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| WELCOME: THE LOW DOWN ON 3DML
3DML is a simple markup language very similar to HTML, the language used to build pages on the Web. 3DML creates, or "describes" Internet-ready, 3-dimensional rich media environments called SPOTs. Much of the syntax will be familiar to you, if you already know basic HTML. [Psst: The
information in this tutorial is current for v1.5.1 of the Flatland Rover.
You have downloaded and are currently reading the offline version of the 3DML tutorial.]
3DML is unique because
it allows you to build a 3D space on the Web without doing any 3D modeling. And you can integrate many kinds of media right into this 3D spot, including video, sound, animation, 2D graphics, and text.
Building a 3DML space for the web is actually very similar to building
in the real world using familiar pieces such as simple wooden blocks or
even 2" x 4"s from the local lumberyard. In 3DML, there is a set of blocks
which you put together to build a house, or a waterfall, or anything you
desire. In the basic 3DML block set, there are blocks which are the shape
ramps, columns, signs and more. The village 3DML block set has blocks
shaped like trees, houses, and sidewalks. Each of these blocks is represented
by a character on your keyboard.
Like an HTML file,
a 3DML file has 2 major sections: the <HEAD> and the <BODY>.
The <HEAD> is the
section where you set parameters that are true for the entire SPOT, such
as the map dimensions, ambient light and sound, the sky texture, etc.
The <BODY> is the
section where you can customize your Blocks, and where you create your
actual map. The map is the heart of a 3DML file, where you use different
kinds of Blocks (represented by ASCII characters) to build a 3D space.
Each block occupies a space of 256 x 256 x 256 (pixels). Blocks are arranged
into a grid pattern to create each horizontal level of a SPOT. Levels
are stacked on top of each other to create multi-story SPOTs.
This tutorial will
take you step by step through the process of creating a 3DML spot. Check
the 3DML Reference Guide for a complete
list of 3DML tags. The Block Reference
Guides have a complete list of the blocks in each blockset, with their
default symbols and part names.
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