X3D Example Archives: VRML 2 Sourcebook, Chapter 13 Points Lines Faces

Points, lines and mesh faces allow authors to build a complete variety of geometry.

Complex shapes are hard to build with primitive shapes (for example: terrain, animals, plants, machinery). Instead, build shapes out of atomic components: points, lines, and polygon faces. Shape building is like a 3D connect-the-dots game: place dots at 3D locations, and connect-the-dots to form shapes A coordinate specifies a 3D dot location, measured relative to a coordinate system origin. A geometry node then specifies how to connect the dots: for example, PointSet, IndexedLineSet, or IndexedFaceSet. Animation is accomplished using a CoordinateInterpolator node.

These X3D scenes are adapted directly from the original VRML 2.0 Sourcebook chapter examples. Also available: Introduction to VRML97 SIGGRAPH98 course notes.

Figure 13.16 Vaulted Ceiling
  9 X3D Models       X3D Model Descriptions
   Figure13_10PointSetBoxCorners Figure13_10PointSetBoxCorners Points in an IndexedPointSet mark the eight corners of a box. Point size is always 1 pixel regardless of distance.
   Figure13_11IndexedLineSetBoxWireframe Figure13_11IndexedLineSetBoxWireframe A simple wireframe cube drawn with IndexedLineSet.
   Figure13_12IndexedFaceSetCube Figure13_12IndexedFaceSetCube A simple solid cube drawn with IndexedFaceSet.
   Figure13_13IndexedFaceSetLightningBolt Figure13_13IndexedFaceSetLightningBolt A 3D lightning bolt using concave faces. Compare Figures 13.13 and 17.7b.
   Figure13_14VaultedCeilingPieceCreased Figure13_14VaultedCeilingPieceCreased A nonsolid vaulted ceiling piece.
   Figure13_15VaultedCeilingPiece Figure13_15VaultedCeilingPiece A smoothly shaded vaulted ceiling piece.
   Figure13_16VaultedCeiling Figure13_16VaultedCeiling A vaulted ceiling piece used repeatedly to build part of a medieval building.
   Figure13_17aMorphingCube Figure13_17aMorphingCube A morphing cube shape using IndexedFaceSet and CoordinateInterpolator.
   Figure13_17bMorphingCubeLineSet Figure13_17bMorphingCubeLineSet A morphing cube shape using IndexedLineSet and CoordinateInterpolator. Note that constant-width lines thwart perspective rendering and lead to optical-illusion effects.

The X3D Resources: Examples page and X3D Developers Guide provide more information about the production of this archive.