Convert your DXF files into ISO VRML97 models!

DXF to VRML 97 version 1.0.5
27 October 1999

Description

DXF to VRML97 is a utility that enables you to convert DXF files to VRML97 by simply dragging them onto the application icon.

This version 1.0.5 of DXF to VRML97 converts polygon data only. It is based on the dxf2vrml example program in Systems in Motion's open source DIME library. I have modified dxf2vrml to generate VRML97 code (instead of VRML 1.0), to handle multiple files, and to place new files (appropriately renamed) in the same directory as the originals. The DropUnix library from Zen Spider Software has been used to provide a more Mac-like user interface.

System Requirements

PowerPC with System 7.0 or later.

Things to watch out for

* DXF to VRML97 is not guaranteed to handle all versions of DXF.
* Only polygon data is converted to VRML.
* If conversion appears to be completed successfully but nothing is visible when the converted file is loaded into a VRML viewer then check the collective location and scale of the objects in the file. It may be necessary to reposition and/or scale the file's contents to see the converted objects.
* The 'Suggested Size' of the application's memory allocation is set to 4Mb (see the Finder's Get Info window). The 'Preferred Size' can safely be reduced to 1Mb (but not less than 512k) if only fairly small DXF files are to be converted. Problems converting large DXF files can usually be alleviated by increasing the application's memory allocation.
* If there is a file called x.wrl in a folder then converting a file called x.dxf in the same folder will overwrite x.wrl without issuing a warning.
* For flat-shaded VRML objects, use a text editor to comment out the creaseAngle attributes in the converted files. A text editor can be used to tune the value of the creaseAngle if it is too small/large for a particular converted file or to modify object colours.

Version History

1.0 First release (25 August 1999)
1.0.1 Relinked with latest version of DropUnix and update about box (26 August 1999)
1.0.2 Fixed truncated Apple menu problem (15 September 1999)
1.0.3 Added creaseAngles to smooth objects (24 September 1999)
1.0.4 Modified DIME to handle reading DXF files that start with 999 and a comment (26 September 1999)
1.0.5 Root node is now Transform instead of Group. Fixed a memory allocation error. (27 October 1999)

Legalese

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

Note that this basically means that the software is copyrighted freeware. The source code, whole or in part, MAY NOT be used in any commercial (for-profit) application without the payment of a fee to the copyright holders. Contact the author for details.

See the file COPYING in the src folder.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Ryan Davis at Zen Spider Software and to the folks at Systems in Motion for releasing useful open source code that made it possible to produce this little utility quickly and easily.

Useful URLs

DXF to VRML97
http://home.telia.no/mlouka/vr/mac/dxf2vrml/

MacWeb3D
http://www.MacWeb3D.org/

Zen Spider Software
http://www.ZenSpider.com/

Systems in Motion
http://www.sim.no/

Contacting the Author

Comments, suggestions, or bug report are very welcome. Send them to Michael.Louka@hrp.no.

Original file name: README - converted on Thursday, 4 November 1999, 17:50