dune is a graphical VRML97 editor and animationtool in development.
It can read VRML97 files, display and let the user change the
scenegraph, fields and routes.
This can be used to make simple VRML97 animations and interactions.
Dune is normally not suited to work as VRML97 3D modelling tool.
In difference to most 3D modelling tools the lightning/coloring of dune
is based on the VRML97 standard, therefore it can be used to postprocess
their export VRML97 files.
Dune is work in development and it is not as stable as it should be.
If dune crashed, is your work lost ?
No not automatically !
"dune" will try to save the
VRML97 file short before crash. If this is sucessfull, dune will write
under Unix/Linux something like
Internal Crash !
Try to save Files
attempt to write file to /home/someone/.dune_crash_NUMBER_NUMBER.wrl
write successfull
to standard error of the starting window and to system console
(eg. to the window of the xconsole application).
Under M$Windows you get a similar Messagebox

When you restart dune and use the file menu, you should see the filename
of this .dune_crash file.

Just click to it and save to another file.
-
Dune is not suited as modelling tool (yet).
Only primitive shapes like box, sphere, cone, cylinder, text
(text will not be displayed good enough yet) and ElevationGrid
have easy input features.
Other shapenodes like for example IndexedFaceSet (a shape made of multiple
facets), IndexedLineSet and PointSet would require the input
of a big amount of numbers, therefore this is not implemented yet.
The remaining shapenode "nurbsPlane" is not part of the VRML97 standard.
It will be part of the next VRML200x Standard.
Currently, it is supported by the VRML97 browsers cc3d and contact.
There is a (slow and not complete) implementation
for the VRML97 Browser cosmoplayer 2.1 via a VRML PROTO.
You can find more information about this
here.
When you want to work with a "IndexedFaceSet" VRML-modell instead
of primitive shapes,
you work better with the result of a modeller (like e.g. wings3d, aoi
moonlight3D, blender, ppmodeller, ppe, ac3d, maya, catia etc.) with the
matching converter/exporter (if needed) or search for a free 3D modell in
the world wide web.
-
To test interactions and script programming, you need File -> Preview
(or you have to save the file and open it in a VRML Browser).
Dune has no testmode for interactions and scripting yet.
You can find some typical VRML examples (you can load into dune)
here.
Dune is a lowlevel tool to make/change VRML97 Files.
It is supposed, the user knows the basic structure of VRML97.
You can find informations about VRML97 (except in a range of books) in
the official ISO specification at
http://www.web3d.org/technicalinfo/specifications/vrml97/index.htm.
For the use of dune, especially the node reference
http://www.web3d.org/technicalinfo/specifications/vrml97/part1/nodesRef.html
is important.

Beside some toolbars with icons and messages "dune" essentially contains
5 windows. Beside the "3D Preview" window you can switch on/switch off
this windows via the menu "View". Switch on/off this windows,
when they match your current work status.
-
Scene Tree
This window contains the scenegraph. This shows the structure
of a VRML file, the information, how the VRML nodes are arranged.
-
Field View
This window contains the fieldvalues, the numbers (or
character strings) in a VRML file. Only the fields
of the current selected node are shown.
-
Route View
This windows contains the ROUTEs, the ways of information
different VRML nodes can send messages between them.
-
Channel View
This window is only valid for interpolator nodes.
Interpolator nodes are most important for animations
in VRML97.
-
3D Preview window
This Window can not be switched off and shows a
preview of the graphical output of a VRML file.
In difference to the other windows, the implementation
of the VRML97 standard in this window is very incomplete.
Some nodes like "Extrusion", "PointSet", "Inline",
"Background", self defined "PROTO", "EXTERNPROTO"
are not shown
at all and some nodes like the "Text" node under Unix
should be seen as "better than nothing".
Additional, not all fieldvalues are shown correctly.
Most eye-catching is the error about the "ColorPerVertex"
and "NormalPerVertex" fieldvalues in the often used
"IndexedFaceSet" (Shape made of several polygons):

Correct and false image of a IndexedFaceSet
with "ColorPerVertex false" in Cosmoworlds/Cosmoplayer (left)
and Dune (right)

More correct image of a IndexedFaceSet
with "ColorPerVertexflag true" in Cosmoworlds/Cosmoplayer (left)
and Dune (right)
A comparable problem is about "NormalPerVertex".
"NormalPerVertex" have some influences to the accounting of
light (shading).
Of course, such a false image in the 3D Preview of a VRML object in
do not mean, there is a error in the VRML file.
If in doubt, use File->Preview to start a VRML browser.
To navigate in the 3D Preview Window, you have
-
Shift-Mouse 1: Zoom View
-
ctrl-Mouse 1: Rotate View
Additional you have from version 0.16 a SGI like navigation.
Please note, that a misconfigured windowmanager can eat up this input....
-
Alt-Mouse1: Rotate View
-
Alt-Mouse2: Move View
-
Alt-Mouse1-Mouse2: Zoom View
Instead of pressing keyboard buttons, you can also switch with the
mouse in a navigation mode by pressing the icon
since version 0.19beta.
When a 6D inputdevice is active and the Scene icon
is selected in the Scene Tree
you can navigate depending on the transform icons
in the VRML file.
The most simple way to change the scenegraph is to add new node
by clicking to the matching VRML node icon.
To identify a VRML node icon, move the mouse to it and wait. A descriptive
text will occure in the status bar at the bottom of the dune window.
Dune tries either to include the new node at the point of selection in
the scenegraph,

or to the root of the scenegraph ("Scene" icon).
Dune will gray out all node icons, that are impossible to add.

The following table shows the requirements for this nodes in the
VRML97 standard:
- Appearance need Shape
- Material need Appearance
- ImageTexture need Appearance
- MovieTexture need Appearance
- PixelTexture need Appearance
- TextureTransform need Appearance
- Coordinate need IndexedFaceSet or IndexedLineSet or PointSet
- Color need IndexedFaceSet or IndexedLineSet or PointSet
- Normal need IndexedFaceSet
- TextureCoordinate need IndexedFaceSet
- FontStyle need Text
- AudioClip need Sound
For example a Appearence node need to be selected, to include a
ImageTexture node, or a Shape node need to be selected to include
a Appearence node.
All of the matching node fields in the VRML97 are of type SFNode,
therefore only one node can be inserted. A icon is also grayed,
if there is already a matching node.
For example you can not include two ImageTexture Nodes
to a Appearence node. Therefore the ImageTexture is also grayed,
if a Appearence node is selected, but a ImageTexture node is already there.
Another way to change the scenegraph is to drag parts of it with the
mouse.
Dune will show you with a icon of a stop sign,
if the target node is not possible

If the target node is possible, dune will show the normal mousepointer.

Similar to the local copy/move in the explorer program of
M$Windows2000 and similar filemanagers it is possible to change
the behaviour, if the keyboard is used when the mouse is still dragged:
-
Move:
no key pressed or Shift key pressed (icon do not change)

- Copy:

Crtl key pressed (icon add "+" picture)

-
DEF/USE:

Crtl key and Shift key pressed together (icon add "arrow" picture)

ROUTEs are made in dune by finding the right icon in the
RouteView Window (if you click to the icons, the matching
icons in the scene tree windows are selected) and click to
the boxes of the matching events. The name of the matching
event is shown, and you can draw a line to the next icon/event.

As required by the VRML standard, only events with the same
type (same color of boxes) can be connected.
To erase ROUTEs, simply cut the line.


There is more than one way to change fieldvalues:
-
Keyboard input
By clicking with the mouse to the matching value and releasing the
button. A text input window will open to input values from
the keyboard.
-
Mouse input
By clicking with the mouse to the matching value and not releasing the
button, but moving the mousepointer to left or right. This will
decrease or increase the value.

Changing fieldvalues are not implemented completely yet for "MF fields"
(multiple Fields). "MF fields" are those, which open via a "+" sign.
-
Changing FieldValues in the 3D Preview window
Changing in the 3D Preview window is also a chainging of the fieldvalues.
Mainly transform nodes are changed.
During interactive work with the mouse in the 3D Preview window, the icons
select between a
- translation
- rotation
- scale
- changing center
(new in version 0.19beta)
Please note, you can not use this tools, when there
is no transform node
in the branch
of the scenegraph.
Beside the Transformnode, other fieldvalues can be changed in
the 3D Preview window. This is about moving small white boxes, like
in ElevationGrid, PointLight, Box or the VRML200x Nurbsurface Node.
-
6D Input (new in version 0.19beta)
Since version 0.19beta Dune supports 6D inputdevices
(6D is about the 6 degrees of freedom) under Unix/Linux.
is pressed, you can move a Transform node (and the containing objects)
in all 6 degrees of freedom. The icon
limits the movement to translations, the icon
limits to rotations.
The classic
6D inputdevice is the spaceball, a sort of joystick which allows
only small excursions, but in all directions, including rotations.

If you press the top of the spaceball for example, the object moves
down. When you twist the spaceball, the object will follow this
movement.
The configuration of 6D inputdevices (still) works exclusively
via commandlineparameters. Beside the type of the 6D inputdevices
a scale of the inputvalues is needed for example:
dune -xinput spaceball -allxyz=20,200 -allrot=40,400
Beside the support via the Xinput protocol, also Linux joystick and
libsball are supported. For details to the commandlineparameters
see the man page.
Another 6D inputdevice are the dials (e.g. available under SGI IRIX).
Per default, the inputaxes are awkward placed.

Via Commandlineparameters
dune -xinput dialbox-1 -x=0 -y=2 -z=4 -xrot=1 -yrot=3 -zrot=5 -all=100,100,wheel
you can exchange the axes.

-
6D Local Mode Input: Do you know RC planes ?
(new in version 0.19beta)
When the 6Dlocal icon
is pressed, you can steer via
the local axes of a transform node.
For example, if you move a spaceball into z-direction ("into the screen")
the transform node (and the containing objects) move to the direction
of it's local z axis, it follows the blue z-arrow.
For example, if you move a spaceball into y-direction ("up")
the transform node (and the containing objects) move to the direction
of it's local y axis, it follows the green y-arrow.

This is usefull, when object and transformnode are similar arranged.
Normally the object is not in the direction of the arrows of it's
transform node.

Therefore the transform node should be put into another and the
transform node of the object should be rotated accordingly.


When you use this type of steering, you will see a effect, which
is not surprising for users of RC planes:
If the object is moving "toward you", a roll to the left of the
spaceball leads to a roll to the right of the object.
A similar transformnode is the rocket
mode.
In rocket mode, translations are only in the local z-direction allowed.
This is useful, if you want to steer a object on a path while allowing
all types of rotation.
A other similar transformmode is the hover
mode.
In hover mode, rotations are allowed only around the local y-axis.
This is usefull, if you want to steer a object in-plane.
Other transformmodes, that work in a local mode (changes in direction of
the local axes) are the scale
and
changing center
modes.
-
Linux joystick Input:
Unfortunatly, 6D inputdevices are not very widespread.
So white_dune under Linux has support for joysticks.
There are a lot of different devices (including the spaceball), that
can be used under Linux as joystick.
You have to differ between 6D (e.g. Labtec Spaceball), 4D (e.g. gamepads
with 2 thumbsticks), 3D (z.B. joystick with a twisting stick (e.g.
Micro$oft Sidewinder Pro))
and "normal" 2D joysticks.
-
6D joysticks (e.g. Labtec Spaceball) are used like all other 6D
inputdevices.
-
4D joysticks (e.g. gamepads with 2 thumbsticks) do not allow 6D and
6D Local mode. Beside translation
,
rotation
, scaling
and
changing of the center
they support the
hover
mode and the rocket
mode.
Depending from the mode, rotation and translation will be
assigned to the appropriate axes.
-
When using 3D joysticks (e.g. joystick with a twisting stick) things
are more complicated. In the default configuration, a input via the
3. axis (a twist of the stick) cause a movement assigned to the z-axis.
-
When using a 2D joystick, there are not enough axes to make
3D input data. Therefore you have to switch between the
interpretation of the 2. axis as z-direction (near/far
mode) and as y-direction
(up/down
mode) via the icons.
On rotations the near/far
mode is interpreted
as rotation around the y-axis, the up/down
(oben-unten) mode is interpreted as a rotation around the z-axis.
-
The rocket
mode need 4 axes in a sense.
To make it available with a 3D joystick, the rotationinformation of
the near/far
Mode and up/down
mode is used here.
Beim 2D Joystick steht der
The rocket
mode is not available for 2D joysticks.
Sometimes, a joystick axis looks not very useful
(e.g. the extra controler of the Micro$oft Sidewinder Pro).

Therefore, the number of axes can be limited. To use e.g. the
Micro$oft Sidewinder Pro as 3 axis joystick, you can use the
-axis option in the commandline.
dune -joystick /dev/input/js0 -axes=3
Gamepads are often overcrowded with less useful axes.
For example the Logitech Wingman Cordless Gamepad report 9 axes when
testing with the jstest programm. To use the 6 good axes
(2 thumbsticks and the cross-hairs), you need to change the
assignment of axes in the commandline.
dune -joystick /dev/input/js0 -y=4 -z=-1 -xrot=6 -yrot=3 -zrot=5
You have to interpret the option "-z=-1" in this way:
the z-axes will be assigned to axis number 1 (this is the 2. axes,
counting begins with 0), but the inputdirection is reverted.
-
M$Windows joystick Input:
The support of a M$Windows joystick is very similar to a Linux
joystick.
The special qualities of joystick drivers delivered with M$Windows
should not make you wonder, if e.g. the 2. thumbstick of a gamepad
do not deliver values or a joystick axis will be reported, but
can deliver only errors.
Beside this, the wisdom of the authors of the M$Windows joystick
API leaded to the fact, a error of a axis must be interpreted
as full turn (a similar problem leaded to the explosion of the
first Ariane 5 rocket....).
Therefore you should begin to test under M$Windows with only 2 axes.
For the first M$Windows joystick (number 0) the commandline may look
like:
white_dune.exe -joystick 0 -axes=2 -none=2 -allxyz=20,,,0.000001 -allrot=0.2,,,0.0000001
-
Changing FieldValues in the ChannelView Window
The ChannelView Window is used to show or change
interpolator nodes.
In a interpolator node, input values between 0 and 1 are assigned to
a range of output values.
Interpolators are used in VRML for simple animations in the form
ROUTE TimeSensorDEFNAME.fraction_changed TO ???InterpolatorDEFNAME.set_fraction
ROUTE ???InterpolatorDEFNAME.value_changed TO ???DEFNAME.set_???
The output "fraction_changed" of a TimeSensor node
(deliver values between 0 and 1) ist routed into the "set_fraction"
Input of a interpolator node. The interpolator node select a
matching intermediate value between the output values. The
result can be routed into a another VRML node, this leads to
a animation without jerk.
In the following example:

the output of a PositionInterpolators with the input values
0, 0.3, 1 and the output values x=1/y=0/z=3, x=1/y=2/z=3, x=3/y=3/z=0
is routed to the set_translation Input for a transform node.
For example, the transform node (and the containing object) will
move in the timecycle from 0 to 0.3 from y=0 to y=2 (to the top).
Some of the VRML97 interpolators are not supported (yet), they are hard to
input, to much data.
-
Easy usable (cause of the Channel View) are:
-
ColorInterpolator:
Interpolate between Colors.
Route targets for colors you will find at Shape->Appearance->Material
-
PositionInterpolator:
Interpolate between Positions.
Route target can be Transform.set_translation for example.
-
OrientationInterpolator:
Interpolate between rotations.
Route target can be Transform.set_rotation for example.
-
ScalarInterpolator:
Interpolate between single (floating point) numbers.
Single numbers are possible EventIn's of multiple VRML Nodes.
There are multiple possibilities of usage.
-
The following interpolators are not supported (yet), cause they require
too much data to input:
-
CoordinateInterpolator:
Interpolate between points in a IndexFaceSet.
Animations, which use the CoordinateInterpolator are called
"morphing".
-
NormalInterpolator:
Interpolate between the Normales of a IndexFaceSet.
Some simple interpolator animation can be created in dune via
changes in the 3D Preview window.
PositionInterpolator/Transform.set_translation
and OrientationInterpolator/Transform.set_rotation based animations
can also created with the recording of 6D inputdevices.
If you want to work with the tools
like a VCR recorder (record and playback animations) the following
must be true:
When only the recordbutton is pressed
,
you have to change the timecursor first and then input a value (via
keyboard, mouse or 6D inputdevice).
When the recordbutton is pressed together with the playbutton
, the change of the values
(via mouseinput or 6D inputdevice) is recorded
continuesly.
The recording of the mouseinput require a calm hand.
It is not uncommon to want to delete some of the recorded values.
You need to select a time range by clicking and dragging the mouse in
the channelview window and then use either the
edit -> delete menupoint or the delete icon.
The matching values will be deleted.
ColorCircle (new in Version 0.19beta)
There is a special inputwindow for colors, it takes place of the
fieldView Window. To get it, a colorfield must be selected in the
fieldView Window and the Colorcircle Icon must be pressed.

With a mouseclick, you can select a color in the color circle and
in the bar beside it, you can select a darker variant.

Currently, when not using a true/directcolor display on Unix/Linux,
the display of the color circle is slow....
When the "OK" button is pressed, the normal fieldView window returns.
Script Editor (new in Version 0.22beta)
There are two ways to start the scripteditor:

-
To create a new scriptnode:
Via the "Script" icon (menupoint Create -> Programming -> Script),
-
To change a existing scriptnode.
If a script node is selected, via the "Object Edit" icon
(menupoint Action -> Object edit),
The scripteditor dialog

allows it, to add new fields/events to the scriptnode (add),
to change them (change) or to delete them (delete).
Press "OK" to finish the work on the script node.
URL Editor (new in Version 0.22beta)
The "url"-field (it can contain the ECMAscript (javascript) code
of a scriptnode) can be changed in a texteditor.
Via the menupoint options -> Texteditor Settings
it is possible to select the texteditor.
When the "url"-field is empty, a scheme of a ECMAscripts will be created.
To start the textedit, select a Script Node and use the "URL Edit" icon
(menupoint Action -> Url edit).

Before you can use the scripteditor dialog, you need plan what
are the datatypes and eventIn/eventOut informations of the nodes
you want to connect. To do this, you need to read the
node description of the
VRML standard (e.g. you can use the menupoint
Help -> name of currently selected Node or use
a advanced book).
For fast experimenting, you may find it more convenient to use a
simplified scriptbuilding method.
Create a new "empty" scriptnode with the "Script" icon (or the
menupoint Create -> Programming -> Script).
Following the
"get out of the way!" philosophy of the orginal dune project,
simply press "OK" on the scripteditor dialog (see above).
Now you can use the RouteView window for further work.

Scriptnodes have a special "connect anything" eventOut.
If you click and drag this with the mouse, a white route will be drawn.

Keep the mousebutton pressed while routing and you see (like "normal" routing),
you can connect this route to eventIns of other nodes,

but (unlike "normal" routing) the color of the route (marking the datatype)
can change with the probed eventIn.

When you release the mousebutton, the route will be established.

In a similar way, you can use the special "connect anything" eventIn
of the scriptnode

and connect it to a eventOut of a other node.

Now you need to edit the "url" field of the script node.
Beside using urledit you can also
select the script node in the SceneTree window, the "url" field in
the FieldView.

and press the "Object Edit" icon (or use the menupoint
Action -> Object edit).

Now "dune" will try to start a external editor - UNIX die-hards use
"xterm -e vi", this is the default under Linux/UNIX ("xedit" for MacOSX,
"edit" for M$Windows)
if $WINEDITOR was not set at first run. You can change the editor with the
Options -> Texteditor Settings ... menupoint.
In the editor window, you will see a schema of the needed
javascript code.
Use Options -> ECMAscript settings to control, if you want
extended comments in the schema.

Use the editor to complete the javascript code and save/quit the
editor - in case of the vi editor use the keystrokes :wq