How to download Cortona® VRML Client

If you don't see the virtual model you have to load the Cortona® VRML Client from here.

How to use Cortona® VRML Client

Moving through a 3D space is similar to moving a camera. Think of a video camera that captures images in the real world and converts them into electronic signals for viewing on a screen; it has a position and orientation, and these are independent attributes.Your movements in the world continually position and orient that camera. Use the camera controls on the vertical toolbar to move the camera through the 3D Space.

This concept assumes that there is a real person viewing and interacting with the VRML world. Nevertheles, the VRML author may place any number of viewpoints (or cameras) in the world - interesting places from which the user might wish to view the world. Only one viewpoint may be active at a time. This section describes the mechanisms that Cortona VRML Client provides for navigating in a three-dimensional space.

Using Viewpoints

A viewpoint describes a position and orientation for viewing the scene. The VRML author will probably want to guide the user to the best vantage points for viewing it. Not all worlds contain viewpoints, but when they do, you can use them.

To activate a viewpoint, do one of the following:
 

•   Click the VIEW in the horizontal toolbar or choose viewpoints from the pop-up menu, and then select a viewpoint from the list of the predefined viewpoints.

• Click the arrow buttons to move to the next or previous viewpoint. You can also press Page Down or Page Down keyboard button.

Note:
If there are no predefined viewpoints in a world, the Empty message appears.
 

Moving around: Walk, Fly, and Study

There are three main navigation modes that Cortona VRML Client offers: WALK, FLY, and EXAMINE. You can switch the navigation mode by clicking buttons on the vertical toolbar (click STUDY to enter EXAMINE mode). Each navigation mode may have several options: PLAN, PAN, TURN, and ROLL. The combination of navigation mode and its option determines the possible camera motion and its orientation. Please note that the VRML author has an opportunity to specify which navigation paradigm should be used in the scene by default. Some worlds don't allow the user to use navigation controls, but they may provide on-screen cues to navigation.

You can navigate with the mouse, the keyboard, or both mouse and keyboard. To move around a 3D world using the mouse:  

1. Choose a navigation mode.
2. Position the pointer anywhere in the 3D window and press the left mouse button.
3. Move the mouse while holding down its left button. The direction in which you drag the mouse determines the camera motion.
4. Release the left mouse button to stop moving.

Note: The distance that you drag the mouse determines the speed with which the camera moves. If you stop moving the mouse, the camera will continue moving until you release the mouse button. To accelerate the camera's movement or rotation, press SHIFT, CTRL or SHIFT+CTRL.


  and  
Use WALK+PLAN to move in a horizontal plane.

Forward - move closer
Backward - move further
Right - turn to the right
Left - turn to the left

Note: Move the mouse forward or backward while holding down the Space key to turn upward, downward.
Move the mouse left or right while holding down the ALT key to move left or right.


 and 
Use WALK+PAN to move left or right in a horizontal plane.

Forward - move closer
Backward - move further
Right - move right
Left - move left

Note: When you move the camera right or left, the world will appear to move in the opposite direction.


 and 
Use WALK+TURN to change the angle of the camera in a world.

Forward - turn upward
Backward - turn downward
Right - turn to the right
Left - turn to the left


 and 
Use FLY+PLAN to move left or right.

Forward - move the camera forward towards its longitudinal axis
Backward - move the camera backward
Right - turn the camera to the right around its vertical axis
Left - turn the camera to the left around its vertical axis

Note: The camera's vertical axis may be inclined in a 3D Space.
Move the mouse while holding down the ALT key to switch FLY+PAN.
Move the mouse while holding down the Space key to switch FLY+TURN.
Move the mouse while holding down the ALT+Space keys to switch FLY+ROLL.


 and 
Use FLY+PAN to move up, down, left, or right within a single vertical plane.

Forward - move up
Backward - move down
Right - move right
Left - move left

Note: When you move the camera, the world will appear to move in the opposite direction.


 and 
Use FLY+TURN to turn the camera.

Forward - turn the camera upward around its horizontal axis
Backward - turn the camera downward around its horizontal axis
Right - turn the camera to the right around its vertical axis
Left - turn the camera to the left around its vertical axis


 and 
Use FLY+ROLL to incline the camera.

Right - incline to the left
Left - incline to the right


 and 
Use STUDY+PLAN to examine an object from various angles.


Forward - move the camera forward
Backward - move the camera backward
Right, Left - move the camera around the central point which is defined by the center of bounding box of the geometry in the 3D scene.


 and 
Use STUDY+TURN to examine an object from various angles.

Forward, Backward, Right, and Left - move the camera around the central point which is defined by the center of bounding box of the geometry in the 3D scene.

Note: Move the mouse while holding down the ALT key to switch STUDY+PAN.
Move the mouse while holding down the Space key to switch STUDY+PLAN.
Move the mouse while holding down the ALT+Space keys to switch STUDY+ROLL.


 and 
Use STUDY+ROLL to incline the camera around the central point which is defined by the center of bounding box of the geometry in the 3D scene.

Right - incline to the left
Left - incline to the right

Note: The VRML author can choose the rotation center in the EXAMINE navigation mode. By default, when in EXAMINE mode, Cortona VRML Client sets the center of rotation in the center of the bounding box of the scene geometry. But it is possible to change this center by specifying three additional values in the avatarSize field of the NavigationInfo node. According to the VRML specification, the first three values are the avatar dimensions, while additional values may be used for browser-specific purposes. In Cortona VRML Client the fourth, fifth and sixth values specify the center of scene rotation in the world coordinates X,Y and Z.




Use GOTO to move close to object in a world. Select GOTO in the toolbar and then click on an object in the world. You'll move directly to it.

Restore, Fit, and Align

Cortona VRML Client provides three mechanisms that can help to re-orient a camera if you have lost your way in a world. Unlike the navigation tools, these buttons invoke predefined actions that take place as you click on them. 

 
Use RESTORE to automatically return to the loaded world's original active viewpoint.

 
Use FIT to make the scene view fully visible in the Cortona VRML Client 3D window.  

 
Use ALIGN to position the camera's horizontal and longitudinal axes parallel to the scene horizontal plane.