ALPHABET ROOMS GALLERY FOR MACINTOSH (VERSION 1.1)
20 September, 1994
Before you install the Alphabet Rooms Gallery, please read this file for important installation and usage tips. You may want to print this file before you begin working with your new Gallery, to use as a handy reference.
1. WHERE ON MY HARD DRIVE DO I INSTALL THE ALPHABET ROOMS GALLERY?
If you have already installed Virtus VR, when the Gallery installation dialog box appears on your screen, we recommend that you locate the Virtus VR folder file name then choose Install. You do have the option of installing the Gallery anywhere you choose. The advantage of installing into the Virtus VR folder is that the new content is merged into already existing folders. For more details, please refer to the Installation card in the Gallery box.
NOTE FOR VIRTUS WALKTHROUGH PRO USERS: VR Galleries are now compatible with WalkThrough Pro 2.0. You may install the new Gallery anywhere you choose on your hard drive.
2. WHAT FOLDERS AND FILES WILL THE ALPHABET ROOMS GALLERY INSTALL ON MY HARD DRIVE?
If you have already installed Virtus VR, the Alphabet Rooms 3-D Galleries and Textures folders will be placed in the original 3-D Galleries, Textures and Bonus Textures folders within the Virtus VR folder. The Gallery installer will place an Alphabet Rooms Scenes folder and an Alphabet Rooms Models folder into the Virtus VR folder on your hard drive. If you choose to install elsewhere the installer will create all of the necessary folders.
NOTE FOR VIRTUS VR USERS: All of these folders contain files that Virtus VR needs to operate, so please don’t move or rename the folders or their contents.
3. WHAT ARE THE SAMPLE SCENES INCLUDED WITH THE ALPHABET ROOMS GALLERY?
We have included 26 Alphabet Rooms sample scenes with this Gallery (one for each letter of the alphabet):
A is for Art
B is for Book
C is for Clouds
D is for Dice
E is for Edge
F is for Fish
G is for Ghost
H is for House
I is for Island
J is for Jupiter
K is for Kite
L is for Ladder
M is for Moon
N is for Nail
O is for Orbit
P is for Pyramid
Q is for Queen
R is for Ray
S is for Sun
T is for Telescope
U is for Umbrella
V is for Venus
W is for Window
X is for X-ray
Y is for Yin Yang
Z is for Zigzag
Additionally, there are four textured models of virtual alphabet and number blocks:
Alphabet Blocks A-I
Alphabet Blocks J-Q
Alphabet Blocks R-Z
Number Blocks
4. WHAT 3-D AND GALLERIES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS GALLERY?
The 3-D Galleries are:
Capitals
Lower Case
Numbers
These Galleries will be installed in the 3-D Galleries folder within your Virtus VR folder when you click on "Install."
5. WHAT TEXTURE PALETTES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS GALLERY?
Cells
Checks
Enamels
Gems
Material
Metals
Minerals
Paints
All of the texture palettes in the Alphabet Rooms Gallery are shaded. Only the Checks and Paints texture palettes will be installed directly to the Textures folder within the Virtus VR folder. All other palettes will be installed into the Bonus Textures folder within the VR folder. If you need to free up memory, move some of the palettes from the Textures folder into another folder (such as the Bonus Textures folder), then restart VR. Keep in mind that the Texture Palettes are available for use only when these are in the Textures folder.
6. HOW CAN I BEST USE THIS GALLERY?
The scenes in Alphabet Rooms can be used as a starting point for your own designs. For example, say you wanted an interesting virtual setting for spelling out the name “Mary” -- perhaps for a child learning the alphabet -- with three-dimensional characters. You could start by opening the “M is for Moon” scene and saving that scene as another name (such as “Mary model”). Then use the 3-D Galleries “Capitals” and “Lower Case,” from which you can drag and drop the appropriate letters into your new model. Once the letters are positioned the way you want them, you can ungroup these and begin “painting” them with textures selected from the textures window. Of course, you can always start from scratch by opening a new, untitled VR file and designing your own scenes from the ground up.
Because the Alphabet Blocks and Number Blocks in the models folder have textures applied to them, they could not be provided as 3-D Gallery objects. To get the letter or numerical block that you want for your own designs, you must open the model that contains the desired block, copy it into your Clipboard, and then paste it into your own model.
When using the Alphabet and Number Blocks, you will notice that the textures applied to those blocks are available to you in the Textures window for that model. Each of these textures has two versions, a “normal” version and a “+” version. For example, if you open the “Alphabet Blocks A-I” model you will notice that in the Textures window are two identical looking textures: Abutton and Abutton+. The Abutton texture -- and all other “normal” versions of these textures -- is to be applied to outer surfaces (such as the outside of the blocks) and will be applied once to any surface you select. The Abutton+ texture -- and all other “+” versions -- are to be applied to inner surfaces of objects, and will be applied four across and four deep (4x4) to any surface that you select. Fly into the Alphabet Blocks' "A" file. You will see that the inner surface of the this block has the Abutton+ texture applied, and the outer surface has the Abutton applied. The easiest way to understand the distinction is to experiment: Apply textures to various inner and outside surfaces until you get a feel for what looks “right” to you.
7. HOW CAN I CONTACT VIRTUS CUSTOMER SUPPORT?
If you have any questions, please contact our Customer Support Department. Here’s how:
1) Online Services
America Online: VirtusTech
AppleLink: VIRTUS
CompuServe: 75300,3251
Internet: virtus@vnet.net
Also, be sure to visit our support areas on America Online and CompuServe. You can leave messages for us, talk with other Virtus software users, get tips on using our programs, download new models and much more.
America Online:
Select Keyword under the Go To menu and then enter “VIRTUS” (Command-K, type “VIRTUS”)
CompuServe:
Enter “GO VIRTUS” at any prompt (Command-G, type “VIRTUS”)
2) Telephone Support
If you wish to call Virtus Customer Support, we recommend that you first check your Virtus VR documentation and the tutorial video. If you still can’t find the answer to your question, we can help you best if you call us while sitting at your computer with Virtus VR running. Also, please have your serial number ready to give to us. You’ll find it in the Message Bar at the bottom of the screen when you select About Virtus VR... from the Apple menu.
Note: Regretably, Virtus Technical Support is unable to return telephone calls or faxes outside the U.S. or Canada.
8. HOW CAN I SUBMIT FEEDBACK AND IDEAS?
We would love to know what you think of the Virtus VR Galleries. We would also like to know what suggestions you have for future Gallery subjects. Please send us electronic mail at any of the above addresses, fax us at the above number or write to us at:
