polygonal 2-D object that can represent items such
as a door, window, or a floor or wall feature with a specified opacity
and color on a surface. Surface Features are created and edited in the
Surface Editor with the same tools as objects; however, Surface
Features do not have depth.
Translucent - Means that a selected object or surface feature is
see-through, like glass.
Transparent - Means a selected object or surface feature is invisible
except for a wire frame.
Tumble Editor Tool - Accesses the Tumble Editor from the Design Views.
The Tumble Editor allows you to three-dimensionally rotate an object,
edit a selected surface or slice off a piece of an object.
URL - Universal Resource Locator
Velocity Grid - This is made up of the horizontal and vertical marks in
the Walk View that determine the points at which the walk speed changes
when you navigate through the Virtus World.
Virtus World - The overall area of the Walk View; one cubic mile of space.
Walk View - The window that displays a three-dimensional rendering of
the objects you draw in a Design View and allows you to walk through
and around the objects.
Window - Displays information on the computer screen in a designated
area. In Virtus WalkThrough VRML Special Edition, a window can display
a tool palette, a view or an editor.