How do I create Spazz3D Avatar Animations?

 

Spazz3d  is a vrml97 authoring and animation application. Here is an attempt at explaining how to create an animation. Keep it simple at first until you've gotten all the steps to work at least once.

1. Download and install Spazz3D ( http://www.spazz3d.com ). It is currently a free beta test package and it should be commercially available for "less than $100.00 (US)" in early 1999.
2. Create an avatar or import one from some other source.
3. OK, let's make Gesture 1, HELLO WORLD.
4. In Spazz3D click on the Animation Icon (looks like a clock), then click on the model.

5. You will see this animation node added to the "scene tree" heirarchy, double click on it to see the animation properties.

   

6. First you need to add "parts" to animate so click ADD NODE and then in the scene tree or in the viewer click the parts to add; like add node r_arm (if r_hand is grouped with r_lower_arm, it will move when r_lower_arm moves).
7. Then we need to add different time slices, so hit the Insert After button. You should understand that we now have 3 times or frames. One at time zero, one at one-half the time (0.5) and one at the end-of-time (1.0). If I said fractional time would that help? The beginning and the end is where you start and where you end up (alpha and omega?), so the thing we will modify is the mid-point.
8. If you notice the two arrow widgets, you will see that you can scroll up and down through time. Also you may guess that you can add additional time fractions before or after the present time. Don't add any more time steps right now, keep it simple.
9. Put the Key Fraction at 0.5 and check the Edit Animations Keys checkbox.
10. Select the rotate tab and move the arm to an upright position by hitting the -X button twice (rotate 180 degrees around the X axis, please).



11. Then click on the Animation tab to return to the animation properties page.
12. Select the Animate Button and use the playback widget to run the animation.
13. Ooops, I guess that should have been hit the  +X button twice. The arm rotates in the wrong direction. Sheesh.

14. OK, now you have a very simple animation, select the Triggers Tab, find and check the CoCi check box and select Gesture1 to associate that trigger with your animation.

     

15. OK, last step.... Click the Wizards pull down menu and select "Generate Avatar with Gestures". This option scales the avatar, and wraps it into the Blaxxun Proto, gzips the file, and even FTP's it to your website.