3-3-2003 16:31 GMT
Seamless 2.011 Update **
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Introducing the VertexTransfer CenterJoint and JoinCloseVertex Nodes for Skin Animation
I have rewritten much of the VertexAnimation tutorial now named as the skinAnimation tutorial for seamless II. This tutorial has been changed to show how the new Seamless3d II nodes can generate and color the geometry for the tail and how to center all the parts for animation. The latter stage of the tutorial that explains the scripting for the animation is much left to how it was before.
The Immediate genGeometry functions from Seamless I have been added back to Seamless II
I have added back the simple genGeometry functions to the main menu (F10), the same basic functions seamless 1 used for generating triangles. I have also re-written the simpleAvatar tutorial for verification for how these functions should behave and how to use them in Seamless II. Adding back the simplicity of these functions does not change or compromise the design of the new seamless II nodes. Though it is possible to have unlimited artistic freedom by learning little more than just how to generate/delete triangles and drag and color vertices, the new seamless II nodes can save labour and offer new possibilities. Because it is now possible to mix the new techniques with the old there should be no awkward obstacle preventing the user who wishes to start with less intelectialy intensive techniques from developing more advanced ways when they are ready for them.
Note. Dragging or selecting a vertex may not work in the 3d window if a Part 
node type is not selcted in the Scene tree.
8-3-2003 19:02 GMT
Seamless 2.012 Update ****
I have not added any new features to Seamless II for quite some time now.
Seamless II's development is currently in a settling down phase only minor
issues remain unresolved . Most of my work for the last few weeks has centred on
just trying to get all functions working at once bug free. It is still the case
where typically I find one or more bugs each day and fix them within the same
day so this version has a number of bugs fixed and a few added :)
14-3-2003 16:00 GMT
Seamless 2.013 Update **
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In Seamless's Scene Tree interface I have got rid of the annoying bug regarding the use of the cut function and referenced (USE) nodes so that a reference to a node can now be deleted without deleting the actual node that is being referenced. So far most of the work put into Seamless II has been into the Seamless II nodes which are almost complete. Since the last update I have added some more standard VRML97 nodes so that worlds can be edited in seamless more efficiently as opposed to just using the Seamless node to generate a single IndexedFaceSet for the whole world. Taking advantage of referencing Shape nodes will result in much more efficient downloads. The current VRML97 nodes supported in Seamless II are:
Background
DirectionalLight
Group
NavigationInfo
Shape
Transform
Viewpoint
IndexedFaceSet
Coordinate
Color
Normal
TextureCoordinate
At this stage the interfaces for the standard VRML97 nodes are crude but Error
Prone found few problems using them to plant the separate shapes she first
generated by the Seamless II nodes for her latest world she is working on:
http://www4.tpg.com.au/users/gilldawn/epsPlanet/contact.htm
I don't have it yet so that fields can be edited for the VRML97 nodes except for
the most important node the Transform node which is all u need for planting
Shapes. The rest of the suported node's field's values can be edited in a text
editor and seamless should be able to load and save retaining what ever values
for the fields specified.
I will write a tutorial later for how to plant shapes in a world but if u
already understand the concept of standard VRML97 Transform and Shape nodes and
perhaps even if u don't, it should be straight forward if u right click on the
nodes in the scene tree to see what to do.
To create a file for a world delete the default Seamless node in the scene tree
and save the file as a .wrl instead of a .smls.
Note there is no actual difference between a smls file and a wrl file except for
the filename extension.
Please bear in mind I have not had enough time to do a proper job on designing
most of the VRML97 Node icon images yet.
14-3-2003 21:38 GMT
Seamless 2.014 Update **
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Simple but unavoidable bug regarding the Seamless Node fixed.
Some hours later after uploading 2.013 Error Prone brought it to my attention that this version has a bug introduced that made the Seamless nodes unable to generate any geometry if a seamless file was saved and then reopened. 2.013 did not corrupt any files. This bug just made the Seamless nodes disabled from generating geometry from any file saved from any version of Seamless. Seamless 2.014 has this problem rectified. Sorry for any inconvenience.
23-3-2003 17:39 GMT
Seamless 2.015 Update **
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I found out yesterday that the SineTug tutorial would result in a crash if followed step by step due to a bug that must have crept in some weeks ago. This bug and others have been fixed for seamless 2.015
For the first time using only a GUI it is now possible to import accessories such as a hat into a blaxxun avatar studio avatar that has been imported into Seamless II
Please see my very easy to follow step by step tutorial:
Using Seamless3d II to Add a Hat to a Blaxxun Avatar Studio Avatar
It is possible to also modify this imported blaxxun avatar by simply tugging on the vertices it is also possible to color any vertex too. Please note some bugs are yet to be fixed in seamless regarding splitting, deleting and mirroring triangles and joining vertices.
Many thanks to florenzy for donating the blaxxun avatar studio avatar for all to modify
4-4-2003 16:48 GMT
Seamless 2.016 Update **
**
In sequel to the last update (Using only a GUI to import accessories into a AvS av),
It is now possible Using only a GUI to import blaxxun avatar studio avatars into Seamless II
(no hand editing in a text editor needed)
To see how this can be done go to:
Importing Blaxxun Avatar Studio Avatars into Seamless3d
I have added two fields to the Seamless node so that two of the names used by the script that controls the skin animation can now be easily programmed in by anyone. Because these fields can be changed to the standard names used for blaxxun avatar studio avatars there is no loner any need to hand edit blaxxun avatar studio files to make them compatible with seamless. To keep things simple and uniform I have made slight changes to some of the files used for the Add a Hat to a Blaxxun Avatar Studio Avatar tutorial. Because this tutorial was so simple it might make life simpler if u start from scratch again with the zip file by re downloading it from the tutorial's page.
Any feedback will be much appreciated.
I have got rid of a number more bugs including one that has been annoying since seamless 2.000, the bug that would prevent the mouse from being able to lock onto a vertex whenever a non Part node was currently selected.
I have made some slight modifications to the seamless3dNodes.wrl which wont affect users of seamless3d unless perhaps u hand edit the files. Seamless will update any old seamless code when saved but if saving is not an option and u have any trouble figuring out the modifications please write to me.
techuelife@tpg.com.au
5-4-2003 20:11 GMT
Seamless 2.017 Update **
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Sorry I found the bug I claimed to have removed yesterday was not fully fixed so have removed it this time completely I hope as well as removing some other bugs that came to the surface yesterday.
6-4-2003 19:36 GMT
Seamless 2.018 Update **
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Rules for Part Transformation Fields Resolved
Thanks to Miranda bringing my attention to a bug regarding the output of multiple scale and rotation transformations for Parts, I have spent some time resolving what affect the Part node's transform fields should have when the geometry and fields are
output. To my understanding Seamless 2.018 is bug free in accordance to the following rules:
All of the Parts with the isJoint field set to true (jointed parts)
result in such part's being output with dynamic translations and rotations but
are statically scaled and translatePart fields for dynamic translations are
output scaled.
All of the Parts with the isJoint field set to false (non jointed parts)
result in such part's being output statically scaled, statically rotated and
statically translated and are output with no fields. Non jointed parts become in
effect part of the parent they belong to.
All jointed Parts except for root Parts must belong to parents who are jointed
too
Non jointed Parts can belong to both jointed and non jointed parts.
Jointed (or non jointed for that matter) Part's rotation fields are not
outputted so rotation values are left up to what the scripter has programed in
the templateOutput file.
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