Preface

1.1 System Requirements

The following Web page should be viewed with Netscape 2.0 or better. The interactive Virtual Laboratory (Vlab) demos can only be utilized on an SGI machine running any version of Vlab and CPFG3.0. If the user does not have these software packages running on an SGI workstation, then the interactive demos will not function. All other characteristics of the Web page will function properly on any personal computer or workstation running Netscape 2.0 or better.

1.2 Features of the Web page

The following tutorial was written for users who are interested in learning the new features and modules of L-Systems. Each subsection introduces a new feature of L-Systems and describes the use of any modules that are related to that feature. After a description of the features and modules, examples of L-Systems using the modules are given. Each example is accompanied by an illustration of the L-System.

The user is also able to invoke an interactive demo (if all system requirements are met) by clicking on the appropriate button. A Vlab object will appear on the screen and the user will be able to interact with the object through the use of the mouse and the customized panels. Each Vlab object also contains a description file which explains what the customized panels are able to manipulate.

1.3 Setting up the Page on your Own System

The Web pages and all of the graphics that are associated with the tutorial are located at:

/home/junglewww/bmv/cpfg3.0-tutorial

Copy all of the files and directories that are located in the above directory into your own www directory.

All of the Vlab objects are located at:

/usr/u/vlab/oofs/ext/people/ext/cathy/ext

Copy all of the files and directories that are located in the above directory into your own vlab directory.

To set up the helper that will invoke the Vlab objects:

In your Netscape browser, select General Preferences... under the Options menu.
Click on the Helpers folder.
Click on the New... button.
In the Mime Type section type text/plain.
In the Suffixes section type object.
In the Handle by section select Application and type wwwobject %s.
Click on OK.

The Web page should now be fully functional on your system. (This is actually not true, because vlab pages refer to objects and images using their absolute pathnames. These are likely to change... A better setup, not using absolute pathnames, is in the works).

					Preface Parameters Appendix I Appendix II References
Index	Circles and Spheres	Generalized Cylinders	Surfaces	Textures