7-2-2003 13:01 GMT
Seamless 2.007 Update **
**
Modifications to the Scene Tree Interface and Existing
Seamless II Tutorials.
As a result of adding many of the interfaces for the new Seamless II nodes and
as a result of having had some time to reflect on the use of Seamless3d II
in the last few weeks, I have modified some of Seamless II's interface to make
it more straight forward for the user. The main new features I have added are in
regard to the scene tree interface. You can now remove a node using cut from the
node's pop-up menu and you can now select a node when u right click on it to
make the node menu pop-up. This I have found simplifies my tutorials. As time
goes by writing the tutorials I find that I am writing less and less and letting
the pictures and the rhyming logic explain the concepts better. To much info in
the form of text makes for confusion as opposed to letting the interface explain
it self with time spent playing with it, however I welcome any questions no
matter how simple regarding the interface.
Seamless3d now utilizes the common concept of copy to select a node that is to
be referenced or USEd by another node. This is very much the same concept of
copying and pasting a shortcut for a file in windows. Because a USE to VRML is
the same thing as a short cut is to Windows for referencing, keeping in with
this practice I now have all nodes that are references, marked with the short
cut 
symbol. VRML pad also uses this standard symbol for it's USE nodes in it's scene tree editor. I have managed to
keep much of the clutter away from the scene tree for Seamless II by hiding the
VRML MFNode Fields in the scene tree making it I hope a type of interface anyone
can grasp and its use non intellectually taxing yet maintaining Seamless3d as a
VRML editor that uses VRML concepts in general for the interface. As a result of
making these changes I have rewritten and re taken pictures for the tutorials
that have been written so far. I expect there to be some things i have
over looked because I keep finding them no matter how many times i seem to
verify my tutorials. This alone takes me many many hours so i have to have a
limit in how much time I can aford to check things over. Most are minor but I
can see how some mistakes could lead to confusion if I have for example a
picture that's not exactly the same as it would be step by step. So I would much
appreciate the help of anyone by letting me know if something does not make
sence or does not seem to make sense. Any question specific to the new Seamless
II tutorials will be answered and very welcome especially because I have so few.
15-2-2003 18:41 GMT
Seamless 2.008 Update **
**
Modifications to the Stem node.
It has become apparent to me that it is best to have it so that the values for the field yPointCnt be inclusive numbers as opposed to numbers that specify how many more rows are added for each segment, so I have made this change to the Stem node. Another change I have made is its now possible to have the Stem node's MFFields empty. When a Stem node is first created the MFField values will not exist until the count field is incremented. These changes to seamless should hardly be noticed to any one at this stage but its important to get this sort of detail sorted before seamless is committed to it's final nature.
16-2-2003 8:35 GMT
Seamless 2.009 Update **
**
Some bugs regarding the direct input for the some of the fields (scale, rotation, orientation, translation and location) in some of the node interfaces have been found and fixed.
20-2-2003 23:55 GMT
Seamless 2.010 Update **
**
The CCBend and CCRingScale nodes have been resolved to how they should remain except its possible I may add extra fields if the need arises. Future changes will not have to change the compatibility of Seamless II with earlier files saved from current versions.
To my understanding all nodes are now functioning how they should be but have not yet had time to check the CenterJoint node fully.
Note Part node references (USE) can not be deleted from the scene tree interface with out strange side affects.
At the moment Inserting nodes using the scene tree interface is not an option
but this can be done easily if you know how to use VrmlPad's scene tree
interface.
VrmlPad allows for seamless nodes to be registered.
To do this:
Download this Seamless3d Nodes file
seamless3dNodes.wrl and put it in a folder for future reference
Open VrmlPad
Click on Tools/Options
Under VRML extensions/NodeLibraries check Custom nodes
In the custom nodes source field open the file
seamless3dNodes.wrl from you put it in your computer
Close down VrmlPad and reopen
Now all Seamless3d (.smls) files can be edited in VrmlPad without any errors
reported if they are legal Seamless3d nodes
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