From 53ebfcc5ad5554b67d2287f8b02c22ec8405af0f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: kcr Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2004 03:28:13 +0000 Subject: Initial creation of j3d-examples sources in CVS repository --- src/Lightwave/README.txt | 316 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 316 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/Lightwave/README.txt (limited to 'src/Lightwave/README.txt') diff --git a/src/Lightwave/README.txt b/src/Lightwave/README.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7a65e82 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/Lightwave/README.txt @@ -0,0 +1,316 @@ +/* + * @(#)README.txt 1.5 01/06/20 16:18:15 + * + * Copyright (c) 1996-2001 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. + * + * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without + * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions + * are met: + * + * - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright + * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. + * + * - Redistribution in binary form must reproduce the above copyright + * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in + * the documentation and/or other materials provided with the + * distribution. + * + * Neither the name of Sun Microsystems, Inc. or the names of + * contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived + * from this software without specific prior written permission. + * + * This software is provided "AS IS," without a warranty of any + * kind. ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND + * WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, + * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE HEREBY + * EXCLUDED. SUN AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES + * SUFFERED BY LICENSEE AS A RESULT OF USING, MODIFYING OR + * DISTRIBUTING THE SOFTWARE OR ITS DERIVATIVES. IN NO EVENT WILL SUN + * OR ITS LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST REVENUE, PROFIT OR DATA, OR + * FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR + * PUNITIVE DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF + * LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE SOFTWARE, + * EVEN IF SUN HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + * + * You acknowledge that Software is not designed,licensed or intended + * for use in the design, construction, operation or maintenance of + * any nuclear facility. + */ + + Release Notes for the Lightwave 3D Java3D Loader + ------------------------------------------------ + Updated May 13, 1998 + + + +These release notes are intended to document the known working and +non-working features of the loader. This is important because the loader +implements an important subset of Lightwave functionality, but it definitely +skips many major features of Lightwave files. Please read these notes +to make sure that the features you need are actually implemented. Or +if you see differences between Lightwave display of your file and +the Java3D version of that file, take a look at these notes to see +what might not be working properly. + + +Testing the Loader +------------------ +The application in this directory (Viewer) is intended to be a very +basic test application for loading/viewing Lightwave 3D models. To +use the program, type: + java Viewer +where is the name of a valid Lightwave 3D scene file that is +reachable from the current directory. There is a very basic test file +included in this directory called ballcone.lws. To load/view that file, +type: + java Viewer ballcone.lws +Note that Lightwave scene files (*.lws) embed the pathnames to object +files (*.lwo) within them, and that object files have pathnames +to image files (for textures) embedded in them. Whatever those +pathnames are in those files must be valid for the directory in which +you are running the application that loads the scene file. For example, +if I was loading in a scene file that referred to an object file +called "data/object.lwo", then the file "object.lwo" should be located in +a subdirectory of this current directory called "data". + + +Summary of Loader +----------------- +The Lw3d loader was intended to implement a major subset of the features in +Lightwave 3D that would be used for realtime 3D animations. That is, any +features (such as Bones and other high-end rendering +options) which would require significant rendering time were simply +not doable. These more advanced features are intended to be rendered +off-line, saving each frame separately and later compositing them +together into an animation. But Java3D is a realtime 3D rendering +system, so these type of animations just do not map into a Java3D viewer +very well. + +Another category of non-implemented items are those that we simply have not +yet gotten to. There are a few known features of Lightwave files that +would work well through Java3D but just haven't been implemented in the +loader yet. + +Although there are a lot of features that are not yet implemented, +the basics of Lightwave 3D functionality (scene creation, animating +objects/lights/cameras, different surface properties) all work pretty +much as expected. So try it out and let us know non-documented items +that didn't work properly. + + +Details of Non-Implemented Features +----------------------------------- +This list is probably not comprehensive, but hopefully points out most of +the features or areas where the implementation is incomplete (or not +there at all). + + +Limitations of Scene Files (*.lws) +---------------------------------- +1) Bones/Skeleton +Bones functionality is not implemented at all. Unfortunately, this +great feature of Lightwave 3D is not currently implementable in the +loader because the processing time that it would take to compute +frames based on Bones data would be far more than a real-time rendering +system can afford. + +The loader may, at some future point, provide a mechanism to read +in frames of geometry that were saved from Lightwave Bones descriptions. +That is, there are plug-ins available for Lightwave 3D that allow you +to save out files with Bones information as a series of files with +pre-calculated geometry for each frame; eventually we would like the +Lightwave 3D loader to support those files. + +Workaround: None; the best and only workaround is to find a different +method of animating your objects. + + +2) Spline paths +Spline paths will be interpreted as linear piecewise paths instead, +traveling between each control point specified for the spline. + +Workaround: Specify linear paths. If your path looks too hard-jointed +through the loader, specify more keyframes for the path to smooth it out. + + +3) Object Scaling +Scaling objects in the scene (versus the object files) is currently +ignored. + +Workaround: scale the objects in their individual object files. + + +4) Shadows +Shadows options are ignored in the loader. + +Workaround: None. + + +5) Envelopes +Most envelopes are ignored. There are a couple of exceptions to this, +such as light intensity envelopes, but even those features have not been +completely implemented and tested. + +Workaround: None. + + +6) Camera effects +All advanced-rendering camera effects are ignored in the loader. This +includes the following items in Lightwave 3D files: + - Lens Flare + - F-stop + - Focal Distance + - Blur Length + - Dissolves + - Glow + - Zoom + - Intensity Falloff + - Antialiasing + +Workaround: None. + + +7) Inverse Kinematics +IK options such as Goal Objects and Anchors are ignored. + +Workaround: Animate objects directly instead of indirectly via IK. + + +8) Morphs +All morph options are ignored. + +Workaround: None. + + +9) Display properties +Lightwave allows you to specify surface properties for different rendering +modes (e.g., wireframe color). All of these parameters are ignored and +the full properties of any item are used at all times. + +Workaround: None. + + +10) Various Surface Properties +Various minor surface properties are currently ignored, including: + - Polygon size + - Dissolves + - Clip map + - Unaffected by fog + - Edge parameters + +Workaround: None. + + +11) Lights +The following items are currently ignored for Light objects: + - Target objects + - Flare parameters + - Shadow options + +Workaround: None for flares or shadows. For targeting problems, animate the +light directly (versus indirectly through using Target). + + +12) Camera Targeting +The Target option for Camera objects is currently ignored by the loader. + +Workaround: Animate the camera directly (versus indirectly through using +Target). + + +13) Effects +Most effects (from the Effects dialog box in the layout program) are +ignored, save for fog (which should accept all parameters) and +backdrop colors (solid backdrops only - gradient backdrops are +ignored). + +Workaround: None. + + +14) Render Options +Most options from the Render dialog box are ignored - most of these pertain +to saving the animation in any case (something that doesn't happen through +the Loader). + +Workaround: None. + + + +Limitations of Object Files (*.lwo) +----------------------------------- +1) MetaNURBS +Geometry stored in MetaNURBS format will be ignored by the loader. + +Workaround: pre-tessellate your MetaNURBS surfaces and save your +geometry (object) files in that format. + + +2) Layered Object Files +There is currently no support for the "Layered Object File Format" +of Lightwave 3D. + +Workaround: None. + + +3) Reflectivity +There is no way to reproduce the reflective properties of surfaces +through Java3D, so any reflectivity settings in Lightwave object files +will be ignored. + +Workaround: None. + + +4) Refraction +Refractive properties of surfaces are ignored. + +Workaround: None. + + +5) Edge Transparency +Edge transparency properties are ignored. + +Workaround. None. + + +6) Texture types +Texture mapping is currently somewhat limited in the loader. The following +types of texture mapping effects should work: + - Diffuse (the texture modifies the Diffuse aspects of the surface) + - Color (the texture modifies the Color properties of the surface). +Textures that attempt to modify other parameters of the surface will +be ignored. + +Also, the following texture types should work: + - Planar Image Map + - Spherical Image Map + - Cylindrical Image Map +Other kinds of mappings will not work (including Marble, Grid, Dots, etc.) + +Some Texture parameters will not work. The following should work correctly: + - size + - center +Advanced texture parameters such as falloff and velocity will be ignored. + +Summary: There are so many texture mapping parameters in Lightwave 3D that +it's difficult to produce a list of all of the items that won't work +properly. In a nutshell, basic decal-type (color modifying) or brightness +(diffuse modifying) textures that are mapped as planes, spheres, or +cylinders should work correctly. Anything else will probably not work. + +Workaround: Use the basics. + + +7) Plug-ins +There is currently no support for any plug-in capabilities. For example, +if there are plug-in shaders specified for your file, those shaders will be +ignored. + +Workaround: None. + + +8) Image Sequences +There is no support for image sequences - textures must be static files. + +Workaround: None. + + -- cgit v1.2.3