›–» Introduction

Okay, open trueSpace, in this section I will intrduce you the basic functions and features that you will soon be using whenever you make an object.

Here is the program (This screen shot is using TS 4.2, yours might be a little different). Get used to this enviroment, as you can see the menu bar is at the bottom of the program which is a little strange. There are a lot of buttons and tools that you will probably never use in this program when creating objects for Active Worlds. trueSpace wasn't made just for making objects for Active Worlds even though it is very good at it but I will try to explain all the tools you could ever need in this tutorial.

• Common Tools

• 1: Undo/Redo
Possibly my most used tool in trueSpace :P The undo feature is somewhat limited however. When you perform certain actions, such as subtrating/unioning objects it will only undo one single action. So if you union three spheres together, you'll only be able to un-union the last two you unioned. Always remember this when unioning and subtracting work because I have ruined quite a few objects before because I can't undo and I never save :P

• 2: Insert Primitive
The most basic feature in trueSpace. This allows you to drop a Cube, Sphere, Plane, Cylinder, Cone or Torus (Doughnut) into the center of your scene. Almost everything you create will evolve from these basic objects. It may seem impossible that someone can create a realistic avatar or complex object from these, but you'll soon find out how easy it is using the deformation and object union/subtraction tools.

• 3: Object Tool
More about this function is explained on the Object Information page. This is a very useful tool, use it to accurately set the location, size and rotation of your objects. This should almost always be open when your working.

• 4: Object Move/Resize/Rotate
If you click and hold on this button it will expand revealing two other tools too. These allow you to move, rotate or resize your object. Another tool in trueSpace that you will use all the time when creating your work.

When using these tools, clicking (on or around your selected object) and holding with the left mouse button will allow you to effect the object on the X and Y axis', Clicking and holding with the right mouse button effects the object on the Z axis (up/down). When resizing objects, click and hold with both mouse buttons to resize something proportionately. i.e. Holding both mouse buttons effects all 3 axis' evenly.

• 5: Edit Points/Faces
If you already know a little about 3D objects (and you should do really), you'll know that a 3D object is made up of a "wireframe" or "mesh". Each square in your wireframe is called a face and at each point where the lines in your wireframe meet is know as a point. If you expand this button (by clicking on it with your mouse and holding), you will be given quite a few tools, only three of which you will really use: Point Edit, Polygon Draw and Delete Face, more of this is explained on the Adding/Deleting Faces section.

• 6: Deformation
This tool allows you to effect objects on different axis' in different ways using combinations of the buttons provided on the little window that pops up. More about this tool is explained in the Deformation section.

• 7: Union/Subtract/Intersect Object
You can expand this button too (click and hooold), with the different buttons there you can union i.e. "stick" two objects together, take one away from another or create an object out of the bits where two objects overlap known as an "intersection". More about this tool is explained in the Object Union/Subtraction/Intersection section.

• 8: The Paint Tool
You will use this tool to add colour or textures to your object, this button expands to give a rather comprehensive selection of tools. They are exaplained in more detail in the Textures, Painting, Masking, UV Projection and Prelighting sections.

• 9: UV Projection
Sometimes when you try to apply a texture to two objects unioned together or an object you've just made from deforming a primitive, the texture is all warped and looks terrible. You can use UV Projection to re-wrap the texture around the object in different ways. This is explained more in the UV Projection Section.

• 10: The Keyframe Editor
There are two main functions you can use this for in trueSpace. You can use it to "tag" or give names to the different objects in a scene and then group them together into a hierarchical system, which is useful for creating avatars. Or you can use the actual timeline system to create 3D animation using the objects you created. This can be experted to video or there are even ways to convert this animation into SEQ files which are better known in Active Worlds as gestures (macarella?) which you see in Active Worlds. This is explained more in the Avatars section under Tagging.

• 11: Snap to Grid
Another infintely useful tool. This allows you to snap your objects to given increments so that they can only be moved, rotated or resized by a set amount at a time. You may have encountered this tool before in 3d/vector based programs. By right clicking on this button you can set the amount in terms of acis' X Y Z with which you would like the grid increments to be set to.

• The Camera Angle (  )

Whilst creating your objects, you may want to view/ work on them from different angles, by expanding this this button ( ) you are given a range of tools that once selected allow you to reposition the camera using your mouse (and clicking in anywhere in the 3D area and holding whilst moving your mouse). The button by default is in the bottom left of your workspace on th lowest row. Note: NEVER EVER use the button with the picture of an aeroplane on it. If you don't know how to use it you could end up flying off into no-where and loosing where your work is. And there is no way to set the perspective camera to the center of the scene again (that I'm aware of?).

On to Section 2: Object Information
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