32. Introduction to VRML
Full Day / Beginning
How to use VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) to author 3D virtual worlds on the World Wide Web. Participants learn the syntax of VRML, typical usage patterns, how to avoid common mistakes, and tricks and techniques for increasing performance and realism. The course includes details and techniques not available in the VRML specification or published texts.
Who Should Attend
This course is intended for those who are interested in authoring their own virtual worlds on the Web using VRML.
Organizer
David R. Nadeau
San Diego Supercomputer Center
Lecturers
John L. Moreland
San Diego Supercomputer Center
Michael M. Heck
Template Graphics Software, Inc.
Schedule
8:30 am: Part I: Shapes, Geometry, Color
Introduction to VRML
Understanding Key Concepts
File syntax, nodes, fields, values, DEF, USE
Building Primitive Shapes
Shape, Box, Cone, Cylinder, Sphere
Building Text Shapes
Text, FontStyle
Transforming Shapes
Tranform
Controlling Appearances and Materials
Appearance, Material
Grouping Nodes
Billboard, Group, Switch, Transform
Inlining World Components
Inline
Adding Anchors to Your World
Anchor
10:00 am: Break
10:15 am: Part II: Geometry, Texture, Lights
Building Shapes out of Points, Lines, Faces
Coordinate, IndexedFaceSet, IndexedLineSet, PointSet
Building Elevation Grids
ElevationGrid
Building Extruded Shapes
Extrusion
Binding Colors to Coordinate-Based Geometry
Color
Mapping Textures
ImageTexture, MovieTexture, PixelTexture
Controlling how Textures are Mapped
TextureCoordinate, TextureTransform
Controlling Shading using Normals
Normal
Lighting Your World
DirectionalLight, PointLight, SpotLight
Controlling how Shapes are Shaded
Material
12:00 noon: Break
1:30 pm: Part III: Environment, Sound, Viewer Sensors
Adding Backgrounds
Background
Adding Fog
Fog
Controlling Detail
LOD
Controlling the Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Controlling Navigation Types
NavigationInfo
Controlling Collision Detection
Collision, NavigationInfo
Providing Information about Your Worlds
WorldInfo
Adding Sound
AudioClip, Sound, MovieTexture
Key Dynamics Concepts
Events, ROUTE-TO
Sensing the Viewer
PoximitySensor, VisiblitySensor
Sensing the User's Actions
CylinderSensor, PlaneSensor, SphereSensor, TouchSensor
3:00 pm: Break
3:15 pm: Part IV: Time, Interpolators, Scripts
Using Time to Animate
TimeSensor
Interpolating Positions
PositionInterpolator
Interpolating Other Data Types
ColorInterpolator, CoordinateInterpolator, NormalInterpolator, OrientationInterpolator, ScalarInterpolator
Introducing Script Use
Script
Introducing Script Writing
Script, Java API
Creating New Node Types
PROTO, EXTERNPROTO, IS
Concluding Remarks
Course Notes
Updated notes for this course exist at http://www.sdsc.edu/siggraph96vrml/.
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