Changes to the Program

Version 2.7.27: released December 23, 2001

• Added support for writing Maya ma files. Files are read by Maya 2.5 Evaluation Version.

• Fixed Problem: Divide by zero error when saving an object with only one vertex.

• Fixed Problem: Access violation error when reading a file if a RWX prototype only contained one vertex.

• Fixed a problem when reading VRML proto nodes.

Version 2.7.25: released December 4, 2001

• Added a second category for XYZ files. The original and first category is called 'Mesh' and the new and second category is called 'Point Cloud'. The new category works the same as DXF point cloud files.

• Converting triangles to quads: Before joining two triangles the angle between the two surface normals is calculated and compared to a test value. The test value is user adjustable and can be set for 0.0 degrees for coplanar triangles to any other value to allow for some curvature in the quad.

• Added support for reading XYZ coordinates stored as POINT entities in a DXF (point cloud) file that was created by a sample probe measuring elevations on a real world object.

Version 2.7.21: released November 8, 2001

• Fixed problem: In the 'align surface normals' module with the 'default rotations' button depressed, the view window would not display the object correctly after a rotation using the mouse.

• Changed writing of meshes, triangles and quads to a 3DMF file so that the surface normals are now pointing in the correct direction.

• BeginGroup and EndGroup are no longer written to 3DMF files.

• A 3D object can now be written to a 3DMF file as a group of quads (4 sided polygons) as well as the previous mesh or group of triangles.

Version 2.7.18: released November 1, 2001

• Fixed problem: trueSpace 5.1 files could not be read.

Version 2.7.17: released November 1, 2001

• Added a new preferences flag: Duplicate faces can now either be removed (deleted) or not removed when a file is read or when merging vertices, edges and faces.

Version 2.7.16: released October 22, 2001

• Fixed a problem that caused some computers to go into an endless loop when reading VRML files.

Version 2.7.14: released October 17, 2001

• Changed from a Single Work Area Interface to a Multiple Work Area Interface. The number of multiple Work Areas has been initially limited to six Work Areas.

• Added support for landscapes so that the coordinates can be written to either an ASCII or Binary XYZ file.

• Added support for reading binary XYZ files.

Version 2.7.10: released October 4, 2001

• The image displayed in the OpenGL viewer can now be saved to a BMP file.

• Changes were made so that new files could be loaded or a switch could be made to a different module (such as 'editing points', 'aligning surface normals', 'create avatar') without first having to exit the module being used.

Version 2.7.9: released September 25, 2001

• Fixed a problem, for some video cards in 1024 x 768 mode, where the controls were not positioned correctly in the window.

Version 2.7.7: released September 24, 2001

• For avatars, joint pivot points for layers without tag numbers are now read and written to RWX files.

• A bounding box, with user selectable color, can now be displayed around the entire object.

• Added an option to either reset or not reset to two sided rendering from one sided rendering when reading a new file.

• Hierarchy and joint pivot points for avatars are now read from a 3DS file.

• Added a one level undo function to the 'Edit Vertices' module.

• Move or pan the camera using the mouse. Press and hold the 'Ctrl' key and then press and hold the right mouse button. Moving the mouse pointer up or down or left or right will pan the camera.

• In the 'Edit Vertices' module, the number of vertices, edges and triangles on the selected layer are now displayed.

• 'Edit Vertices' and 'Align Surface Normals' modules: To rotate the entire object using the mouse, press and release the ' ` ' key located above the 'tab' key and to the left of the '1' key. The entire object can now be rotated using the mouse. When finished rotating the object, press and release the ' ` ' key to return either to editing vertices or aligning surface normals. Using this key is the same as clicking on the 'Default Rotations' button.

• Routine to detect key presses and releases has been relocated to improve key detection.

• Fixed problem: When in 'Edit Vertices' mode after selecting 'Edit2-> Default Rotations', it could not be deselected.

• Location and size of the main window is now stored in the at3d.prefs file.

• The upper and lower horizontal toolbars can be positioned at the top or bottom of the main window.

• The 'Tool Palette' has been moved into the main window and can be placed on either the right or left side.

• Buttons can be displayed with and without boundary edges.

• Disabled buttons can be displayed as ghosted or invisible.

• Disabled menus and menu items can be displayed as ghosted or invisible.

Version 2.7.5: released August 13, 2001

• Preliminary support for reading Maya RTG files has been added. Several things still need to be added including parent-child hierarchy and animation support.

Version 2.7.4: released August 12, 2001

• Due to problems with reading a couple of file formats and current and future database changes, the option to NOT delete layer attributes when clearing a 3D object from memory has been discontinued. Layer attributes are now always deleted.

• Fixed a problem when reading avatars from a RWX file. If a 'Scale' command was placed before the first 'ClumpBegin' command, the joint position was not scaled.

• In the 'Layer Attributes' dialog box, click on the 'global copy' button associated with an attribute and the value of that attribute will be copied to all the other layers.

• In the 'Global Attributes' and 'Layer Attributes' dialog boxes, enter a new value in an edit box and press the 'Enter' key and the database is updated and the position of the scroll bar will change. If the 'Enter' key is not pressed the database is not updated.

• The database for material attributes for the layers has been extensively modified. The controls in the 'Global Attributes' and 'Layer Attributes' dialog boxes have been redesigned.

Version 2.7.3: released July 26, 2001

• Improved the conversion of polygons, using more than 4 edges, into triangles. Multi sided polygons that are twisted or have edges which cross over one another may not convert correctly.

• Fixed several problems with the division of RWX Clumps using multiple materials into multiple layers.

Version 2.7.2: released July 24, 2001

• Fixed problem: When inserting a SEQ file in an existing animation, memory overflow problem caused an access violation error.

Version 2.7.0: released July 17, 2001

• Added a new warning message. If the 3D object has been labeled as an avatar, a warning message will be given if the 3D object is not being saved to the file as an avatar.

• Avatar animation sequences can now be saved to a Viewpoint Scene MTX file.

• 'Make Avatar' module: Additional controls for 'Location', 'Altitude' and 'Facing Angle' have been added plus controls for a 'Pin To Floor' feature.

• 'Make Avatar' module: All of the layers in an avatar can now be made into joints and rotated.

• Added write support for Viewpoint Scene MTX files. The required Wavefront OBJ and MTL files are also written when the MTX file is created.

• Added a new file save feature so that each layer making up the 3D object can be saved to its own file. Select an output file name and the name of each layer is appended to that file name as the file is written.

• When an avatar animation is running in the OpenGL viewer the avatar can be rotated using the mouse in the 'Main' view window. Using buttons you can zoom in, zoom out, reset the zoom, select 'front', 'right', 'left', 'back', 'top' or 'bottom' views or switch joints using the body part/joint buttons. Short cut keys on the keyboard can also be used.

• When using the OpenGL viewer in the 'Make Avatar' module, three styles of avatars can be selected: wireframe, hidden wireframe and solid painted.

• The stage in the 'Make Avatar' module can now be wireframe or solid with colored squares. The grid size for the stage and the length of the stage in the X and Y directions can be changed. The color of the squares can be changed.

• Added a new viewer using OpenGL. This viewer is still under development.

• Fixed a problem in the 'Make Avatar' module: The program went into an endless loop when trying to change from the 'Move' page to another page or when clicking on the 'Make Joint Rotations Permanent' button on the 'Action' page.

• Fixed a line buffer overflow problem when reading Wavefront OBJ files created by Poser 4.

• Added writing quads with textures to Wavefront OBJ files.

• Added preliminary reading of LightWave 6 (LW02) files for 3D geometry only (no textures).

• Fixed: The surface normals were pointing in the wrong direction when a 3D object, but not a landscape, was written to a STL file.

• Added a new check box called 'Origin' in the 'Change Object 1' page. When this check box is checked, the object rotates about the origin rather than the center point of the object.

• Fixed a problem with reading multiple layers from a STL file.

• Added an option to select not writing the comments #texbegin and #texend to a RWX file.

• Fixed a problem where TextureModes were not being written or were written incorrectly to a RWX file. TextureModes can now be set in the 'Global Attributes' dialog box.

• Fixed a problem, that occurred under a certain condition, where the wrong vertex and UV pair was picked for a polygon in a RWX file.

• Removed unnecessary ClumpBegin and ClumpEnd pairs from some styles of RWX files.

• Textures are now written to all styles of RWX files including files that contain quads.

• Textures are now written to 3DMF files.

• Fixed some problems with reading and writing Wavefront OBJ files.

• Revised the internal database for the program. Extensive code changes due to the new method of addressing the database.

• Faster conversion of triangles to quads.

• Faster reading and writing of files.

• The user can now select which file formats will be displayed in the combo boxes and menus when reading and writing files. It is very easy and quick to switch between the full list and the user list of file formats.

• Landscapes can now be written as either ElevationGrid or IndexedFaceSet nodes to VRML files.

• Added reading of Extrusion and ElevationGrid nodes for VRML files.

• Added a new function so that a pseudo 2D surface can be extruded so that it can be made into a 3D object using the 3D Systems' StereoLithography Apparatus.

• Fixed problem when writing a RWX file. Under a certain condition 'NULL' was not written after the 'TextureModes' command. The file with this problem could not be read by some programs.

• Fixed problem when reading a RWX file. The matrix elements from the 'TransformJoint' command were saved to the wrong matrix.

• Fixed problem where 'pelvis' was not written as the name of the root joint in a SEQ file.

Version 2.6.0: released November 12, 2000

• Improved reading of VRML files.

• Security removed with Version 2.5.32.

• Added support for reading and writing textures for 3D Studio 3ds, RenderWare rwx, trueSpace cob, VRML 1 and VRML 2 wrl, and Wavefront obj files.

• The LINE entity can now be used instead of the POLYLINE entity when creating DXF files for the extrusion module.

• Added support for PROTO nodes for VRML files. This support will not work for all PROTO nodes.

• Changed security so that registered users can reinstall software without having to obtain a new password.

• Added read and write support for SEQ files for avatar animation sequences used with the Active Worlds browser.

• Revised the 'Create Avatar' module so that both key frames and inbetween frames for animations can be created.

• A VRML 2.0 IndexedFaceSet that uses multiple colors can now be divided into as many layers as there are unique colors.

• Fixed problem where the faces were not created properly when reading a VRML IndexedFaceSet that used a large number of polygons.

• Added write only for 3D Metafile file format.

• New command combines all layers using the same material properties into one layer.

• Revised material properties written to a VRML file.

• Added writing of some material properties to a 3D Studio file.

• Vary number of faces used with VRML cone, cylinder and sphere primitives.

• For avatars, a new command merges all children without tags with their tagged parent joint to form one object.

Version 2.5.0: released February 9, 2000

• Faster reading of files.

• Installed a security system.

• Added read and write support for RenderWare files including avatar support.

• Completed read and write support for RealiMation, Version 4.1, files.

• Completed read and write support for Lightscape files.

• Added new display modes to show an object as the camera is being rotated with the mouse.

• Added a routine to reduce the number of vertices used in an outline formed from a polyline or a TrueType font.

• Program code was switched from Borland C++ Version 5.02 using OWL (Object Windows Library) to Borland C++ Builder 3 using RAD (Rapid Application Development)