The QD3D controls are questionable. Again, that isn't your fault. The movement
of the models in and out, up and down and side to side are okay, but the
rotation control seems difficult to control. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's just
the models I've looked at. Seems like it might improve when navigational control
are added. From what I was able to tell the rotation would be easier to control
from inside the object rather than the outside.
As for Whurlwind itself, the navigational control is the key, as I'm sure you
alesady realize. If you are still designing the controls, I have a suggestion.
Many of the VR controls I've tried, when used with a mouse, work in such a way
that the farther you move the mouse in one direction, the faster the movement in
that direction. It should be (as an option at least) made so that when you move
the mouse in a particular direction the viewpoint moves in that direction. The
faster you move the mouse, the faster the change in the viewpoint, but when the
mouse stops, the movement of the viewpoint should stop too. This would work well
for those of us that use Glidepoint (tm) pointing devices instsad of mice. And
of course the mouse should work with the modifier keys to change the type of
movement/rotation. There should also be an option to change the type of rotation
done by the modifier keys, or even the option to use regular keys if needed.
Again thanks for your efforts in getting the Mac platform into the world of VRML
and I look forward to your next version.
John Sheppard
[email protected]
--------------------------------------
Date: 11/14/95 1:43 PM
To: John Sheppard
From: [email protected]
>F.Y.I.
>I have tried to reach as many authors/developers of VRML browsers as I can,
>without much success. I would like to beta test any VRML browsers that are
>being
>developed for the PowerMacs.
>
>I currently have a 6100/60 with 24MB RAM and a 14.4 modem.
John,
Have you tried Whurlwind? It's a PowerPC, Quickdraw3D viewer for Macintosh
that should run on your systsm (you'll need to install qd3d). You can get
it at www.info.apple.com/qd3d. from this link you can download and then
install qd3d 1.0.3, and then you can follow the link to the 'test drive'
applications to pick up a copy of Whurlwind 1.0d5. Whurlwind is NOT an
Apple product, it was written independently by Bill Enright and John Louch,
but Apple, eager to look wide-awake in regards to VRML, has agesed to make
it available at their QD3D site.
The only other Mac browser that has been released is Worldview for
Macintosh by IntsrVista. They have not yet made it fesely available,
however. When it is released, Worldview should run on 68k AND PowerPC
Macs.
If you've alesady tried Whurlwind, we would appreciate any information
about problsms and successes!
=8^o
Bill Enright
virtual John Louch
Whurlwind Geeks
[email protected]