Going Further with Cosmo Player 2.1.1
Copyright © 1997-1999 PLATINUM technology, inc. All rights reserved.
Cosmo Player plugs in to your Web browser to enable you to see and explore 3D worlds.
With Cosmo Player you can visit any 3D world authored in the Virtual Reality Modeling
Language (VRML). These 3D worlds often include other kinds of multimedia, like sound and
movies. (For more on VRML, see the Web3D
Consortium site at http://www.web3d.org.)
This manual presents the task-oriented information you need to get the most out of
Cosmo Player. It also tells you how to customize Cosmo Player.
Getting Started with Cosmo Player 2.1.1
shows you the basics of navigation. Cosmo
Player 2.1.1 Quick Reference gives brief descriptions of each of the elements in the
Cosmo Player interface. You can find more technical information about installation and
trouble-shooting in the Release Notes.
Using Cosmo Player Controls
An unselected button is gray-green. A selected button is bright
green. Unavailable buttons are flat and gray.
When you pass the pointer over a button, its name and description are displayed. You
can turn off the display of names and descriptions.
To turn pop-up button names and descriptions off/on
- Click the upper triangle at the bottom-left of the dashboard.
To turn pop-up button descriptions off/on
- Click the lower triangle at the bottom-left of the dashboard.
Resizing the Dashboard
You can minimize the dashboard to devote more of the Cosmo Player window to the 3D
world. When the dashboard is minimized, you can use keyboard equivalents for Cosmo Player
buttons. See "Using Keyboard Commands." Of
course, you can also re-expand the dashboard.
To minimize the dashboard
- Click the small triangle in the upper-left corner of the dashboard.
To re-expand the dashboard
- Click the small triangle in the bottom-left corner of the minimized dashboard.
Understanding Cosmo Player Controls
Cosmo Player has two sets of controls: you use the Movement controls to move around in
3D worlds, and you use the Examine controls to examine objects in a 3D world.
Some worlds allow you to use only Movement controls (Go, Slide, and Tilt).
Other worlds allow you to use only Examine controls (Rotate, Pan, and Zoom).
Still other worlds allow you to use both Movement and Examine controls.
Even if both sets of controls are available to you, it's usually best to use the
controls that are displayed when you first enter a world. You could easily become
disoriented by switching randomly from one set of controls to another!
If your dashboard looks like this
use Go, Slide, and Tilt to move around in the world.
See "Moving Around in a World."
If your dashboard looks like this
use Rotate, Pan, and Zoom to examine objects in the
world. See "Examining Objects in a World."
When you switch from one set of controls to the other, only the Movement and Examine
controls change. Other Cosmo Player controls (for example, Seek, Straighten, Undo
Move, and Redo Move) remain the same. See also "Using Keyboard Commands."
To switch between Movement and Examine controls
- Click the Change Controls button.
Or
- Press ` (backquote), ~ (tilde), or -
(minus key on numeric keypad).
Using Mouse and Keyboard
You can navigate with the mouse, the keyboard, or both mouse and keyboard.
To navigate with the mouse, choose a control and drag in the window. There are several
ways of doing this:
- Click a control, release the mouse button, and then click-and-drag in the window.
When you release the mouse, the control remains "permanently" selected until you
click another.
- Click a control, hold down the mouse button, and drag in the window.
This method temporarily selects a control: when you release the mouse button, selection
reverts to the last button "permanently" selected.
- Hold down Ctrl or Alt to temporarily select a control.
When you release Ctrl or Alt, selection reverts to the
last button "permanently" selected. See "Using
Keyboard Commands" and "Setting Preferences."
To navigate with the keyboard, choose a control and press the arrow keys (singly or in
combination).
Most controls have keyboard equivalents.
Moving Around in a World
Cosmo Player gives you several different ways of exploring a 3D world.
You can choose from a list of interesting points in the world. See "Navigating with Viewpoints."
If you get disoriented, you can use Seek, Straighten, Undo Move, and Redo
Move to find your way again. See "Going Directly to an
Object," "Straightening Your View," and
"Undoing and Redoing Movements."
You will often want to use the Movement controls, Go, Slide, Tilt,
Float, and Gravity. See "Moving
Forward and Backward," "Sliding Up, Down, Left, or Right,"
"Tilting Your View," and "Walking or Flying Through a World."
Navigating with Viewpoints
One of the simplest ways of exploring a world is to move between viewpoints. Viewpoints
are named locations that the world's author has defined.
To navigate with viewpoints
- Click the Viewpoint List button and choose a viewpoint from the pop-up
list
The current viewpoint is checkmarked. The current viewpoint is displayed in the Current
Viewpoint box.
Or
- Click the Next Viewpoint or Previous Viewpoint button.
You can press Page Down for Next Viewpoint or Page
Up for Previous Viewpoint.
Or
- Press the Home key to return to your initial viewpoint in the world.
Going Directly to an Object
Seek
Use the Seek button to go directly to an object in the 3D world.
To seek an object
- Click Seek.
The Seek button is selected.
- Click an object to "seek" it.
You move directly to the object, and the Seek button is unselected.
You can also put Cosmo Player in Continuous Seek mode, which makes
your pointer act as if Seek were being continually pressed.
In Continuous Seek mode other navigation controls continue to
function, but you don't interact with active objects. (An active object is one that will
do something--like play sound or an animation--when you click it or drag-and-click it. See
"Activating Objects.")
To move in Continuous Seek mode
- Double-click Seek.
The Seek button turns white:
- Click objects.
You can also click and drag to navigate normally with the navigation control you have
selected.
- Turn off Continuous Seek by clicking Seek again.
You can program a mouse button or key to turn on Continuous Seek. See
"Setting Preferences."
Straightening Your View
Straighten
Straighten is especially useful if you've become disoriented--facing
the ground, for example--and want to return to a position from which it is easier to
navigate.
Click the Straighten button to return your view to an upright
position.
You can also press the End key to straighten your view.
Undoing and Redoing Movements
Undo Move/Redo Move
Cosmo Player keeps track of each place you stop in a world. Use the Undo Move
and Redo Move buttons to move backward and forward in the list of places
you've visited.
Keyboard equivalents for Undo Move are Delete or Backspace.
Keyboard equivalents for Redo Move are Insert or Shift+Backspace.
If you've made a mistake in navigation, Undo Move is a quick way to
get back to where you were.
After you've used Undo Move at least once, Redo Move
enables you to move forward through the locations you've "undone."
Moving Forward and Backward
Go
Use the Go button (the default Movement control) to move in any
direction in the world.
Go turns your point of view in the direction of movement.
To go in any direction
- Make sure Cosmo Player is in Movement mode.
See "Understanding Cosmo Player Controls."
- If Go is not already selected, click the Go button.
- Drag up to go forward, down to go backward, left to go left, or right to go right.
You can press the arrow keys (singly or in combination) instead of dragging in the world.
Hold down Shift to go faster (the Go button turns
white).
Sliding Up, Down, Left, or Right
Slide
Use the Slide button (a Movement control) to slide up, down, left, or
right in a world. Unlike Go, Slide does not turn your point of view in
the direction of movement. See also "Walking or Flying Through a
World."
To slide in any direction
- Click Slide.
You can also press Alt to temporarily switch to Slide
from any other selected Movement control. (Once you release Alt,
selection reverts to the previously selected button.)
- Drag up to slide up, down to slide down, left to slide left, or right to slide right.
You can press the arrow keys (singly or in combination) instead of dragging in the world.
Hold down Shift to slide faster (the Slide button turns
white).
Tilting Your View
Tilt
Use the Tilt button (a Movement control) to tilt your view of the
world as if you were tilting a camera. You cannot turn your view upside down with Tilt.
To tilt your view in any direction
- Click Tilt.
You can also press Ctrl to temporarily switch to Tilt
from any other selected Movement control. (Once you release Ctrl,
selection reverts to the previously selected button.)
- Drag up to tilt up, down to tilt down, left to tilt left, or right to tilt right.
You can press the arrow keys (singly or in combination) instead of dragging in the world.
Walking or Flying Through a World
Gravity
Float
Depending on how a world is designed, gravity can be turned on or off when
you're using the Movement controls. When gravity is on, you walk along the ground. When
gravity is off, you can float up off the ground.
If the author of a world has given you the choice of walking or flying, you can
use the Float button to be able rise up into the air or the Gravity
button to be able to walk on the ground.
When Gravity is selected, you cannot move off the ground. When you
walk, you follow the ups and downs of the surface. If you are in mid-air when you turn Gravity
on, you fall to the ground.
When Float is selected, you can move off the ground with Slide,
unless the author has specified that gravity is always on. See "Sliding Up, Down, Left, Right."
The keyboard equivalent for switching between Float and Gravity
is the Tab key or + (plus sign on numeric keypad).
Examining Objects in the World
You examine objects primarily by using the Examine controls: Rotate, Pan,
and Zoom. These work best with objects floating in space--it's better to
use the Movement controls when you're navigating in a world with "sky" and
"ground" or "floor" and "ceiling." See ""Understanding Cosmo Player Controls." See also "Walking or Flying Through a World."
Making an Object Rotate
Rotate
Use the Rotate button (the default Examine control) to spin an object
in front of you.
To rotate an object
- If Rotate is not already selected, click the Rotate
button.
- Drag the pointer in the direction you want to rotate the object.
You can also use the arrow keys (singly or in combination). Rotate an object faster by
holding down an arrow key and Shift.
You can also make an object spin by itself when
Rotate is selected: just rotate the object normally
by dragging the mouse, but release the mouse with a
"throwing" motion (by releasing the mouse button while
you're still dragging.) The object in front of you continues to
spin even after you release the mouse.
Panning Up, Down, Left, and Right
Pan
Use the Pan button (an Examine control) to pan up, down, left, and
right.
To pan
- Click Pan.
You can also press Alt to temporarily select Pan when
another Examine control is active. (Once you release Alt, selection
reverts to the previously selected button.)
- Drag up, down, left, or right.
You can also use the arrow keys (singly or in combination). Pan faster by holding down an
arrow key and Shift.
Zooming In and Out
Zoom
Use the Zoom button (an Examine control) to zoom in or out.
To zoom in or out
- Click Zoom.
You can also press Ctrl to temporarily select Zoom when
another Examine control is active. (Once you release Ctrl, selection
reverts to the previously selected button.)
- Drag up to zoom in or drag down to zoom out.
You can also use the arrow keys (singly or in combination). Zoom faster by holding down an
arrow key and pressing Shift.
Activating Objects
An active object is one that will do something when you click it or click-and-drag it.
Typical actions include playing sound or an animation, taking you to a different place in
the world or to a new world or Web page, or displaying information in your browser.
When you move the pointer over an active object, the pointer changes to a starburst.
Note: When Seek or Continuous Seek
is selected, touchable objects remain inactive. See "Going
Directly to an Object."
Using Keyboard Commands
You can use keyboard commands as substitutes for Cosmo Player dashboard controls.
Keyboard commands are especially useful when the dashboard is minimized. See "Resizing the Dashboard." See also "Setting Preferences" on how to customize mouse buttons and
some keys for left-handed or right-handed use.
Action |
Keyboard Command |
Switch Movement/Examine controls |
` [backquote], ~ [tilde], or -
[minus sign on numeric keypad] |
Slide (Movement) |
Alt |
Tilt (Movement) |
Ctrl |
Pan (Examine) |
Alt |
Zoom (Examine) |
Ctrl |
Move/Examine with selected
control |
arrow keys |
Turbo (accelerates Go and Slide) |
Shift |
Previous viewpoint |
Page Up |
Next viewpoint |
Page Down |
Return to entry viewpoint |
Home |
Straighten |
End |
Undo move |
Delete or Backspace |
Redo move |
Insert or Shift+Backspace |
Switch Gravity/Float |
Tab or + [plus sign on numeric keypad] |
Switch headlight on/off |
* [multiplication sign on numeric keypad] |
Setting Preferences
To set preferences
- Click the Preferences button on the lower-right of the dashboard.
The Preferences window is displayed.
- Click a tab in the Preferences window.
- Set or change options by clicking checkboxes, radio buttons, or list items.
- Click OK to set the new options or click Cancel to
revert to previous options and close the Preferences window.
World
- Collision Detection On
- When collision detection is on, Cosmo Player will prevent your walking or flying through
solid objects in the scene.
- Headlight On [keypad * key]
- Turns the headlight on and off. Try using this option when the lighting doesn't look
right in the world you're exploring.
- Navigation Speed
- Changes the speed at which you move through the world. The "as-is" speed is
set by the author, but you can accelerate or decelerate the author's setting.
Performance
- Animate transitions between viewpoints
- When selected, your perspective shifts smoothly as you move from one viewpoint to
another. When deselected, your perspective jumps as you move from one viewpoint to
another.
- Nice Transparency
- Blends transparent colors with the objects behind them.
- Textures
- When selected, gives all background texture and image details, with possible reduction
in performance. Textures are images that are mapped onto the surfaces of some 3D objects.
If you turn off textures in a world that makes heavy use of them, you won't see the world
as its author intended.
- Image/Texture Quality
- Automatic - Attempts to make balance performance and quality.
- Best Quality - Provides maximum image quality but can reduce
performance speed, especially if you don't have hardware 3D acceleration on your system.
- Fastest - Ensures maximum performance speed, with possible degradation
of image quality.
- Enable specular and emissive color shine-through on
textured objects - When selected, specular and emissive
lighting will be unaffected by textures on objects. This is the
correct behavior according to the VRML spec, but it may degrade
performance (only on some systems), and it may cause textured
objects in some non-spec-compliant worlds to appear "washed
out".
Mouse
- Mouse Drag Feedback
- None - Provides no indication of where you clicked the mouse button.
- Crosshair at Mouse-down Point - Places a crosshair where you clicked
the mouse button.
- Crosshair and Rubberband - Places a crosshair where you clicked the
mouse button and draws a line from there to the current pointer location. This option
applies only to movement with Go and Slide.
- Right/Middle Mouse Button
- The effect of the following options depends on your input device.
- Slide/Pan - Turns the right/middle mouse button into a shortcut to
activate Slide (Movement mode) or Pan (Examine mode).
- Tilt/Zoom - Turns the right/middle mouse button into a shortcut to
activate Tilt (Movement mode) or Zoom (Examine mode)).
- Continuous Seek - Keeps Seek turned on. Dragging
navigates as usual; clicking moves you to the object.
Keyboard
- CTRL/ALT
- Determines how the control keys toggle between Cosmo Player commands. You can optimize
for either right-handed or left-handed use. See "Using
Keyboard Commands."
- Right-handed: CTRL=Tilt/Zoom and ALT=Slide/Pan - Pressing Ctrl
changes to Tilt (Movement mode) or Zoom (Examine mode).
Pressing Alt changes to Slide (Movement mode) or Pan
(Examine mode).
- Left-handed: CTRL=Slide/Pan and ALT=Tilt/Zoom - Pressing Alt
changes to Tilt (Movement mode) or Zoom (Examine mode).
Pressing Ctrl changes to Slide (Movement mode) or Pan
(Examine mode).
- SHIFT
- Determines the effect of the Shift key on Go, Slide,
and Seek.
- Turbo Mode - Accelerates Go and Slide
when the Shift key is pressed.
- Turbo Mode and Continuous Seek - Accelerates Go and Slide
when the Shift key is pressed and activates Continuous Seek.
- Continuous Seek Only - Activates Continuous Seek when
the Shift key is pressed.
Audio
These options do not take effect immediately. You must either reload the current world
or visit another one.
- Spatialize Audio
- When selected, sounds seem to originate from left, right, behind, or forward. Choose an
output device.
- Max. number of simultaneous (non-MIDI) sounds
- Automatic - Sets the maximum number of non-MIDI sounds to equal the
number in the world you're navigating.
- Custom: __ Sounds - Type the maximum number of non-MIDI sounds you want
to allow. Performance may degrade when you set values above 6.
- Automatic Muting
- Mute when window is not active - Turns off sounds in inactive windows.
- Never mute - Allows sounds to continue in inactive windows.
Graphics
- Renderer Selection
- The Cosmo Player renderer draws the 3D image. Your renderer may be software-only or it
may also use hardware acceleration, if it is available on your system. Cosmo Player
provides two renderers: OpenGL (an industry standard) and Direct3D (a Microsoft standard).
Either renderer can use hardware acceleration. If your system has hardware acceleration
for either OpenGL or Direct3D, Automatic Renderer Selection will choose the appropriate
renderer for you.
- Force Software-only Rendering
- Choosing this option forces Cosmo Player to use only software rendering, even if your
system has hardware acceleration.
Advanced
- Examine Viewer Style
- Standard Examiner - The object always rotates in the direction
of your mouse-drag.
- Virtual Trackball - Rotation depends on the point on the screen
where you grabbed the object.
- VRML Console Behavior
- Determines when the VRML console is displayed (for VRML developers). Flashing yellow
warning and red error lights on the dashboard are your signal to open the VRML console for
messages.
- Show console on error or warning - Displays the VRML console when a
VRML error or warning is encountered in the world.
- Show console on startup - Displays the VRML console whenever Cosmo
Player starts.
- Display VRML Console now - Displays the VRML console. Keyboard
equivalent: \ (backslash).
Part number 007-3853-002 / Revised October 28, 1998