S2PLOT:S2web

From S2PLOT

s2web: Embedding S2PLOT Content in Web Pages (using Flash)

Since version 2.02, S2PLOT has been able to write the displayed geometry to a VRML 97 format file. This format was selected as it can be read in by Adobe Acrobat 3D and embedded in Portable Document Format (PDF) files. See the section on 3-d PDF for more information.

We also use the VRML export capability of S2PLOT to produce content for the freely available S2PLOT Flash player, s2web. A syntax-only translation using the NIST-provided [ | v2x3d] yields an X3D file from the S2PLOT-exported VRML, and the 3-d scene in the X3D file can be read and displayed by s2web. Camera control and interaction with the scene in the s2web application is almost identical to that in a native S2PLOT program. Volume rendering, billboards, handles and frame-based animation are all supported.

The s2web functionality of S2PLOT is documented in the following paper. If you use s2web to embed S2PLOT content in a web page, please cite or acknowledge this source:

Requirements

• S2PLOT version 2.02 or higher
  • version 2.4 or higher recommended
  • S2PLOT is freely available for non-commercial and educational use
• Adobe Acrobat 3D version 8.1.2
  • Adobe Acrobat Pro 9 Extended expected to work but not yet tested and interface may be different to that described below
  • Acrobat 3D and Acrobat Pro 9 Extended are commercial software but frequently are available at special academic and education prices

VRML export from S2PLOT

Most S2PLOT geometry can be written to VRML format. While running an S2PLOT program, simply press Shift-W and a file called "test.wrl" will be written. It will overwrite any pre-existing "test.wrl" file in the current working directory.

When writing an S2PLOT program whose output may be captured to VRML, keep the following points in mind:

• screen-coordinate geometry is not saved to VRML
• line thickness is not properly supported in VRML
• textured spheres are not presently written to VRML (next version of S2PLOT)
• transparent dots are not presently written to VRML (next version of S2PLOT)
• disks are not presently written to VRML (next version of S2PLOT)
• both static and dynamic S2PLOT geometry is saved to the VRML file
• you can organise parts of your geometry into named sections of the VRML file (model tree) by using the S2PLOT function pushVRMLname
• correct volume rendering requires special attention (see below)
• frame animation is possible (see below)
• billboards can be used but require special attention (see below)
• handles are written and can be used for particular types of interaction (see below)
• Acrobat Reader generally struggles with more than say 5000 pieces of geometry (whether points, lines or facets)
• you can programmatically export the VRML file by declaring the function "void writeVRML20(void)" and calling it from a dynamic S2PLOT callback function