EXPORT 2D and 3D files to a web environment
Select <Tools><Publish Wizard...> from the pull down menu in Version 3.5
OR
<File> <Save as..> and choose the html file output format in versions 3.5 and 4.
Wizard
The next few pictures illustrate the dialogue boxes that appear in order for the Ver 3.5 Wizard:
(Note the large versions of these pictures can be opened up to view full detail if you click on the thumbnails.)
First up, we have the dialogue where you have to enter a name for your project (Web Title). When you write a name here remember that it is the name of the folder on the web in which your exported stuff will reside. Because of this spaces will appear as %20 in the middle of your links unless you are (as advised in lectures) pedantic and write the name as (say) "my_model" rather than "my model".
Make very sure that you select a known place to publish to. DO NOT PUBLISH TO THE DEFAULT "C:\documents and Settings\..." location as you will lose access when you move to another computer in the lab. Check out and preview the "Master Index Page". Decide which you want. In a personalisable environment you could have access to the folder where these two example files are located and could create your own template to place here. Sorry! not possible when you share a computer.
When you click the next button (only possible when you have created a web title the following dialogue pops up. Of course you want to click <Yes>. This is where - if you are one of those rare bods who actually reads the dialogue boxes - you can see the web title being converted into a folder name.
Now you get the dialogue where you choose the output options for any 2D pictures that you may wish to include in your exported page.
Again, I suggest making some decisions about re-scaling - do you want your images to be a different size when people look at them? Not the thumbnails but the image that is downloaded when you click the thumbnail? Do you want to compress the images? jpg compression to 30% is selected here. Also, you can again choose the style of web page in which each larger file appears. Note again, this is where you could in your own personal computer environment with this software select a template that you had created and popped into the templates directory for Deep Exploration.
Wizard (v 3.5) OR <File><Save as..> (v3.5 AND v4.)
Next we have the 3D exporter which looks much the same in v3.5 and 4. It is activated by stepping through the wizard as outlined above. However it is also reached by the <File><Save as..> dialogue in V3.5 and V4 of Deep Exploration.
The dialogue box contains a settings button. I strongly recommend that you adopt an approach with all Wizards like this that you should explore and exploit the settings buttons. This is where you can customise / personalise the output.
Options in the settings dialogue:
- do we want to compress the output - you betcha! Download times are important, so smaller files are desirable at the moment.
- do we want to export an animation - you betcha! If we have a moving part (opening doors, walkthru cameras) we want other people to be able to view it.
- AND THEN THE CRUCIAL OPTION: how high do we want the 3D view window to be? I have entered here 600 pixels, instead of the 240 pixel default. Ask yourself how big you want the interactive window to be - decide on a height in pixels and a width in % of the screen window...
Under the additionals tab I found this:
This seems to be where we can add copyright info. Remember anyone with a Right Hemsiphere programme will be able to download your RH model out of the web page and to use it themselves - you migt want some embedded copyright info.
Then we come to the page where we decide how big (in pixels) the thumbnails should be and how far apart (in pixels) they should be.
The penultimate step in the process is to provide a label for each thumbnail and a description: item by item.
Select each item in turn from the drop down menu:
RESULT
Then you export to the web and preview:
At this point Bob should be your uncle. But he seldom is... Most importantly, I typed waaayy too much text as description for each thumbnail!
Look carefully at the above page. Only some of the files have been exported. Let's now look at the school_of_architecture folder (or whatever you gave as the name of the web title on the first dialogue) where we published these files:
Look carefully at the file list (you) produced. You will see there is an html file for each of the images you have exported. The thumbnail page we have exported is called default.htm. The best thing to do now is copy / move the whole of the school_of_architecture folder into your web site and to open the default.htm file. You could choose as I do to rename the default.htm file to index.html.
And here we are!
Already I have edited the links to the 120x120 files created as thumbnails on this page.
