Virtual Worlds (Virtual Reality Toolbox)

Virtual Reality Toolbox

blaxxun Contact VRML Plug-in

The Virtual Reality Toolbox includes the blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in. This is a popular VRML plug-in for either Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator on a Windows platform. This section provides a quick overview of the functions and controls of the blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in.

When you open a VRML file with a Web browser, the blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in is used to display a virtual scene. A control panel is located at the bottom of the scene.

Viewpoint Control

There are three buttons on the control panel for controlling the viewpoint. The square button in the middle resets the current viewpoint to its initial position. This is the most useful viewpoint control button until you gain enough experience with the viewer to explore worlds using navigation. The keyboard shortcut for the square button is the Esc key.

You use the other two triangular buttons to browse forward and backward through author-defined viewpoints of the virtual world. If the author does not define other viewpoints, these buttons are inactive. The keyboard shortcuts for the triangular buttons are the Page Up and Page Down keys.

Control Menu

You use the control menu to review or select viewer settings and navigation methods. To access the control menu, use the following procedure:

On the control panel, click the question mark, or place your mouse pointer anywhere in the browser window, and then right-click.

If you selected DirectX with the blaxxun Contact installation, a menu similar to the one shown appears.

From the menu, you can make changes to the navigational mode, graphic quality, and graphic speed.

Depending on the complexity of the virtual world and the required speed and rendering quality, you can choose the settings that best meet your needs.

Because the viewer's graphical performance is strongly dependent on several factors, you might want to experiment to find a reasonable compromise between the quality and speed for your system.

Navigation

The dial control and left/right buttons give you direct access to the movement mode for walking through a virtual world. However, the movement behavior of your mouse pointer changes depending on the movement mode you select. When you select a different movement mode, clicking your left mouse button causes your viewpoint to move differently. Practice changing the movement mode and navigating through a virtual world until you get satisfactory results.

To select a movement mode, use the following procedure:

Place your mouse pointer over a virtual world, then right-click. A menu appears.
On the menu, point to Movement. A submenu appears.
Select Walk, Slide, Rotate, Examine, Fly, Pan, or Jump.

A letter in the center of the dial indicates the current movement mode. For example, in the preceding illustration, the large E stands for Examine mode.

Initially, you should use Examine mode, which is for examining objects from various angles. You will find that the functions of the left/right button controls in Examine mode are the easiest for beginners to master.

Movement Modes

The following table lists the movement modes.

Movement Mode
Description

Walk
Drag the mouse toward the top or the bottom of the screen to move forward or backward, and drag toward the left or right to turn left or right.

Slide
Drag the mouse to move up, down, left, or right within a plane that is perpendicular to your view.

Rotate
Press the left mouse button to select a rotation point within the scene. Then drag the mouse toward the top or bottom to move forward or back, or drag the mouse toward left or right to rotate around the fixed point.

Examine
Press the left mouse button to select a rotation point within the scene. Then drag the mouse up, down, left, or right to rotate the object.

Fly
Press the left mouse button to start flying. Drag the mouse toward the top or bottom to rise or sink, and drag toward the left or right.

Pan
Drag the mouse toward the top or bottom of the scene to loop up and down, and drag toward the left or right to turn left or right.

Jump
Place your mouse pointer over an object, then left-click. Your view moves to that point.

Movement Mode	Description
Walk	Drag the mouse toward the top or the bottom of the screen to move forward or backward, and drag toward the left or right to turn left or right.
Slide	Drag the mouse to move up, down, left, or right within a plane that is perpendicular to your view.
Rotate	Press the left mouse button to select a rotation point within the scene. Then drag the mouse toward the top or bottom to move forward or back, or drag the mouse toward left or right to rotate around the fixed point.
Examine	Press the left mouse button to select a rotation point within the scene. Then drag the mouse up, down, left, or right to rotate the object.
Fly	Press the left mouse button to start flying. Drag the mouse toward the top or bottom to rise or sink, and drag toward the left or right.
Pan	Drag the mouse toward the top or bottom of the scene to loop up and down, and drag toward the left or right to turn left or right.
Jump	Place your mouse pointer over an object, then left-click. Your view moves to that point.

Virtual Reality Toolbox Viewer blaxxun Contact Settings