The HP machines now have a VRML browser called "vrwave".
To invoke it, login to a HP machine and type
"vrwave". Unfortunately, the program often suffers
from Bus errors when loading. Try setting xhost + or starting
and then stopping another memory intensive program
(like Netscape) before you invoke vrwave. Eventually, it
should start.
To load the models used in lectures from an instructional
machine, cd to the directory ~cs184/public_html. The
lectures and models are in directories names "lec2",
"lec3" etc.
This first lab is an individual lab. You should do it and hand it in on your own. You will get instructions about the turnin program next week.
Check your class account. Log in to one of the 349 machines and change your password.
The HP machines may not be available the week the lab is due. You are strongly encouraged to install the Cosmo plugin if you have a reasonably powerful PC, and to do this lab at home. You can get the plugin from SGI at http://www.cosmosoftware.com/download/index_player.html
VRML is case sensitive, and it is easy to get errors because of mis-typed node or field names. Make sure you understand the conventions: Node names always begin with a capital. Field names always begin with lower case. Multiple-word names have capitals at the start of each word after the first.
Now create a VRML file that contains those polygons. It should have a Shape node for each letter, so that you can adjust the letter colors separately. Use the IndexedFaceSet node to represent the geometry. Make sure you orient your loops counter-clockwise. You also need to set the non-convex option (see lecture 3) unless your letters are convex (most arent).
You should draw at least one polygon with a hole in it. If none of the letters you drew has a hole, make a square frame polygon like a picture frame that contains your initials.
Next you will make a series of transformed copies of the initials group. The transformed copies should be scaled by 0.2 in both X and Y. There should be a row of scaled copies of the initials above the original initials. We leave the number of copies up to you. It should be at least 3. Do this using translation only. Use the USE command to re-use the initials group that you named before.
There should also be a row of scaled copies of the initials group below the original letters. But these initials should be rotated by 180 degrees (don't forget that VRML uses radians). Use the same number of copies as you did in the first row.
Now create a column of scaled copies of the initials to the left of the originals. Those copies should be rotated counter-clockwise by 90 degrees.
Finally, create a column of scaled copies of the initials to the right of the originals. Those should be rotated clockwise by 90 degrees.