Contents

"dune", what's that ?

dune is a graphical VRML97 editor, simple NURBS 3D modeller 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" crashed, work lost ?

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.

Common tips for working with "dune"

You can find some typical VRML examples (you can load into dune) here.

What is scenegraph, fieldvalues, routes etc. about ?

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/x3d/specifications/vrml/ISO_IEC_14772-Allindex.htm. For the use of dune, especially the node reference http://www.web3d.org/x3d/specifications/vrml/ISO_IEC_14772-Allpart1/nodesRef.html is important.

The 5 windows of "dune"


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.

Navigation

To navigate in the 3D Preview Window, you have

Additional you have from version 0.16 a SGI like navigation. Please note, that a misconfigured windowmanager can eat up this input.... 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.

Changing the scenegraph

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:


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:

Input/erase of ROUTEs

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.

As a sugestion for beginners, some event boxes are marked with a small red point. The red point marks a important/often used event.
Of course the importance/usage of events differ with the task of your VRML world. All sensor nodes (the original source of most eventprocessing) have event boxes with red points.

Changing fieldvalues

There is more than one way to change fieldvalues:

Simplified scriptbuilding (new in Version 0.22beta)

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

NURBS Modelling (partitially new in Version 0.25beta)

Superformula Modelling (new in Version 0.27beta)