[www-vrml] Re: [x3d-public] New Xj3D Dev Release

[Don Brutzman <brutzman@nps.navy.mil>]

Alan Hudson wrote:
> We have a new development release of Xj3D available.  You can download 
> it here:

thanks once again Alan, this steady Xj3D progress is great.

> [...]
> Capture Viewpoints
>    Saves all viewpoints out as png's.

I tested this but (at first) did not get any output images:

browser.bat C:\www.web3d.org\x3d\content\examples\HelloWorld.x3d -captureViewpoints

seemed to not load the scene (browser location bar simply shows C:\Program Files\Xj3D\)

Similarly, using http (rather than local) url caused problems.

works:
	browser.bat http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/Basic/HelloWorld.x3d
fails silently:
	browser.bat http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/Basic/HelloWorld.x3d -captureViewpoints
	(browser location bar simply shows C:\Program Files\Xj3D\)
============
> > cd C:\Program Files\Xj3D
> > browser.bat http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/Basic/HelloWorld.x3d -captureViewpoints
>
>
> C:\Program Files\Xj3D>browser.bat http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/Basic/HelloWorld.x3d -captureViewpoints
> 0    [main] INFO  odejava  - Odejava version 0.2.4
> Jinput USB devices detected: 2
> device: Mouse rumblers: 0
> device: Keyboard rumblers: 0
> Devices found: 3
============

it would seem that you want the browser to launch properly in either case.
and so some command-line parser untangling might be needed.  otherwise
should throw an error.

Then retried, putting the command flag first.  Got results!
Both attached.

feature requests:
- change _VP_ to _view_ (or somesuch) so that it is intelligible
- provide flag like -captureDirectory so that images can be redirected
- don't visibly launch and then kill viewer, instead keep this completely an
 offline rendering mode so that it can run in background.

As you already know, I plan to output all viewpoint images for all of the
X3D examples as part of the online catalogs.
	http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/help.html#Examples
It will be automated in the ant file.  Thanks for getting this closer.

Continuing:

>    Command line option available available as well as -captureViewpoints

Not sure what you mean by this statement, what is the difference?

> Position / Orientation printing
>    Use CTRL-P in the standalone browser

Works well.

Recommendation:  output in the form of a Viewpoint node.  This
clarifies the frame of reference for the orientation.

Suggested output:
	<Viewpoint   position="0 -1 7" orientation="0 0 1 0"/>
	 Viewpoint { position  0 -1 7  orientation  0 0 1 0 }

Example prototype showing .x3d output:
https://savage.nps.edu/Savage/Tools/Authoring/index.html
-> View Position Orientation Prototype
-> View Position Orientation Example


> Auto Regression testing
>    Image comparison regression software available.  Available in 
> parsetest/regression

didn't find it under apps, examples or top-level directory.
perhaps inadvertantly excluded from the snapshot build?

This is of course important for conformance testing, since it can
determine whether rendering output has changed.  Am hoping the
autogeneration of all viewpoint images for all examples might
be aligned to support & assist in such testing.


again thanks for the great work, wishing you and the other Xj3D source
coders a Happy New Year 2007!

all the best, Don
--
Don Brutzman  Naval Postgraduate School, Code USW/Br       work +1.831.656.2149
             MOVES Institute, Monterey CA 93943-5000 USA  fax  +1.831.656.7599
Virtual worlds/underwater robots/X3D/XMSF     http://web.nps.navy.mil/~brutzman

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