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Exporting VRML Files

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When you export a part in this format, the VRML 2.0 Write dialog box is displayed with the options listed below:

 

NOTE:  The only graphic formats that VRML 2.0 supports are JPEG, GIF, and PNG.  Since many other formats are supported, you may need to convert some of the image files before exporting.  For details, see the Convert option described below.

 

  • Environment.  Select from these common export options.

  • End of Line.  Select from these common export options.

  • Make all Polygons Convex.  Choose this option to create convex polygons at the expense of increasing the file size.  This option is important because many VRML browsers have difficulty interpreting concave polygons.

  • Minimize File Size.  Select this option to achieve a smaller exported file by deleting comments, indentation characters, and info nodes.  

  • Group Objects by Material.  Choose this option to combine all surfaces of the same material into a single group, resulting in a smaller file.

  • Also Export GZIP (.gz) File.  Select this option to generate two files: the standard VRML file, which ends with the extension .wrl,  and a compressed version, with the extension .wrl.gz.  The file is compressed using GZIP compression.

  • Texturing:

    • Output Texture Data.  Select this option to display the surface textures on the part in the exported file.  

    • Write Images Used by Model to Directory.  The surface textures on a part originate as images in graphic files.  Select this option to copy these graphic files to the same directory as the exported part.  

    • Resize Images if Larger Than.  Select this option to reduce the size of the graphic files that produce surface textures.  This option is useful for speeding up the transmission of a VRML world over the Web.

    • Pixels Square.  If you selected the previous option, enter the maximum size for graphic files in this field.  For example, enter 32 to keep all files under 32x32 pixels.  

    • Write Manifest .txt File Listing Image Files Used.  Select this option to produce a text document, or manifest, listing the graphic files associated with the exported part.  The name of the manifest file is the same as the name of the part file, except for the extension .txt.  

    • Convert.  Select this option to convert the image files associated with the part to a particular graphic format.  From the pull-down list, select All to convert all image files.  Alternately, select Unsupported to convert files that belong to graphic formats not supported by VRML 2.0.

The results of this option depend on whether or not you select the Write images option described above.  If Write images is not active, only the file names are converted and not the physical files.  If the Write option is active, the physical files are converted from one graphic format to another and changes the names, as well.

    • Images To.  From this pull-down list, select the desired graphic format for the converted image files.  The options are:  JPEG, GIF, or PNG.  

For example, if the textures on your part originate in GIF and TIFF files, you could convert them all to JPEG format.  Select All for the previous option and JPEG for this option.  If you select Unsupported for the previous option and JPEG for this one, all the TIFF files are converted to JPEG, but keeps the GIF files intact, since VRML directly supports GIF files.

    • JPEG Quality.  If you selected JPEG as the target file format, select this option to define the quality of the resulting image.  

You can export color textures or decals, but not both, to a VRML file.  If the part contains a color texture but not a decal, the color texture is exported.  If the part has a decal but no color texture, the decal is exported.  If it has both, the color texture is exported but not the decal.

 

If you’re exporting a part with decals, it is suggested that you use the Write images option to save the decal textures in files.  When you save a decal image using this technique, the border of the decal is changed to the color of the underlying part.  The result appears as an authentic decal in the VRML world.

 

The coordinate system is transformed to the one used in VRML and its "up direction" (the Height axis) to correspond to the Y-axis in VRML.  The result is that parts come into VRML right side up.  Also, the units of measurement are always converted to meters when exporting to VRML.