NAME

FreeWRL -- run the FreeWRL VRML97/X3D browser


DESCRIPTION

See the bottom of this text for the copyright and license.

This command runs the FreeWRL VRML browser. See the VRML::Viewer manpage for details on the user interface and the VRML::Browser manpage for some other things. This manual page explains how to use the browser.


KEYS/MOUSE

FreeWRL supports, as per VRML97 spec, several different navigation modes. In each mode, the meanings of mouse movements and keystrokes are different.

In addition to the keys described below, there are some keys which work in all the modes:

d
Switch to the Fly (Keyboard input) navigation mode

f
Switch to the Fly (External Sensor input) navigation mode

e
Switch to the Examine navigation mode

w
Switch to the Walk navigation mode

v
Go to the next viewpoint in the scene

b
Go to the previous viewpoint in the scene

/
Print out the position and orientation of the current viewpoint in the current Viewpoint node's local coordinate system.

You can add the view you currently see in the window by creating a new Viewpoint node (in the same coordinate system as the one you used to go to this viewpoint) with these values.

s
Save a snapshot or (with the ``-seq'' option) start/stop saving a sequence of images. By default, snapshots are saved to freewrl.snap.NNNN.ppm and sequences to freewrl.seq.mpg; see options ``-gif'', ``-seqb'' and ``-snapb''. While saving images, freewrl is slower.

h
Toggle the headlight on or off.

command-q
Quit the browser

Walk

Drag the mouse while mouse button 1 is pressed to move forwards/backwards or turn. For translation in the x-y plane press mouse button 3 and drag.

Fly - keyboard mode

This mode allows translation/rotations in all planes. There are two keymappings: those from the game Descent, and a mapping using the keypad.

There is currently no mouse control, rather, all motion is controlled by 12 keys, two for each of your 6 degrees of freedom (3 translations, 3 rotations).

The default keymap in this mode is

'8'/'k' and 'Keypad Down'/'Keypad Up'
rotation down/up

'u'/'o' and 'Keypad Left'/'Keypad Right'
rotation left/right

'7'/'9' and 'Keypad 7'/'Keypad 9'
rotation about the Z axis

'a'/'z' and 'Keypad 0'/'Keypad .'
translation forwards/backwards

'j'/'l' and 'Arrow left'/'Arrow right'
translation left/right

'p'/';' and 'Arrow up'/'Arrow down'
translation up/down

It may take a while to get used to the FLY navigation mode but it is the only one with full freedom of motion currently.

Fly - External Sensor input

This mode is entered via the ``f'' key. It takes input from a file in the /tmp directory - this file contains x,y,z and quat info, and puts the viewpoint there.

As of December 17, 1999, only Polhemus code works, but Joystick input is literally around the corner.

Examine

The examine navigation mode is analogous to holding an object in your hand and rotating it to see it from various sides: your line of view always goes through the same point but you can rotate the object and translate yourself closer and farther away.

Currently, dragging with mouse button 1 pressed rotates the scene and dragging up or down mouse button 3 pressed translates you towards and away from the scene. There are no other controls.

The center around which you rotate is determined by taking the initial position and orientation of the viewpoint given in the VRML file. A ray is cast along your line of view and the closest that ray comes to the origin of the local coordinate system is defined as the origin of the rotations.

None

As the name says, there is nothing you can do in the NONE navigation mode.


AUTHOR

Project started by Tuomas J. Lukka, continued by John Stewart.

Please send bug reports to john.stewart --at-- crc.ca including the word ``freewrl'' on the subject line will make sure that I'll notice it. Also, see the FreeWRL home page at http://www.crc.ca/FreeWRL.

There is absolutely no warranty, express or implied for this software. For details on the conditions of use, see the FreeWRL distribution.

FreeWRL is Copyright (C) 1998, 1999 Tuomas J. Lukka, John Stewart and others.

This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Library General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA