VRML Tools for 3D Cyberspace/VRML_Tools_For_3D_Cyberspace.iso/virtus/refpart2.txt

Text File | 1996-07-01 | 57KB | 1,307 lines

Reference, Part 2

Menus

FILE MENU

Many of the Virtus WalkThrough VRML File menu options and commands are
standard for the Windows operating system. These include New, Open,
Close, Save, Save As, Print Setup, Print and Quit. If you are not
familiar with these options and commands, review your Windows
documentation.

New
Creates and opens a new Virtus WalkThrough file.

Open
Displays the standard Windows Open dialog from which you
can select an existing file to open.

Close
Closes the current file. If you made any changes to the
file since the last time you saved it, you will be prompted to save the
changes before the file is closed.

Save
Saves the current file under the currently used name.

Save As
Opens the standard Windows Save As dialog, which allows you to
save the current file under a new name.

Revert to Saved
Opens the last saved version of the current file. If
you select this option, any changes made to the model since the last
time you saved it will be lost unless you first use Save As and save
the changes to the file under another name.

Print Setup
Opens the standard Windows Print Setup dialog with which
you choose printout size, paper orientation and other printing
features.

Print
Prints the active window centered on the page and
enlarged within the constraints of the page. However, what you see is
what you print. To print an entire Design View, select the Design View
to make it active, zoom out until you can see all the objects, then
choose Print. To print the Walk View, navigate in the Walk View to the
desired viewing angle, then choose Print.

When printing the Walk View, if your printer does not print grayscales,
you may wish to print black object frames with white shading. This
gives you a clean, black line drawing. To print objects with black
frames and white shading, click Print White (so the checkbox is not
selected) and choose Black Frames in the Preferences, Rendering dialog.

Snapshot
Allows you to save a view of a Virtus WalkThrough VRML model in BMP (bitmap)
format (Windows) and PICT (Macintosh). The saved view can be a particular
perspective in the Walk View, the drawing in a Design View, the Surface Editor
window, the Tumble Editor window or a recorded walk path.

Snapshot displays a pop-up menu listing possible file formats to save
the snapshot in. In Virtus WalkThrough VRML, only the BMP and PICT formats are
supported. To take a snapshot, click the window you wish to take the
snapshot of (to make it the active window), then select Snapshot: BMP/PICT.
Select the desired options for the snapshot and click OK. The options for the
BMP snapshot are described below.

If Aspect Ratio is selected in the Preferences, Navigation dialog, the
selected aspect ratio will be applied to the snapshot, overriding the
Size selection in the Snapshot dialog. After Snapshot: BMP is selected,
a dialog with options specific to the BMP format type is displayed.
After all options are selected for Snapshot, the standard Save As
dialog will appear, from which you can select or type a file name for
your snapshot.

BMP Snapshot Options

Size
    A pop-up menu with a list of common screen sizes measured in pixels, from
    which you can choose a size for the snapshot. Also on the pop-up is the
    Custom option, which allows you to enter a custom pixel width and height
    in the text boxes next to the pop-up menu.

Color
    Displays a pop-up of 2, 16, 256 or Millions from which you can
    select a color mode. Also displayed is the Grayscale checkbox, which
    will save the snapshot in shades of gray if your monitor supports this
    mode. The number of shades of gray depends on which option is selected
    under the pop-up.

Compression
    Includes the options On or Off. The default is On. Most software capable
    of reading the BMP format can deal with compressed format; however, some
    software cannot. If you have trouble reading a BMP snapshot into another program,
    try turning off compression.


EXPORT
VRML... Virtual Reality Modeling Language file format


LIBRARY

Allows you to create a new object library or open an existing
object library. Choosing Library displays the standard Open dialog from
which you can select an existing library to open.

Once a library is open, Library items can be added to or copied from
the library.

An open library displays a window containing a list of Library item
names and a Walk View where the library items are displayed one at a
time. Clicking a name in the library list causes the associated library
item to appear in the Walk View. In the Library Walk View, you can
navigate around and through the library items. (See Navigation
Methods.)

To select an object from an existing library and copy it into your
model, open the desired library and click on the desired library item
name in the list. Copy the object by choosing Copy under the Edit menu.
Make a Design View of your model active by clicking it or by selecting
the appropriate Design View name from under the Window menu. (You do
not have to close the open library, but you may. If you are planning to
copy another object from the same library, it will be more efficient to
leave the library open.) Point in the Design View where you want the
library item to be placed and click. Check the appropriate Depth
Control endpoint. (See Depth Control.) You can quickly check the floor
marker by looking at the -f reading in the Position Indicator of the
Tools window. Paste the object by selecting Paste under the Edit menu.


Creating Library Items

Library items are actually Virtus WalkThrough VRML models. They are
usually, but not necessarily, built on a small scale. The more surfaces
and the more translucencies and transparencies you have in a library
item, the slower your rendering speed. Try to keep your library items
as plain as possible.

You can create library items while in an existing model or as a
separate model. It is usually easier to create a library item if there
are no objects nearby because working on a small scale requires you to
be zoomed in very close; it is sometimes difficult to select a small
object if larger objects are in the vicinity.

A library item is usually several objects combined. Before adding a
library item to a library, it is important to remember to group the
objects by selecting all of them and choosing Group under the Design
menu. Grouped objects are treated as a single entity. (See Group.)

To add a library item to a library, create the library item and group
it using the Group command under the Design menu. Select the grouped
library item and copy it by choosing Copy under the Edit menu. Select
Library under the File menu and open an existing library or select New
to create a new library. Paste the library item by choosing Paste under
the Edit menu.

If you are adding the library item to an existing library, select the
name of the existing library item occupying the position where you want
your new library item to be located. When you paste the new library
item, the existing library item name and any library item names below
it will move down in the library list and your new library item will
assume the space. When you add a library item to a library, the name of
the new library item in the library list will default to Object #.

To change the name of a library item, highlight Object # in the list by
clicking on it. Point to the highlighted name, press and hold down the
mouse button. The existing name will appear to the right of the list.
Drag the pointer to the right to highlight the name, then release the
mouse button. A pop-up will appear where you can type the new name of
the library item.


Exit

Exits Virtus WalkThrough. If a model is open and changes were made
since the last time it was saved, you will be prompted to save any
changes before exiting.

EDIT MENU

Undo
Reverses the last operation. This command is available in
the Design Views as well as all Editors.

Cut
Removes any selected objects, surface features or slices
and places them in the clipboard. Cut objects, surface features and
slices can then be pasted with the Paste command. (See Paste.)

Copy
Copies any selected objects, surface features or slices
to the clipboard. The difference between Copy and Cut is that Copy
leaves the original in place, and Cut removes the original. Copied
objects, surface features and slices can then be pasted with the Paste
command. (See Paste.)

Duplicate
Makes an exact copy of a selected object or surface
feature and places it on or near the original. Duplicate does not copy
to the clipboard as does the Copy command. (See Copy.)

Duplicate will duplicate objects as well as object placement, scaling
and rotation. For example, if you create an object, duplicate that
object, and position the duplicate on the right side of the original so
that the objects appear to be touching, you can then select Duplicate
again and an identical object will be joined on the right side of the
first duplicate.

The duplicate's position relative to the object it duplicated is
maintained as long as it remains selected. If you continue choosing
Duplicate, the objects will continue duplicating to the right until you
have a line of identical objects. This can be extremely helpful in
modeling objects such as staircases...even spiral staircases.

When you create the first duplicate, it carries the object's position,
scaling and rotation information. It must remain selected until the
next duplication or this information will be lost. When the next
duplicate is made, the position, scaling and rotation are passed to it,
and it must remain selected until the next duplication or the
information will be lost.

Changes to object type are not duplicated. For example, if you create
an object 10 feet tall and then duplicate it and increase the height of
the duplicate to 15 feet, subsequent duplicates will have a height of
15 feet; they will not grow in height by increments of five feet. If
you wish to accomplish the effect of an incremental increase in size or
shape, you must use the Scale Object Tool to adjust the size or shape
of the first duplicate and then duplicate it.

The Duplicate command duplicates all manipulations to the entire
object. It does not duplicate edits to part of an object.

Paste
Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the model.
Clipboard contents can include objects, surface features or slices.
Different rules apply for where these types of Clipboard content can be
pasted. For example, you cannot paste a slice in the Design View
because a slice has no meaning there. A slice can be pasted only in the
Tumble Editor. Similarly, surface features have meaning only in the
Surface Editor, and object polygonal outlines have meaning only in the
Design View.

When pasting an object in the Design View or a surface feature in the
Surface Editor, first click where you want the center of the object or
feature to be pasted, then choose Paste.

When pasting a slice in the Tumble Editor, the angle of the slice is
pasted as well as the position of the slice relative to the apparent
origin and rotation of the object. A slice has a position and angle in
the Tumble Editor; if copied and pasted, it will assume the same
position.

Paste also allows objects and grouped objects to be pasted to or from a
library or another model.

Delete (Del)
Removes selected objects, surface features or slices
without placing them in the Clipboard. Selected objects, surface
features and slices can also be deleted by pressing the Del key or the
Backspace key. The difference between Cut and Delete is that Delete
removes objects completely, whereas Cut removes objects to the
clipboard so that they may be pasted again. If you inadvertently cut or
delete something, the Undo command under the Edit menu will reverse the
last operation if you choose Undo immediately after cutting or
deleting.

Modify Selected A pullout submenu of modifiers that may be applied to
selected objects in the Design View and to selected surface features in
the Surface Editor. If a particular option is not available, it will be
grayed. If the Walk View is active, all options are gray. All of the
options in the Modify Selected submenu mirror the tools in the Design
View Tools window or in the Surface Editor Tools window.


The Modify Selected options are:

UnRotate
Removes any rotation of an object or surface feature applied
with the Rotate Object Tool. You can also remove any rotation by
selecting the object or surface feature and double-clicking the Rotate
Object Tool in the Tools window.

UnScale
Reverses any scaling modifications of an object or surface
feature that were applied with the Scale Object Tool. Scaling can also
be reversed by double-clicking the Scale Object Tool in the Tools
window.

UnSkew
Removes any skew modifications of an object that were applied
with the Skew Object Tool. Skewing can also be removed by
double-clicking the Skew Object Tool in the Tools window.

Color
Opens the standard Windows Basic Color Palette and Custom Color
Selector in one window. (The Color Palette and Custom Color Selector
are normally displayed in separate windows.) With this option, you may
choose a new display color for all selected objects.

To select a new display color for the selected objects, point to the
desired color in the Windows Basic Color Palette and click. To define a
custom color for the selected objects, point to a shade of color in the
color refiner box (within the Custom Color Selector) and click. To the
left of the color refiner box is the Windows Vertical Luminosity Bar
(brightness control). You may slide the Vertical Luminosity Bar up or
down to change the shade of a color in the color refiner box, thus
creating a custom color. If you wish to add a selected custom color to
the Windows Basic Color Palette, click Add. (See your Windows
documentation for more about standard Windows color functionality.)

The color of a selected object or surface feature can also be changed
by dragging open the Color Bar in the Tools window.

Opaque
Makes a selected object or surface feature opaque (solid). If individual object
surface opacities have been modified with the Surface or Tumble Editors, they will
not be affected by this command. The
object as a whole becomes opaque, but individual surface edits override
this modify command.

A selected object or surface feature can also be made opaque by
double-clicking the Make Opaque Modifier in the Tools window.

Translucent
Makes a selected object or surface feature translucent (like glass). If individual
object surface opacities have been modified with the Surface or Tumble Editors,
they will not be affected by this command. The object as a whole becomes translucent,
but individual surface edits override this modify command. A selected object or
surface feature can also be made translucent by double-clicking the Make Translucent
Modifier in the Tools window.

Transparent
Makes a selected object or surface feature transparent (invisible) except for a wire
frame. (See Preferences, Rendering for more about wire frames.) If individual surface
opacities have been modified with the Surface or Tumble Editors, they will not be
affected by this command. The object as a whole becomes transparent, but individual
surface edits override this modify command.

A selected object or surface feature can also be made transparent by
double-clicking the Make Transparent Modifier in the Tools window.

Single
Inflates a selected object in one direction if it is already
inflated in two directions. For example, if an object is inflated
double-rounded, like a sphere, the Single modifier will make the object
inflate rounded, like a dome. A selected object can also be inflated in
one direction by double-clicking the desired Inflation Modifier in the
Tools window.

Double
Inflates a selected object in two directions if it is already
inflated in one direction. For example, if an object is inflated
pointed, like a pyramid, the Double modifier will make the object
inflate double-pointed, like a diamond. A selected object can also be
inflated in two directions by double-clicking the desired Inflation
Modifier in the Tools window.

Flip
Reverses the direction of inflation for a selected object if the
object is already inflated in one direction. A selected object can also
be inflated in a reverse direction by double-clicking the desired
Inflation Modifier in the Tools window.

Straight
Inflates an object with straight sides perpendicular to the
object base, like a box. An object can also be inflated straight by
double-clicking the Inflate Straight Modifier in the Tools window.

Pointed
Inflates an object with sides that converge to a point, like a
pyramid. An object can also be inflated pointed by double-clicking the
Inflate Pointed Modifier in the Tools window.

Rounded
Inflates an object with sides rounded to a point, like a dome.
An object can also be inflated rounded by double-clicking the Inflate
Rounded Modifier in the Tools window.

Sides
Allows you to change the number of sides for an object created
with the N-Sided Object Tool. The maximum number of sides allowed is
32; however, the more sides in your objects, the slower your walk
speed. With this command, you can alter the existing sides of objects.
(See Preferences, Defaults).

Levels
Allows you to change the number of levels for an object whose
inflation type is rounded or double-rounded. The maximum number of
levels allowed is 16; however, the more levels in your objects, the
slower your walk speed. With this command, you can alter the existing
levels of objects. Levels of a rounded object are doubled if the object
is inflated double-rounded. When an object is double-rounded, the
maximum number of levels is 32, 16 levels in one direction and 16 in
the opposite direction. (See also, Preferences, Defaults.)

Select All
Selects all objects (displays all handles). If your entire model is being created
as a library item, use the Select All command to select all the objects and then
group them with Group under the Design menu. All objects can also be selected by
double-clicking the Select Object Tool.

UnSelect
Unselects objects or surface features (removes handles). Another method of
unselecting is clicking on the background in the Design View or Surface Editor.

Hide Selected
Hides selected objects and surface features. Hiding objects or surface features
allows you to work with overlapping objects or surface features without having to
shuffle them. (See Surface Editor for more about overlapping surface features.)

By default, hidden objects are hidden in the Design View and surface
features are hidden in the Surface Editor, but they remain visible in
the Walk View. By using the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows)
in conjunction with Hide Selected, you can hide objects and surface
features in the Walk View.

To hide objects in the Walk View, select the object(s) or surface
feature(s), hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows)
and choose Hide Selected under the Edit menu.

Use of the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) with this menu
command nullifies the use of the Ctrl-H (Windows) key equivalent. You must
always select from the menu if you use the Option/Ctrl key.

Once objects or surface features are hidden in the Walk View, you can
hide them in the Design Views and Surface Editor as well.

Selecting Show All or double-clicking the Hide Object Tool shows your
hidden objects and surface features. The Show All command and the Hide
Object Tool also function with the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows).
(See Show All.)

Hidden objects and surface features are made visible before the model
is saved so that all objects and surface features are displayed when
the model is reopened.

Show All
Displays all objects or surface features that have been hidden with either
the Hide Object Tool or the Hide Selected command.

If objects or surface features are hidden in the Walk View, the Option key
(Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) must be held down in conjunction with Show
All to display them. If you use the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows)
with this command, you must select the command from the menu; you cannot use the
command key equivalent.

Lock Selected
Locks selected objects in the Design View and selected surface features in the
Surface Editor. Locking objects or surface features prevents them from being edited.
When an object or surface feature is locked, its polygonal outline is dotted rather
than solid.

Selecting UnLock All or double-clicking the Lock Object Tool will
unlock all locked objects and surface features. The Lock Object Tool
can also be used to lock objects and surface features.

Locked objects and surface features are saved as locked; so if the
model is saved, any locked objects or surface features remain locked
when the model is reopened.

UnLock All
Unlocks all objects or surface features
locked with the Lock Object Tool or with the Lock Selected command to
allow editing.

All locked objects or surface features can also be unlocked by
double-clicking the Lock Object Tool.

To unlock individual objects, hold down the Option key (Macintosh)
or Ctrl key (Windows) and click the objects with the Lock Object Tool.
(See Lock Object Tool.)

Preferences
Opens the Preferences dialog. The Preferences dialog allows you to set
preferences for the appearance of the Design and Walk Views, navigation,
measurement units and other application and model attributes. With the
Preferences dialog, you can customize your application. The preferences
are separated into different groups. To view the different groups of
preferences, mouse down on the pop-up menu to the right of the word
Preferences: and drag to select a group of preferences.

Each time you save a Virtus WalkThrough model, any changes you made to
the preference settings are saved with it. When you open the model
again, its preferences are restored and override the application
preferences.

The buttons at the bottom of the dialog determine if the preference
settings are to be used for new models, and they allow you to return
the preferences to the factory-set defaults.

Default
Saves the current preferences as the application default
preferences. Application default preferences apply to all new models
you create. If you open an existing file, that file's preferences will
override the application defaults.

Revert
Resets the preferences to the last selection of Default. If you
wish to reset the preferences to the factory-set defaults for Windows, you must
remove the VWALK. INI file from the VIRTUS directory located within the
WINDOWS directory. If you wish to reset the preferences to the factory-set defaults
for Macintosh, you must remove the WalkThrough Preferences file in the
Preferences folder in the System Folder.

OK
Applies any Preferences dialog changes to the current model

Cancel
Voids any changes you made to the preferences

The pop-up menu labeled Preferences at the top of the dialog has five
selections. Each of the five selections displays specific options
within the Preferences dialog. The five selections are Editor,
Rendering, Navigation, Defaults and Units; their options are described
below:

Editor Preferences

The Editor options allow you to change preferences common to the Design
Views, Surface Editor and Tumble Editor. The Preferences, Editor
options are:

Aids Show Rulers - Displays rulers (see Rulers).

Show Grid - Displays the background grid based on the ruler's major
tick marks (see Grid).

Show Depth - Displays the Depth Controls on the rulers (see Depth
Controls).

Show Guides - Displays Non-Reproducing Guidelines (see Non-Reproducing
Guidelines).

Show Origin - Displays Movable Origin (see Movable Origin).

Snap to Grid - Snaps objects, surface features and slices to an
invisible grid when they are created, moved or edited. The grid is
based on the ruler tick marks in the Design View, Surface Editor and
Tumble Editor. Handles of objects, surface features and slices will
"snap" to the grid when Snap to Grid is selected.

If you zoom in or out, the ruler tick marks change, therefore, the
invisible grid changes. For example, if each tick mark represents one
inch, handles snap to the nearest inch. If each tick mark represents
one foot, handles snap to the nearest foot.

If Snap to Grid is not selected, the ability to create, edit and move
objects, surface features and slices is constrained only by screen
pixels.

If an object, surface feature or slice is created with Snap to Grid
unselected and then edited or moved with Snap to Grid selected, the
result is the object or surface feature will move in increments of the
invisible grid but won't actually snap to the grid. This makes it
possible for handles to fall between the ruler tick marks and trying to
align objects or surface features can be tedious. However, if you move
a handle rather than the whole object or surface feature, the handle
will snap to the grid.

Snap to Grid can also be selected and unselected under the Design menu,
the Surface menu or the Tumble menu.

Color Ruler - Allows you to specify ruler color (see Rulers, Color
Bar).

Grid - Allows you to specify Grid color (see Grid, Color Bar).

Depth - Allows you to specify Depth Control color (see Depth Controls,
Color Bar).

Guide - Allows you to specify Non-Reproducing Guideline color (see
Non-Reproducing Guidelines, Color Bar).

Origin - Allows you to specify movable Origin color (see Origin, Color
Bar).

Background - Allows you to specify background color, the color of the
drawing area in the Design Views, Surface Editor and Tumble Editor (see
Color Bar).

Tracking World - Displays information in the Coordinates Window in X, Y
and Z coordinates (see Coordinates Window).

View - Displays information in the Coordinates Window in horizontal and
vertical screen coordinates (see Coordinates Window).


Rendering Preferences

The Rendering options allow you to change preferences related to
rendering in the Walk View. The Preferences, Rendering options are:

Shading Shaded - Displays objects with the effects of lighting.

UnShaded - Displays object colors with no lighting effect.

White - Displays objects with no color (white color fill) and no
lighting effects.

Drawing Fill & Frame - Displays both the color fill and wire frame of
objects.

Fill - Displays only the color fill of objects with no wire frame.

Frame - Displays only the wire frame of objects. Frame color is a shade
darker than the fill color unless Black Frames is selected.

Black Frames

Displays all object wire frames in black. If unselected, wire frames
are displayed two shades darker than the color of the object or surface
feature. Black Frames makes the distinction between two adjacent
surfaces more apparent, which can be helpful when printing.

Print Fill

Prints objects with black lines and white surfaces (hidden line
removal). The printed result is a clean line drawing.

Openings See In
Allows you to see in from outside an object, through
translucent and transparent surfaces and surface features.

See Out
Allows you to see out from inside an object, through
translucent and transparent surfaces and surface features.

See Through
Allows you to see connections between objects made with
the Connect Surfaces Tool.

    Windows Users Only:
    Flash Graphics Turns on Virtus Corporation's drawing routines and
    uses those routines instead of standard Microsoft Windows drawing routines.
    Flash Graphics substantially speeds up the Virtus WalkThrough VRML
    application.

Usually, Flash Graphics is turned on by default; however, some video
boards are not compatible with Flash Graphics. The Virtus WalkThrough VRML
application checks for compatibility with your system when you install,
and if a conflict is detected, Flash Graphics is turned off. (See
Requirements in Getting Started.)

Dithering
A technique that allows more colors, thus more color accurate
renderings. Dithering is turned on by default. The downside of
Dithering is that the screen appears more grainy.

Blended Translucency
Offers a smoother look to translucent surfaces
and, in most cases, a faster walk speed. Blended Translucency applies the
color of translucent surfaces to objects you can see beyond the translucent
surfaces.

If Blended Translucency is turned off (not selected), a colored dot
pattern represents translucent surfaces in the rendering.

Navigation Preferences

The Navigation options allow you to change preferences related to
navigating the Observer through the Walk View and related to Walk View
features. The Navigation options are:

    Aids Button Down - If this option is selected, the Observer moves when
    the mouse button is pressed and stops when the mouse button is
    released. If this option is not selected, the Observer moves when the
    mouse button is released and stops when the mouse button is pressed.

    Collision Detection - If this option is selected, the Observer is
    prevented from moving through opaque and translucent surfaces and
    objects.

    Cross Hair - Displays a cross hair in the Walk View that is used as a
    reference point for direction and speed of the walk through (see
    Navigation Methods).

    Velocity Grid - Displays horizontal and vertical marks at increments
    relative to the cross hair where walk speed changes.

    Camera Film - Allows you to specify the size in millimeters of the
    image on film.

    Lens - Allows you to specify a lens focal length for the view. Film and
    Lens work together to determine the angle of view as illustrated.

    Aspect Ratio

    The aspect ratio is the ratio of horizontal to vertical screen
    dimensions. Aspect Ratio options are: 35 mm Horz 36:24, 35 mm Vert
    24:36, 2. 25 Square 1.1, 4x5 Horz 5:4, 4x5 Vert 4:5, Television
    133:1:00, Academy Aperture 133:100, Euro Wide Screen 166:100, US Wide
    Screen 185:100, Anamorphic Aperture 235:100.

    To change the aspect ratio, point to the aspect ratio pop-up and mouse
    down. Drag to select the desired aspect ratio. After selecting the
    desired aspect ratio, you must select the Aspect Ratio checkbox to
    apply the new aspect ratio to the Walk View.

    If the Aspect Ratio checkbox is selected, the aspect ratio displayed in
    the pop-up menu box will override any size options set in the Snapshot
    dialog. (See Snapshot.)

Defaults Preferences

The Defaults options allow you to change preferences related to object
depth in the Design Views. The Preferences, Defaults options are:

    X - Sets the default Depth Control value (inflation
    distance and position) for objects inflated along the X axis. Values
    must be entered in base units.


    Y - Sets the default Depth Control value (inflation distance and
    position) for objects inflated along the Y axis. Values must be entered
    in base units.


    Z - Sets the default Depth Control value (inflation distance and
    position) for objects inflated along the Z axis. Values must be entered
    in base units.

Home

X, Y, Z - Sets the default home position in X, Y and Z coordinates. The
Home position can also be changed with commands under the View menu. If
you enter coordinates in the text boxes, you must enter the coordinates
in base units. (See Model Unit.)

Sides

Allows you to specify the number of sides for an object or surface
feature drawn with the N-Sided Object Tool. The maximum number of sides
allowed is 32; however, the more sides in your model, the slower your
walk speed. Try to keep the number of sides at the minimum required to
represent the desired shape.

Levels

Allows you to specify the number of levels for an object whose
inflation type is rounded or double-rounded. The maximum number of
levels allowed is 16; however, the more levels in your objects, the
slower your walk speed. Try to keep the number of levels at the minimum
required to represent the desired shape. Levels of a rounded object are
doubled if the object is inflated double-rounded. When an object is
double-rounded, the maximum number of levels is 32, 16 levels in one
direction and 16 in the opposite direction.

Units Preferences

The Units options allow you to change preferences related to
measurement units and world size. The Virtus world is a cube of 65,536
base units across; however, you may select a measurement base unit.
This allows the world to be virtually any size, measured in units
ranging from angstroms to light-years. The relative resolution within
the world does not change, however. This means that as the measurement
unit size increases, the world becomes more granular. Conversely, as
the size decreases, the world becomes more precise.


The Preferences, Units options are:

Ruler Unit

Allows you to select a unit for display on the rulers in the Design
Views, Surface Editor and Tumble Editor (see Promotable). Selecting
Custom for Ruler Unit is a special case and is described below.

Custom

Allows you to select a custom ruler unit. Selecting this option
displays the following:

Custom Name - A text box in which you can enter the name of your custom
unit.

Sym - A text box in which you can enter the symbol that will appear on
the rulers and will represent your custom unit.

Size - A text box in which you can enter the size of your custom unit
relative to one meter.

Promotable - Determines if units are displayed on the rulers in
sub-units and super-units as the zoom scale changes. For example, if
you select Meter as the unit and promotable is selected, when you zoom
in (after a point) the rulers will display Centimeters, and when you
zoom out (after a point) the rulers will display Kilometers.


Model Unit

The two possible options for Model Unit are Size and World. Size allows
you to specify a multiple or fraction of the unit you selected and
assign the result as the base unit. This is helpful if you want your
rendering to be more detailed. Since Virtus WalkThrough VRML renders to the
nearest base unit, a base unit size of .25 inches gives a more precise
rendering than a base unit size of 1ft. Also, any surfaces smaller than
the base unit tend to collapse in on themselves when rendered in the
Walk View. The downside of a smaller base unit is that the overall size
of the world shrinks. If you are modeling several city blocks, a base
unit of. 25 is impractical because the world will be too small to fit
the city blocks. Likewise, you can enter a number in the World text box
and change the overall size of the world. For example, the world is
approximately 65K base units across. If you have meters selected as the
unit, you can enter 2 in the Size text box. The result is a world of
65K two-meter base units or 130K meters across. Or if you decrease the
size of the World text box to 32.5K and have meters selected as the
unit, the base unit Size would be .5 meters. Size and World are
directly proportional; as the size increases, the world also increases.
To avoid rounding errors, multiples of 2 or divisions of 2 are the best
choices for the model unit options.


VIEW MENU

The View menu allows you to open new Design Views, to change a Design
View to another view, to make the Walk View active and to manipulate
the position of the Observer and the center of the active view.

Change View
A pullout submenu that lists alternate Design Views to which you can switch
from the current Design View window. (See also New View.) Change View is only
available when a Design View or the Surface Editor is active. If an option in
the Change View submenu is not available, it will be grayed.

The Change View options are: Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left, Right and
Opposite.

Selecting one of the views on the Change View submenu will change the
active Design View to the selected view. This allows you to move
quickly between Design Views without having to open a window for each
view. (See also New View.)

Opposite Used in the Surface Editor to flip the selected surface so you
are able to see and edit the opposite side. It also changes the action
of the Placement Modifiers. (See Surface Editor.)

Opposite is used in the Design Views to change the current view to its
opposite parallel view. For example, if you're in the Top View,
Opposite will change the view to the Bottom View. Left and Right are
opposite, as are Front and Back.

New View
A submenu listing the views that can be opened in a new window
(see also Change View). The new views that you can open include the
Design Views and the Walk View.

Selecting a view name from the list opens a new view window. The new
window is positioned slightly off center from the active window. It is
possible to stack several windows on top of each other. However, this
is not recommended since open windows in Virtus WalkThrough VRML require
memory to show the representations of objects.

All open views are listed under the Window menu. Use Change View to
switch between windows in the Design Views since Change View does not
open a new window, but changes an already open window.

Walk View Creates a Walk View if one is not currently displayed. If a
Walk View is currently displayed, this command will make the Walk View
the active view. Unlike Design Views, only one Walk View can be open at
any time.

Home Commands
The concept of home is important because the four View menu commands in
this section relate to the home position. Home is a 3-D location in the world
that can be used as a base or reference for the Observer or for a Design View.
The default home position is 0, 0, 5'6".

These commands allow you to specify the home position, move the
Observer to the home position or move the center of the active view to
the home position. You may also set the Home position in the
Preferences, Defaults dialog.

Set Home to Editor
Specifies home as the center of the current Design View window. By using the
home position as a reference point, you can quickly move the Observer or the
center of the active Design View to the home position from anywhere in the
Design View window. To move the Observer home, use the Home Observer command.
To move the center of the Design View home, use the Home Editor command.

Because each Design View is 2-D, this command only changes the home
position on the axes associated with the particular Design View. (See
Dimensions XYZ.) You can, however, set 3-D coordinates by setting the
home position in two perpendicular Design Views. For example, setting
the home position in the Top View specifies the X and Y coordinates. If
you change to a view perpendicular to the Top View (the Front, Back,
Right or Left), you can use the scroll bars or the Move View Tool to
adjust the view along the Z axis. After adjusting the view so the
center is at the desired Z coordinate, select Set Home to Editor again
to set the home Z coordinate.


If you change the Origin of the view (see Movable Origin) after setting
the home coordinates, home is still defined by the true coordinates.

Set Home to Observer Specifies home as the position of the Observer. By
using the home position as a reference point, you can quickly move the
Observer or the center of the active Design View to the home position
from anywhere in the active Design View window. To move the Observer
home, use the Home Observer command. To move the center of the Design
View home, use the Home Editor command.

Because each Design View is 2-D, this command only changes the home
position on the axes associated with the particular Design View. (See
Dimensions - X, Y and Z). You can, however, set 3-D coordinates by
setting the home position in two perpendicular Design Views. For
example, setting the home position in the Top View specifies the X and
Y coordinates. If you change to a view perpendicular to the Top View
(the Front, Back, Right or Left), you can drag the Observer to a new
position along the Z axis. After adjusting the Observer to the desired
Z coordinate, select Set Home to Observer again, to set the home Z
coordinate.

If you change the Origin of the view (see Movable Origin) after setting
the home coordinates, home is still defined by the true coordinates.

Home Editor
Returns the center of the active Design View to the home position. Home
is specified with the Set Editor to Home command, the Set Observer to Home
command or in the Preferences, Defaults dialog.

Home Observer Returns the Observer to the home position. Home is
specified with the Set Editor to Home command, the Set Observer to Home
command or in the Preferences, Defaults dialog.

Center Observer Moves the Observer to the center of the active Design
View.

Reset Origin Resets the Origin to true 0, 0 coordinates if it has been
changed. (See Movable Origin.)

Level Observer
Orients the line of sight in the Walk View, making it level if it has been
altered with the Shift key when navigating. (See Navigation Methods.)


DESIGN MENU

The Design menu is available only when a Design View is active. If the
Surface Editor, Tumble Editor or Walk View is active, the Design menu
is replaced with the active window's associated menu.

Snap to Grid
Snaps objects, surface features and slices to an invisible
grid when they are created, moved or edited. The grid is based on the
ruler tick marks in the Design View, Surface Editor and Tumble Editor.
Handles of objects, surface features and slices will "snap" to the grid
when Snap to Grid is selected.


If you zoom in or out, the ruler tick marks change and, therefore, the
invisible grid changes. For example, if each tick mark represents one
inch, handles snap to the nearest inch. If each tick mark represents
one foot, handles snap to the nearest foot.


If Snap to Grid is not selected, the ability to create, edit and move
objects, surface features and slices is constrained only by screen
pixels. If an object, surface feature or slice is created with Snap to
Grid unselected and then edited or moved with Snap to Grid selected,
the result is the object or surface feature will move in increments of
the invisible grid but won't actually snap to the grid. This makes it
possible for handles to fall between the ruler tick marks and trying to
align objects or surface features can be tedious. However, if you move
a handle rather than the whole object or surface feature, the handle
will snap to the grid.


Snap to Grid can be selected and unselected under the Surface menu or
the Tumble menu and in the Preferences, Editor dialog.

Zoom In
Increases the apparent scale and size of objects in
the view by a factor of 2. With each Zoom In, the minor tick marks on
the rulers represent a smaller unit of measurement. There is a limit to
the range of the Zoom In command, after which selecting Zoom In will
have no affect.

Zooming in can also be accomplished by clicking the Zoom In Tool. Zoom
Out reverses the effect of Zoom In.

Zoom Out
Reduces the apparent scale and size of objects in
the view by half. With each Zoom Out, the minor tick marks on the
rulers represent a larger unit of measurement. There is a limit to the
range of the Zoom Out command, after which selecting Zoom Out will have
no effect.

Zooming out can also be accomplished by clicking the Zoom Out Tool.
Zoom In reverses the effect of Zoom Out.

Group
Groups all selected objects, treating them as a single
object. A grouped object can be moved, copied, rotated and scaled.

It is important to group library items with the Group command before
copying them to a library.

UnGroup
Ungroups selected objects that were grouped with the Group command.
Once you ungroup an object, all the objects that make up the group remain
selected until you click somewhere else inside the view. This means if you
want to change the color of a grouped object, you can ungroup it, select a
new color and group the objects again. This only works if you want all
objects within the group to be the same color. It is possible to have groups
within other groups. If you ungroup an object but cannot edit it, try ungrouping again.

VRML Anchor...
Allows you to embed the VRML file information into a selected object as a URL
(Universal Resource Locator) WWW (World Wide Web) anchor.

SURFACE MENU

Available only when the Surface Editor is the active window. If the
Design View, Tumble Editor, or Walk View is active, the Surface menu is
replaced with the active window's associated menu. (See also Surface
Editor.)

Snap to Grid
Snaps surface features to an invisible grid when they are
created, moved or edited. The grid is based on the ruler tick marks.
Handles of surface features will "snap" to the grid when Snap to Grid
is selected.

If you zoom in or out, the ruler tick marks change; therefore, the
invisible grid changes. For example, if each tick mark represents one
inch, handles snap to the nearest inch. If each tick mark represents
one foot, handles snap to the nearest foot.

If Snap to Grid is not selected, the ability to create, edit and move
surface features is constrained only by screen pixels.

If a surface feature is created with Snap to Grid unselected and then
edited or moved with Snap to Grid selected, the result is the surface
feature will move in increments of the invisible grid but won't
actually snap to the grid. This makes it possible for handles to fall
between the ruler tick marks and trying to align surface features can
be tedious. However, if you move a handle rather than the whole surface
feature, it will snap to the grid.

Snap to Grid can also be selected and unselected under the Design or
Tumble menu and in the Preferences, Editor dialog.

Zoom In
Increases the apparent scale and size of objects and surface features in
the view by a factor of 2. With each Zoom In, the minor tick marks on the
rulers represent a smaller unit of measurement. There is a limit to the range
of the Zoom In command, after which selecting Zoom In will have no affect.

Zooming in can also be accomplished by clicking the Zoom In Tool. Zoom
Out reverses the effect of Zoom In.

Zoom Out
Reduces the apparent scale and size of objects and surface features in the
view by half. With each Zoom Out, the minor tick marks on the rulers represent
a larger unit of measurement. There is a limit to the range of the Zoom Out
command, after which selecting Zoom Out will have no affect.

Zooming out can also be accomplished by clicking the Zoom Out Tool.
Zoom In reverses the effect of Zoom Out.


Move Forward
Used with multiple surface features that overlap, Move Forward shuffles
the order of the overlapping features by moving a selected surface
feature forward one position. For example, if the selected surface
feature has three surface features in front of it, Move Forward will
cause only two surface features to be moved in front of the selected
feature. The third surface feature will move behind the selected feature.

Move to Front
Used with multiple surface features that overlap, Move to Front
shuffles the order of the overlapping features by moving a selected
surface feature to the front of all the overlapping features.

Move Back
Used with multiple surface features that overlap, Move Back shuffles
the order of the overlapping features by moving a selected surface
feature back one position. For example, if the selected surface feature
has two surface features in front of it and two behind it, Move Back
will cause three surface features to be moved in front of the selected
feature and only one behind it.

Move to Back
Used with multiple surface features that overlap, Move to Back shuffles
the order of the overlapping features by moving a selected surface
feature to the back of all the overlapping features.


TUMBLE MENU

The Tumble menu is available only when the Tumble Editor is active. If
the Design View, Surface Editor or Walk View is active, the Tumble menu
is replaced with the active window's associated menu. (See also Tumble
Editor.)

Snap to Grid Snaps slices to an invisible grid when they are created,
moved or edited. The grid is based on the ruler tick marks. Handles of
slices will snap to the grid when Snap to Grid is selected.

If you zoom in or out, the ruler tick marks change and, therefore, the
invisible grid changes. For example, if each tick mark represents one
inch, handles snap to the nearest inch. If each tick mark represents
one foot, handles snap to the nearest foot.

If Snap to Grid is not selected, the ability to create, edit and move
slices is constrained only by screen pixels.

Snap to Grid can also be selected and unselected under the Design menu
or the Surface menu and in the Preferences, Editor dialog.

Zoom In
Increases the apparent scale and size of objects
and surface features in the view by a factor of 2. With each Zoom In,
the minor tick marks on the rulers represent a smaller unit of
measurement. There is a limit to the range of the Zoom In command,
after which selecting Zoom In will have no affect.

Zooming in can also be accomplished by clicking the Zoom In Tool. Zoom
Out reverses the effect of Zoom In.

Zoom Out
Reduces the apparent scale and size of objects and
surface features in the view by half. With each Zoom Out, the minor
tick marks on the rulers represent a larger unit of measurement. There
is a limit to the range of the Zoom Out command, after which selecting
Zoom Out will have no affect.

Zooming out can also be accomplished by clicking the Zoom Out Tool.
Zoom In reverses the effect of Zoom Out.

Reverse Slice
Changes which side of a slice is removed. The
direction the slice line is drawn through an object determines which
side of the object is removed. If you drag from left to right or from
top to bottom, the portion above or to the right of the line will be
sliced off. If you drag from right to left or from bottom to top, the
portion below or to the left of the line will be sliced off. Reverse
Slice reverses the slice direction.

The Reverse Slice effect can also be achieved by holding down the
Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) when the slice line is drawn.


WALK MENU

The Walk menu is available only when the Walk View is active. If the
Design View, Surface Editor or Tumble Editor is active, the Walk menu
is replaced with the active window's associated menu.

Button Down
Controls how movement in the Walk View starts and stops. If
Button Down is selected (denoted by a check), movement begins when you
press and hold down the mouse button. When you release the mouse
button, movement stops.


If Button Down is not selected, movement stops when you press and hold
down the mouse button and begins when you release the mouse button.
(See Navigation Methods.) Button Down can also be selected in the
Preferences, Navigation dialog under the Edit menu.

Cross Hair
Turns on and off the display of the cross hair in the center
of the Walk View. The cross hair orients the mouse pointer when
navigating through the model. (See Navigation Methods). The cross hair
can also be turned on and off in the Preferences, Navigation dialog
under the Edit menu.

Velocity Grid
The horizontal and vertical marks in the Walk View that
display the points at which the walk speed changes. Novice Virtus
WalkThrough VRML users may find the velocity grid helpful while
learning to navigate. The default for the velocity grid marks is off
(not visible), but they can be turned on and off with the Velocity Grid
command under the Walk Menu or by selecting Velocity Grid in the
Preferences, Navigation dialog under the Edit menu.

Normal Displays all translucent and transparent object surfaces and
surface features, and displays object color fill and wire frames. These
object rendering attributes can also be selected in the Preferences,
Rendering dialog under the Edit menu.

Faster
Speeds up the walk through your model by not allowing you to see
through transparent or translucent object surfaces or surface features.
Object rendering attributes can also be selected in the Preferences,
Rendering dialog under the Edit menu.

Fastest
Speeds up the walk through your model by displaying only wire
frames of objects; no object color fill is displayed. Object rendering
attributes can also be selected in the Preferences, Rendering dialog
under the Edit menu.

Record
Allows you to record a walk path. You may also record a walk
path by selecting the Record Tool in the Tools window. Record allows
access to the recording function when in Full Screen mode.

Play
Allows you to play back a recorded walk path. You may also play
back a walk path by selecting the Playback Tool in the Tools window.
Play allows access to the playback function when in Full Screen mode.

Stop
Stops a recorded walk path if one is playing. You may also stop a
recorded walk path by selecting the Stop Tool in the Tools window.

Aspect Ratio
Reads the aspect ratio setting in the Preferences,
Navigation dialog and applies it to the Walk View. Aspect Ratio can
also be selected in the Preferences, Navigation dialog under the Edit
menu.

Full Screen
Opens the Walk View window to fully cover your computer
screen, including the Menu Bar. The Menu Bar is still there, but it is
hidden. If you hit the SPACEBAR, the Walk Menu will appear next to your
cursor.


To change back to a normal screen mode, bring up the Walk Menu and
select Full Screen again. You can also hit the Esc key to exit Full
Screen mode.



WINDOW MENU

The Window menu displays the names of all open windows, views and
models and it contains commands for displaying the Tools window and the
Depth window. The Window menu helps you quickly navigate through open
views and open models.

The lower section of the Window menu lists all open models. You can
select a model name from the list and that model will become the active
model, moving to the front of your screen.

The middle section of the Window menu lists all open views for the
active model. You can select a view name from the list and that view
will become the active view, moving to the front of your screen.

Cascade
Arranges all open windows so that they're positioned neatly on
top of the each other.

Tile
Arranges all open windows so that they're positioned neatly in a
tile pattern, one next to the other.

 Windows Users Only:
 Arrange Icons
 Arranges all minimized document windows (icons) so that
 they're positioned neatly at the bottom of the program window, from
 left to right.

Tools Window
Displays or hides the Tools window. There is only one Tools window, though
there are several sets of tools. If the Tools window is hidden in one view
or editor, it is hidden for all views and editors.

Depth Window
Displays or hides the Depth window. The Depth window is a ruler, like the
Design View rulers, that contains a Depth Control. (See Depth Controls.)
The Depth window displays the position and inflation distance for the active
design view. If you change to another design view, the Depth window will change
to display the position and inflation distance for the new view.

The measurement scale of the Depth window ruler is the same as the
scale of the rulers in the Design View. As you zoom in or out in the
view windows, the Depth window ruler scale changes.


Help Menu (Windows only)

The Help menu allows you to search an on-line text file for help with
Virtus WalkThrough VRML. The Help menu is a standard Windows menu. See
your Windows documentation for more about the Help menu.

Contents
The content for the Help file is the same as that for the
original Virtus WalkThrough VRML. Because of this,  references to Import,
Export, Place, several Snapshot options, the Lighting Editor and Layers
are included, even though these features are not available in Virtus
WalkThrough VRML.

Contents displays an alphabetical listing of all topics available in
the online help file.

Search for Help On
Allows you to enter a text string to search for specific information within
the on-line help file.

How to Use Help
Displays information about the Windows Help menu system

Macintosh Users
The standard Macintosh Balloon Help is available by turning on Balloon Help
from the Finder.
and instructions for its use.

About Virtus WalkThrough VRML Displays the version number and copyright
notice for the application.