Adding Hyperlinks to 3DXplorer Scenes

One of the powerful features of 3DXplorer is the ability to easily add hyperlinks to any 3DXplorer scene.

This allows one to provide a quick path to traditional web pages or other virtual worlds directly from within the 3D environment.

It’s very easy to do.  Just log in to your 3DXplorer account; if you don’t have one, don’t worry it is easy – and free – to create one here.

First, go to the Project Management page to launch the online studio and begin editing.  If you don’t have a project created, just go to the Project Creation page and create one.  Open your project by clicking on the green Edit icon as shown below (note that you can click the image to enlarge it).

3DXplorer Studio Project Management Page

One inside the world, choose an object that you want to hyperlink.  In this case we’ll use the picture on the wall showing a screenshot of the 3DXplorer web site.  Right click on the picture and then select Edit Material from the pop-up menu.

3DXplorer Studio Edit Menu

Next the properties dialog box will appear.  In the field labeled “Linked URL:” just enter the URL of the web page to which you wish to link.  Note you can also set the target.  To open the link in a new window, just leave the default setting “_blank”.

3DXplorer Studio Properties Dialog Box

Then choose apply and your done.  Save your scene, publish at the Project Management page and you are ready to go.  The next time you visit this world when you click on the picture, a new window will open to the linked URL.  It’s that easy.

Note you can link to traditional web pages as shown in the example or to other 3DXplorer worlds.

Give it a try!

3DXplorer Worlds – Real, Imaginary or Both

If you haven’t checked out our Featured Websites page lately, we’ve added some interesting 3D worlds created by 3DXplorer users.

Here are two in particular that show the flexibility of 3DXplorer and web 3D in general, but also give some insight into potential applications.

The first is a real place, the Taj Mahal in Agra India, created by one of our partners GoWeb3D. You can visit it by clicking on the image below.

Taj Mahal in 3DXplorer

The second world is an imaginary space created in 3DXplorer by a a Quad ATV enthusiast, Eric Etienne. 

Quad ATV World by Eric Etienne

3D spaces or worlds can represent real places, whether they exist now, existed in the past or will exist in the future.  All you need is a 3D model, and since 3DXplorer supports importing common data formats in COLLADA and 3DS, a variety of popular and easily accessible 3D modeling tools can be used, including SketchUp, Revit, 3ds Max, Maya, etc.  The Taj was modeled in SketchUp by the way.

In industries where 3D modeling is used, for instance, markets that use CAD, such as AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction), the idea of discussion and reviewing models online has been around for a while.  This is often referred to as a design review, and typically consists of discussing the object being designed, in this case the 3D model.  In the AEC space this is usually a building or structure.

This sort of traditional design review is one use of 3DXplorer, which, of course, brings along the benefit of being immersed in the 3D space.  In other words, one or more people can enter the 3D space and walk around, visually inspect the space, discuss chat, speak via Skype, etc.

3DXplorer, however, offers another interesting opportunity.  Now the 3D space — the building or structure that has been modeled in 3D — can be the environment for discussion, in addition to being the object of discussion.

This now creates all sorts of new uses for a 3D model, allowing the creator to repurpose and extend the value of their investment in creating the 3D model.  Imagine a home builder who wants to meet with customers or prospects, why not do it within one of the home designs created by the builder?  Or what about a group interested in Indian architecture, why not get together at the Taj?  Check out Google’s 3D Warehouse for literally thousands of buildings, many of which you’ll recognize.  In addition, to the Taj, some other worlds on our Feature Websites page came from the 3D Warehouse, can you figure out which?

And what about imaginary spaces?  All this applies to them as well, but with the added element of the space or world being pretty much whatever you can conceive and model, customized with colors, textures and 3D objects that reinforce a particular theme or interest of visitors.  Eric’s Quad ATV space is a nice example.

So what can you imagine?

Lucky Luke’s village built with 3DXplorer !

3DXplorer is not only used for corporate 3D websites and virtual worlds. It can be used for a wide variaety of applications.

Click below for two virtual replications of Lucky Luke’s village, built by Eric Etienne, a passionate 3DXplorer user.

http://www.3dxplorer.com/view.php?k=MTQzMQ==

http://www.3dxplorer.com/view.php?k=MTQ4Nw==

Lucky Luke Village in 3DXplorer

Enjoy them!

How to open a door inside 3DXplorer? A scripting example…

A frequently asked question is: How can I script my doors inside 3DXplorer studio, so that the visitor can open/close a door? Here’s the answer:

No need for scripting inside 3DSMAX or whatever modeling tools you use. You just need to make sure that the object’s pivots are correctly defined inside your modelling tool, in order to have the right rotations. For a door, the pivot needs to be placed on the axis of the hinges, and not in the middle of the door (default pivot placement in most modelling tools).

Also , don’t forget to check the expert mode.

To manage the opening of a door, right click on the door and select “edit element”

Door manipulaton with 3DXplorer

Create an initial state: closed

To add lines under Action Handlers: Add Action

To edit the fields “State” and “If State”, double click in the fields

The filed “required right” should include “look”, so that any visitor can open the door and close it, otherwise “edit” means the door can be opened only when you are in editing mode (3DXplorer Studio).

Of course you can modify the rotation angle, or define your own events for any action handler.

Enjoy scripting with 3DXplorer.