BS SDK

Tools / BS Exporter for Blender

Special Nodes

• NavigationInfo
• Background
• Fog (Mist)
• Particles
• Shadows
• Inlines
• Protos and Scripting

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NavigationInfo

One VRML/X3D "NavigationInfo" will always been exported with the following properties:

• Default values "speed" and "avatarSize"
• headlight="true", if there is no light in the scene
• "visibilityLimit" of the first camera
• A navigation type "walk" and "any"

Note:

In VRML/ X3D the first "NavigationInfo" is used (bound) by default. Creating a text file called "start" in Blender's built-in text editor enables you to export your own custom NavigationInfo.

See also:

• PROTOs and Scripting
• Blender Documentation: The Text Window

Background

You can export a VRML/X3D Background node using the colors and textures assigned in the "World" panel of your Blender scene.

The output of background colors depend on the combinations of the "Real", "Blend" and "Paper" buttons, teamed with horizon (Ho R, G, B) and zenith (Ze R, G, B) colors.

• No blending mode: horizon color is exported as both "skyColor" and "groundColor"
• "Blend" mode only: gradient from zenith to horizon color; zenith color is exported as "skyColor" and horizon color is exported as "groundColor"
• "Blend" + "Real" modes: inverted gradient from horizon to zenith color; horizon color is exported as "skyColor" and zenith color is exported as "groundColor"
• "Paper" mode: zenith color is exported as both "skyColor" and "groundColor"
• "Blend" + "Real" + "Paper" modes: complex gradient from zenith to horizon to zenith color
• Any other mode: just two colors, no gradient; zenith color is exported as "skyColor" and horizon color is exported as "groundColor"

Supported features for the VRML/X3D background node

Notes:

By changing the name of the Blender world, a definition (DEF) name will be assigned the the exported VRML/X3D Background node with "WO_" prefixed.

You can generate and export multiple backgrounds, but only the first will be bound (initially visible) and its ambient color (Amb R, G & B) will affect the "ambientIntensity" of lights and the "emissiveColor" of materials.

To export world textures to the VRML/X3D Background node you must add them in the "Texture" panel with the "World" button selected. The textures must be named top, bottom, left, right, front and back as shown in the image below.

Texture support for the VRML/ X3D background node

See also:

• Blender Documentation: The World and the Universe

Inlines

In Blender you can reference different scenes in one file. This feature can be used for creating and exporting VRML/X3D Inlines.

The first scene in the list is the main scene. Any other scene link is exported as an inline node.

Notes:

There is no syntax check so you must enter a valid VRML or X3D name.

Only the current scene will be exported not referenced inlined scenes. Each inlined scene must be exported separately.

Creating Inlines using Blender's scene feature

Fog (Mist)

From Blender you can directly export BS Contact's advanced "Fog"2 node using the "Mist" feature on the "Mist / Stars/ Physics" panel.

• The color of the fog (mist) is given by the horizon color of Blender (see Background)
• If "Qua" is activated the mist will not being exported
• If "Lin" is activated a linear fog will be exported (fogType "LINEAR")
• If "Sqr" is activated a exponential fog will be exported (fogType "EXPONENTIAL")
• "Sta" and "Di" dictate the start and end distance of the fog
• "Misi" will specify (as in Blender) the density of the fog

Supported features of BS Contact's advanced Fog2 node

See also:

• Blender Documentation: Mist

Particles

Particles in Blender can be exported to BS Contact's "Particles" node extension. Simply add a plane to the scene which will become the particle emitter ( "Add > Mesh > Plane"). The plane is only an emitter and will not be exported.

• The position, rotation and size of the plane specify the particle emitter's
• creation of particles depends on Tot (total number of particles), Life and End
• You can create a general random using the field "Rand", randomize the life time of particles uses the field "Rndlife"
• "VectSize" field specify the size of the particles
• the force fields specify the velocity of particles for X, Y and Z axis
• the texture fields specify the gravity of particles for X, Y and Z axis
• Using "MaxDist" field in panel "Particle Interaction" let you specify from which range the particles are off or on

Note:

For a preview of particles inside Blender, activate the "Face" button on the "Effects" panel and press "Alt+A" to play the particle animation within the 3D view. If you use a mesh as a particle, be sure to also activate "Vect" and "DupliVerts".

See also:

• Blender Documentation: Simple Particles

Supported features for simple particles


Using geometry particles

Shadows

With the BS Exporter for Blender you can easily create perspective real-time shadows cast by objects and projected onto a ground plane. The process is as follows:

• Create an "Empty" and name it "ShadowGroup.Name", where "Name" is own your choice
• Create a "Mesh > Plane" and "ShadowPlane.Name", where "Name" is own your choice too; the ShadowPlane will be the plane for receiving the shadow
• Set up the diffuse color and alpha of the ShadowPlane to determine the appearance of the shadow; enable the "Shadeless" button
• create a lamp or sun light too
• Select the ShadowPlane plane, the light and your 3D objects that should cast the shadows
• Select the ShadowGroup "Empty" too and make it parent to the selected objects
  

PROTOs and Scripting

For exporting unsupported nodes, your own custom scripts, navigation, world information and the like, you can use Blender's built in text editor. Simply create a new text file and name it "start" or open a external file named "start.js" or "proto.txt" when you like inserting code at the beginning of the file (after header, before any other node). When you create a new text file and name it "end" or open a external file named "end.js" or "end.txt" then the code will be inserted at the end of the file (after any other node).

See also:

• Blender Documentation: The Text Window

Creating unsupported nodes, custom scripts and navigation information

Note:

When adding your own text, there is no syntax checking on export, so you must write valid VRML or X3D syntax.

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