Digital Workshop

I think I've mentioned this before, but haven't really had an answer.

Cost effective Level 3 or 4 simulations are often based on VR. I now understand the OS limitations on overlaying QTVR, but having seen a number of interactive VR sims I know there must be other ways than Quicktime. Hotspots really don't do it, as you really need to be able to overlay and interact with objects to do a reasonable simulation. Years ago we did similar things on the Amiga OS simply using oversized screens and scrolling. This seems to be problematic on Windows.

Any thoughts from you creative Opusheads?

Dave

Hi,

Thank you for your enquiry.

It really depends on how realistic you want the simulation to be. If you require a 360º degree panoramic image with pseudo-3D effect as the image is panned, QuickTime VR would probably be the best way to go, although I am aware of a number of alternatives (http://www.360media.company.org.uk) and Java applets which can perform the same function.

However, if you simply need a way of allowing the user to pan and zoom a static image, clicking on hotspots within the image to display information, this can be achieved using nested frames.

Please find attached an example publication which allows the user to pan around an image of Mount Rushmore. When the mouse is rolled over a president's face, a previously-hidden highlight is shown and clicking on the face displays a text box offering more information about the selected president.

The image can be zoomed using the magnifying glass icons in the top-right of the image and I have used script actions to recalculate the x and y boundaries of movement each time the scale is changed (thus preventing the user scrolling past the edges of the image).

I hope this helps. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further queries.

Kind regards,

Thanks, Robin.
I posted a query about magnifying in another recent thread where you mentioned the nested frames approach. That's a method, but the preferred (from a free-play simulation developers viewpoint) way would be to simply use a magnifying function on an image of sufficient resolution for the purpose such that a user could freely examine the image at will. Such functions are available even within Windows itself from a number of sources.

I am surprised that the state of VR (again, from a sim developers viewpoint) is as limited as it appears to be. In the mid-nineties we were using such screens freely and smoothly on the old Amiga OS (oddly enough, with a software much like Opus called "Opus" - I am not kidding!) to allow students to operate within simulations. Granted, that OS handled bitmaps in a much superior way to Windows, but I guess I just figured the incredible horsepower curve since that time on the Wintel platform might have narrowed the gap.

Do you have any suggestions in the java applet area? It is better to avoid commericial apps for what I do for a variety of cost/distribution reasons.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

The zoom effect is achieved using a SetScale() function, which effectively resizes the target frame. If this frame was not nested within another, the frame would simply increase in size and obscure other content on the page. By nesting the resizable frame within a static frame, you can restrict the visible area of the image and achieve a much more believable zoom effect.



The following web sites offer tutorials and links to Java-based panorama creators and viewers. Please note that we are not affiliated with these companies and cannot guarantee the quality or effectiveness of these products:

http://www.duckware.com/pmvr/index.htm
http://www.4pi.org/tutorial/guided.html
http://vr.albury.net.au/~kathyw/PanoToo ... ools1.html

Kind regards

Hey, I've been studying the script you posted. Thanks, as usual. I think this is a good workaround for the QTVR limitations. AAMOF, I think that a "hybrid" approach nesting QTVR for what it does well with this script may be the ticket.

I'll let you know how it works out...plus will likely be bugging you with procedural issues...

Best regards,
Dave

Hi Dave,
just out of curiosity -- you mentioned level 3 and level 4 simulations based on VR.
What are the criteria necessary for a simulation to be slotted into a level 3 or 4 ?

thanks
Paul