<!doctype linuxdoc system>
<!--
Changelog:
2000-09-25 created the changelog after a week of initial editing PJT
2000-10-10 made consistent with VERSION 0.1 release PJT
2000-11-07 election night changes PJT
2000-11-20 document some CVS and new configure stuff for 0.3 PJT
2000-12-28 document new movie features for the new CVS version
and lotsa more commands described now PJT
-->
<article>
<!-- Title information -->
<title> Partiview (PC-VirDir)
<author> Peter Teuben
<date> 28 February 2001
<abstract>
This document helps you installing and running the development version
of partiview.
Quite a few things in this manual have not been fleshed
out, in particular the detailed description of all the commands.
</abstract>
<!-- Table of contents -->
<toc>
<!-- Begin the document -->
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect> Installation
<p>
This assumes you have the October 2000 release (version 0.1 or later) of
<bf/partiview/, not the earlier "<bf/gview/" release that was described
in earlier versions of this document. We keep copies of some support
files (Mesa, FLTK) on our initial
<htmlurl url="http://www.astro.umd.edu/nemo/amnh"
name="http://www.astro.umd.edu/nemo/amnh"> website. Note that
this current development release is only documented for work under Linux,
although we expect it to work for at least SGI and maybe Solaris too.
<sect1> MESA/OpenGL
<p>
First make sure <tt/Mesa/ is installed, for <tt/redhat6.2/
there are rpm files
available. Check if you have the following:
<tscreen><code>
% rpm -qa | grep Mesa
Mesa-3.2-2
Mesa-devel-3.2-2
% rpm -i Mesa-3.2-2.i686.rpm Mesa-devel-3.2-2.i686.rpm
</code></tscreen>
You should have both installed. Some packages will use <tt/libMesaGL/, others
<tt/libGL/. The <tt/configure/ script (see below)
should take care of the two possible options.
<p>
Homepage: <htmlurl url="http://mesa3d.sourceforge.org"
name="http://mesa3d.sourceforge.org">
<p>
Redhat packages: (part of powertools I believe)
<sect1> FLTK
<p>
Also make sure <tt/fltk/ is installed. If you got my version, do this (as
root)
<tscreen><code>
% locate libfltk.a
% locate Fl_Slider.h
% cd <where-ever>/fltk-1.0.9
% make install
</code></tscreen>
(you only need it if you want to recompile the program at some point,
not if you just want to run it)
<p>
Homepage: <htmlurl url="http://www.fltk.org/"
name="http://www.fltk.org/">
<p>
Redhat packages: <htmlurl url="http://www.cs.cornell.edu/nogin/RPM/fltk-devel.html"
name="http://www.cs.cornell.edu/nogin/RPM/fltk-devel.html">
<sect1> partiview
<p>
Extract the tarball, and install the program from within the
<tt/src/ directory:
<tscreen><code>
% tar zxf partiview-0.5.tar.gz
% cd partiview-0.5/src
% make clean (if you really must compile a new executable)
% ./configure (GNU autoconf toolset to ease installation)
% make depend (might need to make new local dependancies)
% make partiview (should not have to edit Makefile anymore)
</code></tscreen>
<sect1> CVS
<p>
Since <tt/partiview-0.3/ is under CVS control, and occasionally we
will stamp out a new release when we deem it stable. Anonymous CVS may also
be offered, but this is not currently enabled. Currently the
CVS repository machine is
<tt/grus.astro.umd.edu/ and you will need to setup your developers account with
Peter (<tt/teuben@astro.umd.edu/). Here's a sample session with some commonly
used CVS commands:
<tscreen><code>
setenv CVSROOT :pserver:pteuben@grus.astro.umd.edu:/grus/cvsroot
setenv CVSEDITOR emacs
setenv CVS_RSH ssh (not needed for pserver access though)
cvs login (only needed once, and only for pserver type access)
mkdir ~/cvsstuff
cd ~/cvsstuff
cvs checkout partiview # get a new local sandbox to work in, or
cvs -n -q update partiview # check if others had made any changes
cvs update partiview # if so, update your sandbox and/or resolve conflicts
cd partiview/src
./configure
emacs partibrains.c # edit some files
make all # compile the program
./partiview # test the program
emacs partipanel.cc # edit another file
make all # check if it still compiles
cvs -n -q update # check if anybody else made changes
cvs update # if so, update your sandbox again, resolve conflicts
cvs commit # and commit your changes
cd ../..
cvs release partiview # if you want to release and remove this sandbox
</code></tscreen>
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect> Directory structure
<p>
Here is the directory structure, as per version 0.1:
<p>
<tscreen><verb>
partiview/ root directory
partiview/src source code
partiview/data sample datafiles (e.g. Hipparcos Bright Star Catalogue)
partiview/doc manual (sgml, and derived html, txt, ps/dvi)
partiview/nemo NEMO specific converters/code
partiview/starlab STARLAB specific converters/code
partiview/tutor examples of tutorial type code (added in 0.2)
partiview/windows windows executables/support (old)
</verb></tscreen>
<sect> Running the program
<p>
First we describe a simple example how to run <tt/partiview/ with a supplied sample
dataset. Then we describe the different windows that <tt/partiview/ is made up of, and
the different commands and keystrokes it listens to.
<sect1> Example 1: Hipparcos Bright Star Catalogue 3-D viewing
<p>
Start the program using one of the sample "speck" files in the
<tt/data/ directory:
<tscreen><code>
% cd partiview/data
% ./hipbright
or
% partiview
</code></tscreen>
and this should come up with a display. You should probably enlarge the
window a bit. Mine comes up in roughly a 300 by 300 display window,
which may be a bit small (certainly on my screen :-)
Hit the TAB key to bring focus to the (one line) command window inbetween
the log screen (top) and viewing screen (bottom). Type the commands
<tscreen><code>
fov 50 (field of view 50 degrees)
jump 0 0 0 80 70 60 (put yourself in the origin
and look at euler angles
RxRyRz (80,70,60)
</code></tscreen>
and it should give a nice comfy view :-) If you ever get lost, use
the <tt/jump/ command to go back to a known position and/or viewing
angle, or just the <tt/center/ command.
<figure loc="tbp">
<img src="pv1.gif">
<caption>partiview view</caption>
</figure>
<p>
[spatial units are parsecs, angle units are degrees]
<p>
Now play with the display, use the 't', 'r', 'f' and 'o' keys in the viewing
window and use the
left and mouse buttons down to (carefully) move around a bit, and make
yourself comfortable with moving around. Using the 't' button you get
some idea of the distance of the stars by moving back and forth a little
(the parallax trick). In fact, if you 't' around a little bit, you may
see a green line flashing through the display. This is one of the RGB
(xyz) axes attached to the (0,0,0) [our sun] position. You should see
Procyon and Sirius exhibit pretty large parallaxes, but Orion is pretty
steady since it is several hundred parsecs away.
If you move the right mouse button you will zoom in/out and
should see our Sun flash by with the red-green-blue axes.
<p>
The RGB axes represent the XYZ axes in a cartesian system. For the Hipparchos
data the X (red) axis points to RA=0h, Y (green) axis to RA=6h, both in the equatorial
plane, and the Z (blue) axis points to the equatorial north pole.
<p>
Try and use the middle mouse button (or the 'p' key) to click on Sirius
or Procyon, and see if you can get it to view its properties. Now use
the 'P' key to switch center to rotation to that star. Sirius is
probably a good choice. Move around a bit, and try and get the sun and orion
in the same view :-)
<p>
[NOTE: these Hipparcos data do not have reliably distance above
100-200 pc, so Orion's distances are probably uncertain to 30%]
<p>
A little bit on the types of motion, and what the mouse buttons do
<tscreen><code>
| left middle right
| Button-1 Button-2 Button-3 Shift Button-1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
f (fly) | fly 'pick' zoom
o (orbit) | orbit 'pick' zoom
r (rotate) | rotate X/Y 'pick' rotate Z (+bug?) translate
t (translate) | translate 'pick' zoom
</code></tscreen>
The point of origin for rotations can be changed with the 'P' button.
First you can try and pick ('p' or Button-2) a point, and if found,
hit 'P' to make this point the new rotation center default.
<tscreen><code>
red = X axis
green = Y axis
blue = Z axis
</code></tscreen>
<sect1> Top Row
<p>
The top row, from left to right, shows the following buttons:
<p>
<descrip>
<tag> More </tag>
Nothting implemented here yet.
<tag> [g1] </tag>
Pulldown g1, g2, ... (or whichever group)
is the currently selected group. See <tt/object/ command
to make aliases which group is defined to what object. If multiple
groups are defined, the next row below this contains a list of all
the groups, and their aliases, so you can toggle them to be displayed.
<tag> [f]ly </tag>
Pulldown to select fly/orbit/rot/tran, which can also be activate
by pressing the f/o/r/t keys inside the viewing window.
<tag> point </tag>
Toggle to turn the points on/off. See also the <tt/points/ command.
<tag> poly </tag>
Toggle to turn polygons on/off. See also the <tt/polygon/ command.
<tag> lbl </tag>
Toggle to turn labels on/off. See also the <tt/label/ command.
<tag> tex </tag>
Toggle to turn textures on/off. See also the <tt/texture/ command.
<tag> box </tag>
Toggle to turn boxes on/off. See also the <tt/boxes/ command.
<tag> #.### </tag>
The current displayed value of <tt/logslum lum/ (see below)
<tag> logslum lum </tag>
Slider controlling a <bf/datavar/ variable (the one selected as
luminosity)
</descrip>
<sect1> Group row (optional)
<p>
When more than one group has been activated (groups of particles or objects
can have their own display properties, and be turned on and off at will),
a new Group Row will appear as the 2nd row. You can then toggle the display
of these groups.
<sect1> Time Animation rows (Optional)
<p>
The third and fourth row from the top control playing sequences
of time, including a trip meter. This
time-control bar is only visible when the object has a nonzero
time range. Of course when the group
<descrip>
<tag> T </tag>
Shows the current time (or offset from the tripmeter).
The absolute time is the sum of the <bf/T/ and <bf/+/ fields.
Both are editable.
<tag>trip </tag>
Press to mark a reference point in time.
The T field becomes zero, and the + field (below)
is set to current time. As time passes, T shows the
offset from this reference time.
<tag>back </tag>
Press to return to reference time (sets T to 0).
<tag> dial </tag>
<tag> |< </tag>
<tag> >| </tag>
<tag> + </tag>
Current last time where tripmeter was set. You can reset to
the first frame with the command <tt/step 0/
<tag> #.#### </tag>
(Logarithmic) value denoting the speed of animation.
<tag> << </tag> toggle movie move backwards in time
<tag> >> </tag> toggle movie move forwards in time
</descrip>
<sect1> Camera (path) Animation row
<p>
The fifth (or 4th or 3rd, depending if Group and/or TIme rows are present)
row from the top controls loading and playing sequences of moving through space.
<p>
<descrip>
<tag> Load... </tag>
Brings up a filebrowser to load a <bf/.wf/ path file. This is a file with on each
line 7 numbers: xyz location, RxRyRz viewing direction, and FOV (field of view).
The <tt/rdata/ command loads such path files too.
<tag> Play </tag>
Play the viewpoint along the currently loaded path,
as the <tt/play/ command does.
Right-click for a menu of play-speed options.
<tag> << < [###] >>> </tag>
Control individual path frames
<tag> slider </tag>
Slider
</descrip>
<sect1> Logfile window
<p>
The third window from the top contains a logfile of past commands
and responses to them, and can be resized by dragging the bar between
command window and viewing window.
The Logfile window also has a scroll bar on the left. You can
direct the mouse to any previous command, and it will show up in the
command window. Using the arrow keys this command can then be edited.
<p>
<sect1> Command window
<p>
The Command window is a single line entry window, in which Control
Commands can be given. Their responses appear in the Logfile
window and on the originating console. (unlike Data Commands,
which show no feedback).
The Up- and Down-arrow keys (not those on the keypad) scroll through
previous commands, and can be edited using the arrow keys and a subset
of the emacs control characters.
<p>
<sect1> Viewing window
<p>
The (OpenGL) Viewing window is where all the action occurs. Typically
this is where you give single keystroke commands and/or move the mouse
for an interactive view of the data. It can be resized two ways:
either by resizing the master window, or by picking up the separator
between Viewing window and Command window above.
<sect1> Example 2: a (starlab) animation
<p>
Setting up a small animation in for example Starlab can be done quite simply as follows:
<tscreen><code>
mkplummer -i -n 20 | mkmass -l 0.5 -u 10.0 | scale -s | kira -d 2 -D x10 > run1
(lots of output from kira will still appear on the screen)
partiview run1.cf
cat run1.cf
kira run1
eval every
eval lum mass 0 0.01
eval psize 100
eval cment 1 1 .7 .3
eval color clump exact
</code></tscreen>
Alternatively, if you had started up partiview without any arguments, the following
Control Command (see below) would have done the same
<tscreen><code>
read run1.cf
</code></tscreen>
<sect1> Example 3: stereo viewing
<p>
The 's' key within the viewing window toggles stereo viewing. By default each
object is split in a blue and a red part, that should be viewed with a pair
of red(left)/blue(right) glasses. Red/Green glasses are also popular in the
industry, and you need the change the color
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect> Commands
<p>
There are two types of commands in <tt/partiview/:
Control Commands and Data Commands.
Probably the most important difference between the two is that Control
Commands return feedback to the user, whereas Data Commands
are interpreted "as is". Control Commands are entered in the command window.
But once in Control Command mode,
you can still let commands become Data Commands (using the
<tt/add/ Control Command, and in Data Command mode one can
let a command be a Control Command by preceding it with the
<tt/eval/ command. Before we explain the two types of Commands in
more detail, a few other concepts are needed:
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect1> Textures
<p>
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect1> Coordinates and Coordinate Transformations
<p>
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect1> Grouping of objects
<p>
While the data are being read, particles can be grouped in different object
groups, each of which can be manipulated and displayed on its own. The Group
Row, which appears if more than one group is defined, allows easy access
to the different groups.
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect1> Control Commands
<p>
(see partibrains.c::specks_parse_args)
<p>
Commands can be
prefixed with a generic group designation, <tt/gN/, to which this command
applies. See the <tt/object/ Data Command how to place different data in
different groups.
<p>
Data Commands can also be given, if prefixed with the <tt/add/ command.
<descrip>
<tag>
read <it/specks-file/>
</tag>
read a file containing data commands (typical suffix .cf or .speck).
<tag>
include
</tag>
NOTYET (would read a file containing control commands)
<tag>
on
</tag>
Enable display of currently selected group (as it is by default).
<tag>
off
</tag>
Turn off current group.
<tag>
enable
</tag>
see the <tt/on/ command.
<tag>
disable
</tag>
see the <tt/off/ command.
<tag>
eval <it/control-command/
</tag>
Invoke that control command just as if the <tt/eval/ prefix weren't there.
Provided for symmetry: wherever either a Control command or a Data command
is expected, <tt/eval/ <it/control-command/ ensures that it's
taken as a control command.
<tag>
add <it/data-command/
</tag>
This will enter a Data Command while in Control Command mode.
<tag>
async <it/unix-command/
</tag>
This will allow you to execute an arbitrary unix command, the subprocess
of which its <it/stdout/ will be taken as a stream of Control Commands.
<tag>
update
</tag>
Ensures the screen is updated, as before taking a snapshot.
<tag>
hist <it/datavar/ [-n <it/nbuckets/][-l] [-c] [-t] [<it/minval/] [<it/maxval/]
</tag>
Generates a histogram of values of the datafield named by <it/dataval/.
<p>
-l logarithmic, -c clipped, -t threshed.
<tag>
bound
</tag>
Reports 3D extent of the data
<tag>
speed
</tag>
For time-dependent data, advance datatime by this many time units
per wall-clock second.
(note that <tt/fspeed/ has been deprecated)
<tag>
run
</tag>
<tag>
fade [planar|spherical|linear <it/refdist/|const <it/refdist/]
</tag>
Determines how distance affects particles' apparent brightness (or "size").
The default <tt/fade planar/ gives 1/r^2 light falloff, with r measured
as distance from the view plane. <tt/fade spherical/ is also 1/r^2,
but with r measured as true distance from the viewpoint.
<tt/fade linear/ <it/refdist/ gives 1/r light falloff -- not physically
accurate, but useful to get a limited sense of depth.
<tt/fade const/ <it/refdist/ gives constant apparent brightness
independent of distance, and may be appropriate for orthographic views.
The <it/refdist/ for linear and const modes is that distance <it/r/
at which apparent brightness should match that in the 1/r^2 modes --
a distance to a "typical" particle.
<tag>
clipbox ...
cb ....
</tag>
Display only a 3D subregion of the data -- the part lying within the clipbox.
<descrip>
<tag> <it/xmin ymin zmin xmax ymax zmax/ </tag> <p>
<tag> <it/xcen,ycen,zcen xrad,yrad,zrad/ </tag><p>
<tag> <tt/on/ </tag><p>
<tag> <tt/off/ </tag><p>
</descrip>
<tag>
object
</tag>
<tag>
tfm
</tag>
<tag>
bgcolor
</tag>
Set window background color (three R G B numbers or one grayscale value).
<tag>
kiractl
</tag>
viewing control options for kira (starlab)
formatted data that have been read in with
the <tt/kira/ Data Command.
<descrip>
<tag> kira node {on|off|root} </tag> <p>
Show or hide center-of-mass nodes for multiple stars.
With <tt/on/, show CM nodes for each level in a binary tree.
With <tt/root/, show only the top-level CM node for each multiple.
<tag> kira ring {on|off|root} </tag> <p>
Show circles around multiple stars; <tt/on/ and <tt/root/ as above.
<tag> kira tree {on|off|cross|tick} [<it/tickscale/] </tag> <p>
Show lines connecting pairs of stars at each binary-tree level
in a multiple group. With <tt/cross/, also show a perpendicular
line -- a tick mark -- which crosses at the CM point,
and whose length is <tt/tickscale/ (default 0.5) times the
true separation of the pair.
With <tt/tick/, just show the tick-mark with no connecting line.
<tag> kira size <it/fac/ </tag> <p>
<tag> kira span <it/minpix/ <it/maxpix/ </tag> <p>
<tag> kira track <it/id/ </tag> <p>
<tag> ??? scale </tag> <p>
</descrip>
<tag>
gN <it/control-command/
</tag>
Generic prefix to any control command to act on the selected group <it/gN/ (N=1,2,3,....).
<p>
<tag>
stereo [on|off|redcyan|glasses] [<it/separation/]
</tag>
Stereo display. If hardware allows it, <tt/stereo glasses/ selects
CrystalEyes-style stereo. All systems should be capable of
<tt/stereo redcyan/, which requires wearing red/green or red/blue glasses.
Useful <it/separation/ values might be 0.02 to 0.1, or -0.02 to -0.1 to swap
eyes. See also <tt/focallen/ command, which gives the distance to
a typical object of interest: left- and right-eye images of an object
at that distance will coincide on the screen.
<tag>
snapset FILESTEM [FRAMENO]
</tag>
set snapshot parameters
<tag>
snapshot [FRAMENO]
</tag>
take a snapshot of the current viewport (uses convert(1))
<tag>
move on|off
</tag>
<tag>
move-objects on|off
</tag>
<tag>
clip NEAR FAR
</tag>
Set or get clipping distances
<tag>
ortho
</tag>
NOTYET
<tag>
fov <it/float/
fovy <it/float/
</tag>
Angular field of view (in degrees) in Y-direction.
<tag>
focal <it/distance/
focallen <it/distance/
</tag>
Focal length.
Use the 's' key to toggle
stereo display. The focal length also determines the fly/tran speed.
<tag>
jump [<it/X Y Z/] [<it/Rx Ry Rz/]
</tag>
Get or set the current position (XYZ) and/or viewing (RxRyRz) angle.
<tag>
readpath
</tag>
Read a Wavefront (<tt/.wf/) file describing a path through space.
<tag>
rdata
</tag>
Synonym for readpath.
<tag>
play <it/speed/[f]
</tag>
Play the currently loaded (from <tt/readpath//<tt/rdata/) camera animation
path, at <it/speed/ times normal speed,
skipping frames as needed to keep up with wall-clock time.
(Normal speed is 30 frames per second.)
With "f" suffix, displays every <it/speed/-th frame, without regard to real
time.
<tag>
frame [<it/frameno/]
</tag>
Get, or set the current frame the <it/frameno/-th.
<tag>
cen[ter] [<it/X Y Z/ [<it/RADIUS/]]
int[erest] [<it/X Y Z/ [<it/RADIUS/]]
</tag>
Set point of interest. This is the center of rotation in
<tt/[o]rbit/ and <tt/[r]otate/ modes. And, in <tt/[o]rbit/ mode,
translation speed is proportional to the viewer's distance from this point.
The optional <it/RADIUS/ (also set by <tt/censize/) determines the size
of the marker crosshair, initially 1 unit.
<tag>
censize [<it/RADIUS/]
</tag>
Set size of point-of-interest marker.
<p>
<tag>
step [<it/timestep/]
step [+|-]<it/deltatimestep/
</tag>
For time-varying data, sets current timestep number.
Real-valued times are meaningful for some kinds of data including those
from starlab; for others, times are rounded to nearest integer.
If preceded with a plus or minus sign, adds that amount to current time.
<tag>
fwd
</tag>
<!--
gscale
scaling particles
DEPRECATED
-->
<tag>
clearobj
</tag>
Erase all particles in this group. Useful for reloading on the fly.
<tag>
every <it/N/
</tag>
Display a random subset (every <it/N/-th) of all particles.
Reports current subsetting factor, and the current total number of particles.
<tag>
color
color <it/colorvar/ [<it/minval maxval/]
color <it/colorvar/ exact <it/baseval/
color <it/colorvar/ -exact
color const <it/R G B/
</tag>
<tag>
lum
lum <it/lumvar/ [<it/minval maxval/]
lum const <it/L/
</tag>
<tag>
datavar
</tag>
<tag>
dv
</tag>
Report names and value ranges (over all particles) of all named data fields
for the current group.
<tag>
datawait on|off
</tag>
For asynchronously-loaded data (currently only <tt/ieee/ data command),
say whether wait for current data step to be loaded.
(If not, then keep displaying previous data while loading new.)
<tag>
cmap <it/filename/
</tag>
Load (ascii) filename with RGB values, for coloring particles.
The <tt/color/ command selects which data field is mapped to color index
and how.
<tag>
boxcmap <it/filename/
</tag>
<tag>
cment
</tag>
<tag>
boxcment
</tag>
<tag>
only
</tag>
<tag>
thresh
</tag>
<tag>
rawdump
</tag>
<tag>
slum
</tag>
<tag>
scale-lum
</tag>
<tag>
see
</tag>
<tag>
show
</tag>
<tag>
showbox
</tag>
<tag>
hide
</tag>
<tag>
hidebox
</tag>
<tag>
box(es) [off|ON|ONLY]
</tag>
Toggle box display between
<tt/off/, <tt/ON/, or <tt/ONLY/. (notice case sensitivity)
<tag>
boxlabel [on|off]
</tag>
Toggle or set box label display mode.
<tag>
boxaxes [on|off]
</tag>
Toggle or set box axes display mode.
<tag>
boxscale [float] [on|off]
</tag>
<tag>
go
</tag>
<tag>
gobox
</tag>
<tag>
goboxscale
</tag>
<tag>
psize [float]
</tag>
(Note: pointsize is deprecated)
<!-- DEPRECATED COMMAND
<tag>
pointsize
</tag>
-->
<tag>
polysize [on|off] [a|s|r]
</tag>
<tag>
polylum
</tag>
<tag>
polyminpixels
</tag>
<tag>
labelminpixels
</tag>
<tag>
labelsize
</tag>
<tag>
lsize
</tag>
<tag>
point(s) [on|off]
</tag>
Toggle the display status of points (the <tt/point/ status in the top row), or
explicitely set point display <tt/on/ or <tt/off/.
<tag>
poly(gon) [on|off]
</tag>
Toggle the display status of labels (the <tt/poly/ status in the top row), or
explicitely set polygon display <tt/on/ or <tt/off/.
<tag>
texture [on|off]
</tag>
Toggle the display status of textures (the <tt/tex/ status in the top row), or
explicitely set textures <tt/on/ or <tt/off/.
<tag>
label(s) [on|off]
</tag>
Toggle the display status of labels (the <tt/lbl/ status in the top row), or
explicitely set labels <tt/on/ or <tt/off/.
<tag>
txscale
</tag>
<tag>
polyorivar
</tag>
<tag>
texturevar
</tag>
<tag>
laxes [on|off]
</tag>
Toggle ...
<tag>
polyside(s)
</tag>
Number of sides a polygon should have
<tag>
gamma
</tag>
<tag>
alpha [float]
</tag>
Get or set the alpha value.
<tag>
fast
</tag>
see also <tt/ptsize/
<tag>
ptsize
</tag>
makes more sense than <tt/fast/.
<tag>
fog
</tag>
<tag>
menu fmenu
</tag>
<p>
BEGIN CAVEMENU
pos P1 P2
wall P1
hid [P1]
show [P1]
h [P1]
demandfps [P1]
font
help
?
END CAVEMENU
<p>
<tag>
datascale
</tag>
<tag>
where [w]
</tag>
</descrip>
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect1> Data commands
<p>
(see also partibrains.c::specks_read)
<p>
Lines starting with <tt/#/ will be skipped. The following Data Commands
can be placed in a data file.
<p>
Control Commands can be given, if prefixed with the <tt/eval/ command.
<descrip>
<tag>
read <it/file/
</tag>
read a <tt/speck/ formatted file. Recursive, commands can nest. (strtok ok??)
<tag>
include <it/file/
</tag>
read a <tt/speck/ formatted file.
<tag>
ieee [-t time] <it/file/
</tag>
read a IEEEIO formatted file, with optional timestep number (0 based).
Support for this type of data must be explicitly compiled into the program.
<tag>
kira <it/file/
</tag>
read a <tt/kira/ formatted file. See the <tt/kiractl/ Control
Command to modify the looks of the objects.
<tag>
object <it/gN=ALIAS/
</tag>
Defines/Selects a particular group number (N=1,2,3....) to an ALIAS. In
command mode you can use <tt/gN=ALIAS/. Any data following this command
will now belong to this group.
<tag>
object <it/ObjectName/
</tag>
Select an existing group. Following data will now belong to this group.
<tag>
sdbvars <it/var/
</tag>
Choose which data fields to
extract from binary sdb files (any of: <tt/mMcrogtxyzSn/) for subsequent
<tt/sbd/ commands.
<tag>
sdb [-t time] <it/file/
</tag>
Read an SDB (binary) formatted file, with optional timestep number (0 based).
<tag>
box[es] <it/..../
</tag>
Draw a box, using any of the following formats:
<p>
<descrip>
<tag> <tt/xmin ymin zmin xmax ymax zmax/ </tag> <p>
<tag> <tt/xmin,xmax ymin,ymax zmin,zmax/ </tag><p>
<tag> <tt/xcen,ycen,zcen xrad,yrad,zrad/ </tag><p>
<tag> <tt/[-t time] [-n boxno] [-l level] xcen,ycen,zcen xrad,yrad,zrad / </tag><p>
</descrip>
<tt/level/ determines color.
<tag>
annot <it/[-t timestep] string .../
</tag>
<!-- DEPRECATED COMMAND
<tag>
size <it/float/
</tag>
-->
<!-- DEPRECATED COMMAND
<tag>
scale <it/float/
</tag>
-->
<tag>
tfm
</tag>
Object-to-world transformation. Either
<it/tx ty tz rx ry rz/ or 16 numbers for 4x4 matrix.
(<it/something> must contain <tt/* / h p r/)
<tag>
eval <it/command/
</tag>
execute a Control Command.
<tag>
feed <it/command/
</tag>
Synonymous for <tt/eval/
<tag>
VIRDIR <it/command/
</tag>
Synonymous for <tt/eval/
<!-- DEPRECATED COMMAND
<tag>
ignorefirst, ignorepgc
</tag>
-->
<tag>
filepath <it/path/
</tag>
A colon separate list of directories in which datafiles
will be searched for. If preceded with the <tt/+/ symbol,
this list will be appended to the current <it/filepath/.
<tag>
texture [-lmnMDB] <it/txno file.sgi/
</tag>
<descrip>
<tag> -l(inear) </tag> <p>
<tag> -m(ipmap) </tag> <p>
<tag> -n(earest) </tag> <p>
<tag> -M(odulate) </tag> <p>
<tag> -D(ecal) </tag> <p>
<tag> -B(lend) </tag> <p>
</descrip>
<tag>
polyorivar
</tag>
This will control the positions in space of polygons, as you rotate
the world.
<tag>
texturevar
</tag>
<tag>
coord <it/name ... 16 world-to-coord tfm floats (GL order)/
</tag>
<tag>
dataset <it/indexno datasetname/
</tag>
<it/indexno/ is an integer, 0 being the first one.
<tag>
datavar <it/indexno string float float/
</tag>
Name this variable.
<tag>
datatime <it/time/
</tag>
Label subsequent data with this <it/time/ (a floating point number).
<tag>
<it/Xpos Ypos Zpos Var0 .... /
</tag>
These lines, with XYZ positions in the first 3 columns, will make up the bulk
of the dataset. The 4th and subsequent columns contain the values of the
datavariables as named with the <bf/datavar/ commands. Note that
data variables are 0-based.
</descrip>
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect> Viewing Window Commands
<p>
Commands that you can give from within the viewing window are all single
keystroke commands, often combined with moving the mouse.
<tscreen><verb>
TAB change focus to command window for Control Commands
S/s toggle STEREO mode (need blue/red glasses :-)
modes: mono redcyan crosseyed glasses
See also the 'stereo' command
> single frame forward stepping, in time animation mode
< single frame backward stepping, in time animation mode
Button-N various translation/rotation/zoom, depending on mode (fly/orbit/rot/tran)
SHIFT + Button-N modifier to the usual Button-N action, to have more fine control
CTRL + Button-N modifier to orbit-mode, e.g. to do translations instead of rotations
playmodes:
s playnow
l loop (rock)
f,e playevery=1
r,t playevery=0
Gview.cpp : Fl_Gview::handle()
w reset?
r ROTATE mode
p identify nearest object
P pick that object are the new origin
f FLY mode
t TRANSLATE mode
o ORBIT mode
O toggle perspective mode
v make field of view larger
V make field of view smaller
^v toggle debug output
@ dname [g1]
= show debug matrix output
ESC exit
</verb></tscreen>
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect> Partiview and NEMO
<p>
The program <tt/snapspecks/ converts a NEMO snapshot to specks format
that can be read in directly by partiview. The default viewing variables
are <tt/x,y,z,m/, but those can be changed by using the <bf/options=/
keyword. In fact, arbitrary <it/bodytrans/ expressions can be used
to output.
<tscreen><code>
% mkplummer - 32 |\
snapmass - - massname='n(m)' masspars=p,-2 massrange=0.5,10 |\
hackcode1 - run1.dat
% snapspecks run1.dat > run1.tab
% partiview run1.cf
% cat run1.cf
read junk.tab
eval labels off
eval lum lum 0 1
eval polylumvar point-size .1 area
texturevar 4
eval psize 5000
eval slum 5
eval every 1
</code></tscreen>
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect> Tips
<p>
During animation the trip/back buttons can effectively be used to return to
a point in time where you want to return back to if you wanted to
browse around some specific point in time.
<p>
As opposed to switching to 't' mode to zoom and translate,
you can also use SHIFT-Mouse-1 and SHIFT-Mouse-3 to achieve the same from
the other ('o', 'f') modes.
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect> Bugs, Features and Limitations
<p>
Here is a list of known peculiarities, some of them bugs, others just
features and others limitations, and there is always that class of
things I simply have not understood how it works.
<enum>
<item> in rotate mode, if you change the center of rotation with 'P',
Button-1 works fine, but Button-3 does not rotate around the
new point correctly. It seems to remember the old (or 0,0,0)
origin.
</enum>
<!--------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->
<sect1> Limitations w.r.t. VirDir:
<p>
<enum>
<item>
cannot set an auto-motion, as we can in the dome, although one could
of course load a path and move through the dataset :-)
I was able to make a path (*.wf) file and load that though.
</enum>
</article>