There are several key things to consider about VRML when constructing your MAX
file:
Polygons
You want to make your file able to be rendered in real time on an
average users machine.A maximum of 3000 in your scene is a good limit.
You can get creative with the number of polygons by implementing Anchors
and LOD's .
Animations
You can do any type of transform or "morphing" animation with the
2.0 exporter. Transform animation (translation, rotation and scale) tend to be
lighter on files. "Morphing" or Coordinate Interpolation produces larger files
because each vertex must be accounted for. Use sparingly.
Materials
You add materials as you normally would in MAX. "Wire" materials
will export as Indexed Line Sets.
Texture Maps
VRML will accept .gifs and .jpegs as texture maps. Texture maps
also tend to produce large files. Use sparingly.
Lighting
MAX will export lighting to VRML.
Cameras
At least one camera in your file is necessary. Create an "entry view"
for every file so that your models will load in view and you wont have to hunt
around for them. Cameras are exported as Viewpoints in VRML. The name you give
the camera is what your Viewpoint will be called in the VRML file. Users can
navigate through viewpoints in a file, moving from one to another.
The basic steps for creating a VRML file in Max:
Create your geometry
Assign Materials, Lighting and Texture Maps and Cameras
Make your animations
Under "Helpers" on the "Create" Command Panel choose one of the VRML Helper
sections
Place your VRML nodes in the scene and link them appropriately
Select File/Export
Export your file as a ".wrl" file
Configure the export dialogue box and press OK.
Check out your file in your VRML browser
You might want to open the file in your text editor at this point as well.
You can look at the code, edit and save it and look at it again in the browser.
You will often be going back and forth between the browser, the text editor and
MAX.
Exporter Dialogue Box:
Output Language- Select VRML 2.0, 1.0 or VRBL depending on your scene
Initial View- Lists all cameras in the scene with the initial view on top.
Generate:
Normals - Use if you need normal info for your file. It can make a file
signifigantly larger.
Fields- Arranges layout of Fields in VRML file
Indentation- Creates indentation in the layout of the VRML file
Primitives- exports the cone, sphere, cube and cylinder as VRML primitives.
Using this feature when you have primitives in your scene can cut down its size
considerably.
VRML 2.0 Options
Initial Navigation Info: Select the Nav Info you'd like the world to begin with.
Initial Background: Select the Background you'd like the world to begin with.
Initial Fog: Select the Fog you'd like the world to begin with. (This node is not supported
by any browsers yet)
Coordinate Interpolators:
Transform Controllers-
Once per Animation Frame - assigns a key value for each frame
Custom - Choose the frames per second. This allows you to reduce the number
of key values (and the file size)
Coordinate Interpolators-
Once per Animation Frame - assigns a key value for each frame
Custom - Choose the frames per second. This allows you to reduce the number
of key values (and the file size). Coordinate Interpolators can create huge
files. Experiment here to see if a lower FPS setting will lower your file size
while keeping your animation intact.
Up Direction
Z-axis - The MAX convention
Y-axis - The VRML convention. This is usually the choice you want.
Digits of precision-
How precise do you want the file to be? Higher digits of precision can mean
much larger files because it effects every value in the geometry. Four digits
is a good number
Bimap URL prefix
Directs the browser to the directory with your textures.
