XVR / Halca basics

Virtual Environments 2009

Aitor Rovira

Will Steptoe

XVR functions

onInit(){} //initialize all objects

 

onFrame() //rendering instruction. This is the //only place where the openGL context is //available.

{

SceneBegin();

...

SceneEnd();

}

onTimer(){} //frame independent source code

 

onExit(){} //free allocated memory and kill all processes

Interaction

• Keyboard()• Mouse()• CVmJoystick()• GUI• Tracking device:

getTrackerPos(TRACKER_ID);getTrackerRot(TRACKER_ID);getTrackerJoy(TRACKER_ID);getTrackerButtons(TRACKER_ID);

Navigation – Head Tracking

Head tracker perspective is implicit in the application:

SceneSetParam(VR_HEADTRACKER,1);

Navigation - Camera

var CameraPos = CameraGetPosition();

var CameraDir = CameraGetDirection();

 …

CameraSetPosition(CameraPos);

CameraSetDirection(CameraDir);

Scene render

.aam contains the information about meshes and materials.

(The exporter is available for Max and Blender) 

Var mesh;

Var object;

 

onInit()

{

mesh = CVmNewMesh("myAAMfile.aam");

obj = CVmObj();

obj.LinkToMesh(mesh);

}

 

 

onFrame()

{

obj.Draw();

}

Character animation – Halca

• HALCA library for character animation.

• Halca input format: cal3D. Exporter available for Max.

• Exporting in cal3D:

• Install plug-in (place .dll and .dle into Max folder)

• How to export:– New export options in File Export.

– Drag and drop .ms script file.

Character Animation – cal3D

Cal3D files:.XSF / .CSF: skeleton

.XMF / .CMF: mesh

.XSF / .CSF: material

.XAF / .CAF: animation

Character animation

Include avatars.s3d in the project (don’t modify this file!)

Call initAvatars();

Load Avatars using Avatars.AddCharacter(<path>,<cfg_file>);

Run an animation using any of these instructions: Avatars.ExeAct(),Avatars.ExeActPart, Avatars.BlendCycle()

References

XVR website: http://www.vrmedia.it/

HALCA website

http://www.lsi.upc.edu/~bspanlang/animation/avatarslib/doc

XVR wiki: http://wiki.vrmedia.it

XVR forums: http://forums.vrmedia.it

XVR documentation