Model Viewer Technical Guide
Section 2 - STARTING THE MODEL VIEWER

2 STARTING THE MODEL VIEWER
 
2.1 Overview
 

As outlined in the introduction, the Model Viewer occupies 2 windows: the text window, from which the Model Viewer was invoked, and to which any text output is directed, and the 3D view window, where the <Images> and <Model> geometry are presented for viewing.

2.2 Command-Line Parameters
 

Model Viewer is an application that takes up to 3 command-line parameters:

    model_viewer [api_impl] transmittal_file_location [-nt|-nm]

The transmittal_file_location parameter is mandatory, and specifies the transmittal to be loaded.

The api_impl parameter is optional, specifying which implementation of the SEDRIS API should be used to read the transmittal, if dynamic binding was used to compile the executable of the application. See the documentation on API implementations for further discussion of this parameter. For the SEDRIS Transmittal Format (STF) implementation, either "stf" or "STF" can be specified.

The -nt and -nm parameters are optional, and mutually exclusive. (If both were provided, the user would be instructing Model Viewer to omit both textures and models from display, i.e., to display nothing.)

If provided, the -nt parameter indicates that texture information is to be omitted during the loading and display of the contents of the transmittal's <Model Library>. Neither the <Image Library>, if present, nor any texture mapping information will be loaded or displayed. Any <Image Mapping Function> instances, <Texture Coordinate> instances, and / or <Tack Point> instances present in the transmittal will be ignored.

Conversely, the -nm parameter, if provided, indicates that model information is to be omitted after the loading and display of the contents of the transmittal's <Image Library> instance.

The text window displays information about the <Image> instances and <Model> instances being loaded from the transmittal, together with any errors or warnings. Once the <Image> and <Model> instances are loaded, the viewer will open the *3D-view* window and proceed to step through all the <Image> instances loaded, in sequence, displaying them as they are loaded. After each <Image> has been displayed, the first "root" <Model> in the transmittal's <Model Library> will be displayed. The window will then await user control from the keyboard.


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Last updated: July 26, 2006 Copyright © 2006 SEDRIS