Download the newest version of ARive:

Features:

All the good things you are used to
Manual
Test-model

Bug Fixes:

Installer now specifies “run in” directory -no more fiddling with shortcuts.

XML library is faster

DOWNLOAD ARive RC1

Finally, I’ve completed a manual for the upcoming RC_1 release.

Download it here: (PDF)

http://www.formbureauet.com/arive_rc1.pdf

Here is the latest beta for ARive: 3.2

Features:

• Final GUI-design

• Better use of conventions in interaction

Bug-Fixes:

• Scaling now works properly
• Models scale from Z: 0 units and upwards from marker plane.
• Transform-bounding is disabled
• Lights and maps are no longer messed up by rescaling
• Clipping planes are disabled, to enable large models as shown in Field-Day posts.

Download ARive Beta 3.2 here!

SCALE

My little test-group have been experienceing a lot of scaling problems when exporting from 3Dmax;
My GUI made it possible to rescale models quite easily before launch, but this was too hasselsome.
One of the main features I’ve gotten requests for is a verifiable 1:1 scaling.
-This by both architects and industrial design students.

After searching a bit on the osgART forum, I found out that the problem was this line:

modelScale.makeScale(sizeModel/bound.radius(),sizeModel/bound.radius(),sizeModel/bound.radius());

Apparently it makes the scale relative to a bounding-sphere, that has a variable size depending on the extents of the modelspace before export.

By reducing the sizeModel/bound.radius to sizeModel/100, i now have perfect scaleing in percentage, as long as the model is exported in units. Preferably set to mm.

TRANSLATION

In the same post on the osgART forum’ a user was also having another problem I’ve been experienceing.

When I export models in 1:1, no matter where in the grid they are placed, they do not always stay in their exported positions on the z-plane.

Turns out, once again this was due to the bounding-box;

modelTranslate.makeTranslate(-bound.center());

This automatically centered the model on the unitTransform in ARive. Since the center of a model is not at the level of the plane, the entire model is translated down -making rescaling difficult, since for every step in %-scaling, one had to move the model (seemingly on hunch) up or down the Z-axis.
The solution was to do the translation as follows:

modelTranslate.makeTranslate(-bound.center.x(), -bound.center.y(), 0);

Now everything should work out fine, and all objects should scale “upwards” from their base on the marker, making it easy to i.e. scale a building whithout seeing it move downward through the groundplane.

GUI

More bugs have been fixed, and the whole thing should run a bit smoother.

Also a lot of input I’ve got from VisKom has been implemented better (OK/CANCEL-button conventions et.c.)

After having lots of trouble implementing occlusion in ARive (and learning C++ and Visual Studio on the run), I’ve descided to narrow down my project, without neccesarily feeling that I’ve failed.

I want to make ARive as good as can be, but within the time-limits of the semester.

Thus, I’ll try to develop the software in stages of completion, so that I can stop implementing new features if I run out of time.

ARive BETA 1: (Status Quo)

Criteria:

A working executable

Marker tracking

Custom Markers (within design parameters)

Video display

Rendering:

support for textures: tiff, jpg, gif, png

support for baked maps

support for cube-maps

support for omni and directional lights (dynamic)

support for animation

support for particle-systems (some, simple)

….

3D-formats:

.osg (OpenSceneGraph native ASCII)

.ive (OpenSceneGraphnative binary)

Via converter:

.3ds

.obj

.pfb

…

Direct export from 3DMax 9

Geometry

Splines

Particle systems (some)

Animation

Textures

…

High Quality Performance

Support for low-end devices

Console-level loading (commands via prompt)

ARive BETA 2: Next step

Geometry Occlusion

Arive Beta 3:

XML-loading via parser (TinyXML?)

Branching of ARive into two executables

“ARiveB3.exe” <- normal edition,user defined lights

“ARiveB3-shadow.exe” <- real-time simulated shadows using object occlusion. Ideally parametrically controlled via XML/Max

ARive BETA 4:

Graphical Interface:

Stage 1:

Creates loading-scripts

Stage 2:

Creates XML-files for parsing togeather with loading scritps.

Stage 3:

Creates an index of stored XML-scripts that can be run at convenience

ARive BETA 5:

msi-installer

ARive RC1 -

Test with fellow-students

ARive 1.0 Champagne.