Simulink® 3D Animation™

User’s Guide

R2014a
How to Contact MathWorks

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The MathWorks, Inc.

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For contact information about worldwide offices, see the MathWorks Web site.
Simulink® 3D Animation™ User’s Guide
© COPYRIGHT 2001–2014 by HUMUSOFT s.r.o. and The MathWorks, Inc.
The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. The software may be used
or copied only under the terms of the license agreement. No part of this manual may be photocopied or
reproduced in any form without prior written consent from The MathWorks, Inc.
FEDERAL ACQUISITION: This provision applies to all acquisitions of the Program and Documentation
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Revision History
August 2001 First printing New for Version 2.0 (Release 12.1)
July 2002 Second printing Revised for Version 3.0 (Release 13)
October 2002 Online only Revised for Version 3.1 (Release 13)
June 2004 Third printing Revised for Version 4.0 (Release 14)
October 2004 Fourth printing Revised for Version 4.0.1 (Release 14SP1)
March 2005 Online only Revised for Version 4.1 (Release 14SP2)
April 2005 Online only Revised for Version 4.2 (Release 14SP2+)
September 2005 Online only Minor revision for Version 4.2.1 (Release 14SP3)
March 2006 Online only Revised for Version 4.3 (Release 2006a)
September 2006 Online only Revised for Version 4.4 (Release 2006b)
March 2007 Online only Revised for Version 4.5 (Release 2007a)
September 2007 Online only Revised for Version 4.6 (Release 2007b)
March 2008 Online only Revised for Version 4.7 (Release 2008a)
October 2008 Online only Revised for Version 4.8 (Release 2008b)
March 2009 Online only Revised for Version 5.0 (Release 2009a)
March 2010 Online only Revised for Version 5.1.1 (Release 2010a)
September 2010 Online only Revised for Version 5.2 (Release 2010b)
April 2011 Online only Revised for Version 5.3 (Release 2011a)
September 2011 Online only Revised for Version 6.0 (Release 2011b)
March 2012 Online only Revised for Version 6.1 (Release 2012a)
September 2012 Online only Revised for Version 6.2 (Release 2012b)
March 2013 Online only Revised for Version 6.3 (Release 2013a)
September 2013 Online only Revised for Version 7.0 (Release 2013b)
March 2014 Online only Revised for Version 7.1 (Release 2014a)
 Contents

Getting Started
1
Simulink 3D Animation Product Description . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Key Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Expected Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Build Virtual Worlds to Visualize Dynamic

Simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Virtual Reality World Models of Dynamic Systems . . . . . . 1-4
Set up Your Working Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Build a Virtual Reality World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Link to a Virtual Reality World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
View Dynamic System Simulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Share Dynamic System Simulation Visualizations . . . . . . . 1-9
MATLAB Compiler Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

VRML History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
VRML Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
VRML Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
VRML Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
VRML File Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16

Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System

Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Simulink Interface Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
MATLAB Interface Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-32

v
 Installation
2
Install Blaxxun Contact on Host Computer . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Known Issue with the Blaxxun Contact Plug-In . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Change the Default Network Security Setting . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
TCP/IP Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

Set the Default Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Install V-Realm Editor on Host Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

V-Realm Editor Installation (Windows) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
V-Realm Builder Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Set the Default Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

Use Preferences to Set the Default Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Use MATLAB Commands to Set the Default Editor . . . . . 2-15

Set Simulink 3D Animation Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17

Ways to Access Simulink 3D Animation Preferences . . . . . 2-17
Access the Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
3D World Editor Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Canvas Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-22
Figure Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Figure Appearance Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Figure Rendering Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-24
Figure 2-D Recording Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-26
Figure Frame Capture Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-28
Virtual World Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-29

Uninstall V-Realm Builder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-32

Uninstall Blaxxun Contact from Host Computer . . . . . . 2-33

Install Blaxxun Contact on Client Computer . . . . . . . . . 2-34

Section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-34
Install a Blaxxun Contact VRML Plug-In (Windows) . . . . . 2-34

Test the Viewer Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35

Section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35

vi Contents
 Simulink Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35
MATLAB Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-40

Simulink Interface
3
Virtual World Connection to a Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Add a Simulink 3D Animation Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Changing the Virtual World Associated with a Simulink
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8

Open a Viewer Window ............................ 3-11

Display Virtual World and Start Simulation . . . . . . . . . . 3-12

View Virtual World on Host Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-14

View Virtual World Remotely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18

Working with VRML Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25

Add VRML Sensors to Virtual Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
Interactive Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Read VRML Sensor Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26

VR Source Block Input to Simulink Models . . . . . . . . . . 3-29

Interact with Generated Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30

MATLAB Interface
4
Create vrworld Object for a Virtual World . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

vii
 Open a Virtual World with MATLAB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Interact with a Virtual World with MATLAB . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Close and Delete a vrworld Object .................. 4-10

Animation Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Recording Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11
Manual and Scheduled Animation Recording . . . . . . . . . . . 4-12

File Name Tokens ................................. 4-13

Define File Name Tokens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

Default File Name Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14
Uses for File Name Tokens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

File Name Tokens ................................. 4-16

Manual 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB . . . . . . . . . 4-18

Manual 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB ........... 4-21

Scheduled 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB ...... 4-24

Scheduled 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB . . . . . . . . . 4-27

Record Animations for Unconnected Virtual Worlds . . 4-30

Play Animation Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33

Play VRML Animation Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33
Play AVI Animation Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34

viii Contents
 Build Virtual Reality Worlds
5
VRML Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Editors for Virtual Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

Build and Connect a Virtual World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Define the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Add a Simulink 3D Animation Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Open a New Virtual World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Add VRML Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Link to a Simulink Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20

VRML Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24

Section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
VRML Field Data Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
VRML Data Class Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27

Simulink 3D Animation Textures ................... 5-29

Using CAD Models with the Simulink 3D Animation

Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Import STL and Physical Modeling XML Files Directly into
a VRML Virtual World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Import VRML Models from CAD Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
CAD Virtual World Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-39
Link to CAD Virtual Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-42
Import VRML Models from CATIA Software . . . . . . . . . . . 5-48

Using the 3D World Editor

6
3D World Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Supported Platforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Use with Other Editors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
VRML Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2

ix
 VRML Nodes, Library Objects, and Templates . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Open the 3D World Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5

3D World Editor Is the Default Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Open an Empty Virtual World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Open a Saved Virtual World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Preferences for 3D World Editor Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6

3D World Editor Panes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8

Tree Structure Pane Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9

Create a Virtual World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10

Basic Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12

Add Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-12
Copy and Paste a Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Edit Object Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
Document a Virtual World Using Comments . . . . . . . . . . . 6-15
Expand and Collapse Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
Wrap Nodes as Children of Another Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-16
Remove Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-17
Save and Export Virtual World Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Edit VRML Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18

Reduce Number of Polygons for Shapes ............. 6-20

Virtual World Navigation in 3D World Editor . . . . . . . . 6-21

Specify Virtual World Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Basic Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
Coordinate Axes Triad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-21
View Panes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Pivot Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24

3D World Editor Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25

3D World Editor Library Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
Add a Library Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-25
Guidelines for Using Custom Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-26

x Contents
 Viewing Virtual Worlds
7
VRML Viewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Host and Remote Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Comparison of Viewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Legacy Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5

Simulink 3D Animation Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6

What You Can Do with the Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Viewer Uses MATLAB Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Set Viewer Appearance Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9

Open the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10

Open from the VR Sink Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10
Open from the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-10

Simulate with the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer . . . . 7-11

Specify Rendering Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12

Navigate Using the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer . . . 7-20

Basic Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Navigation Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Viewer Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Mouse Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26
Control Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Change the Navigation Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-27
Sensors Effect on Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-28
Display a Coordinate Axes Triad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-30
Pivot Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-31

Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-32

Define and Reset Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34

Reset Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34
Define Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-34

xi
 Navigate Through Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-38

Record Offline Animations with the Simulink 3D

Animation Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
Animation Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
Recording Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-43
File Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
Start and Stop Animation Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-44
Play Animation Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45
Record Files in the VRML Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-45
Record Files in the Audio Video Interleave (AVI) Format . . 7-46
Schedule Files for Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-49

Play Animations with Simulink 3D Animation

Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-52

Configure Frame Capture Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-53

Capture Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-55

Simulink 3D Animation Web Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-56

Open the Web Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-57

Set Up for Remote Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-57
Connect the Web Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-57

Navigate Using the Web Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-59

Display and Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-59
Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-60
Web Viewer Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-61

Blaxxun Contact Interface ......................... 7-62

Configure Blaxxun Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-63

Blaxxun Contact Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-63
Specify Rendering Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-63
Control Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-64

Navigate Using Blaxxun Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-65

xii Contents
 Navigate a Virtual World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-65
Movement Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-65
Navigate Through Viewpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-66

Use Stereoscopic Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-67

Use Blaxxun Contact on a Client Computer . . . . . . . . . . 7-68

Legacy Simulink 3D Animation Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-69

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-69
Starting the Legacy Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-69
Differences Between the Default and Legacy Viewer . . . . . 7-71
Differences When Setting the DefaultViewer Property to
’internalv4’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-72

Simulink 3D Animation Stand-Alone Viewer

8
Orbisnap Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
What is Orbisnap? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2

Install Orbisnap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

Section Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Copying Orbisnap to Another Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Adding Shortcuts or Symbolic Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4

Start Orbisnap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5

Orbisnap Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7

Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Navigation Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

Navigate Using Orbisnap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-11

View Animations or Virtual Worlds with Orbisnap . . . . 8-15

xiii
 View Virtual Worlds Remotely with Orbisnap . . . . . . . . 8-16

Blocks — Alphabetical List

9

Functions — Alphabetical List

10

Glossary

xiv Contents
 1

Getting Started

• “Simulink® 3D Animation™ Product Description” on page 1-2

• “Expected Background” on page 1-3
• “Build Virtual Worlds to Visualize Dynamic Simulations” on page 1-4
• “Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)” on page 1-11
• “Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples” on page 1-19
 1 Getting Started

Simulink 3D Animation Product Description

Animate, visualize, and interact with models in 3D
Simulink® 3D Animation™ provides apps for linking Simulink models and
MATLAB® algorithms to 3D graphics objects. It lets you visualize and verify
dynamic system behavior in a virtual reality environment. Objects are
represented in the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), a standard
3D modeling language. You can animate a 3D world by changing position,
rotation, scale, and other object properties during desktop or real-time
simulation. You can also inject virtual sensor signals and access 3D animation
data in Simulink or MATLAB for post-processing.

Simulink 3D Animation includes viewers for rendering and interacting with

virtual scenes. With the 3D World Editor, you can author detailed scenes
assembled from 3D models exported from CAD-based or web-based sources.
You can incorporate multiple 3D scene views inside MATLAB figures and
interact with these views via a force-feedback joystick, space mouse, or other
hardware device.

Key Features
• Simulink blocks and MATLAB apps and functions for connecting models to
virtual reality worlds
• 3D World Editor for authoring 3D worlds
• Viewers for 3D model visualization
• Video recording and animation playback
• Visualization of real-time simulations
• Remote access to simulations via standalone viewers or web browsers
• Interaction with 3D views via a joystick, space mouse, or other hardware
device

1-2
 Expected Background

Expected Background
To help you effectively read and use this guide, here is a brief description of
the chapters and a suggested reading path. As a general rule, you can assume
that Simulink 3D Animation software on the Apple Mac OS X platform works
as described for the UNIX®/Linux® platforms.

This guide assumes that you are already familiar with:

• MATLAB product, to write scripts and functions with MATLAB code, and
to use functions with the command-line interface
• Simulink and Stateflow® charts products to create models as block
diagrams and simulate those models
• VRML, to create or otherwise provide virtual worlds or three-dimensional
scenes to connect to Simulink or MATLAB software

1-3
 1 Getting Started

Build Virtual Worlds to Visualize Dynamic Simulations

In this section...
“Virtual Reality World Models of Dynamic Systems” on page 1-4
“Set up Your Working Environment” on page 1-5
“Build a Virtual Reality World” on page 1-6
“Link to a Virtual Reality World” on page 1-7
“View Dynamic System Simulations” on page 1-9
“Share Dynamic System Simulation Visualizations” on page 1-9
“MATLAB® Compiler™ Support” on page 1-9

Virtual Reality World Models of Dynamic Systems

The Simulink 3D Animation product is a solution for interacting with
virtual reality world models of dynamic systems over time. It extends the
capabilities of your and Simulink, SimMechanics™, and MATLAB software
into the world of virtual reality graphics. The product provides a complete
authoring, development, and working environment for carrying out 3-D visual
simulations.

To use virtual reality worlds to visualize dynamic system simulations, you

perform the following tasks:

• “Set up Your Working Environment” on page 1-5

• “Build a Virtual Reality World” on page 1-6
• “Link to a Virtual Reality World” on page 1-7
• “View Dynamic System Simulations” on page 1-9
• “Share Dynamic System Simulation Visualizations” on page 1-9

As you refine your visualization, you often perform some of these tasks
iteratively.

To work through an example that illustrates the building, linking, and

viewing a virtual world, see “Build and Connect a Virtual World” on page 5-7.

1-4
 Build Virtual Worlds to Visualize Dynamic Simulations

Set up Your Working Environment

Install the Simulink 3D Animation software in your MATLAB environment
to build virtual reality worlds and to visualize dynamic simulations modeled
in MATLAB, Simulink, or SimMechanics. If your computer does not already
have a graphics card with hardware 3-D acceleration, consider installing such
a card to enhance graphics performance.

You build and view the virtual reality world models using VRML (Virtual
Reality Modeling Language).

In addition to the installed VRML editor, 3D World Editor, you can configure
your environment to use:

• The Ligos® V-Realm Builder, which is included in the Simulink 3D

Animation software for Windows® platforms.
• Any third-party VRML editor
• The MATLAB editor or a third-party text editor

In addition to the installed Simulink 3D Animation viewer, you can use one of
these viewers to display your virtual reality worlds:

• The Blaxxun Contact® VRML plug-in, on either the host or a client

computer
• Orbisnap, on a client computer

To help decide which VRML editor and viewer to use, see “VRML Editors”
on page 5-2 and “VRML Viewers” on page 7-3. For more information about
installing a VRML editor or VRML viewer, see “Install VRML Viewer”.

Use joystick and space mouse input devices to provide input for dynamic
simulation visualizations.

TCP/IP Connection
The Simulink 3D Animation product uses a TCP/IP connection to a VR
client for communicating with the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, as well
for connecting to VRML-enabled Web browser. You can verify the TCP/IP
connection between the host and client computers by using the ping command

1-5
 1 Getting Started

from a command-line prompt. If there are problems, you must first fix the
TCP/IP protocol settings according to the documentation for your operating
system.

LD_LIBRARY_PATH Environment Variable (UNIX)

If your system does not have the OpenGL® software properly installed when
you run the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, you might see an error message
like the following in the MATLAB window:

Invalid MEX-file 'matlab/toolbox/sl3d/sl3d/vrsfunc.mexglx':

libGL.so: cannot open shared object file

If you see an error like this, set the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable.

If the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable already exists, use a line like

the following to add the new path to the existing one:

setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH
matlabroot/sys/opengl/lib/<PLATFORM>:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH

If the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable does not already exist, use a

line like the following:

setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH
matlabroot/sys/opengl/lib/<PLATFORM>

In both cases, <PLATFORM> is the UNIX platform you are working in.

Build a Virtual Reality World

Use a VRML editor to build a virtual reality world. A non-VRML CAD model
created with another tool can be a good basis for a virtual reality world to use
with Simulink 3D Animation. You may be able to convert the CAD model to
a VRML model.

The Simulink 3D Animation product uses many of the advanced features

defined in the current VMRL97 specification, including:

• Viewpoints, to highlight points of interest for quick browsing of a virtual

reality world

1-6
 Build Virtual Worlds to Visualize Dynamic Simulations

• Sensors, to input virtual reality world values to Simulink models

For more an overview of VRML and details about supported VRML features,
see “Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)” on page 1-11.

As you add VRML nodes with the 3D World Editor, you can use the viewer
pane to see the virtual world that you are creating.

For a step-by-step example of building a virtual reality world with the 3D

World Editor, see “Build and Connect a Virtual World” on page 5-7.

Link to a Virtual Reality World

To use a dynamic system simulation to drive a virtual reality world, you need
to connect the virtual world to one of the following:

• Simulink model
• SimMechanics model
• MATLAB virtual world object

Simulink
The Simulink 3D Animation library provides blocks to directly connect
Simulink signals with virtual worlds. This connection lets you visualize your
model as a three-dimensional animation.

You can implement most of the software features with Simulink blocks. Once
you include these blocks in a Simulink diagram, you can select a virtual world
and connect Simulink signals to the virtual world. The software automatically
scans a virtual world for available VRML nodes that the Simulink software
can drive.

All the VRML node properties are listed in a hierarchical tree-style viewer.
You select the degrees of freedom to control from within the Simulink
interface. After you close a Block Parameters dialog box, the Simulink
software updates the block with the inputs and outputs corresponding
to selected nodes in the virtual world. After connecting these inputs to
appropriate Simulink signals, you can view the simulation with a VRML
viewer.

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 1 Getting Started

The Simulink product provides communication for control and manipulation

of virtual reality objects, using Simulink 3D Animation blocks.

For details, see “Virtual World Connection to a Model” on page 3-2.

SimMechanics
You can use the Simulink 3D Animation product to view the behavior of a
model created with the SimMechanics software. First, you build a model of a
machine in the Simulink interface using SimMechanics blocks. Then, create a
detailed picture of your machine in a virtual world, connect this world to the
SimMechanics body sensor outputs, and view the behavior of the bodies in
a VRML viewer.

For details, see “Link to a SimMechanics Model” on page 5-47.

MATLAB
Simulink 3D Animation software provides a flexible MATLAB interface to
virtual reality worlds. After creating MATLAB objects and associating them
with a virtual world, you can control the virtual world by using functions
and methods.

From the MATLAB software, you can set positions and properties of VRML
objects, create callbacks from graphical interfaces, and map data to virtual
objects. You can also view the world with a VRML viewer, determine its
structure, and assign new values to all available nodes and their fields.

The software includes functions for retrieving and changing the virtual
world properties and for saving the VRML files corresponding to the actual
structure of a virtual world.

The MATLAB software provides communication for control and manipulation

of virtual reality objects using MATLAB objects.

For details about interacting between MATLAB and virtual reality worlds,
see “MATLAB Interaction”.

1-8
 Build Virtual Worlds to Visualize Dynamic Simulations

View Dynamic System Simulations

After you connect the virtual world to the dynamic system model, use a
VRML viewer to view the virtual world representation of the dynamic system
simulation.

• In Simulink and SimMechanics, simulate the model that is connected to

the virtual reality world.
• In MATLAB, use the view function to view a vrworld object that the
MATLAB code updates with data values.

While running a simulation, you can change the positions and properties in
a virtual world.

For information about using VRML viewers to navigate a virtual reality

world, see “View Dynamic System Simulations”.

Share Dynamic System Simulation Visualizations

You can share dynamic system simulation results with others by:

• Capture animation frame snapshots or record animations for video viewing.

See “Capture Frames” on page 7-55 and “Record and Play Animations ”.
• In addition to the single computer configuration (when MATLAB, Simulink,
and the virtual reality representations run on the same host computer),
Simulink 3D Animation software also allows a client-server configuration.
In this configuration, an Orbisnap or Blaxxun Contact VRML viewer on
a remote client can connect to the server host on which Simulink 3D
Animation software is running. This allows others to view an animated
virtual world remotely. Multiple clients can connect to one server. See
“Blaxxun Contact VRML Plug-In ” and “Orbisnap Standalone Viewer”.
• Use the MATLAB Compiler™ to take MATLAB files as input and
generate redistributable, standalone applications that include Simulink
3D Animation functionality, including the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer.
See “MATLAB® Compiler™ Support” on page 1-9

MATLAB Compiler Support

To use the MATLAB Compiler to produce standalone applications, create a
MATLAB file that uses the MATLAB interface for the Simulink 3D Animation

1-9
 1 Getting Started

product (for example, creating, opening, and closing a vrworld object). Then
use the MATLAB Compiler product.

Standalone applications that include Simulink 3D Animation functionality

have the following limitations:

• No Simulink software support, which results in no access to the Simulink

3D Animation Simulink library (vrlib).
• No Simulink 3D Animation server, which results in no remote connection
for the Orbisnap or Blaxxun Contact viewers
• No animation recording ability
• No editing world ability
• The following Simulink 3D Animation Viewer features cannot be used
in standalone applications:
- File > Open in Editor
- Recording menu
- Simulation menu
- Help access

1-10
 Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)

Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)

In this section...
“VRML History” on page 1-11
“VRML Support” on page 1-12
“VRML Compatibility” on page 1-13
“VRML Coordinate System” on page 1-14
“VRML File Format” on page 1-16

VRML History
The Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is the language you use to
display three-dimensional objects with a VRML viewer.

Since people started to publish their documents on the World Wide Web
(WWW), there has been an effort to enhance the content of Web pages with
advanced three-dimensional graphics and interaction with those graphics.

The term Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML) was first used by Tim
Berners-Lee at a European Web conference in 1994 when he talked about a
need for a 3-D Web standard. Soon afterward, an active group of artists and
engineers formed around a mailing list called www-vrml. They changed the
name of the standard to Virtual Reality Modeling Language to emphasize
the role of graphics. The result of their effort was to produce the VRML
1 specification. As a basis for this specification, they used a subset of the
Inventor file format from Silicon Graphics.

The VRML 1 standard was implemented in several VRML browsers, but it

allowed you to create only static virtual worlds. This limitation reduced the
possibility of its widespread use. Quickly it became clear that the language
needed a robust extension to add animation and interactivity, and bring life
to a virtual world. The VRML 2 standard was developed, and in the year 1997
it was adopted as International Standard ISO/IEC 14772-1:1997. Since then
it is referred to as VRML97.

1-11
 1 Getting Started

VRML97 represents an open and flexible platform for creating interactive

three-dimensional scenes (virtual worlds). As computers improve in
computational power and graphic capability, and communication lines become
faster, the use of 3-D graphics becomes more popular outside the traditional
domain of art and games. There are now a number of VRML97-enabled
browsers available on several platforms. Also, there are an increasing number
of VRML authoring tools from which to choose. In addition, many traditional
graphical software packages (CAD, visual art, and so on) offer VRML97
import/export features.

The Simulink 3D Animation product uses VRML97 technology to deliver a

unique, open 3-D visualization solution for MATLAB users. It is a useful
contribution to a wide use of VRML97 in the field of technical and scientific
computation and interactive 3-D animation.

The VRML97 standard continues to be improved by the Web 3D

Consortium. The newly released X3D (eXtensible 3D) standard is
the successor to VRML97. X3D is an extensible standard
that provides compatibility with existing VRML content and
browsers. For more information, see http://www.web3d.org and
http://www.web3d.org/x3d/specifications/vrml/ISO-IEC-14772-VRML97/.

VRML Support
The Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) is an ISO standard that is
open, text-based, and uses a WWW-oriented format. You use VRML to define
a virtual world that you can display with a VRML viewer and connect to a
Simulink model.

The Simulink 3D Animation software uses many of the advanced

features defined in the current VRML97 specification. The term
VRML, in this guide, always refers to VRML as defined in the
VRML97 standard ISO/IEC 14772-1:1997, available from
http://www.web3d.org/x3d/specifications/vrml/ISO-IEC-14772-VRML97/.
This format includes a description of 3-D scenes, sounds, internal actions,
and WWW anchors.

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 Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)

The software analyzes the structure of the virtual world, determines what
signals are available, and makes them available from the MATLAB and
Simulink environment.

Simulink 3D Animation software ensures that the changes made to a virtual

world are reflected in the MATLAB and Simulink interfaces. If you change
the viewpoint in your virtual world, this change occurs in the vrworld object
properties in MATLAB and Simulink interfaces.

The software includes functions for retrieving and changing virtual world
properties.

Note Since some VRML worlds are automatically generated in VRML1.0,

and the Simulink 3D Animation product does not support VRML1.0, you need
to save these worlds in the current standard for VRML, VRML97.

For PC platforms, you can convert VRML1.0 worlds to VRML97 worlds by

opening the worlds in Ligos V-Realm Builder and saving them. V-Realm
Builder is shipped with the PC version of the software. Other commercially
available software programs can also perform the VRML1.0 to VRML97
conversion.

VRML Compatibility
The Simulink 3D Animation product currently supports most features of
VRML97, with the following limitations:

• The Simulink 3D Animation server ignores the VRML Script node, but it
passes the node to the VRML Viewer. This allows you to run VRML scripts
on the viewer side. You cannot run them on the Simulink 3D Animation
server.
• The Simulink 3D Animation Viewer does not support the Sound node. (The
Blaxxun Contact viewer does.)
• In keeping with the VRML97 specification, the Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer ignores BMP files. As a result, VRML scene textures might not
display properly in the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer. To properly display
scene textures, replace all BMP texture files in a VRML scene with PNG,

1-13
 1 Getting Started

JPG, or GIF equivalents. Note that Blaxxun Contact supports BMP files in
addition to the standard VRML texture file formats.

For a complete list of VRML97 nodes, refer to the VRML97 specification.

VRML Coordinate System

1-14
 Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)

The VRML coordinate system is different from the MATLAB and Aerospace
Blockset™ coordinate systems. VRML uses the world coordinate system in
which the y-axis points upward and the z-axis places objects nearer or farther
from the front of the screen. It is important to realize this fact in situations
involving the interaction of these different coordinate systems. SimMechanics
uses the same coordinate system as VRML.

Rotation angles — In VRML, rotation angles are defined using the right-hand
rule. Imagine your right hand holding an axis while your thumb points in the
direction of the axis toward its positive end. Your four remaining fingers
point in a counterclockwise direction. This counterclockwise direction is the
positive rotation angle of an object moving around that axis.

Child objects — In the hierarchical structure of a VRML file, the position and
orientation of child objects are specified relative to the parent object. The
parent object has its local coordinate space defined by its own position and
orientation. Moving the parent object also moves the child objects relative
to the parent object.

Measurement units — All lengths and distances are measured in meters, and
all angles are measured in radians.

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 1 Getting Started

VRML File Format

You need not have any substantial knowledge of the VRML format to use the
VRML authoring tools to create virtual worlds. However, it is useful to have
a basic knowledge of VRML scene description. This helps you create virtual
worlds more effectively, and gives you a good understanding of how the virtual
world elements can be controlled using Simulink 3D Animation software.

This section introduces VRML. For more information, see the VRML97
Reference. This reference is available online at http://www.web3d.org.
Many specialized VRML books can help you understand VRML concepts and
create your own virtual worlds. For more information about the VRML, refer
to an appropriate third-party VRML book.

In VRML, a 3-D scene is described by a hierarchical tree structure of

objects (nodes). Every node in the tree represents some functionality of the
scene. There are 54 different types of nodes. Some of them are shape nodes
(representing real 3-D objects), and some of them are grouping nodes used
for holding child nodes. Here are some examples:

• Box node — Represents a box in a scene.

• Transform node — Defines position, scale, scale orientation, rotation,
translation, and children of its subtree (grouping node).
• Material node — Corresponds to material in a scene.
• DirectionalLight node — Represents lighting in a scene.
• Fog node — Allows you to modify the environment optical properties.
• ProximitySensor node — Brings interactivity to VRML97. This node
generates events when the user enters, exits, and moves within the defined
region in space.

Each node contains a list of fields that hold values defining parameters for
its function.

Nodes can be placed in the top level of a tree or as children of other nodes in
the tree hierarchy. When you change a value in the field of a certain node, all
nodes in its subtree are affected. This feature allows you to define relative
positions inside complicated compound objects.

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 Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML)

You can mark every node with a specific name by using the keyword DEF in
the VRML scene code. For example, the statement DEF MyNodeName Box sets
the name for this box node to MyNodeName. You can access the fields of only
those nodes that you name in a virtual world

In the following example of a simple VRML file, two graphical objects are
modeled in a 3-D scene: A floor is represented by a flat box with a red ball
above it. The VRML file is a readable text file that you can write in any text
editor.

#VRML V2.0 utf8

# This is a comment line
WorldInfo {
title "Bouncing Ball"
}
Viewpoint {
position 0 5 30
description "Side View"
}
DEF Floor Box {
size 6 0.2 6
}
DEF Ball Transform {
translation 0 10 0
children Shape {
appearance Appearance {
material Material {
diffuseColor 1 0 0
}
}
geometry Sphere {
}
}
}

The first line is the VRML header line. Every VRML file must start with this
header line. It indicates that this is a VRML 2 file and that the text objects
in the file are encoded according to the UTF8 standard. You use the number
sign (#) to comment VRML worlds. Everything on a line after the # sign is
ignored by a VRML viewer, with the exception of the first header line.

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 1 Getting Started

Most of the box properties are left at their default values – distance from the
center of the coordinate system, material, color, and so on. Only the name
Floor and the dimensions are assigned to the box. To be able to control the
position and other properties of the ball, it is defined as a child node of a
Transform type node. Here, the default unit sphere is assigned a red color
and a position 10 m above the floor. In addition, the virtual world title is used
by VRML viewers to distinguish between virtual worlds. A suitable initial
viewpoint is defined in the virtual world VRML file.

When displayed in a VRML viewer, the floor and red ball look like this:

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 Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

In this section...
“Simulink Interface Examples” on page 1-19
“MATLAB Interface Examples” on page 1-32

Simulink Interface Examples

For all the examples that have a Simulink model, use the following procedure
to run the example and view the model:

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, enter the name of a Simulink model.

For example, enter:

vrbounce

A Simulink window opens with the block diagram for the model. By
default, a virtual world also opens in the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer or
your VRML-enabled Web browser. If you close the virtual world window,
double-click the VR Sink block to display it again.

Note If the viewer does not open, double-click the VR Sink block in
the Simulink model. In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, from the
Simulation menu, click Block Parameters. A Block Parameters dialog
box opens. The Open VRML viewer automatically check box should be
selected by default. When you double-click the VR Sink block, this selection
enables the virtual world window to open.

2 In the Simulink window, from the Simulation menu, click Run.

(Alternatively, in the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, from the Simulation
menu, click Start.)

A simulation starts running, and the virtual world is animated using signal
data from the simulation.

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 1 Getting Started

The following table lists the Simulink examples provided with the Simulink
3D Animation product. Descriptions of the examples follow the table.

Simulink
Coder™ VR VR Space
Example Ready Sink Source Joystick Mouse
vrbounce X X
vrcrane_joystick X X
vrcrane_panel X X
vrcrane_traj X X
vrlights X X
vrmaglev X X
vrmaglev_rtwin X X
vrmanipul X X
vrmanipul_global X X
vrmemb1 X X
vrmorph X X
vr_octavia X X
vr_octavia_2cars X
vr_octavia_graphs X
vr_octavia_mirror X
vr_octavia_video X

vrdemo_panel X X
vrpend X X
vrplanets X X
vrtkoff X X
vrtkoff_trace X
vrtkoff_hud X

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 Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

Bouncing Ball Example (vrbounce)

The vrbounce example represents a ball bouncing from a floor. The ball
deforms as it hits the floor, keeping the volume of the ball constant. The
deformation is achieved by modifying the scale field of the ball.

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 1 Getting Started

Portal Crane with Joystick Control (vrcrane_joystick)

The vrcrane_joystick example illustrates how a Simulink model can
interact with a virtual world. The portal crane dynamics are modeled in
the Simulink interface and visualized in virtual reality. The model uses
the Joystick Input block to control the setpoint. Joystick 3 axes control the
setpoint position and button 1 starts the crane. This example requires a
standard joystick with at least three independent axes connected to the PC.

To minimize the number of signals transferred between the Simulink model

and the virtual reality world, and to keep the model as simple and flexible as
possible, only the minimum set of moving objects properties are sent from the
model to the VR Sink block. All other values that are necessary to describe
the virtual reality objects movement are computed from this minimum set
using VRMLScript in the associated VRML file.

For details on how the crane model hierarchy and scripting logic is
implemented, see the associated commented VRML file portal_crane.wrl.

Virtual Control Panel (vrdemo_panel)

The vrdemo_panel example shows the use of sensing objects that are available
in the 3D World Editor Components library. These objects combine VRML
sensors with logic that changes their visual appearance based on user input.
The VRML sensor values can be read into Simulink by the VR Source block.
The logic is implemented using VRML Scripts and Routes.

The control panel contains a pushbutton, switch button, toggle switch, and
a 2-D setpoint selection area. Outputs of these elements are read into a
Simulink model and subsequently displayed using standard sinks, or used as
inputs of blocks that control back some objects in the virtual world.

Pushbutton, switch button, and toggle switches have the state outputs, which
are of boolean type. Their values are displayed using the Scope.

Two outputs of the 2D setpoint area are used to achieve the following
behavior. The value of the "SetPoint_Changed" eventOut is continuously
updated when the pointer is over the sensor area. This value is triggered
by the second output - "isActive" that is true only on clicking the pointer
button. Triggered value - coordinates of the active point on the sensor plane
are displayed using the XY Graph and sent back to the virtual world in two

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 Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

ways: as a position of green cone marker and as text that the VR Text Output
block displays on the control panel.

Portal Crane with Predefined Trajectory Example (vrcrane_traj)

The vrcrane_traj example is based on the vrcrane_joystick example,
but instead of interactive control, it has a predefined load trajectory. The
vrcrane_traj model illustrates a technique to create the visual impression of
joining and splitting moving objects in the VRML world.

A crane magnet attaches the load box, moves it to a different location, then
releases the box and returns to the initial position. This effect is achieved
using an additional, geometrically identical shadow object that is placed as
an independent object outside of the crane objects hierarchy. At any given
time, only one of the Load or Shadow objects is displayed, using two VRML
Switch nodes connected by the ROUTE statement.

After the crane moves the load to a new position, at the time of the load
release, a VRMLScript script assigns the new shadow object position
according to the current Load position. The Shadow object becomes visible.
Because it is independent from the rest of the crane moving parts hierarchy,
it stays at its position as the crane moves away.

Lighting Example (vrlights)

The vrlights example uses light sources. In the scene, you can move Sun
(modeled as DirectionalLight) and Lamp (modeled as PointLight) objects
around the Simulink model. This movement creates the illusion of changes
between day and night, and night terrain illumination. The associated VRML
file defines several viewpoints that allow you to observe gradual changes
in light from various perspectives.

Magnetic Levitation Model Example (vrmaglev)

The vrmaglev example shows the interaction between dynamic models in the
Simulink environment and virtual worlds. The Simulink model represents
the HUMUSOFT® CE 152 Magnetic Levitation educational/presentation scale
model. The plant model is controlled by a PID controller with feed-forward to
cope with the nonlinearity of the magnetic levitation system. To more easily
observe and control the ball, set the VRML viewer to the Camera 3 viewpoint.

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 1 Getting Started

You can set the ball position setpoint in two ways:

• Using a Signal Generator block

• Clicking in the virtual reality scene at a position that you want

To achieve a dragging effect, use the VRML PlaneSensor attached to the ball
geometry with its output restricted to <0,1> in the vertical coordinate and
processed by the VR Sensor Reader block. The vrextin S-function provides
the data connection.

For more details on how to read values from virtual worlds programmatically,
see “Working with VRML Sensors” on page 3-25.

Magnetic Levitation Model for Real-Time Windows Target

Example (vrmaglev_rtwin)
In addition to the vrmaglev example, the vrmaglev_rtwin example works
directly with the actual CE 152 scale model hardware in real time. This model
to work with the HUMUSOFT MF 624 data acquisition board, and Simulink
Coder and Real-Time Windows Target™ software. However, you can adapt
this model for other targets and acquisition boards. A digital IIR filter, from
the DSP System Toolbox™ library, filters the physical system output. You
can bypass the physical system by using the built-in plant model. Running
this model in real time is an example showing the capabilities of the Simulink
product in control systems design and rapid prototyping.

After enabling the remote view in the VR Sink block dialog box, you can
control the Simulink model even from another (remote) client computer.
This control can be useful for distributing the computing power between a
real-time Simulink model running on one machine and the rendering of a
virtual reality world on another machine.

To work with this model, use as powerful a machine as possible or split the
computing and rendering over two machines.

Manipulator with Space Mouse Example (vrmanipul)

The vrmanipul example illustrates the use of Simulink 3D Animation
software for virtual reality prototyping and testing the viability of designs
before the implementation phase. Also, this example illustrates the use of a

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 Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

space mouse input for manipulating objects in a virtual world. You must have
a space mouse input to run this example.

The VRML model represents a nuclear hot chamber manipulator. It is

manipulated by a simple Simulink model containing the Space Mouse Input
block. This model uses all six degrees of freedom of the space mouse for
manipulating the mechanical arm, and uses mouse button 1 to close the grip
of the manipulator jaws.

A space mouse is an input device with six degrees of freedom. It is useful for
navigating and manipulating objects in a virtual world. A space mouse is also
suitable as a general input device for Simulink models. You can use a space
mouse for higher performance applications and user comfort. Space mouse
input is supported through the Space Mouse Input block, which is included in
the Simulink 3D Animation block library for the Simulink environment.

The Space Mouse Input block can operate in three modes to cover the most
typical uses of such a device in a three-dimensional context:

• Speeds
• Positions
• Viewpoint coordinates

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 1 Getting Started

Manipulator Moving a Load with Use of Global Coordinates

(vrmanipul_global)
The vrmanipul_global example illustrates the use of global coordinates in
Simulink 3D Animation models. You can use global coordinates in a model in
many ways, including:

• Object tracking and manipulation

• Simple collision detection
• Simulation of haptic effects

The VR Source block supports using global coordinates for objects in a virtual
world. For each Transform in the scene, the tree view in the VR Source block
parameter dialog box displays the Extensions branch. In that branch, you
can select translation_abs and rotation_abs fields. Fields with the _abs
suffix contain the object’s global coordinates. The fields without the _abs
suffix input their data into Simulink model object’s local coordinates (relative
to their parent objects in model hierarchy).

The VRML model represents a nuclear hot chamber manipulator. The

manipulator moves the load from one gray cylindrical platform to another.
The trajectory for the manipulator end-effector is predefined using the Signal
Builder. Each part of manipulator arm is independently actuated using
decomposed trajectory components, with the help of VR Expander blocks (see
the VR Transformations subsystem).

The VR Source block in the VRML tree on the left captures global coordinates
of all objects important for load manipulation:

• Manipulator grip reference point (center of the clamp)

• Destination reference point
• Initial position of the load

The manipulator grip position results from complex movement of manipulator

arm parts that form hierarchical structure. Generally it is very difficult to
compute global coordinates for such objects affected by hierarchical relations
in the scene. However, Simulink 3D Animation provides an easy way to read
the global coordinates of objects affected by hierarchical relations into a
Simulink model.

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 Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

Based on having the global coordinates of all of the important objects, you can
implement a simple manipulator control logic.

Rotating Membrane Example (vrmemb1)

The vrmemb1 example is similar to the vrmemb example, but in the vrmemb1
example the associated virtual world is driven from a Simulink model.

Geometry Morphing Example (vrmorph)

The vrmorph example illustrates how you can transfer matrix-type or
variable-size signal data between the Simulink interface and a virtual reality
world. With this capability, you can perform massive color changes or
morphing. This model morphs a cube into an octahedron and then changes
it back to a cube.

Vehicle Dynamics Visualization (vr_octavia)

The vr_octavia example illustrates the benefits of the visualization of
complex dynamic model in the virtual reality environment. It also shows the
Simulink 3D Animation 3-D offline animation recording functionality.

Vehicle Dynamics Visualization - Simulation of Multiple Objects

(vr_octavia_2cars)
This example extends the vr_octavia example to show multiple-object
scenario visualizations.

The precomputed simulation data represents a standard double-lane-change

maneuver conducted in two-vehicle configurations. One configuration engages
the Electronic Stability Program control unit. The other configuration
switches that control unit off. The example sends two sets of vehicle dynamics
data in parallel to the virtual reality scene, to drive two different vehicles.

Models of the vehicles use the VRML97 EXTERNPROTO mechanism. In the

main virtual world associated with the VR Sink block, you can create several
identical vehicles as instances of a common 3-D object. This approach greatly
simplifies virtual world authoring. For instance, it is very easy to create a
third vehicle to simultaneously visualize another simulation scenario. The
octavia_scene_lchg_2cars.wrl virtual world, the VRML after the definition
of PROTOS illustrates an approach for easy-to-define reusable objects.

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 1 Getting Started

In addition to vehicle properties controlled in the vr_octavia example, vehicle

prototypes also allow you to define vehicle color and scale. These properties
distinguish individual car instances (color) and avoid unpleasant visual
interaction of two nearly-aligned 3-D objects (scale). Scaling one of the cars by
a small amount, encompasses one car into another so that their faces do not
clip randomly, based on the current simulation data in each simulation step.

To visualize vehicles side-by-side, add an offset to the position of one vehicle.

Vehicle Dynamics Visualization with Graphs

(vr_octavia_graphs)
The vr_octavia_graphs example extends the vr_octavia example by
showing how to combine a virtual reality canvas in one figure with other
graphical user interface objects. In this case, the virtual world displays three
graphs that update at each major simulation time step.

Vehicle Dynamics Visualization with Live Rear Mirror Image

(vr_octavia_mirror)
The vr_octavia_mirror example extends the vr_octavia example by
showing the capability of the VR Sink block to process video stream on input.
In the virtual world, a PixelTexture texture map is defined at the point of the
vehicle left rear mirror. The example places a 2-D image from a viewpoint at
the same position (looking backward). That image is looped back into the same
virtual world and projected on the rear mirror glass, creating the impression
of a live reflection. Texture images can have different formats (corresponding
to the available SFImage definitions according to the VRML97 standard). This
example uses an RGB image that has the same format as the output from the
VR to Video block. In the VRML file associated with the scene, you can define
only a trivial texture (in this case, a 4x4 pixel checkerboard) that gets resized
during simulation, according to the current size of the signal on the input.
See the Plane Manipulation Using Space Mouse MATLAB Object example.

Vehicle Dynamics Visualization with Video Output Example

(vr_octavia_video)
The vr_octavia_video example illustrates how to use video output from
the VR To Video block. This model performs simple operations on the video
output. It requires the Computer Vision System Toolbox™ product.

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 Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

Inverted Pendulum Example (vrpend)

The vrpend example illustrates the various ways a dynamic model in the
Simulink interface can interact with a virtual reality scene. It is the model of
a two-dimensional inverted pendulum controlled by a PID controller. What
distinguishes this model from common inverted pendulum models are the
methods for setting the set point. You visualize and interact with a virtual
world by using a Trajectory Graph and VR Sink blocks. The Trajectory Graph
block allows you to track the history of the pendulum position and change
the set point in three ways:

• Mouse — Click and drag a mouse pointer in the Trajectory Graph

two-dimensional window
• Input Signal — External Trajectory Graph input in this model (driven by a
random number generator)
• VR Sensor — Activates the input from a VRML TouchSensor

When the pointing device in the VRML viewer moves over an active
TouchSensor area, the cursor shape changes. The triggering logic in this
model is set to apply the new set point value with a left mouse button click.

Notice the pseudoorthographic view defined in the associated VRML file.

You achieve this effect by creating a viewpoint that is located far from the
object of interest with a very narrow view defined by the VRML FieldOfView
parameter. An orthographic view is useful for eliminating the panoramic
distortion that occurs when you are using a wide-angle lens. The disadvantage
of this technique is that locating the viewpoint at a distance makes the
standard viewer navigation tricky or difficult in some navigation modes, such
as the Examine mode. If you want to navigate around the virtual pendulum
bench, you should use some other viewpoint.

Solar System Example (vrplanets)

The vrplanets example shows the dynamic representation of the first four
planets of the solar system, Moon orbiting around Earth, and Sun itself. The
model uses the real properties of the celestial bodies. Only the relative planet
sizes and the distance between the Earth and the Moon are adjusted, to
provide an interesting view.

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 1 Getting Started

Several viewpoints are defined in the virtual world, both static and attached to
an observer on Earth. You can see that the planet bodies are not represented
as perfect spheres. Using the VRML Sphere graphic primitive, which is
rendered this way, simplified the model. If you want to make the planets
more realistic, you could use the more complex IndexedFaceSet node type.

Mutual gravity accelerations of the bodies are computed using Simulink

matrix-type data support.

Plane Takeoff Example (vrtkoff)

The vrtkoff example represents a simplified aircraft taking off from a
runway. Several viewpoints are defined in this model, both static and attached
to the plane, allowing you to see the takeoff from various perspectives.

The model shows the technique of combining several objects imported or

obtained from different sources (CAD packages, general 3-D modelers, and so
on) into a virtual reality scene. Usually it is necessary for you to wrap such
imported objects with an additional VRML Transform node. This wrapper
allows you to set appropriately the scaling, position, and orientation of the
objects to fit in the scene. In this example, the aircraft model from the Ligos
V-Realm Builder Object Library is incorporated into the scene. The file
vrtkoff2.wrl uses the same scene with a different type of aircraft.

Plane Take-Off with Trajectory Tracing Example (vrtkoff_trace)

The vrtkoff_trace is a variant of the vrtkoff example that illustrates how
to trace the trajectory of a moving object (plane) in a scene. It uses a VR
Tracer block. Using a predefined sample time, this block allows you to place
markers at the current position of an object. When the simulation stops,
the markers indicate the trajectory path of the object. This example uses
an octahedron as a marker.

Plane Take-Off with HUD Text Example (vrtkoff_hud)

The vrtkoff_hud example illustrates how to display signal values as text in
the virtual world and a simple Head-Up Display (HUD). It is a variant of
the vrtkoff example.

The example sends the text to a virtual world using the VR Text Output
block. This block formats the input vector using the format string defined in

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 Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

its mask (see sprintf for more information) and sends the resulting string to
the 'string' field of the associated VRML text node in the scene.

The example achieves HUD behavior (maintaining constant relative position

between the user and the Text node) by defining a ProximitySensor. This
sensor senses user position and orientation as it navigates through the scene
and routes this information to the translation and rotation of the HUD object
(in this case, a VRML Transform that contains the Text node).

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 1 Getting Started

MATLAB Interface Examples

The following table lists the MATLAB interface examples provided with the
software. Descriptions of the examples follow the table. MATLAB interface
examples display virtual worlds in your default viewer. If your default is the
Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, some buttons are unavailable. In particular,
the simulation buttons for simulation and recording are unavailable.

vrml()
Moving Morphing Function Space
Example Objects Objects Text Recording Use Mouse
vrcar X
vrheat X X
vrheat_anim X X X
vrmemb X X X
vrterrain_simple X
vrtkoff_spacemouse X X

Car in the Mountains Example (vrcar)

This example illustrates the use of the Simulink 3D Animation product with
the MATLAB interface. In a step-by-step tutorial, it shows commands for
navigating a virtual car along a path through the mountains.

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrcar

2 A tutorial script starts running. Follow the instructions in the MATLAB

Command Window.

Heat Transfer Example (vrheat)

This example illustrates the use of the Simulink 3D Animation product with
the MATLAB interface for manipulating complex objects.

In this example, matrix-type data is transferred between the MATLAB

software and a virtual reality world. Using this feature, you can achieve

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 Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

massive color changes or morphing. This is useful for representing various

physical processes. Precalculated data of time-based temperature distribution
in an L-shaped metal block is used. The data is then sent to the virtual world.
This forms an animation with relatively large changes.

This is a step-by-step example. Shown are the following features:

• Reshaping the object

• Applying the color palette to represent distributed parameters across an
object shape
• Working with VRML text objects
• Animating a scene using the MATLAB interface
• Synchronization of multiple scene properties

At the end of this example, you can preserve the virtual world object in the
MATLAB workspace, then save the resulting scene to a corresponding VRML
file or carry out other subsequent operations on it.

Heat Transfer Visualization with 2-D Animation (vrheat_anim)

This example illustrates the use of the Simulink 3D Animation MATLAB
interface to create 2-D offline animation files.

You can control the offline animation recording mechanism by setting the
relevant vrworld and vrfigure object properties. You should use the
Simulink 3D Animation Viewer to record animations. However, direct control
of the recording is also possible.

This example uses the heat distribution data from the vrheat example to
create an animation file. You can later distribute this animation file to be
independently viewed by others. For this kind of visualization, where the
static geometry represented by VRML IndexedFaceSet is colored based on
the simulation of some physical phenomenon, it is suitable to create 2-D
.avi animation files. The software uses the avifile function to record 2-D
animation exactly as it appears in the viewer figure.

There are several methods you can use to record animations. In this example,
we use the scheduled recording. When scheduled recording is active, a time

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 1 Getting Started

frame is recorded into the animation file with each setting of the virtual world
Time property. Recording is completed when you set the scene time at the end
or outside the predefined recording interval.

When using the Simulink 3D Animation MATLAB interface, you set the scene
time as desired. This is typically from the point of view of the simulated
phenomenon equidistant times. This is the most important difference from
recording the animations for virtual worlds that are associated with Simulink
models, where scene time corresponds directly to the Simulink time.

The scene time can represent any independent quantity along which you want
to animate the computed solution.

This is a step-by-step example. Shown are the following features:

• Recording 2-D offline animations using the MATLAB interface

• Applying the color palette to visualize distributed parameters across an
object shape
• Animating a scene
• Playing the created 2-D animation file using the system AVI player

At the end of this example, the resulting file vrheat_anim.avi remains in the
working folder for later use.

Rotating Membrane with MATLAB Graphical Interface Example

(vrmemb)
The vrmemb example shows how to use a 3-D graphic object generated from
the MATLAB environment with the Simulink 3D Animation product. The
membrane was generated by the logo function and saved in the VRML
format using the standard vrml function. You can save all Handle Graphics®
objects this way and use them with the Simulink 3D Animation software as
components of associated virtual worlds.

After starting the example, you see a control panel with two sliders and three
check boxes. Use the sliders to rotate and zoom the membrane while you use
the check boxes to determine the axis to rotate around.

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 Virtual Reality World and Dynamic System Examples

In the VRML scene, notice the text object. It is a child of the VRML Billboard
node. You can configure this node so that its local z-axis turns to point to the
viewer at all times. This can be useful for modeling virtual control panels
and head-up displays (HUDs).

Terrain Visualization Example (vrterrain_simple)

This example illustrates converting available Digital Elevation Models into
the VRML format, for use in virtual reality scenes.

As a source of terrain data, the South San Francisco DEM model (included
in the Mapping Toolbox™ software) has been used. A simple Boeing® 747®
model is included in the scene to show the technique of creating virtual worlds
from several sources on-the-fly.

This example requires the Mapping Toolbox software from MathWorks®.

Plane Manipulation Using Space Mouse MATLAB Object

This example illustrates how to use a space mouse using the MATLAB
interface. After you start this example, a virtual world with an aircraft is
displayed in the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer. You can navigate the plane
in the scene using a space mouse input device. Press button 1 to place a
marker at the current plane position.

This example requires a space mouse or compatible device.

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 1 Getting Started

1-36
 2

Installation

The Simulink 3D Animation product provides the files you need for
installation on both your host computer and client computer.

• “Install Blaxxun Contact on Host Computer” on page 2-2

• “Set the Default Viewer” on page 2-7
• “Install V-Realm Editor on Host Computer” on page 2-12
• “Set the Default Editor” on page 2-14
• “Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences” on page 2-17
• “Uninstall V-Realm Builder” on page 2-32
• “Uninstall Blaxxun Contact from Host Computer” on page 2-33
• “Install Blaxxun Contact on Client Computer” on page 2-34
• “Test the Viewer Installation” on page 2-35
 2 Installation

Install Blaxxun Contact on Host Computer

In this section...
“Known Issue with the Blaxxun Contact Plug-In” on page 2-4
“Change the Default Network Security Setting” on page 2-4
“TCP/IP Connection” on page 2-6

Note Support for the Blaxxun Contact viewer will be removed in a future
release. Consider using one of the other VRML viewers described in “VRML
Viewers” on page 7-3.

When you install the Simulink 3D Animation software, the Simulink 3D

Animation Viewer is set as the default viewer. If you want to use a Web
browser as a VRML viewer, use the following procedure to install the Blaxxun
Contact plug-in. You can use this plug-in with either the Internet Explorer®
or Netscape Navigator® browser. The Blaxxun Contact plug-in is the only
supported VRML plug-in.

Note The Blaxxun Contact installer installs the plug-in for the current
default browser only. If you change the default browser, you need to complete
the install procedure a second time. The Blaxxun Contact installation
executable files are located at C:\matlabroot\toolbox\sl3d\blaxxun.

Version 4.4 of the Blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in is distributed with the
software. The following procedure describes how to install the plug-in.

If you have the MATLAB Web Server installed on your machine, make
sure that you stop the Web Server before you install the Blaxxun Contact
plug-in. Also, verify that you are connected to the Internet before starting
this installation procedure:

1 Start the MATLAB software.

2 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

2-2
 Install Blaxxun Contact® on Host Computer

vrinstall -install viewer

The MATLAB interface displays the message

Do you want to use OpenGL or Direct3d

acceleration? (o/d)

3 Check the graphics card manual to determine the acceleration method to

select. If you are not sure, select Direct 3d by typing

The Blaxxun Contact installer starts running and displays the following
dialog box.

4 Follow the instructions on the remaining screens.

5 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrinstall
-check

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 2 Installation

If the viewer installation was successful, the MATLAB Command Window

displays the following message:

External VRML viewer: installed

If the viewer installation was unsuccessful, the MATLAB Command

Window displays the message

VRML
viewer: not installed

Known Issue with the Blaxxun Contact Plug-In

The Blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in can fail to update the virtual world when
used with the Simulink 3D Animation and Internet Explorer 5.5 and later
products. Netscape Navigator users do not experience this problem.

If you are using Internet Explorer 5.5 or later, you must manually change
a network security setting before you can use Blaxxun Contact 4.4 with
Simulink 3D Animation Version 3.0 or later. Upgrading your version of the
Blaxxun Contact plug-in does not resolve this problem.

The Blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in does not work reliably on Microsoft®
Windows 7 platforms.

Change the Default Network Security Setting

You must change your default network security setting before using the
Blaxxun Contact plug-in with Internet Explorer 5.5 and later to ensure that
the virtual world is updated appropriately. You can use this workaround
for the following:

• PC platform is Windows XP Service Pack 1.

• The PC platform is not one of the above, but you have installed the
Microsoft Java® Virtual Machine (JVM) on the PC.

1 Open Internet Explorer.

2 From the Tools menu, choose Internet Options.

The Internet Options dialog box opens.

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 Install Blaxxun Contact® on Host Computer

3 Select the Local Intranet icon.

4 Click the Security tab.

5 Click the Custom Level button.

The Security Settings dialog box opens.

6 Scroll down until you see Microsoft VM. The first subheading is Java
permissions.

7 Select Custom.

The Java Custom Settings button appears in the lower left of the
Security Settings dialog box.

8 Click Java Custom Settings.

The Local intranet dialog box opens.

9 Click the Edit Permissions tab.

10 Scan the main headings and subheadings (marked with a lock icon) until
you see Run Unsigned Content.

11 Under Run Unsigned Content, find Access to all Network Addresses.

12 Under Access to all Network Addresses, select Enable.

13 Click OK.

The Local intranet dialog box closes.

14 In the Security Settings dialog box, click OK.

You are asked if you want to change the security settings for this zone.

15 Select Yes.

16 In the Internet Options dialog box, click OK.

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 2 Installation

TCP/IP Connection
The client computer communicates with the host computer over TCP/IP, and
it displays the virtual world using a VR client. In this case, the VR client
is a VRML-enabled Web browser. You can verify the TCP/IP connection
between the host and client computers by using the ping command from a
command-line prompt. If there are problems, you must first fix the TCP/IP
protocol settings according to the documentation for your operating system.

2-6
 Set the Default Viewer

Set the Default Viewer

If you install a VRML plug-in in your Web browser, it is possible to view
virtual worlds with either the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, legacy
Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, or your Web browser. You determine the
viewer used to display your scene using the vrsetpref and vrgetpref
commands. (Alternatively, if you want to use the MATLAB File menu
Preferences dialog box, see “Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences”
on page 2-17.)

The following procedure describes how to set the viewer to the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer or the Web browser. It assumes that you are working with
a PC platform. If you want to use the legacy Simulink 3D Animation Viewer,
see “Legacy Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-69.

1 At the MATLAB command prompt, type

vrinstall -check

to determine whether the Blaxxun Contact software is installed.

The MATLAB Command Window displays

VRML
viewer: installed VRML editor: installed

2 Determine your default viewer by typing

vrgetpref

The MATLAB Command Window displays

ans =

DataTypeBool: 'logical'
DataTypeInt32: 'double'
DataTypeFloat: 'double'
DefaultCanvasNavPanel: 'none'
DefaultCanvasUnits: 'normalized'
DefaultEditorPosition: [325 216 763 901]
DefaultEditorTriad: 'bottomleft'

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 2 Installation

DefaultFigureAntialiasing: 'on'
DefaultFigureCaptureFileFormat: 'tif'
DefaultFigureCaptureFileName: '%f_anim_%n.tif'
DefaultFigureDeleteFcn: ''
DefaultFigureLighting: 'on'
DefaultFigureMaxTextureSize: 'auto'
DefaultFigureNavPanel: 'halfbar'
DefaultFigureNavZones: 'off'
DefaultFigurePosition: [5 92 576 380]
DefaultFigureRecord2DCompressMethod: 'auto'
DefaultFigureRecord2DCompressQuality: 75
DefaultFigureRecord2DFileName: '%f_anim_%n.avi'
DefaultFigureRecord2DFPS: 15
DefaultFigureStatusBar: 'on'
DefaultFigureTextures: 'on'
DefaultFigureToolBar: 'on'
DefaultFigureTransparency: 'on'
DefaultFigureTriad: 'none'
DefaultFigureWireframe: 'off'
DefaultViewer: 'internal'
DefaultWorldRecord3DFileName: '%f_anim_%n.wrl'
DefaultWorldRecordMode: 'manual'
DefaultWorldRecordInterval: [0 0]
DefaultWorldRemoteView: 'off'
DefaultWorldTimeSource: 'external'
Editor: '*BUILTIN'
EditorSavePosition: 'on'
HttpPort: 8123
TransportBuffer: 5
TransportTimeout: 20
VrPort: 8124

The DefaultViewer property is set to 'internal'. The Simulink 3D

Animation Viewer is the default viewer for viewing virtual worlds. Any
virtual worlds that you open are displayed in the viewer.

3 For example, at the MATLAB command prompt, type

vrplanets

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 Set the Default Viewer

The Planets example is loaded and the virtual world is displayed in the
Simulink 3D Animation Viewer.

4 Change the default viewer to your Web browser by typing

vrsetpref('DefaultViewer','web')

The default Windows system VRML plug-in is used. The Blaxxun

Contact VRML plug-in sets itself as the default VRML plug-in during its
installation.

5 At the MATLAB command prompt, type

vrplanets

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 2 Installation

The Planets example is loaded and the virtual world is displayed in your
Web browser.

6 Reset the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer as your default viewer by typing

vrsetpref('DefaultViewer','factory')

7 In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer for vrplanets, from the Simulation

menu, select Block Parameters.

A Parameters: VR Sink dialog box opens.

2-10
 Set the Default Viewer

The target of the View button is determined by the DefaultViewer

property. If the DefaultViewer property is set to 'internal', clicking
the View button opens the virtual world in the Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer. If the DefaultViewer property is set to 'web', clicking the View
button opens the virtual world in your Web browser.

2-11
 2 Installation

Install V-Realm Editor on Host Computer

In this section...
“V-Realm Editor Installation (Windows)” on page 2-12
“V-Realm Builder Help” on page 2-13

V-Realm Editor Installation (Windows)

When you install the Simulink 3D Animation product, files are copied to your
hard drive for the Ligos V-Realm Builder, which is an optional VRML editor
available on Windows platforms. However, the installation is not complete.

Installing the VRML editor writes a key to the Microsoft Windows registry,
making extra V-Realm Builder library files available for you to use, and it
associates the Edit button in Simulink 3D Animation blocks with this editor:

1 Start the MATLAB software.

2 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrinstall
-install editor

or type

vrinstall('-install','editor')

The MATLAB Command Window displays the following messages:

Starting editor installation...

Done.

3 Type

vrinstall
-check

If the editor installation was successful, The MATLAB Command Window

displays the following message:

2-12
 Install V-Realm Editor on Host Computer

VRML editor: installed

V-Realm Builder Help

Note You cannot access the V-Realm Builder documentation from the Web.
If you are reading this page on the Web, then you need to open the MATLAB
Help browser and navigate to the V-Realm Builder documentation.

To access V-Realm Builder help from the MATLAB Help browser, click
V-Realm Builder help.

You can view the V-Realm Builder help even if you have not installed
V-Realm Builder.

2-13
 2 Installation

Set the Default Editor

In this section...
“Use Preferences to Set the Default Editor” on page 2-14
“Use MATLAB Commands to Set the Default Editor” on page 2-15

The default VRML editor is the 3D World Editor. You can change your
environment to use another editor. You can use the MATLAB Preferences
menu or the MATLAB command line.

Use Preferences to Set the Default Editor

To determine which VRML editor is set up as the editor in your environment:

1 From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences > Simulink 3D Animation.

2 In the Simulink 3D Animation Preferences dialog box, examine the VRML

Editor preference.

2-14
 Set the Default Editor

You can use the VRML Editor preference to select another editor: the
V-Realm Builder, the MATLAB editor, or a third-party VRML editor or text
editor. To use a third-party editor, select the Custom option. In the text box
that appears, enter the path to the editor.

Use MATLAB Commands to Set the Default Editor

1 To determine which editor is installed, at the MATLAB command prompt,
type:

2-15
 2 Installation

vrgetpref('Editor')

2 The default is the 3D World Editor (*BUILTIN). To change the editor, use
the vrsetpref command, specifying the editor that you want. For example,
to change to the V-Realm editor, type:

vrsetpref('Editor', '*VREALM')

Tip The vredit command opens the 3D World Editor, regardless of the
default editor preference setting.

2-16
 Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences

Set Simulink 3D Animation Preferences

In this section...
“Ways to Access Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences” on page 2-17
“Access the Preferences Dialog Box” on page 2-18
“3D World Editor Preferences” on page 2-21
“Canvas Preferences” on page 2-22
“Figure Preferences” on page 2-23
“Figure Appearance Preferences” on page 2-23
“Figure Rendering Preferences” on page 2-24
“Figure 2-D Recording Preferences” on page 2-26
“Figure Frame Capture Preferences” on page 2-28
“Virtual World Preferences” on page 2-29

Ways to Access Simulink 3D Animation Preferences

The topics in this section describe how to set the Simulink 3D Animation
preferences. To access those preferences,

The Simulink 3D Animation software installs with default preference

settings. You can change these settings using the Simulink 3D Animation
preferences dialog box or MATLAB functions. The preferences dialog box
shows a subset of the preferences that you can set using MATLAB functions.
Use one of these approaches:

• From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences > Simulink 3D Animation.
• MATLAB File > Preferences dialog box — This dialog box has preference
dialog boxes for the MATLAB product and its related products, including
the Simulink 3D Animation product.
• Simulink 3D Animation MATLAB interface functions

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 2 Installation

Access the Preferences Dialog Box

To access the Simulink 3D Animation preferences dialog box:

1 From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences.

2 In the Preferences dialog box left pane, select Simulink 3D Animation.

The Simulink 3D Animation Preferences dialog box opens in the right pane.

2-18
 Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences

3 Set the preferences that you want. See the following table for the
preferences that you can change. Click OK to save the settings.

2-19
 2 Installation

Preference Value Description

Bool 'logical' | 'char' Specifies the handling of the VRML Bool data
type for vrnode/setfield and vrnode/getfield.
Default: 'logical'
If set to 'logical', the VRML Bool data type is
returned as a logical value. If set to 'char', the
Bool data type is returned 'on' or 'off'.
Default VRML 'internal' | Specifies which viewer is used to view a virtual
Viewer 'internalv4' | world. The default Simulink 3D Animation
'internalv5' |'web' Viewer is used when the preference is set to
'internal' or 'internalv5'. The legacy
Default: 'internal'
viewer is used when this preference is set to
'internalv4'. The Web browser is used when
this preference is set to 'web'.
Float 'single' | 'double' Specifies the handling of the VRML float data
type for vrnode/setfield and vrnode/getfield.
Default: 'double'
If set to 'single', the VRML Float and Color
data types are returned as 'single'. If set to
'double', the Float and Color data types are
returned as 'double'.
Int32 'int32' | 'double' Specifies handling of the VRML Int32 data type
for vrnode/setfield and vrnode/getfield. If
Default: 'double'
set to 'int32', the VRML Int32 data type is
returned as int32. If set to 'double', the Int32
data type is returned as 'double'.
HTTP Port Numeric IP port number used to access the Simulink 3D
Animation server over the Web via HTTP. If you
Default: 8123
change this preference, you must restart the
MATLAB software before the change takes effect.
Transport Buffer Numeric Length of the transport buffer (network packet
overlay) for communication between the Simulink
Default: 5
3D Animation server and its clients.
Transport Timeout Numeric Amount of time, in seconds, that the Simulink
3D Animation server waits for a reply from the
Default: 20
client. If there is no response from the client, the
Simulink 3D Animation server disconnects from
the client.

2-20
 Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences

Preference Value Description

VRML Editor Built-in 3D World Specifies which VRML editor to use. Path to the
Editor | V-Realm VRML editor. If this path is empty, the MATLAB
Builder | MATLAB editor is used.
Editor | Custom
The path setting is active only if you select the
Custom option.
VR Port Numeric IP port used for communication between the
Simulink 3D Animation server and its clients. If
Default: 8124
you change this preference, you must restart the
MATLAB software before the change takes effect.

3D World Editor Preferences

The Simulink 3D Animation preferences include the following preferences for
the 3D World Editor.

Property Value Description

Position Specify the pixel location for the Specifies the default location for
lower-left corner, the width, and the 3D World Editor. If you select
the height (for example, [96 120 Save position on exit, the
862 960] default position changes to the
position of the 3D World Editor
Default: Depends on current
used when you last exited it.
screen resolution
Save position on exit 'off' | 'on' Causes the 3D World Editor to
open in the same location where
Default: 'on'
the editor was when you last
exited it.

2-21
 2 Installation

Property Value Description

Triad 'none' | 'top left' | 'top Specifies where in the virtual
right' | 'bottom left' | world display pane to locate a
'bottom right' | 'center' triad of coordinate axes.
Default: 'bottom left'
Preserve Layout per 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether the 3D World
VRML File Editor starts up either with
Default: 'on'
the default virtual world display
layout or with the layout as it was
when you exited it previously.
The saved layout includes
settings for the view, viewpoints,
navigation, and rendering.
Simulink 3D Animation saves
the layout on a per VRML file
basis for up to eight files.

Canvas Preferences
The Simulink 3D Animation preferences include a Navigation panel
preference. The canvas preferences apply to the 3D World Editor, Simulink
3D Animation Viewer, and Simulink 3D Animation Web Viewer.

Property Value Description

Navigation panel 'none' | 'minimized' Controls the appearance of the
|'translucent' | 'opaque' navigation panel in the canvas.
Default: 'none'

2-22
 Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences

Figure Preferences
The Simulink 3D Animation figure has a number of preferences:

• “Figure Rendering Preferences” on page 2-24

• “Figure 2-D Recording Preferences” on page 2-26
• “Figure Frame Capture Preferences” on page 2-28

Figure Appearance Preferences

The figure appearance preferences apply to the 3D World Editor and Simulink
3D Animation Viewer. Some of these preferences also apply to Simulink 3D
Animation Web Viewer, as noted below.

To access the virtual figure appearance preferences:

1 From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences.

2 In the left pane of the Preferences dialog box, select Simulink 3D

Animation.

3 In the left pane under Simulink 3D Animation, select Figure.

The Simulink 3D Animation Figure Preferences dialog box opens in the

right pane, with the Appearance tab open.

4 Set the preferences as desired. See the following table for the rendering
preferences you can change. Click OK to save the settings.

Property Value Description

Toolbar 'on' | 'off' Specifies whether the toolbar
is displayed.
Default: 'on'
Tooltips 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether tooltips are
displayed.
Default: 'on'

2-23
 2 Installation

Property Value Description

Status bar 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether status bar is
displayed.
Default: 'on'
Also applies to the Simulink
3D Animation Web Viewer.
Navigation zones 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether navigation
zones are displayed.
Default: 'on'
Also applies to the Simulink
3D Animation Web Viewer.
Navigation panel 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether navigation
panel is displayed.
Default: 'on'
Position Matrix with upper-right and Specifies the default location
lower-left corner position. of the figure window.
Default: [5 92 576 380]

Figure Rendering Preferences

To access the virtual figure rendering preferences:

1 From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences.

2 In the left pane of the Preferences dialog box, select Simulink 3D

Animation.

3 In the left pane under Simulink 3D Animation, select Figure.

The Simulink 3D Animation Figure Preferences dialog box opens in the

right pane.

4 Select the Rendering tab.

The Simulink 3D Animation Figure Preferences dialog box opens in the

right pane, with the Rendering tab selected.

2-24
 Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences

5 Set the preferences as desired. See the following table for the rendering
preferences you can change. Click OK to save the settings.

Property Value Description

Antialiasing 'on' | 'off' Determines whether
antialiasing is used when
Default: 'on'
rendering scene. Antialiasing
smooths textures by
interpolating values between
texture points.
Lighting 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether the lighting
is taken into account when
Default: 'on'
rendering. If it is off, all
the objects are drawn as if
uniformly lit.

2-25
 2 Installation

Property Value Description

Maximum texture size 'auto' | 32 <= x <= video Sets the maximum pixel size
card limit, where x is a of a texture used in rendering
power of 2 (video card limit is vrfigure objects. The smaller
typically 1024 or 2048) the size, the faster the texture
can render. Increasing this
value improves image quality
but decreases performance.
A value of 'auto' sets the
maximum possible pixel size.
If the value you enter is
unsuitable, a warning might
trigger. The software then
automatically adjusts the
property to the next smaller
suitable value.
Textures 'off' | 'on' Turns texture rendering on or
off.
Default: 'on'
Transparency 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether or not
transparency information
Default: 'on'
is taken into account when
rendering.
Wireframe 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether objects are
drawn as solids or wireframes.
Default: 'off'

Figure 2-D Recording Preferences

To access the virtual figure 2-D recording preferences:

1 From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences.

2 In the left pane of the Preferences dialog box, select Simulink 3D

Animation.

3 In the left pane under Simulink 3D Animation, select Figure.

2-26
 Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences

The Simulink 3D Animation Preferences dialog box opens in the right pane.

4 Select the 2-D Recording tab.

The Simulink 3D Animation Figure Preferences dialog appears in the right

pane, with the 2-D Recording tab selected.

5 Set the preferences as desired. See the following table for the rendering
preferences you can change. Click OK to save the settings.

Property Value Description

2-D animated file name String. Specifies the 2-D offline
animation file name. The
Default: '%f_anim_%n.avi'
string can contain tokens
that are replaced by the
corresponding information
when the animation recording
takes place. For further
details, see “File Name
Tokens” on page 4-13.
Recording compression '' | 'auto' | 'lossless' Specifies the compression
method | 'codec_code' method for creating 2-D
animation files. The codec
Default: 'auto'
code must be registered in
the system. See the MATLAB
function documentation for
avifile.

2-27
 2 Installation

Property Value Description

Recording compression Integer 0 – 100. Specifies the default quality of
quality 2-D animation file compression
Default: 75
for new vrfigure objects.
Frames per Specifies the default frames
Default: 15
second per second playback speed.

Figure Frame Capture Preferences

To access the virtual figure frame capture preferences:

1 From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences.

2 In the left pane of the Preferences dialog box, select Simulink 3D

Animation.

3 In the left pane under Simulink 3D Animation, select Figure.

The Simulink 3D Animation Figure Preferences dialog box opens in the

right pane.

2-28
 Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences

4 Select the Frame Capture tab.

The Simulink 3D Animation Figure Preferences dialog appears in the right

pane, with the Frame Capture tab selected.

5 Set the preferences that you want. See the following table for the rendering
preferences that you can change. Click OK to save the settings.

Property Value Description

CaptureFileFormat 'tif' | 'png' Specifies file format for a
captured frame file.
Default: 'tif'
CaptureFileName String. Specifies the frame capture file
name. The string can contain
Default: '%f_anim_%n.ext'
tokens that are replaced by
the corresponding information
when the animation recording
takes place. For further
details, see “Define File Name
Tokens” on page 4-14.

Virtual World Preferences

To access the virtual world preferences:

1 From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences.

2 In the left pane of the Preferences dialog box, select Simulink 3D

Animation.

2-29
 2 Installation

3 In the left pane under Simulink 3D Animation, select World.

The Simulink 3D Animation World Preferences dialog box opens in the

right pane.

2-30
 Set Simulink® 3D Animation™ Preferences

4 Set the preferences as desired. See the following table for the rendering
preferences you can change. Click OK to save the settings.

Property Value Description

Allowing viewing from the 'off' | 'on' Remote access flag. If the
Internet virtual world is enabled for
Default: 'off'
remote viewing, it is set to
'on'; otherwise, it is set to
'off'.
3-D animated file name String. 3-D animation file name. The
string can contain tokens
Default: '%f_anim_%n.wrl'
that are replaced by the
corresponding information
when the animation recording
takes place. For details, see
“File Name Tokens” on page
4-13.
Recording mode 'manual' | 'scheduled' Animation recording mode.
Default: 'manual'
Recording interval Vector of two doubles Start and stop times for
scheduled animation
Default: [0 0]
recording. Corresponds to
the virtual world object Time
property.
Time source 'external' | 'freerun' Source of the time for the
virtual world. If set to
Default: 'external'
'external', time in the
scene is controlled from the
MATLAB software (by setting
the Time property) or the
Simulink software (simulation
time). If set to 'freerun',
time in the scene advances
independently based on the
system timer.

2-31
 2 Installation

Uninstall V-Realm Builder

Use the MathWorks uninstaller. Running this utility removes the Simulink
3D Animation and Ligos V-Realm Builder software from your system. It also
restores your previous system configuration.

1 On the Windows task bar, click Start, point to MATLAB, and then click
the uninstaller.

The MathWorks uninstaller begins running.

2 Select the Simulink 3D Animation check box.

3 Follow the remaining uninstall instructions.

Note The Blaxxun Contact plug-in is not uninstalled during the Simulink
3D Animation software removal.

2-32
 Uninstall Blaxxun Contact® from Host Computer

Uninstall Blaxxun Contact from Host Computer

To uninstall this VRML plug-in from the host computer:

1 From the Windows task bar, click Start, point to Settings, and click
Control Panel.

2 In the Control Panel cascading menu, click Add/Remove Programs.

3 In the Add/Remove Programs dialog box, select blaxxun Contact, then

click the Change/Remove button.

2-33
 2 Installation

Install Blaxxun Contact on Client Computer

In this section...
“Section Overview” on page 2-34
“Install a Blaxxun Contact VRML Plug-In (Windows)” on page 2-34

Section Overview
In most configurations, you do not need to install a viewer on a client computer
because you can perform all the tasks on a host computer. However, if you
have very large models that consume considerable computational resources,
you might want to use a client computer to run and view the virtual world.

The client computer must have a VRML97 plug-in with External Authoring
Interface (EAR) support. This means that your client computer must be a
PC platform with the Blaxxun Contact plug-in. Only the Blaxxun Contact
software is supported.

Install a Blaxxun Contact VRML Plug-In (Windows)

If you want to view a virtual world on a client computer, you need to use a
Web browser with a VRML plug-in.

The Blaxxun Contact plug-in is provided with the Simulink 3D Animation

software, but you cannot install the Blaxxun Contact plug-in Version 4.4
on a client computer with the MathWorks installer if you do not have this
plug-in installed.

• Copy the file blaxxuncontact44.exe from your host computer to the client
computer. This file is located at C:\matlabroot\toolbox\sl3d\blaxxun.

2-34
 Test the Viewer Installation

Test the Viewer Installation

In this section...
“Section Overview” on page 2-35
“Simulink Testing” on page 2-35
“MATLAB Testing” on page 2-40

Section Overview
The Simulink 3D Animation product includes several Simulink models with
the associated virtual worlds. These models are examples of what you can do
with this software. You can use one of these examples to test the installation
of the VRML viewer.

Simulink Testing
Before you can run this example, you have to install the MATLAB, Simulink,
and Simulink 3D Animation products as follows:

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrpend

A Simulink window opens with the model for an inverted pendulum. This
model, which you can view in three dimensions with the software, has an
interactive set point and trajectory graph.

2-35
 2 Installation

The Simulink 3D Animation Viewer opens with a 3-D model of the

pendulum.

2-36
 Test the Viewer Installation

2 In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, from the Simulation menu,

click Run. A Trajectory Graph window opens, and a simulation starts
running.

2-37
 2 Installation

3 In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, point to a position on the blue

surface and left-click.

The pendulum set point, represented by the green cone, moves to a new
location. Next, the path is drawn on the trajectory graph, and then the
pendulum itself moves to the new location.

In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, you see the animated movement

of the pendulum. Use the viewer controls to navigate through the virtual
world, change the viewpoints, and move the set point. For more information
about using the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer controls, see “Simulink®
3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-6.

4 In the Simulink window, double-click the Trajectory Graph block.

The Block Parameters: Trajectory Graph dialog box opens.

5 From the Stipend mode list, choose Mouse, then click OK.

2-38
 Test the Viewer Installation

You can now use the trajectory graph as a 2-D input device to set the
position of the pendulum.

6 Move the mouse pointer into the graph area and click.

The set point (red circle) for the pendulum position moves to a new location.

7 In the Simulink window, from the Simulation menu, click Stop.

The trajectory for the pendulum is displayed in the graph as a blue line.

2-39
 2 Installation

8 Close the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer and close the Simulink window.

You can try other examples in “Simulink Interface Examples” on page 1-19, or
you can start working on your own projects.

MATLAB Testing
This model, which can be viewed in three dimensions with the software, has a
MATLAB interface to control the figure in a VRML viewer window.

Additional examples are listed in the table “MATLAB Interface Examples”

on page 1-32.

1 In the MATLAB window, type

vrmemb

The MATLAB interface displays the following messages:

View the published version of this example to learn more about

"vrmemb.m".

The Simulink 3D Animation Viewer opens with a 3-D model.

2-40
 Test the Viewer Installation

2 Use the viewer controls to move within the virtual world, or use the example
dialog box to rotate the membrane. Note that sometimes the Simulink 3D
Animation example dialog box is hidden behind the viewer window.

2-41
 2 Installation

2-42
 3

Simulink Interface

The Simulink 3D Animation product works with both the MATLAB and the
Simulink products. However, the Simulink interface is the preferred way
of working with the software. It is more straightforward to use and all the
features are easily accessible through a graphical interface.

• “Virtual World Connection to a Model” on page 3-2

• “Open a Viewer Window” on page 3-11
• “Display Virtual World and Start Simulation” on page 3-12
• “View Virtual World on Host Computer” on page 3-14
• “View Virtual World Remotely” on page 3-18
• “Working with VRML Sensors” on page 3-25
• “VR Source Block Input to Simulink Models” on page 3-29
• “Interact with Generated Code” on page 3-30
 3 Simulink® Interface

Virtual World Connection to a Model

In this section...
“Add a Simulink® 3D Animation™ Block” on page 3-2
“Changing the Virtual World Associated with a Simulink Block” on page 3-8

Add a Simulink 3D Animation Block

To visualize a dynamic system simulation, connect a Simulink block diagram
to a virtual world. The example in this section explains how to display a
simulated virtual world on a host computer. This is the recommended way to
view associated virtual worlds on the host computer.

Simulating a Simulink model generates signal data for a dynamic system. By

connecting the Simulink model to a virtual world, you can use this data to
control and animate the virtual world.

After you create a virtual world and a Simulink model, you can connect the
two with Simulink 3D Animation blocks. The example in this procedure
simulates a plane taking off and lets you view it in a virtual world.

Note The examples in this topic are based on the Simulink 3D Animation
default viewer. If you choose to use the Blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in to
view virtual worlds, you must start and stop the model simulation from the
Simulink window. You cannot start and stop the model simulation from the
Blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in.

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrtut2

A Simulink model opens without a Simulink 3D Animation block that

connects the model to a virtual world.

3-2
 Virtual World Connection to a Model

2 From the Simulation menu, select Mode > Normal, then click
Simulation > Run.

Observe the results of the simulation in the scope windows.

3 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrlib

The Simulink 3D Animation library opens.

4 From the Library window, drag and drop the VR Sink block to the
Simulink diagram. The VR Sink block writes data from the Simulink model
to the virtual world. You can then close the Library: vrlib window.

Now you are ready to select a virtual world for the visualization of your
simulation. A simple virtual world with a runway and a plane is in the
VRML file vrtkoff.wrl, located in the vrdemos folder.

5 In the Simulink model, double-click the block labeled VR Sink.

The Parameters: VR Sink dialog box opens.

3-3
 3 Simulink® Interface

6 In the Description text box, enter a brief description of the model. This
description appears on the list of available worlds served by the Simulink
3D Animation server. For example, type

VR Plane taking off

7 At the Source File text box, click the Browse button. The Select World
dialog box opens. Find the folder matlabroot\toolbox\sl3d\sl3ddemos.
Select the file vrtkoff.wrl and click Open.

8 Select the Open VRML Viewer automatically parameter.

9 In the Parameters: VR Sink dialog box, click Apply.

A VRML tree appears on the right side, showing the structure of the
associated virtual reality scene.

3-4
 Virtual World Connection to a Model

10 On the left of the Plane (Transform) node, click the + square.

The Plane Transform tree expands. Now you can see what characteristics
of the plane can be driven from the Simulink interface. This model
computes the position and the pitch of the plane.

11 In the Plane (Transform) tree, select the translation and rotation

fields.

The selected fields are marked with checks. These fields represent the
position (translation) and the pitch (rotation) of the plane.

12 Click OK.

In the Simulink diagram, the VR Sink block is updated with two inputs.

3-5
 3 Simulink® Interface

The first input is Plane rotation. The rotation is defined by a four-element

vector. The first three numbers define the axis of rotation. In this example,
it should be [1 0 0] for the x-axis (see the Pitch Axis of Rotation block in the
model). The pitch of the plane is expressed by the rotation about the x-axis.
The last number is the rotation angle around the x-axis, in radians.

13 In the Simulink model, connect the line going to the Scope block labeled
Display Pitch to the Plane rotation input.

The second input is Plane translation. This input describes the plane’s
position in the virtual world. This position consists of three coordinates, x,
y, z. The connected vector must have three values. In this example, the
runway is in the x-z plane (see the VR Signal Expander block). The y-axis
defines the altitude of the plane.

14 In the Simulink model, connect the line going to the Scope block labeled
Display Position to the Plane translation input.

After you connect the signals and remove the Scope blocks, your model
should look similar to the figure shown.

3-6
 Virtual World Connection to a Model

Note Virtual world degrees of freedom have different requested input

vector sizes depending on the associated VRML field types. If the vector
size of the connected signal does not match the associated VRML field
size, an Incorrect input vector size error is reported when you start
the simulation.

15 Double-click the VR Sink block in the Simulink model. A viewer window

containing the plane’s virtual world opens.

Note When you next open the model, the associated virtual scene opens
automatically. This behavior occurs even if the Simulink 3D Animation
block associated with the virtual scene is in a subsystem of the model.

3-7
 3 Simulink® Interface

16 In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, from the Simulation menu, click

Run to run the simulation.

A plane, moving right to left, starts down the runway and takes off into
the air.

Changing the Virtual World Associated with a

Simulink Block
On occasion, you might want to associate a different virtual world with a
Simulink model or connect different signals.

After you associate a virtual world with a Simulink model, you can select
another virtual world or change signals connected to the virtual world. This
procedure assumes that you have connected the vrtut2 Simulink model with
a virtual world. See “Add a Simulink® 3D Animation™ Block” on page 3-2.

1 Double-click the VR Sink block in the model. The viewer opens.

3-8
 Virtual World Connection to a Model

2 Select the Simulation menu Block Parameters option. The Parameters:

VR Sink dialog box opens.

3 At the Source File text box, click the Browse button. The Select World
dialog box opens. Find the folder matlabroot\toolbox\sl3d\sl3ddemos.
Select the file vrtkoff2.wrl, and click Open.

4 In the Parameters: VR Sink dialog box, click Apply.

A VRML tree appears on the right side. The Simulink software associates a
new virtual world with the model.

5 On the left of the Plane (Transform) node, click the + square.

The Plane Transform tree expands. Now you can see what characteristics
of the plane you can drive from the Simulink interface. This model
computes the position.

6 In the Plane Transform tree, select the translation field check box. Clear
the rotation field check box. Click OK.

The VR Sink block is updated and changes to just one input, the Plane
translation. The Virtual Reality block is ready to use with the new
parameters defined.

7 Verify that the correct output is connected to your VR Sink block. The
output from the VR Signal Expander should be connected to the single
input.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

8 In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, from the Simulation menu, run

the simulation again and observe the simulation.

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 Open a Viewer Window

Open a Viewer Window

When you simulate a model that contains a VR Sink block, your default
viewer opens and displays the virtual scene. For more information on setting
your default viewer, see “Set the Default Viewer” on page 2-7.

Multiple instances of the viewer can exist on your screen. A viewer appears
each time you select the File menu New Window option in the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer. This feature is particularly useful if you want to view one
scene from many different viewpoints at the same time.

If you close the viewer window, you might want to reopen it. In the Simulink
model window, double-click the VR Sink block.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

Display Virtual World and Start Simulation

This example explains how to display a simulated virtual world using the
Simulink 3D Animation Viewer on your host computer. This is the default
and recommended method for viewing virtual worlds. A Simulink window
opens with the model of a simple automobile. Automobile trajectory (vehicle
position and angle) is viewed in virtual reality:

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrtut1

A Simulink window opens with the model of an automobile.

A VRML viewer also opens with a 3-D model of the virtual world associated
with the model.

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 Display Virtual World and Start Simulation

2 In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, from the Simulation menu, click

Run.

The simulation starts. In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, a car moves

along the mountain road.

3 Use the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer controls to move the camera within
this virtual world while the simulation is running. For more information
on the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer controls, see “Simulink® 3D
Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-6.

4 In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, from the Simulation menu, click

Stop.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

View Virtual World on Host Computer

Normally, you view a virtual world by double-clicking the VR Sink
in the Simulink model. The virtual world opens in the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer or your VRML-enabled Web browser, depending on your
DefaultViewer setting. For more information on setting your default viewer,
see “Set the Default Viewer” on page 2-7.

Alternatively, you can view a virtual world in your Web browser by selecting
an open virtual world from a list in your Web browser. You can display
the HTML page that contains this list by connecting to the Simulink 3D
Animation host. This is the computer on which the Simulink 3D Animation
software is currently running. You do not need a VRML-enabled Web browser
to display this page.

Note that a virtual world appears on this list in your Web browser only if the
vrworld Description property contains a string. If this property is empty
for a virtual world, that world is not accessible from the remote host. The
simplest way to set a world description is to define the virtual world VRML
file WorldInfo node and fill in the title field for that node. You can set up
the WorldInfo node to look like the following:

WorldInfo {

title "My First World"

info [ "Author: XY" ]

The vrworld object uses the title string in the VRML file for the
Description property of the vrworld object. You can change this property
with the Simulink 3D Animation MATLAB interface (vrworld/set).

The following procedure describes how to connect to the Simulink 3D

Animation host:

1 At the MATLAB command prompt, type

vrbounce

3-14
 View Virtual World on Host Computer

The VR Bouncing Ball example is loaded and becomes active.

2 Open your VRML-enabled Web browser. In the address line of the browser,
type

http://localhost:8123

Note To connect to the main HTML page from a client computer, type
http://hostname:8123, where hostname is the name of the computer on
which the Simulink 3D Animation software is currently running.

The following page is loaded and becomes active.

The main HTML page for the Simulink 3D Animation product lists the
currently available (active) virtual worlds. In this example, the VR
Bouncing Ball virtual world appears as a link.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

3 Click VR Bouncing Ball.

The VR Bouncing Ball virtual world appears in your Web browser.

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 View Virtual World on Host Computer

From the main HTML page, you can select one of the listed available worlds
or click the reload link to update the status of the virtual worlds supported
by the software. This page does not require the VRML capabilities from the
browser; it is a standard HTML page. Nevertheless, when you click one of
the virtual world links in the list, the browser has to be VRML-enabled to
display the virtual world correctly and to communicate with the Simulink
3D Animation product.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

View Virtual World Remotely

The Simulink 3D Animation software allows you to simulate a process on
a host computer while running the visualization of the process on a client
computer. You view the virtual world on the client computer using a Web
browser. This client computer is connected to the host computer through a
network using the TCP/IP protocol. This means you need to know the name or
IP address of the host computer you want to access from the client computer.

Viewing a virtual world on a client computer might be useful for remote

computing, presentation of the results over the Web, or in situations where it
is desirable to distribute computing and graphical power.

This example explains how to display a simulated virtual world on a client

computer. In this case, the client computer is a PC platform with a Simulink
3D Animation Web Viewer or Blaxxun Contact plug-in. For a similar
example using the Orbisnap viewer, see “View Virtual Worlds Remotely with
Orbisnap” on page 8-16).

In the following example, a Simulink window opens with the model of a

simple automobile. The automobile trajectory (vehicle position and angle)
is viewed in virtual reality:

1 On the host computer, in the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrtut1

A Simulink window opens with the model of an automobile.

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 View Virtual World Remotely

2 Double-click the VR Sink block. This block is in the right part of the model
window.

A VRML viewer also opens with a 3-D model of the virtual world associated
with the model.

3 In the VRML viewer, select the Simulation menu Block Parameters

option.

A Parameters: VR Sink dialog box opens.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

4 Select the Allow viewing from the Internet check box.

Note This option allows any computer connected to the network to view
your model. You should never select this box when you want your model to
be private or confidential.

5 Click OK.

6 On the client computer, open your VRML-enabled Web browser. In the

Address line, enter the address and Simulink 3D Animation port number
for the host computer running the Simulink software. For example, if the
IP address of the host computer is 192.168.0.1, enter

http://192.168.0.1:8123

To determine your IP address on a Windows system, type cmd, and enter

ipconfig.

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 View Virtual World Remotely

To determine your IP address on a UNIX system, type the command

ifconfig device_name

Click OK. An IP Configuration dialog box opens with a list of your IP,
mask, and gateway addresses.

Alternatively, for Windows platforms, you can open a DOS shell and type
ipconfig.

The Web browser displays the main Simulink 3D Animation HTML page.
Only one virtual world is in the list because you have only one Simulink
model open.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

7 Click VR Car in the Mountains.

The Web browser displays a 3-D model of the virtual world associated
with the model.

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 View Virtual World Remotely

8 On the host computer, in the Simulink window, from the Simulation

menu, click Run.

On the client computer, the animation of the scene reflects the process
simulated in the Simulink diagram on the host computer.

You can tune communication between the host and the client computer by
setting the Sample time and Transport buffer size parameters.

9 Use the Web browser controls to move within this virtual world while the
simulation is running.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

10 On the host computer, in the Simulink window, from the Simulation

menu, click Stop. On the client computer, close the Web browser window.

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 Working with VRML Sensors

Working with VRML Sensors

In this section...
“Add VRML Sensors to Virtual Worlds” on page 3-25
“Interactive Mode” on page 3-26
“Read VRML Sensor Values” on page 3-26

Add VRML Sensors to Virtual Worlds

This section describes how to interface a Simulink block diagram to sensors
in a virtual reality scene. It also describes how to programmatically input
signals from the virtual world into a simulation model.

Virtual reality scenes can contain sensors, nodes able to generate events and
output values depending on time, user navigation, and actions and distance
changes in the scene. These nodes add interactivity to the virtual world.
You can use Simulink 3D Animation functions to read sensor field values
into simulation models and control simulation based on the user interaction
with the virtual scene.

You can define the following VRML sensors in the scene:

Sensors Description
CylinderSensor Maps pointer motion (for example, a mouse or wand) into
a rotation on an invisible cylinder that is aligned with
the y-axis of the local coordinate system.
PlaneSensor Maps pointing device motion into two-dimensional
translation in a plane parallel to the z=0 plane of the
local coordinate system.
ProximitySensor Generates events when the viewer enters, exits, and
moves within a region in space (defined by a box).
SphereSensor Maps pointing device motion into spherical rotation
about the origin of the local coordinate system.
TimeSensor Generates events as time passes.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

Sensors Description
TouchSensor Tracks the location and state of the pointing device and
detects when you point at geometry contained by the
TouchSensor node parent group.
VisibilitySensor Detects visibility changes of a rectangular box as you
navigate the world.

Interactive Mode
Interactive mode allows clients to modify a remote virtual world via events
from sensor nodes defined in the virtual world. Interactive mode is useful
when a virtual world includes a sensor.

Interactive mode is disabled by default on clients. You can enable (or later
disable) interactive mode on a client via context menu in the Web Viewer or
by pressing the I key shortcut.

You can disable interactive mode for a particular virtual world on the host
computer. For details, see the ClientUpdates property, using vrworld/get
or vrworld/set.

Read VRML Sensor Values

To read a value of a readable VRML field (either exposedField or
eventOut), first synchronize that field with the vrnode/sync method. After
synchronization, each time the field changes in the scene, the field value
updates on the host. You can then read the value of the field with the
vrnode/getfield method or directly access the field value using the dot
notation.

Reading VRML Sensor Values Example

The virtual scene for the Magnetic Levitation Model example, maglev.wrl,
contains a PlaneSensor (with the DEF name 'Grab_Sensor'). The
PlaneSensor is attached to the ball geometry to register your attempts to
move the ball up or down when grabbing it using the mouse. The example
uses the sensor fields minPosition and maxPosition to restrict movement in
other directions. You can use the output of the sensor translation field as the

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 Working with VRML Sensors

new setpoint for the ball position controller. You can read the sensor output
value into a MATLAB variable setpoint with the following:

% create the vrworld object and open the world

wh = vrworld('maglev.wrl');
open(wh);

% get the node handle

nh = vrnode(wh, 'Grab_Sensor');

% synchronize the translation field

sync(nh, 'translation', 'on');

% 3 alternative ways to read the synchronized field value

setpoint = getfield(nh, 'translation');
setpoint = nh.translation;
setpoint = wh.Grab_Sensor.translation;

To use the setpoint value in a Simulink model, you can write an S-function
or an MATLAB Function block that reads the sensor output periodically.
For an example of such an S-function:

1 Right-click the VR Sensor Reader block of Magnetic Levitation Model

(vrmaglev) model and select Mask > Look Under Mask.

The vrmaglev/VR Sensor Reader model displays. This model contains

the vrextin block, which is an S-function block. The vrextin S-function
synchronizes the sensor field in the setup method and periodically reads
its value in the mdlUpdate method.

2 To examine the S-function parameters, right-click vrextin and select

S-Function Parameters.

The parameters defined in the mask supply the sample time, virtual world,
and the node/field to read.

Note the following about the vrextin S-function:

• Instead of setting its own block outputs, the vrextin S-function sets the
value of the adjacent Constant block value_holder. This setting makes the

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 3 Simulink® Interface

VR Sensor Reader block compatible with Simulink Coder code generation

so that the model can run on Simulink Coder targets.
• The signal loop between user action (grabbing the ball to a desired position
using a mouse) closes through the associated Simulink model vrmaglev. As
a result, grabbing the ball to a new position works only when the model
is running and when the model sets the blue selection method switch to
the virtual reality sensor signal path. To experience the behavior of the
PlaneSensor using the virtual scene only, save the maglev.wrl file under
a new name and remove the comment symbol (#) to enable the last line
of this file. This action activates direct routing of sensor output to a ball
translation. You can then experiment with the newly created scene instead
of the original maglev.wrl world.

ROUTE Grab_Sensor.translation_changed TO Ball.translation

• You can use this method to input information from all VRML node fields
of the type exposedField or eventOut, not only a Sensor eventOut field.
See VRML Data Class Types for more information about VRML Data
class types.
• For fields of class exposedField, you can use an alternate name using
the field name with the suffix, _changed. For example, translation and
translation_changed are alternate names for requesting the translation
field value of the above Grab_Sensor node.

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 VR Source Block Input to Simulink® Models

VR Source Block Input to Simulink Models

The VR Source reads values from virtual world fields specified in the Block
Parameters dialog box and inputs their values.

Use the VR Source block to provide interactivity between a user navigating

the virtual world and the Simulink model. The VR Source block registers user
interactions with the virtual world and passes to the model values that can
affect the simulation of the model. For example, you can specify setpoints in
the virtual world, so that user can specify the location of a virtual world object
interactively. The simulation then responds to the object’s changed location.
The VR Source block can read into the model events from the virtual world,
such as time ticks or outputs from scripts. The VR Source block can also read
into the model static information about the virtual world (for example, the
size of a box defined in the VRML file).

For an example of how to use the VR Sink block, see Magnetic Levitation
Model.

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 3 Simulink® Interface

Interact with Generated Code

You can have a virtual world that you create the Simulink 3D Animation
product interact with code generated by the Simulink Coder product and
compiled with a third-party C/C++ compiler in the Real-Time Windows Target
environment. To do so, use the Simulink External mode.

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 4

MATLAB Interface

Although using the Simulink 3D Animation software with the Simulink

interface is the preferred way of working with the Simulink 3D Animation
software, you can also use the MATLAB interface. Enter commands directly
in the MATLAB Command Window or use scripts to control virtual worlds.

• “Create vrworld Object for a Virtual World” on page 4-2

• “Open a Virtual World with MATLAB” on page 4-4
• “Interact with a Virtual World with MATLAB” on page 4-6
• “Close and Delete a vrworld Object” on page 4-10
• “Animation Recording” on page 4-11
• “File Name Tokens” on page 4-13
• “Define File Name Tokens” on page 4-14
• “File Name Tokens” on page 4-16
• “Manual 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB” on page 4-18
• “Manual 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB” on page 4-21
• “Scheduled 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB” on page 4-24
• “Scheduled 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB” on page 4-27
• “Record Animations for Unconnected Virtual Worlds” on page 4-30
• “Play Animation Files” on page 4-33
 4 MATLAB® Interface

Create vrworld Object for a Virtual World

To connect MATLAB to a virtual world and to interact with that virtual world
through the MATLAB command-line interface, you need to create vrworld
and vrnode objects. A virtual world is defined by a VRML file with the
extension .wrl.

Note The Simulink interface and the MATLAB interface share the same
virtual world objects. This enables you to use the MATLAB interface to
change the properties of vrworld objects originally created by Simulink with
Simulink 3D Animation blocks.

After you create a virtual world, you can create a vrworld object. This
procedure uses the virtual world vrmount.wrl as an example.

4-2
 Create vrworld Object for a Virtual World

1 Open MATLAB. In the MATLAB Command Window, type

myworld = vrworld('vrmount.wrl')

The MATLAB Command Window displays output like

myworld =
vrworld object: 1-by-1

VR Car in the Mountains

(matlabroot/toolbox/sl3d/vrdemos/vrmount.wrl)

2 Type

vrwhos

The MATLAB Command Window displays the messages

Closed, associated with

'C:matlabroot\toolbox\sl3d\sl3ddemos\vrmount.wrl'.
Visible for local viewers.
No clients are logged on.

The vrworld object myworld is associated with the virtual world vrmount.wrl.
You can think of the variable myworld as a handle to the vrworld object
stored in the MATLAB workspace.

Your next step is to open a virtual world using the vrworld object. See “Open
a Virtual World with MATLAB” on page 4-4.

4-3
 4 MATLAB® Interface

Open a Virtual World with MATLAB

Opening a virtual world lets you view the virtual world in a VRML viewer,
scan its structure, and change virtual world properties from the MATLAB
Command Window.

After you create a vrworld object, you can open the virtual world by using
the vrworld object associated with that virtual world. This procedure uses
the vrworld object myworld associated with the virtual world vrmount.wrl as
an example:

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

open(myworld);

The MATLAB Command Window opens the virtual world vrmount.wrl.

2 Type

set(myworld, 'Description', 'My first virtual world');

The Description property is changed to My first virtual world. This

is the description that is displayed in all Simulink 3D Animation object
listings, in the title bar of the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, and in the
list of virtual worlds on the Simulink 3D Animation HTML page.

3 Display the virtual world vrmount.wrl. Type

view(myworld)

The viewer that is set as the default viewer displays the virtual scene.
This is typically the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer unless you have a
different viewer set.

Alternatively, you can display the virtual world in a VRML-enabled Web

browser.

1 Repeat steps 1 and 2 of the preceding procedure.

2 Open a Web browser. In the Address box, type

4-4
 Open a Virtual World with MATLAB®

http://localhost:8123

The browser displays the Simulink 3D Animation HTML page with a link
to My first virtual world. The number 8123 is the default Simulink
3D Animation port number. If you set a different port number on your
system, enter that number in place of 8123 and restart MATLAB. For more
information on the Simulink 3D Animation HTML page, see “View Virtual
World on Host Computer” on page 3-14.

3 If the Web browser has the VRML plug-in installed, in the browser window,
click My first virtual world.

4 Your default VRML-enabled Web browser displays the virtual world

vrmount.wrl.

Note If your Web browser is not VRML-enabled, clicking on a virtual world

link such as My first virtual world results in a broken link message.
The browser cannot display the virtual world. If you get such a message,
ensure that the Web browser is properly enabled for VRML with the
Blaxxun Contact plug-in. For details, see “Install Blaxxun Contact on
Client Computer” on page 2-34.

For more information on changing your default viewer, see “Set the Default
Viewer” on page 2-7.

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 4 MATLAB® Interface

Interact with a Virtual World with MATLAB

In the life cycle of a vrworld object you can set new values for all the available
virtual world nodes and their fields using vrnode object methods. This way,
you can change and control the degrees of freedom for the virtual world from
within the MATLAB environment.

An object of type vrworld contains nodes named in the VRML file using the
DEF statement. These nodes are of type vrnode. For more information, see
vrworld and vrnode functions.

After you open a vrworld object, you can get a list of available nodes in
the virtual world. This procedure uses the vrworld object myworld and the
virtual world vrmount.wrl as an example. To create the myworld, see “Create
vrworld Object for a Virtual World” on page 4-2.

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

nodes(myworld);

The MATLAB Command Window displays a list of the vrnode objects and
their fields that are accessible from the Simulink 3D Animation software.

Tunnel (Transform) [My first virtual world]

Road (Shape) [My first virtual world]
Bridge (Shape) [My first virtual world]
River (Shape) [My first virtual world]
ElevApp (Appearance) [My first virtual world]
Canal (Shape) [My first virtual world]
Wood (Group) [My first virtual world]
Tree1 (Group) [My first virtual world]
Wheel (Shape) [My first virtual world]
Automobile (Transform) [My first virtual world]
VPfollow (Viewpoint) [My first virtual world]
Camera_car (Transform) [My first virtual world]
View1 (Viewpoint) [My first virtual world]

2 Type

mynodes = get(myworld, 'Nodes')

4-6
 Interact with a Virtual World with MATLAB®

The MATLAB software creates an array of vrnode objects corresponding to

the virtual world nodes and displays

mynodes =

vrnode object: 13-by-1

Tunnel (Transform) [My first virtual world]

Road (Shape) [My first virtual world]
Bridge (Shape) [My first virtual world]
River (Shape) [My first virtual world]
ElevApp (Appearance) [My first virtual world]
Canal (Shape) [My first virtual world]
Wood (Group) [My first virtual world]
Tree1 (Group) [My first virtual world]
Wheel (Shape) [My first virtual world]
Automobile (Transform) [My first virtual world]
VPfollow (Viewpoint) [My first virtual world]
Camera_car (Transform) [My first virtual world]
View1 (Viewpoint) [My first virtual world]

3 Type

whos

The MATLAB Command Window displays the messages

Name Size Bytes Class

ans 1x1 132 vrfigure object

mynodes 13x1 3564 vrnode object
myworld 1x1 132 vrworld object

Now you can get node characteristics and set new values for certain node
properties. For example, you can change the position of the automobile by
using Automobile, which is the fourth node in the virtual world.

4 Access the fields of the Automobile node by typing

fields(myworld.Automobile)

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 4 MATLAB® Interface

or

fields(mynodes(10));

The MATLAB Command Window displays information like the following

table.

Field Access Type Sync

-----------------------------------------------------------
addChildren eventIn MFNode off
removeChildren eventIn MFNode off
children exposedField MFNode off
center exposedField SFVec3f off
rotation exposedField SFRotation off
scale exposedField SFVec3f off
scaleOrientation exposedField SFRotation off
translation exposedField SFVec3f off
bboxCenter field SFVec3f off
bboxSize field SFVec3f off

The Automobile node is of type Transform. This VRML node allows you
to change its position by changing its translation field values. From the
list, you can see that translation requires three values, representing
the [x y z] coordinates of the object.

5 Type

view(myworld)

Your default viewer opens and displays the virtual world vrmount.wrl.

6 Move the MATLAB window and the browser window side by side so you
can view both at the same time. In the MATLAB Command Window, type

myworld.Automobile.translation = [15 0.25 20];

The MATLAB sets a new position for the Automobile node, and you can
observe that the car is repositioned in the VRML browser window.

4-8
 Interact with a Virtual World with MATLAB®

You can change the node fields listed by using the function vrnode/setfield.

Note The dot notation is the preferred method for accessing nodes.

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 4 MATLAB® Interface

Close and Delete a vrworld Object

After you are finished with a session, you must close all open virtual worlds
and remove them from memory:

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

close(myworld);
delete(myworld);

The virtual world representation of the vrworld object myworld is removed

from memory. All possible connections to the viewer and browser are closed
and the virtual world name is removed from the list of available worlds.

Note Closing and deleting a virtual world does not delete the vrworld object
handle myworld from the MATLAB workspace.

4-10
 Animation Recording

Animation Recording
In this section...
“Recording Formats” on page 4-11
“Manual and Scheduled Animation Recording” on page 4-12

The Simulink 3D Animation software enables you to record animations of

virtual scenes that are controlled by the Simulink or MATLAB product.
You can record simulations through either the Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer (described in “Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-6) or
the MATLAB interface. You can then play back these animations offline,
in other words, independent of the MATLAB, Simulink, or Simulink 3D
Animation products. You might want to generate such files for presentations,
to distribute simulation results, or to generate archives.

Note If you are working with virtual scenes controlled from MATLAB,
you can record virtual scenes through the MATLAB interface. Optimally,
use the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer to record animations of virtual
worlds associated with Simulink models. This method ensures that all
necessary virtual world and vrfigure properties are properly set to record
simulations. For details, see “Record Offline Animations with the Simulink®
3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-42.

Recording Formats
You can save the virtual world offline animation data in the following formats:

• 3-D VRML file — The Simulink 3D Animation software traces object

movements and saves that data into a VRML file using VRML97 standard
interpolators. You can then view these files with the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer. 3-D VRML files typically use much less disk space than
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) files. If you make any navigation movements
in the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer while recording the animation, the
Simulink 3D Animation software does not save any of these movements.

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 4 MATLAB® Interface

Note If you distribute VRML animation files, be sure to also distribute all
the inlined object and texture files referenced in the original VRML world
file.

• 2-D Audio Video Interleave (AVI) file — The Simulink 3D Animation

software writes animation data into an .avi file. The Simulink 3D
Animation software uses vrfigure objects to record 2-D animation files.
The recorded 2-D animation reflects exactly what you see in the viewer
window. It includes any navigation movements you make during the
recording.

Note While recording 2-D .avi animation data, always ensure that the
Simulink 3D Animation Viewer is the topmost window and fully visible.
Graphics acceleration limitations might prevent the proper recording of
2-D animation otherwise.

Manual and Scheduled Animation Recording

You can use MATLAB to either manually record an animation or schedule a
preset time interval for recording. For details, see:

• “Manual 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB” on page 4-18

• “Manual 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB” on page 4-21
• “Scheduled 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB” on page 4-24
• “Scheduled 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB” on page 4-27

4-12
 File Name Tokens

File Name Tokens

The Simulink 3D Animation software supports a variety of file naming
formats using file tokens. By default, the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer
captures virtual scene frames or records simulations in a file named with
the following format:

%f_anim_%n.<extension>

This format creates a unique file name each time you capture a frame or record
the animation. For details, see “Define File Name Tokens” on page 4-14.

4-13
 4 MATLAB® Interface

Define File Name Tokens

In this section...
“Default File Name Format” on page 4-14
“Uses for File Name Tokens” on page 4-14

Default File Name Format

By default, the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer captures virtual scene frames
or records simulations in a file named with the following format:

%f_anim_%n.<extension>

This format creates a unique file name each time you capture a frame or
record the animation. %f and %n are tokens. %f is replaced with the name
of the virtual world associated with the model and %n is a number that
increments each time you record a simulation for the same virtual world.
If you do not change the default file name, for example, if the name of the
virtual world file is vrplanets and you record a simulation for the first time,
the animation file is

vrplanets_anim_1.wrl

If you record the simulation a second time, the animation file name is
vrplanets_anim_2.wrl. In the case of frame captures, capturing another
frame of the scene increments the number.

Uses for File Name Tokens

You can use a number of tokens to customize the automated generation of
frame capture or animation files. To use these tokens to create varying frame
capture or animation file names, you can:

• Create files whose root names are the same as those of the virtual world.
This option is useful if you use different virtual worlds for one model.
• Create files in directories relative to the virtual world location. This option
is useful if you want to ensure that the virtual world file and frame capture
or animation file are in the same folder.

4-14
 Define File Name Tokens

• Create rolling numbered file names such that subsequent frame captures
or runs of the model simulation create incrementally numbered file names.
This is useful if you expect to create files of different parts of the model
simulation. This feature allows you to capture a frame or run a Simulink
model multiple times, but create a unique file each time.
• Create multiple file names with time or date stamps, with a unique file
created each time.

See “File Name Tokens” on page 4-16 for a summary of the file name tokens.

4-15
 4 MATLAB® Interface

File Name Tokens

The following tokens are the same for frame capture (.tif or .png) or
animation (.wrl and .avi) files.

Token Description
%d The full path to the world VRML file replaces this token in
the file name string and creates files in directories relative
to the virtual world file location. For example, the format
%d/animdir/%f_anim_%n.avi saves the animation in the animdir
subfolder of the folder containing the virtual world VRML file. It
creates the animdir subfolder if one does not exist. This token
is most helpful if you want to ensure that the virtual world file
and animation file are in the same folder.
%D The current day in the month replaces this token in the file
name string. For example, the format %f_anim_%D.wrl saves
the animation to vrplanets_anim_29.wrl for the 29th day of
the month.
%f The virtual world file name replaces this token in the file name
string. For example, the format %f_anim_%D.wrl saves the
animation to vrplanets_anim_29.wrl.
%h The current hour replaces this token in the file name string. For
example, the format %f_anim_%h.wrl saves the animation to
vrplanets_anim_14.wrl for any time between 14:00 and 15:00.
%m The current minute replaces this token in the file name string.
For example, the format %f_anim_%h%m.wrl saves the animation
to vrplanets_anim_1434.wrl for a start record time of 14:34.
%M The current month replaces this token in the file name string.
For example, the format %f_anim_%M.wrl saves the animation to
vrplanets_anim_4.wrl for a start record time in April.
%s The current second replaces this token in the file name string. For
example, the format %f_anim_%h%m%s.wrl saves the animation to
vrplanets_anim_150430.wrl for a start record time of 15:04:30.

4-16
 File Name Tokens

Token Description
%n The current incremental number replaces this token in the
file name string. Each subsequent frame capture or run of the
simulation increments the number. For example, the format
%f_anim_%n.wrl saves the animation to vrplanets_anim_1.wrl
on the first run, vrplanets_anim_2.wrl on the second run, and
so forth.
%Y The current four-digit year replaces this token in the file name
string. For example, the format %f_anim_%Y.wrl saves the
animation to vrplanets_anim_2005.wrl for the year 2005.

4-17
 4 MATLAB® Interface

Manual 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB

This topic describes how to manually record a 3-D animation using the
MATLAB interface for a virtual world that is associated with a Simulink
model. In this example, the timing of the animation file derives from the
simulation time. One second of the recorded animation time corresponds
to one second of Simulink time. You create and record the animation file
by interactively starting and stopping the recording from the MATLAB
Command Window.

This procedure uses the vrplanets example. It describes how to create a

VRML animation filename with the default name format.

1 Run the Simulink model for vrplanets. In the MATLAB window, type

vrplanets

The Simulink model appears. Also by default, the Simulink 3D Animation

Viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the viewer does not
appear, double-click the Simulink® 3D Animation block in the Simulink
model.

2 To work with the virtual world associated with vrplanets from the
MATLAB interface, retrieve the virtual world handle. Use the vrwhos
command. Type

vrwhos

If the result shows that only one vrworld object is in the workspace, assign
its handle directly to a variable. Type

myworld = vrwho;

If multiple virtual worlds are listed, you must select which of these virtual
worlds you want to manipulate. To select the virtual world, you can use
indexing or a selection method using a string comparison of virtual world
descriptions. For the indexing method, type

worlds = vrwho;
myworld = worlds(1);

4-18
 Manual 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB®

For the string comparison method, type

worlds = vrwho;
myworld =
worlds(strcmp('Planets',get(worlds,'Description')));

3 To have the Simulink 3D Animation software manually record the

animation, set the RecordMode property to manual. Type

set(myworld,'RecordMode','manual');

4 Direct the Simulink 3D Animation software to record the animation to

a VRML format file. Type

set(myworld,'Record3D','on');

5 Run the Simulink model. From the Simulation menu, select Mode >
Normal, then click Simulation > Run. Alternatively, if you are using the
Simulink 3D Animation default viewer, you can run the Simulink model
with one of the following from the viewer.
• From the menu bar, select the Simulation menu Start option to start
or stop the simulation.
• From the toolbar, click Start/pause/continue simulation to start the
simulation.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+T to start the simulation.

6 As the simulation runs, start recording the animation by setting the virtual
world Recording property. Type

set(myworld,'Recording','on');

This turns on the recording state.

7 When you want to stop the recording operation, type

set(myworld,'Recording','off');

The Simulink 3D Animation software stops recording the animation. The

Simulink 3D Animation software creates the file vrplanets_anim_1.wrl

4-19
 4 MATLAB® Interface

in the current working folder. If the simulation stops before you stop
recording, the recording operation stops and creates the animation file.

8 Stop the simulation. You can use one of the following from the viewer.

• From the menu bar, select the Simulation menu Stop option to stop
the simulation.
• From the toolbar, click Stop simulation to stop the simulation.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+T to stop the simulation.

You do not need to manually stop the recording before stopping the
simulation. If you do not manually stop the recording, the recording
operation does not stop and create the animation file when the simulation
stops.

9 Close and delete the objects if you do not want to continue using them.

4-20
 Manual 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB®

Manual 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB

This topic describes how to manually record a 2-D animation using the
MATLAB interface for a virtual world that is associated with a Simulink
model. In this example, the timing of the animation file derives from the
simulation time. One second of the recorded animation time corresponds
to one second of Simulink time. You create and record the animation file
by interactively starting and stopping the recording from the MATLAB
Command Window.

This procedure uses the vrplanets example. It describes how to create an

.avi animation filename with the default name format.

1 Run the Simulink model for vrplanets. In the MATLAB window, type

vrplanets

The Simulink model appears. Also by default, the Simulink 3D Animation

Viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the viewer does not
appear, double-click the Simulink® 3D Animation block in the Simulink
model.

2 To work with the virtual world associated with vrplanets from the
MATLAB interface, retrieve the virtual world handle. Use the vrwhos
command. Type

vrwhos

3 If the result indicates that only one vrworld object is in the workspace,
assign its handle directly to a variable. Type

myworld = vrwho;

If multiple virtual worlds are listed, you must select which of these virtual
worlds you want to manipulate. To select the virtual world, you can use
indexing or a selection method using a string comparison of virtual world
descriptions. For the indexing method, type

worlds = vrwho;
myworld = worlds(1);

4-21
 4 MATLAB® Interface

For the string comparison method, type

worlds = vrwho;
myworld =
worlds(strcmp('Planets',get(worlds,'Description')));

If the description string is unique, myworld is assigned the correct virtual

world.

4 To retrieve the handle to the currently displayed the Simulink 3D

Animation Viewer figure, type

f=get(myworld,'Figures')

5 To have the software manually record the animation, set the RecordMode
property to manual. Type

set(myworld,'RecordMode','manual');

6 Direct the Simulink 3D Animation software to record the animation as a

.avi format file. Type

set(f,'Record2D','on');

7 Disable the navigation panel. The navigation panel appears at the bottom
of the virtual scene view. You might want to turn off this panel for a
cleaner view of the virtual scene. Type

set(f,'NavPanel','none');

8 Run the Simulink model. From the Simulation menu, select Mode >
Normal, then click Simulation > Run. Alternatively, if you are using the
Simulink 3D Animation default viewer, you can run the Simulink model
with one of the following from the viewer:
• From the menu bar, select the Simulation menu Start option to start
or stop the simulation.
• From the toolbar, click Start/pause/continue simulation to start the
simulation.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+T to start the simulation.

4-22
 Manual 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB®

9 As the simulation runs, start recording the animation by setting the virtual
world Recording property. Type

set(myworld,'Recording','on');

This turns on the recording state.

10 To stop the recording operation, type

set(myworld,'Recording','off');

The Simulink 3D Animation software stops recording the animation. The

Simulink 3D Animation software creates the file vrplanets_anim_1.avi
in the current working folder. If the simulation stops before you stop
recording, the recording operation stops and creates the animation file.

11 Stop the simulation. You can use one of the following from the viewer.

• From the menu bar, select the Simulation menu Stop option to stop
the simulation.
• From the toolbar, click Stop simulation to stop the simulation.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+T to stop the simulation.

You do not need to manually stop the simulation. If you do not manually
stop the recording, the recording operation does not stop and create the
animation file until the simulation stops.

12 If you want to enable the Navigation Panel again, type

set(f,'NavPanel','halfbar');

13 Close and delete the objects if you do not want to continue using them.

4-23
 4 MATLAB® Interface

Scheduled 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB

This topic describes how to schedule the recording of a 3-D animation using
the MATLAB interface for a virtual world that is associated with a Simulink
model. You control the animation file recording by presetting a time interval.
The Simulink 3D Animation software records the animation during this
interval in the simulation. In this example, the timing of the recorded
animation file derives from the simulation time. One second of the recorded
animation time corresponds to one second of Simulink time.

This procedure uses the vrplanets example. It describes how to create a

VRML animation filename with the default name format.

1 Run the Simulink model for vrplanets. In the MATLAB window, type

vrplanets

The Simulink model is displayed. Also by default, the Simulink 3D

Animation Viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the
viewer is not displayed, double-click the Simulink® 3D Animation block in
the Simulink model.

2 To work with the virtual world associated with vrplanets from the
MATLAB interface, retrieve the virtual world handle. Use the vrwhos
command. Type

vrwhos

3 If the result indicates that only one vrworld object is in the workspace,
assign its handle directly to a variable. Type

myworld = vrwho;

If multiple virtual worlds are listed, you must select which of these virtual
worlds you want to manipulate. To select the virtual world, you can use
indexing or a selection method using a string comparison of virtual world
descriptions. For the indexing method, type

worlds = vrwho;
myworld = worlds(1);

4-24
 Scheduled 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB®

For the string comparison method, type

worlds = vrwho;
myworld =
worlds(strcmp('Planets',get(worlds,'Description')));

4 Direct the Simulink 3D Animation software to record the animation on a

schedule by setting the RecordMode property to scheduled. Type

set(myworld,'RecordMode','scheduled');

5 Direct the Simulink 3D Animation software to record the animation in

a VRML format file.

set(myworld,'Record3D','on');

6 Select the start and stop times during which you want to record the
animation. For example, enter 5 as the start time and 15 as the stop time.

set(myworld,'RecordInterval',[5 15]);

Ensure that the recording start time value is not earlier than the start time
of the Simulink model; the recording operation cannot start in this instance.
If the stop time exceeds the stop time of the Simulink model, or if it is an
out of bounds value such as a negative number, the recording operation
stops when the simulation stops. Note that the recording can be slow.

7 Run the Simulink model. From the Simulation menu, select Mode >
Normal, then click Simulation > Run. Alternatively, if you are using the
Simulink 3D Animation default viewer, you can run the Simulink model
with one of the following from the viewer.
• From the menu bar, select the Simulation menu Start option to start
the simulation.
• From the toolbar, click Start/pause/continue simulation to start the
simulation.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+T to start the simulation.

The simulation runs. The Simulink 3D Animation software starts recording

when the simulation time reaches the specified start time and creates the

4-25
 4 MATLAB® Interface

file vrplanets_anim_N.wrl in the current working folder when finished,

where N is either 1 or more, depending on how many file iterations you have.

8 When you are done, stop the simulation. You can use one of the following
from the viewer.
• From the menu bar, select the Simulation menu Stop option to stop
the simulation.
• From the toolbar, click Stop simulation to stop the simulation.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+T to stop the simulation.

9 Close and delete the objects if you do not want to continue using them.

4-26
 Scheduled 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB®

Scheduled 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB

This topic describes how to schedule the recording of a 2-D animation using
the MATLAB interface for a virtual world that is associated with a Simulink
model. You control the animation file recording by presetting a time interval.
The Simulink 3D Animation software records the animation during this
interval in the simulation. In this example, the timing of the recorded
animation file derives from the simulation time. One second of the recorded
animation time corresponds to one second of Simulink time.

This procedure uses the vrplanets example. It describes how to create an

.avi animation filename with the default name format.

1 Run the Simulink model for vrplanets. In the MATLAB window, type

vrplanets

The Simulink model is displayed. Also by default, the Simulink 3D

Animation Viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the
viewer is not displayed, double-click the Simulink® 3D Animation block in
the Simulink model.

2 To work with the virtual world associated with vrplanets from the
MATLAB interface, retrieve the virtual world handle. Use the vrwhos
command. Type

vrwhos

If the result indicates that only one vrworld object is in the workspace,
assign its handle directly to a variable. Type

myworld = vrwho;

If multiple virtual worlds are listed, you must select which of these virtual
worlds you want to manipulate. To select the virtual world, you can use
indexing or a selection method using a string comparison of virtual world
descriptions. For the indexing method, type

worlds = vrwho;
myworld = worlds(1);

4-27
 4 MATLAB® Interface

For the string comparison method, type

worlds = vrwho;
myworld =
worlds(strcmp('Planets',get(worlds,'Description')));

3 To retrieve the handle to the currently displayed Simulink 3D Animation

Viewer figure, type

f=get(myworld,'Figures')

4 To have the Simulink 3D Animation software manually record the

animation, set the RecordMode property to manual. Type

set(myworld,'RecordMode','scheduled');

5 Direct the Simulink 3D Animation software to record the animation as

an .avi format file. Type

set(f,'Record2D','on');

6 Select the start and stop times during which you want to record the
animation. For example, enter 5 as the start time and 15 as the stop time.

set(myworld,'RecordInterval',[5 15]);

Ensure that the recording start time value is not earlier than the start time
of the Simulink model; the recording operation cannot start in this instance.
If the stop time exceeds the stop time of the Simulink model, or if it is an
out of bounds value such as a negative number, the recording operation
stops when the simulation stops. Note that the recording can be slow.

7 Disable the Navigation Panel. The Navigation Panel appears at the bottom
of the virtual scene view. You might want to turn off this panel for a
cleaner view of the virtual scene. Type

set(f,'NavPanel','none');

8 Ensure that the virtual reality figure window is the topmost window.

4-28
 Scheduled 2-D AVI Recording with MATLAB®

9 Run the Simulink model. From the Simulation menu, select Mode >
Normal, then click Simulation > Run. Alternatively, if you are using the
Simulink 3D Animation default viewer, you can run the Simulink model
with one of the following from the viewer:
• From the menu bar, select the Simulation menu Start option to start
the simulation.
• From the toolbar, click Start/pause/continue simulation to start the
simulation.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+T to start the simulation.

The simulation runs. The Simulink 3D Animation software starts recording

when the simulation time reaches the specified start time and creates the
file vrplanets_anim_N.avi in the current working folder when finished,
where N is either 1 or more, depending on how many file iterations you have.

10 When you are done, stop the simulation. You can use one of the following
from the viewer:
• From the menu bar, select the Simulation menu Stop option to stop
the simulation.
• From the toolbar, click Stop simulation to stop the simulation.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+T to stop the simulation.

11 If you want to enable the navigation panel again, type

set(f,'NavPanel','halfbar');

12 Close and delete the objects if you do not want to continue using them.

4-29
 4 MATLAB® Interface

Record Animations for Unconnected Virtual Worlds

This topic describes how to programmatically record animation files for virtual
worlds that are not associated with Simulink models (in other words, from
the MATLAB interface). In this instance, you must specify the relationship
between the events that change the virtual world state and the time in the
animation file. This requirement is different from virtual worlds associated
with Simulink models. Virtual worlds that are controlled completely from the
MATLAB interface have no default, intuitive interpretation of time relation
between MATLAB environment models and virtual scenes.

Note Many engineering time-dependent problems are modeled and solved

in MATLAB. For those that have meaningful visual representation, you can
create virtual reality models and animate their solutions. In addition, the
offline animation time can represent any independent variable along which
you can observe and visualize a model solution. Using offline animation
files can bring the communication of such engineering problem resolutions
to new levels. The Simulink 3D Animation example vrheat (heat transfer
visualization) is an example of a time-dependent problem modeled and
solved in MATLAB. Its modified version, vrheat_anim, shows the use of the
programming technique described in this topic.

To record animation files for virtual worlds that are not associated with
Simulink models, note the following guidelines. You should be an advanced
Simulink 3D Animation user.

• Retrieve the vrworld object handle of the virtual scene that you want to
record.
• To record 2-D animations,
1 Retrieve the corresponding vrfigure object. For 2-D animations, the
Simulink 3D Animation software records exactly what you see in the
viewer window. Because 2-D animations record exactly what you see in
the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer window, the properties that control
2-D file recording belong to vrfigure objects.
2 Set the Record2D vrfigure property.

4-30
 Record Animations for Unconnected Virtual Worlds

3 To override default filenames for animation files, set the vrfigure

Record2DFileName property.
• To create 3-D animation files,
1 Retrieve the corresponding vrworld object.

2 Set the Record3D vrworld property.

3 To override default filenames for animation files, set the vrworld

Record3DFileName property.
• Set the RecordMode vrworld object property to manual or scheduled. For
optimal results, select scheduled.
• If you select scheduled for RecordMode, be sure to also set the vrworld
RecordInterval property to a desired time interval.
• To specify that the virtual world time source is an external one, set
the vrworld property TimeSource to external. This ensures that the
MATLAB software controls the virtual world scene time. Type

set(virtual_world,'TimeSource', 'external')

• To specify time values at which you want to save animation frames,

iteratively set the vrworld Time property. Note that for a smoother
animation, you should set the time at equal intervals, for example, every 5
seconds. Use a sequence like

set(virtual_world,'Time',time_value)

For example, to set the Time property for vrworld, w, with values increasing
by 10, enter

set(w,'Time',10);
set(w,'Time',20);
set(w,'Time',30);
set(w,'Time',40);
set(w,'Time',50);
set(w,'Time',60);
set(w,'Time',70);
set(w,'Time',80);
set(w,'Time',90);
set(w,'Time',100);

4-31
 4 MATLAB® Interface

set(w,'Time',110);
set(w,'Time',120);
set(w,'Time',130);
set(w,'Time',140);

If you select a start time of 60 and a stop time of 120 (as described in
“Scheduled 3-D VRML Recording with MATLAB” on page 4-24), the
Simulink 3D Animation software starts recording at 60 and stops at 120.
Because of the repetitive nature of the time interval setting, set the Time
property in a loop from within a script or program.
• After you set the vrworld Time property, set the virtual scene object
properties as necessary. You should set these properties to values that
correspond to the given time frame to achieve the desired animation effect.
• In each time frame, issue the vrdrawnow command for scene changes. This
command renders and updates the scene.

The following code fragment contains a typical loop that iteratively sets the
Time property, changes a virtual scene object property, and calls vrdrawnow to
render the scene:

for time=StartTime:Step:StopTime
% advance the time in the virtual scene
set(myworld,'Time',time);
% here we change VRML nodes properties
myworld.Car.translation = [ time*speed 0 0 ];
% render the changed position
vrdrawnow;
end

If you set the Time property at or outside the end boundary of RecordInterval,
the Simulink 3D Animation software stops recording. You can then view
the resulting animation file.

For a complete example of how to perform this kind of animation recording,

refer to the Simulink 3D Animation vrheat_anim example.

4-32
 Play Animation Files

Play Animation Files

In this section...
“Play VRML Animation Files” on page 4-33
“Play AVI Animation Files” on page 4-34

Play VRML Animation Files

You can view VRML animation files using one of these approaches:

• Open the 3D Animation Player from the MATLAB Toolstrip.

To open the 3D Animation Player from the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the
Apps tab, in the Simulation Graphics and Reporting section, click 3D
Animation Player. Select or specify an a VRML animation file.
• From the operating system, locate and double-click the VRML animation
file
Double-click the VRML file. A VRML-enabled Web browser opens with the
animation running. To view the resulting animation file, you must have a
VRML-enabled Web browser installed on your system. Also, ensure that
the .wrl extension is associated with the Blaxxun Contact Web browser.
• Use vrplay(filename), where filename is the name of your VRML file.
This opens the 3D Animation Player and your file. Using the player, you
can control the playback of your file.
For example, play the animation file based on the vr_octavia example by
running vrplay('octavia_scene_anim.wrl').
vrplay works only with VRML animation files created using the Simulink
3D Animation VRML recording functionality.
• In the Current Folder pane of MATLAB, double-click the VRML
animation file and from the context menu, select Run.
• At the MATLAB command line, use vrview.
A fourth option is to use the MATLAB command vrview. For example,
enter:

w=vrview('vrplanets_anim_1.wrl');

4-33
 4 MATLAB® Interface

set(w,'TimeSource','freerun');

The vrview command displays the default Simulink 3D Animation Viewer

for the animation file. Setting the TimeSource property of the set method
to 'freerun' directs the viewer to advance its time independent of the
MATLAB software.
To stop the animation, type:

set(w,'TimeSource','external');

To close the viewer and delete the world, get the handle of the vrfigure
object and close it, as follows:

f=get(w,'Figures')
close(f);
delete(w);

Or, to close all vrfigure objects and delete the world, type

vrclose
delete(w);

Play AVI Animation Files

To view an AVI animation file, use one of these approaches:

• Double-click the AVI animation file. The program associated with .avi
files in your system (for example, Windows Media® Player Media Player)
opens for the .avi file. If your .avi file is not yet running, start it now
from the application. The animation file runs.
• Use the MATLAB VideoReader function.

4-34
 5

Build Virtual Reality

Worlds

The Simulink 3D Animation product includes tools that you can use to edit
and create VRML virtual worlds. A basic understanding of these tools and
how to use them will help you to get started quickly.

• “VRML Editors” on page 5-2

• “Build and Connect a Virtual World” on page 5-7
• “VRML Data Types” on page 5-24
• “Simulink® 3D Animation™ Textures” on page 5-29
• “Using CAD Models with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Product” on page
5-30
 5 Build Virtual Reality Worlds

VRML Editors

Editors for Virtual Worlds

There is more than one way to create a virtual world defined with VRML code.
For example, you can use a text editor to write VRML code directly, or you
can use a VRML editor to create a virtual world without knowing anything
about the VRML language. However, you must understand the structure of a
VRML scene to connect your virtual world to Simulink blocks and signals.

For a description of the tools to view virtual worlds, see “View Dynamic
System Simulations”.

As you create a virtual world, you can use different editors for different
phases of the process. Choose the editor that best meets your needs.

Many people prefer to create simple virtual worlds using MATLAB Editor or
other text editor. For more information, see “Text Editors” on page 5-3.

The primary way to create a virtual world is with a 3-D editing tool. These
tools allow you to create complex virtual worlds without a deep understanding
of the VRML language. These 3-D editing tools offer the power and versatility
for creating many types of practical and technical models. For example, you
can import 3-D objects from some CAD packages to make the authoring
process easier and more efficient.

The Simulink 3D Animation software includes the 3D World Editor, which you
can use on all supported platforms for Simulink 3D Animation. The 3D World
Editor is the default VRML editor for Simulink 3D Animation. For details
about specifying a VRML editor, see “Set the Default Editor” on page 2-14.

For Windows platforms, you can also use Ligos V-Realm Builder software
to create and edit VRML code. For information on using V-Realm Builder
software with the Simulink 3D Animation product, see “Ligos V-Realm
Builder” on page 5-6.

For a description of the benefits and limitations of different types of editors,

see the next section.

• “Text Editors” on page 5-3

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 VRML Editors

• “General 3-D Editors” on page 5-4

• “Native VRML Editors” on page 5-4
• “3D World Editor” on page 5-4

Text Editors
A VRML file uses a standard text format that you can read with any text
editor. Reading the VRML code in a text editor is useful for debugging and
for directly changing VRML code, as well as for automated processing of the
code. If you use the correct VRML syntax, you can use the MATLAB Editor or
any common text editor to create virtual worlds.

Consider using a text editor to work on a VRML virtual world when you
want to:

• Create a very simple virtual world.

• Debug syntax and formatting errors in a VRML file. Corrupted VRML
files do not open in most 3-D tools.
• Learn about VRML syntax by using VRML syntax highlighting in the
MATLAB Editor. For details, see “VRML Syntax Highlighting in the
MATLAB Editor” on page 5-3.
• Perform global search VRML editing operations across one or more VRML
files.
• Combine several VRML models. Combining models can involve temporary
model inconsistencies, which most 3-D tools cannot handle.

VRML Syntax Highlighting in the MATLAB Editor

You can display VRML syntax highlighting in the MATLAB Editor.

To change MATLAB Editor properties for VRML syntax highlighting

(for example, the color for highlighting comments or not using the smart
indentation feature):

1 In MATLAB, select Preferences > Editor/Debugger > Language.

2 In the Editor/Debugger Language Preferences dialog box, set the

Language field to VRML.

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3 Change the highlighting properties that you want.

General 3-D Editors

General 3-D editors, such as 3D Studio, SolidWorks®, or Autodesk® Maya, do
not use VRML as their native format. They export their formats to VRML.
These tools have many features and are relatively easy to use.

General 3-D editing tools target specific types of work. For example, they can
target visual art, animation, games, or technical applications. They offer
different working environments depending on the application area for which
they are designed. Some of these general 3-D editing tools are very powerful,
expensive, and complex to learn, but others are relatively inexpensive and
might satisfy your specific needs.

The graphical user interfaces for many of the commercial general 3-D editors
use features typical of the native VRML editing tools. For example, in
addition to displaying 3-D scenes in various graphical ways, they also offer
hierarchical tree styles that provide an overview of the model structure and a
shortcut to node definitions.

Native VRML Editors

Native VRML editors use VRML as their native format. All the features in the
editor are compatible with VRML. Also, native VRML editors support features
that are unique to the VRML format, such as interpolators and sensors.

The Simulink 3D Animation software includes two native VRML editors:

• “3D World Editor” on page 6-2, which works on all platforms supported
for Simulink 3D Animation product
• The “Ligos V-Realm Builder” on page 5-6, which works on Windows
platforms only

3D World Editor
The 3D World Editor is installed as part of the Simulink 3D Animation
installation. It is the default VRML editor.

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 VRML Editors

The 3D World Editor is a native VRML authoring tool that provides an

interface to the VRML syntax. The editor supports all VRML97 types and
language elements. Its primary file format is VRML97.

The 3D World Editor interface provides three panes.

• Tree structure pane — View the hierarchy for the virtual world that
you are editing. The 3D World Editor lists the nodes and their properties
according to their respective VRML node types. You can change the nesting
levels of certain nodes to modify the virtual world. In the tree viewer, give
the nodes unique names.

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• Virtual world display pane — Observe the virtual world as you create
it. The 3D World Editor renders inlined objects (grouped objects). It uses
the same renderer as the Simulink 3D Animation viewer. Using the same
renderer for the editor and the viewer provides consistent navigation and
display throughout the development process.
• Object property edit pane — Change values for node items.

For details, see “Build and Connect a Virtual World” on page 5-7 and “3D
World Editor” on page 6-2.

Ligos V-Realm Builder

The Ligos V-Realm Builder interface is available only for Windows operating
systems.

The V-Realm Builder application is a flexible, graphically oriented tool for 3-D
editing. It provides similar functionality as the 3D World Editor.

The V-Realm Builder offers these features that the 3D World Editor does not:

• Manipulators — for dragging objects in the 3–D world

• Keyframe animation — animation involving interpolated linear movements

Compared to the 3D World Editor, the V-Realm Editor interface:

• Provides dialog boxes for editing properties, which can be less streamlined
than the 3D World Editor object properties edit pane
• Does not always render virtual worlds the same way as the viewer
• Does not support rendering inlined objects

For more information about the V-Realm Editor, see “V-Realm Builder Help”
on page 2-13.

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Build and Connect a Virtual World

In this section...
“Introduction” on page 5-7
“Define the Problem” on page 5-7
“Add a Simulink® 3D Animation™ Block” on page 5-9
“Open a New Virtual World” on page 5-11
“Add VRML Nodes” on page 5-11
“Link to a Simulink Model” on page 5-20

Introduction
The example in this section shows you how to create a simple virtual world
using the 3D World Editor. The example does not show everything that
you can do with the editor, but it does show you how to perform some basic
tasks to get started.

This example assumes that you have set your default editor to be the 3D
World Editor. For details, see “Set the Default Viewer” on page 2-7.

This example describes the steps to build a slightly simplified version of the
virtual world that you see if you enter the following command in the MATLAB
command window:

edit(vrworld('vrdeform.wrl'))

Define the Problem

Suppose you want to simulate and visualize in virtual reality the deformation
of a sphere. In your virtual world, you want to have two boxes representing
rigid plates (B1, B2) and an elastic sphere (S) between them. All three of
the objects are center-aligned along the x-axis. The boxes B1 and B2 move
toward S with identical velocities, but they move in opposite directions. As
they reach the sphere S, they start to deform it by reducing its x dimension
and stretching both its y and z dimensions.

Here is how this virtual world looks:

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The following table lists the positions and dimensions of the objects that you
create for this example.

Object Center Position Dimensions

B1 [3 0 0] [0.3 1 1]
B2 [-3 0 0] [0.3 1 1]
S [0 0 0] r = 0.9

The Simulink 3D Animation product includes the tutorial model vrtut3.

This is a simplified model in which the deformation of an elastic sphere is
simulated. After collision with the rigid blocks, the sphere’s x dimension is

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decreased by a factor from 1 to 0.4, and the y and z dimensions are expanded
so that the volume of the deformed sphere-ellipsoid remains constant.
Additional blocks in the model supply the correctly sized vectors to the
Simulink 3D Animation block. The simulation stops when the sphere is
deformed to 0.4 times its original size in the x direction.

Your first task is to open a Simulink model and add a Simulink 3D Animation
block to your model.

Add a Simulink 3D Animation Block

This procedure uses the Simulink model vrtut3 to show how to add a
Simulink 3D Animation block to your model. The model generates the values
for the position of B1, the position of B2, and the dimensions of S (as described
in “Define the Problem” on page 5-7).

1 Open the Tutorial #3. example.

a At the top of the page that opens, select Open this Example.

b Save thevrtut3 file to your MATLAB working folder.

2 In MATLAB, change the current folder to your MATLAB working folder.

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3 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrtut3

A Simulink window opens with a model that contains Simulink 3D

Animation VR Signal Expander blocks, but no VR Sink block to write data
from the model to Simulink 3D Animation. Instead, this model uses Scope
blocks to temporarily monitor the relevant signals.

4 From the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrlib

The Simulink 3D Animation library opens.

5 From the Library window, drag and drop the VR Sink block to the Simulink
diagram. You can then close the Library Browser window.

Your next task is to create a virtual world that you will associate with the VR
Sink block. See “Open a New Virtual World” on page 5-11.

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 Build and Connect a Virtual World

Open a New Virtual World

You must create a virtual world to connect to a Simulink model for visualizing
signals.

This procedure opens a new virtual world, in which you add nodes for
visualizing the signals of the model vrtut3. The connection between the
virtual world and the Simulink model requires that the model includes a
VR Sink block, as described in “Add a Simulink® 3D Animation™ Block”
on page 5-9.

1 Start the 3D World Editor with an empty virtual world. From the MATLAB
Toolstrip, in the Apps tab, in the Simulation Graphics and Reporting
section, click 3D World Editor.

The 3D World Editor displays:

• In the left pane, a VRML tree with only a ROOT node
• In the right pane, an empty virtual world
• In the bottom pane, an empty pane for editing objects

2 You can save the virtual world at any point. Save the virtual world as
vrtut3.wrl in the same working folder where your vrtut3 file resides.
Do not close the 3D World Editor.

Your next two tasks create a virtual world to use with the vrtut3 model:

• “Add VRML Nodes” on page 5-11

• “Build and Connect a Virtual World” on page 5-7

Add VRML Nodes

Create Boxes
Defining virtual world objects involves defining a hierarchy of nodes. This
example shows how to define Transform nodes under the ROOT node, with
each Transform node including a hierarchy of children, Shape, Appearance,
Geometry, and specific shape (in this case, a Box) nodes.

1 In the tree in the left pane, click ROOT (the topmost item).

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 5 Build Virtual Reality Worlds

2 Add a Transform node, using the following sequence of menu selections.

3 This Transform node is for the B1 box. To name the Transform node:

a Right-click the Transform node.

b Select the Edit Name menu item.

c In the edit box to the left of the Transform node, type B1 .

4 Add a Shape node:

a Expand the B1 Transform node.

b Select the children node.

c Add a Shape node, using the following sequence of menu selections:

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 Build and Connect a Virtual World

5 Add an Appearance node for the Shape node:

a Under the Shape node, select the appearance (SFNode) node.

b Add an Appearance node, using the following sequence of menu

selections.

6 Add a Material node to the Appearance node:

a Expand the (Appearance) node and select the material(SFNode) node.

b Add a Material node, using the following sequence of menu selections.

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7 Add a Box node to the geometry node:

a Select the geometry(SFNode) node of the (Shape) node.

b Add a Box node, using the following sequence of menu selections.

With all the nodes expanded, the 3D World Editor now displays a box in
the virtual world display pane.

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 Build and Connect a Virtual World

8 Make the box smaller by editing its size property:

a Select the size property of the Box node.

b In the object properties edit pane at the bottom of the 3D World

Editor, enter 0.3 in the first column, and 1 in the second and third
columns.
c Click Apply.

The box becomes smaller.

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9 Move the box to the right by changing the translation(SFVec3f) property

of the B1(Transform) node. In the object properties edit pane, set the
first column to 3 and leave the second and third columns set to 0.

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 Build and Connect a Virtual World

10 Add a second box that is very similar to the first box.

a Under the ROOT node, add a Transform node (see step 2) and name it
B2 (see step 3).
b Copy the Shape node. Under the B1 Transform node, right-click the
Shape node in the B1 Transform node and select the Copy menu item.
c Paste the copied Shape node into the B2 Transform node. Under the B2
Transform node), right-click the children node and select the Paste
Node > Paste menu item.

With the B1 node collapsed and the B2 node expanded, the 3D World
Editor looks like the following graphic.

11 Move the box that you just created to the left by changing the translation
property of the B2(Transform) node. In the object properties edit pane,
set the first column to -3 and leave the second and third columns set to 0.

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Create a Sphere
Your next task is to add a sphere between the two boxes. This section assumes
you have completed the tasks described in “Add VRML Nodes” on page 5-11.

1 To make it easier to focus the tree structure pane on the nodes that you
want to add, collapse the B1(Transform) and B2(Transform) nodes.

2 In the tree in the left pane, click ROOT node.

3 Add a Sphere node. The 3D World Editor includes a library of VRML

objects for building a virtual world, including a Sphere object.

Add a Sphere library object using the following sequence of menu selections.

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 Build and Connect a Virtual World

From the list of Component Library folders, select the Shapes folder, and
then select the Sphere.wrl file.

4 Select the Transform node and name it S.

With the S Transform node fully expanded and the other Transform nodes
collapsed, the 3D World Editor looks like the following graphic.

5 To make the sphere blue, under the Material node, select the
diffuseColor property. In the object properties edit pane, change the
first column value to 0.2, the second column to 1, and the third column to 1.

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6 Save the virtual world file.

Your next task is to connect the model outputs to the Simulink 3D Animation
block in your Simulink model. See “Link to a Simulink Model” on page 5-20.

Link to a Simulink Model

After you create a virtual world and a Simulink model, and add a VR Sink
block to your model, you can define the associations between the model signals
and the virtual world. This procedure uses the model vrtut3 as an example. It
assumes that you have opened the model and that you have added a VR Sink
block, and that you have created a virtual world called vrtut3.wrl. See the
tutorial starting with “Add a Simulink® 3D Animation™ Block” on page 5-9.

1 In the Simulink model window, double-click the VR Sink block.

The Parameters: VR Sink dialog box opens.

2 Next to the Source file edit box, click Browse.

The Open dialog box opens.

3 Select vrtut3.wrl, and then click Open.

4 In the Output pane, select the Open VRML viewer automatically

check box.

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 Build and Connect a Virtual World

This check box specifies that a viewer for the virtual world starts when you
run the model.

5 In the Description field, type vrtut3.

6 Click Apply in the Parameters: VR Sink dialog box.

7 In the tree structure pane of the dialog box, select the B1 translation, B2
translation, and S scale check boxes as the nodes you want to connect to
your model signals. Click OK to close the dialog box.

The VR Sink block appears with corresponding inputs.

8 Delete the three Scope blocks (B1 Translation, B2 Translation, and S

scale) and their associated input signal lines.

9 Connect the input lines from the VR Signal Expander, VR Signal

Expander1, and S Scaling in XYZ blocks to the appropriate ports in the
VR Sink block, as shown below.

10 Double-click the VR Sink block.

The viewer appears.

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11 Select the Simulation menu Block Parameters option. Your default

viewer opens and displays the virtual world. For more information on
changing your default viewer, see “Set the Default Viewer” on page 2-7.

12 In the Parameters: VR Sink dialog box, click the View button.

13 In the Simulink window, from the Simulation menu, click Run.

In your default viewer, you see a 3-D animation of the scene. Using the
viewer controls, you can observe the action from various points.

When the width of the sphere is reduced to 0.4 of its original size, the
simulation stops running.

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 Build and Connect a Virtual World

This example shows you how to create and use a very simple virtual reality
model. Using the same method, you can create more complex models for
solving the particular problems that you face.

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VRML Data Types

In this section...
“Section Overview” on page 5-24
“VRML Field Data Types” on page 5-24
“VRML Data Class Types” on page 5-27

Section Overview
VRML data types are used by VRML nodes to define objects and types of data
that can appear in the VRML node fields and events.

This section explains these VRML field data types and VRML data class types.

VRML Field Data Types

The Simulink 3D Animation product provides an interface between the
MATLAB and Simulink environment and VRML scenes. With this interface,
you can set and get the VRML scene node field values. To work with these
values, you must understand the relationship between VRML data types and
the corresponding MATLAB data types. The following table illustrates the
VRML data types and how they are converted to and from MATLAB types.

For a detailed description of the VRML fields, refer to the VRML97 Standard.

Simulink 3D Animation
VRML Type Description Type
SFBool Boolean value true or false. logical
SFFloat 32–bit, floating-point value. single
SFInt32 32–bit, signed-integer int32
value.
SFTime Absolute or relative time double
value.

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 VRML Data Types

Simulink 3D Animation
VRML Type Description Type
SFVec2f Vector of two floating-point Single array (1-by-2)
values that you usually
use for 2-D coordinates.
For example, texture
coordinates.
SFVec3f Vector of three Single array (1-by-3)
floating-point values that
you usually use for 3-D
coordinates.
SFColor Vector of three Single array (1-by-3)
floating-point values
you use for RGB color
specification.
SFRotation Vector of four floating-point Single array (1-by-4)
values you use for
specifying rotation
coordinates (x, y, z) of
an axis plus rotation angle
around that axis.
SFImage Two-dimensional array uint8 array (n-by-m-by-3)
represented by a sequence
of floating-point numbers.
SFString String in UTF-8 encoding. char
Compatible with ASCII,
allowing you to use
Unicode® characters.
SFNode Container for a VRML vrnode
node.
MFFloat Array of SFFloat values. Single array (n-by-1)
MFInt32 Array of SFInt32 values. int32 array (n-by-1)
MFVec2f Array of SFVec2f values. Single array (n-by-2)
MFVec3f Array of SFvec3f values. Single array (n-by-3)

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Simulink 3D Animation
VRML Type Description Type
MFColor Array of SFColor values. Single array (n-by-3)
MFRotation Array of SFRotation Single array (n-by-4)
values.
MFString Array of SFString values. char array (n-by-1)
MFNode Array of SFNode values. vrnode

The Simulink 3D Animation software can work with various MATLAB data
types, converting them if necessary:

• The inputs for the setfield function (and its dot notation form) and VR
Sink and VR Source blocks, accept all meaningful data types on input. Both
convert the data types into natural VRML types as necessary. The data
types include logicals, signed and unsigned integers, singles, and doubles.
• The getfield function (and its dot notation form) return their natural data
types according to the table above.

To ensure backward compatibility with existing models and applications,

use the Simulink 3D Animation vrsetpref function to define the data type
support. Their names are as follows:

Property Description
DataTypeBool Specifies the boolean data type for vrnode/setfield
and vrnode/getfield. Valid values are 'logical' and
'char'. If set to 'logical', the VRML boolean data
type is returned as a logical value. If set to 'char', the
VRML boolean data type is returned 'on' or 'off'.
DataTypeInt32 Specifies the int32 data type for vrnode/setfield
and vrnode/getfield. Valid values are 'int32' and
'double'. If set to 'int32', the VRML int32 data type
is returned as int32. If set to 'double', the VRML
int32 data type is returned as 'double'.
DataTypeFloat Specifies the float data type for vrnode/setfield
and vrnode/getfield. Valid values are 'single' and

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 VRML Data Types

Property Description

'double'. If set to 'single', the VRML float and

color data types (the types of most VRML fields) are
returned as 'single'. If set to 'double', the VRML
float and color data types are returned as 'double'.

VRML Data Class Types

A node can contain four classes of data: field, exposedField, eventIn, and
eventOut. These classes define the behavior of the nodes, the way the nodes
are stored in the computer memory, and how they can interact with other
nodes and external objects.

VRML Data Class Description

eventIn An event that can be received by the node
eventOut An event that can be sent by the node
field A private node member, holding node data
exposedField A public node member, holding node data

eventIn
Usually, eventIn events correspond to a field in the node. Node fields are
not accessible from outside the node. The only way you can change them is
by having a corresponding eventIn.

Some nodes have eventIn events that do not correspond to any field of that
node, but provide additional functionality for it. For example, the Transform
node has an addChildren eventIn. When this event is received, the child
nodes that are passed are added to the list of children of a given transform.

You use this class type for fields that are exposed to other objects.

eventOut
This event is sent whenever the value of a corresponding node field that
allows sending events changes its value.

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You use this class type for fields that have this functionality.

field
A field can be set to a particular value in the VRML file. Generally, the field
is private to the node and its value can be changed only if its node receives
a corresponding eventIn. It is important to understand that the field itself
cannot be changed on the fly by other nodes or via the external authoring
interface.

You use this class type for fields that are not exposed and do not have the
eventOut functionality.

exposedField
This is a powerful VRML data class that serves many purposes. You use this
class type for fields that have both eventIn and eventOut functionality. The
alternative name of the corresponding eventIn is always the field name with
a set_ prefix. The name of the eventOut is always the field name with a
_changed suffix.

The exposedField class defines how the corresponding eventIn and

eventOut behave. For all exposedField classes, when an event occurs, the
field value is changed, with a corresponding change to the scene appearance,
and an eventOut is sent with the new field value. This allows the chaining of
events through many nodes.

The exposedField class is accessible to scripts, whereas the field class is not.

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 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Textures

Simulink 3D Animation Textures

The following are texture file recommendations for Simulink 3D Animation
models:

• Where possible, scale source texture files to a size equal to a power of 2 in

both dimensions. Doing so ensures optimal performance for the Simulink
3D Animation viewer. If you do not perform this scaling, the Simulink 3D
Animation viewer might attempt to descale the image or create textures
with undesired resolutions.
• Use source texture files whose size and detail are no more than what you
need for your application.
• Where possible, use the Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format as the
static texture format. VRML also supports the GIF and JPG graphic
formats.
• For movie textures, use the MPEG format. For optimal performance, be
sure to scale source texture files to a size equal to the power of 2 in both
dimensions.

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Using CAD Models with the Simulink 3D Animation Product

In this section...
“Section Overview” on page 5-30
“Import STL and Physical Modeling XML Files Directly into a VRML
Virtual World” on page 5-30
“Import VRML Models from CAD Tools” on page 5-32
“CAD Virtual World Modeling” on page 5-39
“Link to CAD Virtual Worlds” on page 5-42
“Import VRML Models from CATIA Software” on page 5-48

Section Overview
When you work with models of dynamic systems, it is often necessary to
visualize them in a three-dimensional virtual reality environment. As most of
the 3D designs in companies are created using CAD tools, users need to be
able to convert these designs into forms that can be used with Simulink or
SimMechanics models and applications based on the MATLAB software.

This section describes how to adapt existing CAD designs for visualization
using the Simulink 3D Animation software.

This section assumes that the reader has a moderate knowledge of the
Simulink 3D Animation product. For VRML-specific information, such as the
description of VRML nodes and their fields, refer to the VRML97 standard.

Import STL and Physical Modeling XML Files Directly

into a VRML Virtual World
CAD models frequently use STL (STereoLithography) format files or Physical
Modeling XML files.

You can use the 3D World Editor to import STL and Physical Modeling XML
files directly into a VRML scene. You can integrate content from those files
into a virtual world, converting the structure into VRML.

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 Using CAD Models with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Product

To import an STL or Physical Modeling XML file:

1 In the 3D World Editor, select the Root node or an MFNode node (usually
the children node of a Transform or Group node).

2 From the Nodes > Import From menu item, select either STL File or
Physical Modeling XML File.

Tip Alternatively, you can right-click the Root node or an MFNode node and
use the Import From menu item. However, to insert the new node in the
middle of a node list, after the selected node (both at the main level or
inside a MFNode node, use the Nodes > Import From menu path.

Note To import a Physical Modeling XML file, the target folder must
be writable.

Alternatively, you can use the stl2vrml function.

Results
Importing an STL file creates a Transform node containing a Shape node with
IndexedFaceSet geometry that represents the original STL shape. The new
Transform is created either at the main level of the scene hierarchy (at the
end of the file), or as a child of a selected grouping node.

Importing a Physical Modeling XML file creates an individual VRML file for
each STL file that is referenced from that XML file. The created VRML files
are stored in the folder where the edited VRML file is located.

In the edited VRML file, the newly created Transform contains hierarchical
structure Transforms that correspond to the structure of objects described in
the XML file. Individual VRML shape files in this structure are referenced
using Inline nodes.

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Note When importing a Physical Modeling XML file into a new, unsaved
VRML model, children VRML files are created in the current working folder.
If you save the file into a different folder, move the referenced VRML files to
the new location.

Import VRML Models from CAD Tools

To import VRML models from CAD tools, you first convert your product
assembly model into the VRML format used by the Simulink 3D Animation
software. Most CAD tools have VRML export filters, but there are conversion
utilities available from third parties if the export filter is not directly available
in the CAD tool.

When exporting CAD models into the VRML format, several options can be
set to customize the output. These include options specific to the export filters
or are general CAD file properties (consult your CAD system documentation
for specific details on how to set these properties). The most typical and useful
properties are the following:

• “VRML Format Type” on page 5-32

• “Level of Detail Considerations” on page 5-34
• “Units Used in Exported Files” on page 5-34
• “Coordinate System Used” on page 5-35
• “Assembly Hierarchy” on page 5-35

VRML Format Type

There are two major versions of the VRML format used by graphic tools:
the older format, called VRML1, and the newer format, called VRML2 (or
more often VRML97, according to the adoption year of the ISO® standard).
The Simulink 3D Animation software uses VRML97, so select VRML97 as
the export format.

If your CAD tool allows only VRML1 export, you can use the Ligos V-Realm
Builder application, a native VRML scene editor supplied with the Simulink
3D Animation software, to convert models from VRML1 to VRML97. Simply

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open a VRML1 file and resave it in V-Realm so that the file is automatically
saved in the VRML97 format.

Note All references to the general abbreviation, VRML, refer to the VRML97
standard.

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Level of Detail Considerations

CAD models are usually parametric models that use proprietary object
rendering methods for use in various contexts. During VRML model export,
the internal parametric model of the assembly is tessellated. In this process,
the model surface is divided into triangular meshes, represented in VRML
by the IndexedFaceSet nodes. During tesselation, it is important to set
the granularity of the mesh so that it is suitable for further use. Modifying
the polygon count afterwards would not only be very difficult, but also not
practical, as the resolution independent information of the object shape and
structure is lost and cannot be reconstructed based on the tessellated model.

For the effective rendering of moving parts, VRML models should be as

simple as possible. However, usually little, if any, visible model degradation
is desired. It is often just an issue of finding the appropriate compromise
between these two requirements.

As there are significant performance differences among various computers

and graphic accelerators, there is no firm recommendation for the number
of polygons or triangles suitable for use with the Simulink 3D Animation
product. To assess the model’s complexity, you can display the resulting
VRML file in the Simulink 3D Animation viewer and observe the viewer
response to navigation. If you can navigate the virtual world without any
significant delays, the model is usually suitable for further work. If you
connect the virtual world to a Simulink model, you have access to more
precise measures of suitability, such as the number of frames rendered per
second during simulation.

Units Used in Exported Files

VRML length units are meters. To scale exported parts correctly in the virtual
world, export the parts using meters. If the exported objects are very small or
very large, you may want to create your virtual world in some other scale. In
this case, you should export the objects using units other than meters.

VRML viewers are made to measure using dimensions that are comparable to
the dimensions of people, to achieve the immersion effect of virtual reality.
Viewers assume that the author prepared the scene so that it can be walked
through or examined by a virtual visitor to the scene (sometimes called the
Avatar), whose physical dimensions are used in calculations for purposes
like collision detection, near-object clipping, or terrain following. You can

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customize avatar dimensions (and also other navigation-specific parameters

such as default navigation speed) using the NavigationInfo VRML node.
The Simulink 3D Animation viewer enables effective navigation in the virtual
world, including scaled scenes (e.g., inspecting miniature objects or visualizing
a large-scale aircraft operation in space). For such navigation to be successful,
the scene’s author must define the NavigationInfo parameters correctly.

Coordinate System Used

VRML uses a Cartesian coordinate system with axes defined so that:

• +x points right
• +y points up
• +z points out of the screen

To avoid transforming object axes into the VRML system later on, export CAD
models using an identical coordinate system whenever possible. If your CAD
tool uses a different coordinate system, and it does not allow you to change it
for the exported objects, make sure to note the difference between the systems
so that you can implement axes transformations in your model later.

Also, make a note of the orientation of the parts in the coordinate system. For
instance, if a vehicle model is exported so that it points towards the +x axis on
a road in the virtual world, then the road should also point towards the +x
direction, and the model of vehicle dynamics should also use the x coordinate.

When the CAD tool allows you to animate parts and assemblies, reset their
positions to the initial state before the export.

Assembly Hierarchy
How assembly of parts are exported depends on the structure of the model,
which usually comes in two forms:

• All parts are independent from each other, or objects in the scene are
independent from each other at the same level of the scene hierarchy. The
exported VRML file has a flat structure, with all part coordinates defined
in global coordinates.

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• Parts follow some kind of hierarchy defined in the CAD tool. The exported
VRML file will use this hierarchy via the VRML Transform-children
mechanism, to create a nested structure. In this case, part coordinates are
usually defined in the part’s parent local coordinate system.
For example, a robot can be exported with the following object hierarchy, in
which each part’s coordinates are defined in the parent’s local coordinate
system:
rotating support — arm — wrist — hand — tool
So when the rotating support moves, all other parts are usually designed
to move with it.

The hierarchy of the VRML file must correspond to the coordinates used in
the dynamic model of the assembly as follows:

• If all parts in the Simulink or SimMechanics model are defined in global

coordinates, use a flat virtual world structure.
• If all parts in the Simulink or SimMechanics model follow hierarchical
relationships, use a nested virtual world structure.

To illustrate these two cases, imagine a rotating pendulum according to the

following figure. The gray arm rotates about the vertical axis, while the
orange pendulum swings about the z axis in the rotating gray arm’s local
coordinates.

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If the pendulum dynamics model uses global coordinates for all moving parts,
the VRML model has a flat structure as shown in the following figure.

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If the pendulum dynamics model uses local coordinates for moving parts,
the corresponding VRML model has a nested structure, as shown in the
following figure.

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Some third-party tools allow you to export each part of the assembly into
separate VRML files. All parts are then referenced in one main file using the
VRML Inline mechanism. Referencing in this manner is the recommended
way to work with assemblies, as the main file is small in size and easy to
understand and modify.

CAD Virtual World Modeling

You can use the 3D World Editor or other editor to manually modify the
results of CAD tool export filters (for example, composing the converted
model into an urban or manufacturing environment, or adding objects such
as viewpoints, backgrounds, and lights) before using them in Simulink 3D

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Animation virtual worlds. Typically, adjusting exported files manually in an

editor requires the following changes:

• “Wrap Shape Objects with Transforms” on page 5-40

• “Add DEF Names” on page 5-40

Wrap Shape Objects with Transforms

CAD tools export parts into VRML as individual shapes using various VRML
object types (e.g., a VRML Shape node or the Inline mechanism). To control
part positions and orientations, you need to wrap each such Shape or Inline
node with a node that allows for the changing of these properties. This
wrapping node is the Transform node, whose purpose is to transform the
coordinates of its children. For instance, after wrapping with a Transform
node, an Inline node may have the following syntax:

Transform {
children [
Inline {
url ["robot_arm1.wrl"]
}
]
}

To set the initial location of the entire assembly in the virtual world, it is a
good practice to wrap all parts of the assembly with an additional Transform
node.

Add DEF Names

CAD export filters often export objects with no names or with synthetic
nondescriptive names. To be accessible from MATLAB interface, each VRML
object needs to be given a unique name in the VRML file. You name the object
by adding a DEF Object_Name statement to the Transform line. After adding
the DEF Object_Name, the Robot_Arm1 definition in the main VRML file has
the following syntax:

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DEF Robot_Arm1 Transform {

children [
Inline {
url ["robot_arm1.wrl"]
}
]
}

These object names are used in the Simulink 3D Animation functions and in
the user interface such as the descriptions of inputs to the VR Sink block.
Therefore, it is good practice to give the parts descriptive names to help you
manage the orientation in the object hierarchy.

Note Sometimes it is necessary to correct bugs introduced in the file by the

CAD tool export filter. As the VRML format is a text-based format codified
by an ISO standard, these bugs are relatively easy to identify and correct. If
problems occur when you are using exported VRML files in the Simulink 3D
Animation software, consult technical support.

Creating a Virtual World

The VRML file, adjusted manually in the previous steps, is now ready for
association with Simulink or SimMechanics models. To work with the virtual
world effectively, however, you may want to make additional modifications to
the scene file. These changes can be added on an ongoing basis, in parallel
with developing and using the dynamic model.

These modifications can be done using a text editor, V-Realm, or any other
VRML editor:

1 Add the WorldInfo node with a scene title (used as the virtual world
description in the Simulink 3D Animation software).

2 Add the NavigationInfo node defining the scene default navigation speed
and avatar size that ensures correct display of the object from near and
far distances.

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3 Add the Background node to specify a color backdrop that simulates

the ground and sky, as well as optional background textures, such as
panoramas for the scene.

4 Add several viewpoints to be able to observe the object conveniently from

different positions. The viewpoints can be static (defined as independent
objects at the top level of the scene hierarchy) or attached to objects that
move in the scene for observation during simulation. Such viewpoints
are defined as siblings of moving objects in the scene hierarchy. For an
example of a viewpoint moving with the object, see the viewpoint Ride on
the Plane in the Simulink 3D Animation vrtkoff.wrl example.

5 Add lights to the scene in order to illuminate it. Although VRML viewers
always have a “headlight” available, it is good practice to define lights in
the scene so that it looks the same for every user, according to the scene
author’s preferences. The most useful type of VRML light to illuminate a
whole scene is the DirectionalLight node. It is often practical to use
a combination of several such lights to illuminate objects from several
directions.

6 Add scene surroundings. This step is not crucial for the visualization of
interactions between parts in a machine assembly, but is very important
for the visualization of simulations, such as those for aircraft and vehicle
dynamics, where the position of one object relative to the scene in which it
operates is important.

For example, if you want to visualize vehicle dynamics, you would place a
virtual car on a virtual road. Both objects need to be to scale (the length
units in the car and road models must match), and the car must be placed
in an appropriate position relative to the road. You achieve proper car
scaling, placement, and orientation in the scene by defining corresponding
fields of the main object’s Transform node mentioned in “Wrap Shape
Objects with Transforms” on page 5-40.

For an example of a complete scene definition, see the octavia_scene.wrl

VRML file that belongs to the Simulink 3D Animation vr_octavia example.

Link to CAD Virtual Worlds

The purpose of this step is to create associations between dynamic model
object quantities and corresponding VRML object properties (positions,

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rotations, etc.) to establish a live data connection between the model and
the virtual world.

Mechanical systems are typically modeled using SimMechanics or Simulink,

but the Simulink 3D Animation product allows for the visualization of models
implemented in MATLAB. The following section describes the specifics of
using the MATLAB interface.

Linking the Virtual World to a Simulink Model

You associate Simulink model signals to virtual world object properties
through the VR Sink block from the Simulink 3D Animation block library,
vrlib.

To associate a Simulink signal to a virtual object property:

1 From the vrlib library, insert a VR Sink block into your Simulink model.

2 Double-click the VR Sink block to open the block parameters dialog, where
you can define the virtual world. Enter the name of the scene’s VRML file
in Source file, or click Browse to select the file interactively. Click Apply
to load the selected VRML scene.

3 For smooth visualization of the movement, it is sometimes necessary to

change the block’s Sample time. For example, to update the virtual world
25 times per simulation second, set the Sample time to 0.04. Be careful
when using the inherited sample time for the VR Sink block. Depending on
the solver used, using inherited sample time might result in nonequidistant
(in simulation time) updating of the virtual world, giving the user a false
impression of system dynamics.

4 In VRML Tree in the right side of the dialog box, expand the main object’s
Transform branch, and, in the scene object hierarchy, locate all parts you
want to control from Simulink according to their names as given in “Add
DEF Names” on page 5-40. Each part is represented by named Transform
nodes, and you select the check box next to its rotation and position fields.
These selections tell the VR Sink block that you want to control the rotation
and position of these parts. You can also select other properties of virtual
world objects, such as color, but rotations and positions are the ones most
frequently controlled.

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5 Click OK. For each selected field, the VR Sink block creates an input port.
Increase the VR Sink block size as appropriate to the number of input ports.

After the VR Sink block is associated with a virtual world, you can double-click
it to open the Simulink 3D Animation viewer. Block parameters are available
through the menu Simulation > Block Properties in the viewer.

VR Sink inputs take signals of the type corresponding to their VRML

representation. Position inputs are of type SFVec3f, which is the position
represented in [x y z] coordinates. Rotation inputs are of type SFRotation,
the four-element vector defining rotation as [axis angle], using the
coordinate system described in “Coordinate System Used” on page 5-35, where
the angle value is in radians.

The user has to match the coordinate system used by the Simulink model to
that of the virtual world. If the two systems are not identical, some kind
of axes transformation is necessary.

While object positions are usually available in the form required by VRML
(Cartesian coordinates), rotations usually have to be converted from some
other representation. In many cases, object rotations are defined using the
rotation matrix representation. For converting such rotations into the VRML
format, use the Rotation Matrix to VRML Rotation block found in the Utilities
sublibrary of vrlib.

The objects’ positions and rotations are treated differently depending on the
virtual world hierarchy:

• When all parts in a Simulink model are defined in global coordinates,

and the virtual world has a flat structure of independent objects, use the
following positions and rotations.

Object positions Send to VR Sink all positions in global coordinates.

Object rotations Send to VR Sink all rotations in global coordinates,
with center of rotation defined as the coordinate
system origin. (As the default center of rotation of
VRML Transform objects is [0 0 0], it is usually not
necessary to define it for each part in the VRML file.

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• When all parts in Simulink model follow hierarchical relations, and the
virtual world has a nested structure, use the following positions and
rotations.

Object positions Send to VR Sink all positions in local coordinates

(relative to their parents or predecessors in the
object hierarchy). For example, send the robot’s tool
position relative to the robot’s hand.
Object rotations Send to VR Sink all rotations in local coordinates
(relative to their parents or predecessors in the
object hierarchy). For example, send the robot’s tool
rotation relative to the robot’s hand.
To visually match the positions of joints between
objects, it is usually necessary to coincide the center
of rotation defined in the virtual world with the
center of rotation defined in the Simulink model, as
joints between parts are usually positioned not in the
origin, [0 0 0], of the parent’s coordinate system.
To define a center of rotation different from the
default value, [0 0 0], define the center field of
the child’s Transform node in the VRML file. For
example, define the robot’s tool center of rotation to
coincide with the joint connecting the hand and the
tool in the hand’s local coordinates.

In a hierarchical scene structure, when the parts are connected by revolving

joints, it is easy to define the relative rotations between parts. The joint axis
directly defines the VRML rotation axis, so constructing the [axis angle]
four-element VRML rotation vector is trivial.

Initial Conditions
A Simulink model’s initial conditions must correspond to the initial object’s
positions and rotations defined in the virtual world. Otherwise, the object
controlled from Simulink would “jump” from the position defined in the
VRML file to the position dictated by the Simulink software at the start of the
simulation. You can compensate for this offset either in the VRML file (by
defining an another level of nested Transform around the controlled object)

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or in the Simulink model by adding the object’s initial position to the model
calculations before sending to the VR Sink block.

You should align the Simulink model’s initial conditions with the virtual
world’s object positions, while maintaining the correct position of the object
relative to the surrounding scene. To do so, you may need to adjust the
position of the object’s surroundings (e.g., move the road position so that the
car at position [0 0 0] stays on the road, with the wheels neither sinking
nor floating above the road surface).

Use of VR Placeholder and VR Signal Expander

The VR Sink block accepts only inputs that define fully qualified VRML
field values. Dynamic models that describe the system behavior in only one
dimension still require full 3D positions for all controlled objects for their
virtual reality visualization.

To simplify the modeling in such cases, you can use the VR Placeholder and
VR Expander blocks of the Simulink 3D Animation library.

The VR Placeholder block sends out a special value that is interpreted as

“unspecified” by the VR Sink block. When this placeholder value appears on
a VR Sink input, whether as a single value or as an element of a vector, the
appropriate value in the virtual world remains unchanged.

The VR Signal Expander block creates a vector of predefined length, using

some values from the input ports and filling the rest with placeholder signal
values.

To control the position of a virtual object in a one-dimensional dynamic model,

use the VR Signal Expander block with the controlled dimension as its input.
For its output use a three-component vector in the VR Sink block. The
remaining vector elements are filled with placeholder signals.

Use of the VR Signal Expander block is also a possibility when defining

rotations. When the axis of rotation (as a part of the initial rotation of an
object Transform node) is defined in the VRML file, it is possible to send to the
VR Sink block a VRML rotation value consisting of three placeholder signals
and the computed angle, forming a valid four-element [axis angle] vector.

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SimMechanics Models
You can use the Simulink 3D Animation product to view the behavior of a
model created with the SimMechanics software. First, you build a model of a
machine in the Simulink interface using SimMechanics blocks. Then, create a
detailed picture of your machine in a virtual world, connect this world to the
SimMechanics body sensor outputs, and view the behavior of the bodies in
a VRML viewer.

The SimMechanics software is very well suited for 3D visualizations using

the Simulink 3D Animation product. Apart from features that SimMechanics
product offers for modeling mechanical assemblies, the following features
simplify the visualization of SimMechanics models in virtual reality:

• SimMechanics and VRML coordinate systems are identical.

• In the SimMechanics software, you can work with both global and local
object coordinates, so it is easy to adapt the model to the structure of the
virtual world exported from the CAD tool.

The SimMechanics product also offers a convenient way of importing CAD

assembly designs into SimMechanics machines through the SimMechanics
Link interface. Alternatively, when you export a CAD assembly to the VRML
format, the additional steps described in this section can add virtual reality
visualization to such assemblies.

The Simulink 3D Animation software includes the following functions for

working with SimMechanics files: vrcadcleanup, vrphysmod, and stl2vrml.

Link to a SimMechanics Model

Depending on the virtual world hierarchy, you can use one of two methods to
help visualize SimMechanics machines:

• When the virtual world has a flat structure of independent objects, you can
obtain the positions and rotations of machine parts using Body Sensor
blocks connected to appropriate coordinate systems attached to the bodies,
with positions and rotations defined using global coordinates. In most
cases, it is appropriate to connect the sensor to a body coordinate system
with origin at [0 0 0] and with an initial rotation matrix defined as the
identity matrix, [1 0 0; 0 1 0, 0 0 1], in the global coordinate.

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• When the virtual world has a hierarchical structure of nested objects, the
body positions and rotations can be obtained using Body Sensor blocks with
output set to use local body coordinates. In some special cases (e.g., when
two bodies are connected through a revolving joint), it is possible to get the
angle between the objects using a Joint Sensor block.

Linking the Virtual World to a MATLAB Model

For interacting with virtual worlds, the Simulink 3D Animation product also
offers a set of MATLAB functions and constructs referred to collectively as
its “MATLAB interface.” Circumstances when this MATLAB functionality is
appropriate for use with CAD-based designs may include:

• Using customized GUIs to visualize static objects and their relations in a

virtual environment, such as in interactive machine assembly instructions.
• Visualizing 3D information based on an independent quantity (not
necessarily time).
• Using MATLAB interface functions in Simulink model callbacks.
• Visualizing systems whose dynamic models are available as MATLAB code.
• Visualizing systems where massive object changes, such as deformations,
are taking place. In this case, you must send dynamically-sized matrix-type
data from the dynamic models to virtual worlds, which is not possible using
just Simulink signals.

For information on setting object properties using the MATLAB interface,

see “MATLAB Interaction”.

Import VRML Models from CATIA Software

This topic describes how to use CAD designs created in the CATIA® product to
create Simulink 3D Animation VRML scenes. CATIA models are hierarchical
trees comprised of products that contain parts.

To export CATIA parts or products to the VRML format, in the CATIA dialog
box, select File > Save as and select VRML in the Save as type list.

When exporting products, the CATIA software creates one compound VRML
file that contains all the parts of the product.

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Occasionally, you might need to export each part of the assembly hierarchy
into a separate VRML file. You can do this in the CATIA environment as
follows:

1 Save each part individually to a separate VRML file.

2 Create the main model VRML file manually, with Inline references to
the part files.

CATIA Coordinate Systems

The CATIA software also exports background color and viewpoints. The
software exports individual parts without these properties.

By default, the CATIA software uses right-handed Cartesian coordinate

system identical to the MATLAB coordinate system (“VRML Coordinate
System” on page 1-14). Account for the coordinate system when you export
objects from the CATIA environment into VRML virtual worlds and/or
manipulate them using the Simulink 3D Animation software.

You can also define a different coordinate system. To do this, create an axis
system within the current geometrical set. Doing so sets this new system
as a reference system that you can use to export the VRML virtual world.
Consider creating such an axis system so that it corresponds to the VRML
coordinate system. This makes all the coordinates and orientations of objects
compatible with other objects you combine into VRML virtual worlds.

Settings that Affect the VRML Output

In the CATIA environment, the properties that affect the VRML output are
available in two options dialog boxes:

• Display Performances dialog box

• VRML Compatibility dialog box

Level of Detail
The level of detail of the exported VRML file (accuracy of
the tessellation mesh of objects) corresponds to the setting of
CATIA general visualization mesh. In the CATIA menu, select

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Tools > Options > General > Display > Performances. In the resulting
dialog, select the 3D Accuracy options to control the visualization mesh detail.

You can achieve best results by using the proportional method of tessellation
(arcs are substituted by line segments based on their relative, not absolute,
accuracy). This method works for models regardless their dimensions.
For maximum accuracy of the exported VRML model, set the slider at the
rightmost position. If the resulting file is too complex to be handled effectively
with VRML rendering tools, experiment with this accuracy setting. You want
to find the setting that gives you the smallest possible VRML model, but
it must still be visually acceptable.

VRML Export Filter Settings

The CATIA software enables you to tune some VRML export options. These
are available in the Tools > Options > General > Compatibility > VRML:

• Select VRML97 as the export format

The Simulink 3D Animation software uses VRML97 standard format.
• Select the Save normals check box
This option affects whether or not to export explicit face normals definitions.
• Clear the Save edges check box
Clear this check box for optimum performance. Selecting this check box
directs the CATIA software to also export object edges (in the form of
IndexedLineSets).
• Select the appropriate Save textures check boxes to the desired settings
In particular, if you want to save textures, select the Save textures in
external files option. This option generates external JPG files for object
textures.
• Select the VRML model background color
This option applies only to exporting products.

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Structure of VRML Models Exported from the CATIA

Environment
The CATIA software exports CATProducts and their CATParts as VRML
transforms. The structure of these transforms corresponds to the CATIA
model hierarchy. In addition to transforms that represent physical elements,
the CATIA software creates several transforms and groups in the VRML file
to represent relationships between objects and other model properties defined
in the CATIA environment.

Some of these additional nodes can be empty. Many CATIA model properties
do not have equivalents in the VRML language. Each part transform contains
a hierarchy of nested transforms, groups and shapes that correspond to the
part internal structure. Some of these elements have synthetic DEF names
(for example, _0161DC70). For the most part, you will only need to work with
the main transforms that represent each part.

The following contains the VRML model of a cylinder assembly consisting

of four parts:

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The left tree view illustrates the overall structure of the model.

1 The CATIA software saves the general model information in the WorldInfo,
NavigationInfo, and Background nodes.

2 The software exports the default CATIA viewpoints (it does not export
user-defined viewpoints).

Following this section, common to all products exported to VRML, is a

top-level transform node representing the CATProduct.

In the CATIA software, Product CylinderAssembly1 consists of four parts:

• CrankAssembly1
• CylinderSleeve1

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• PistonAssembly1
• CrankshaftAssembly1

The export does not preserve the CATProduct and CATPart names. You can
identify these objects in the VRML file in the tree view and in the text mode.
In the figure, the contents of the part transforms are collapsed so that only
the top-level objects are visible for clarity. After four transforms representing
CATParts, the export adds an empty Group node at the place where CATIA
Constraints are defined. You can delete such empty nodes from the VRML
model.

The contents of the CATProduct are scaled down by a factor of 1000

(conversion of units from millimeters to meters).

When you have VRML files created with the CATIA software, take into
account the following known features for further use with the Simulink 3D
Animation software:

• Object - Exporting to VRML does not preserve CATProduct and CATPart

names. The CATIA environment only creates synthetic VRML DEF names
for sub-parts, materials, and object coordinate fields. These synthetic
names change between two or more consecutive export operations.
To work with the Simulink 3D Animation software, provide meaningful
DEF names for the objects that you want to control from the MATLAB
/Simulink environment.
• The CATIA software saves all vertex coordinates for a part in one VRML
coordinate field, which resides in the first exported IndexedFaceSet for
the part. This field is referenced from several sub-parts throughout the
file with the USE directive.
Preserve this reference. Do not delete or rename the original Coordinate
field DEF name.
• The VRML file stores only one material per part. If the part consists of
several sub-parts in VRML, their material also uses the USE reference to
the material of the first sub-part.
• Textures are supported

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• LOD (exporting parts in several levels of detail for more efficient

visualization) is not supported
• The CATIA software exports models in millimeters, VRML units are
meters.
Scale resulting objects to visualize them effectively.
• The VRML file does not save user-defined CATIA viewpoints.
• The main Transform representing the CATIA product is always scaled by a
factor of 0.001 (conversion from millimeters to meters), regardless of the
units used in the CATIA document

Adjusting Resulting VRML files

Adjust exported VRML files to use the exported VRML models with the
Simulink 3D Animation software. You can perform these adjustments
manually, as described in this topic, or use the vrcadcleanup and vrphysmod
functions to perform some of these tasks.

• Adding DEF Names to Part Transforms

In the VRML file, assign a unique name for each VRML object. To do this,
add the DEF Object_Name statement to each part Transform line.
The following is an example of a VRML file that has DEF names added to
the cylinder assembly.

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Do not adjust parts in the scene that you do not want to control from the
MATLAB environment.
• Scaling of VRML Objects
To convert CATProduct size from millimeters to meters (VRML default
units), the CATIA software wraps the transform corresponding to the
CATProduct with an additional transform. In this transform, the scale field
is defined. The preceding example illustrates this.
If you have a small object, or an object that you must place into an overall
virtual world, adjust this scale.
If you leave the VRML object scale in the default state, the local part
coordinates are still in millimeters. Remember this fact when controlling
these parts from the MATLAB or Simulink environment. If your MATLAB
or Simulink model units are meters, scale each part individually to achieve

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correct results. You can do this by deleting the scale field from the top level
transform, and adding it to each individual part transform. For example,

Transform {
children [
DEF CylinderAssembly1 Transform {
children [
DEF CrankAssembly1 Transform {
scale 0.001 0.001 0.001
..
}

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Using the 3D World Editor

• “3D World Editor” on page 6-2

• “Open the 3D World Editor” on page 6-5
• “3D World Editor Panes” on page 6-8
• “Create a Virtual World” on page 6-10
• “Basic Editing” on page 6-12
• “Reduce Number of Polygons for Shapes” on page 6-20
• “Virtual World Navigation in 3D World Editor” on page 6-21
• “3D World Editor Library” on page 6-25
 6 Using the 3D World Editor

3D World Editor
In this section...
“Supported Platforms” on page 6-2
“Use with Other Editors” on page 6-2
“VRML Support” on page 6-2
“VRML Nodes, Library Objects, and Templates” on page 6-3

The 3D World Editor is a native VRML editor.

For an example that shows how to see the 3D World Editor to create a virtual
world, see “Build and Connect a Virtual World” on page 5-7.

Supported Platforms
The 3D World Editor works on all supported platforms
for the Simulink 3D Animation product. For details, see
http://www.mathworks.com/products/3d-animation/requirements.html.

The 3D World Editor is installed as part of the Simulink 3D Animation

installation. It is the default VRML editor.

Use with Other Editors

As you create a virtual world, you can use different editors for different
phases of the process.

Choose an editor that best meets your needs. For a description of the benefits
and limitations of different types of editors, see “VRML Editors” on page 5-2.

VRML Support
The primary file format for the 3D World Editor is VRML.

The 3D World Editor supports all VRML97 types and language elements,
except as noted in this section.

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 3D World Editor

For general VRML limitations relating to the Simulink 3D Animation

software as a whole, see “VRML Compatibility” on page 1-13.

PixelTexture Nodes
You cannot create or edit PixelTexture node image contents. Existing
PixelTexture node image contents are fully preserved

VRML Nodes, Library Objects, and Templates

Use the 3D World Editor to specify VRML to create 3-D virtual worlds that
you can connect to a Simulink model.

Use the 3D World Editor to:

• Assemble VRML nodes to create a virtual world. You can add nodes that
specify many aspects of a virtual world, such as:
- Appearance (for example, font style, color, and material)
- Navigation information (for example, navigation mode and headlights)
- Geometry (for example, boxes, text, and elevation grids)
- Groups (for example, transforms)
- Interpolators
- Light
- Sensors
• Select objects from a set of supplied libraries or from custom libraries for:
- Components (for example, geometric objects, backgrounds, aircraft,
vehicles, landscapes, and architecture)
- Materials
- Textures
• Use a supplied template as a starting point for a virtual world

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

Template VRML Files

The 3D World Editor includes template VRML files that you can use as a
starting point for creating virtual reality worlds. Some examples of templates
are the Earth, road, sea, and terrain virtual world templates.

To access templates, use one of the following approaches:

• Select File > New From Template.

• Select the New File From Template button ( ).

A template file name displayed in the 3D World Editor always starts with
Template:.

Edit the file to adapt the template world for your application. To save your
changes, use the File > Save As option. You cannot overwrite an existing
template file.

You can create your own template files. Store them in a different folder than
that used for template files provided with Simulink 3D Animation.

In virtual worlds that you create, you can reference nodes, such as texture
files, that appear in the template files provided with Simulink 3D Animation.

6-4
 Open the 3D World Editor

Open the 3D World Editor

In this section...
“3D World Editor Is the Default Editor” on page 6-5
“Open an Empty Virtual World” on page 6-5
“Open a Saved Virtual World” on page 6-6
“Preferences for 3D World Editor Startup” on page 6-6

3D World Editor Is the Default Editor

When you install the Simulink 3D Animation product, the 3D World Editor
is configured to be the default editor. For details about changing the default
editor, see “Set the Default Editor” on page 2-14).

Note You can also use the V-Realm Editor. For more information, see
“V-Realm Builder Help” on page 2-13.

Open an Empty Virtual World

Use one of these approaches to open an empty virtual world in the 3D World
Editor.

• From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Apps tab, in the Simulation

Graphics and Reporting section, click 3D World Editor.
• If the 3D World Editor is your default VRML editor, open an empty virtual
world from the MATLAB command line using the edit command.

edit(vrworld(''))

• Regardless of Default Editor preference setting, you can use , use the
vredit command, without arguments.
• From within the 3D World Editor, select either File > Newor File > New
From Template. If there is already a file open in the 3D World Editor,
these options open a new instance of the editor. Multiple instances of the

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

editor makes it easier to work on multiple virtual worlds at the same time
and to copy and paste from one virtual world to another.

Open a Saved Virtual World

Use one of these approaches to open a saved virtual world.

• From the MATLAB Current Folder panel, right-click a VRML file and
from the context menu, select Edit
• If 3D World Editor is your default VRML editor, start it from the MATLAB
command line using the edit command. For example:

edit(vrworld('myVRMLfile.wrl'))

• Regardless of what your default VRML editor is, from the MATLAB
command line, use the vredit command with the name of the VRML file.
For example:

vredit('membrane.wrl')

• From within the 3D World Editor, select File > Open. If a file is already
open in the 3D World Editor, this option opens a new instance of the editor.

Preferences for 3D World Editor Startup

The Simulink 3D Animation Preferences > 3D World Editor pane
includes the following options for specifying the startup position:

• For the default location, select Position. Then specify the pixel location
for the lower-left corner, the width, and the height (for example, [96 120
862 960]).
• To open the 3D World Editor in the same location where you exited it,
select Save position on exit.

You can specify whether the 3D World Editor starts up either with the default
virtual world display layout or with the layout as it was when you exited
it previously. The saved layout includes settings for the view, viewpoints,
navigation, and rendering. Simulink 3D Animation saves the layout on a per
VRML file basis for up to eight files.

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 Open the 3D World Editor

By default, the virtual world opens with the layout saved at exit.
To have the virtual world open using the default layout, clear the
Preferences > Simulink 3D Animation > Editor > Preserve Layout
per VRML File check box.

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

3D World Editor Panes

The 3D World Editor provides three panes:

• Tree structure pane — View the hierarchy for the virtual world that
you are editing.
• Virtual world display pane — Observe the virtual world as you create it.
• Object property edit pane — Change values for node items.

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 3D World Editor Panes

Use the tree structure pane interactively create graphical VRML elements
and to view of all the VRML structure elements present in the virtual world.
These structure elements are called nodes. The 3D World Editor lists the
nodes and their properties according to their respective VRML node types. In
the tree viewer, you give the nodes unique names.

Use the virtual world display pane to display a graphical representation of

a 3-D scene.

Use the object properties edit pane to edit a selected property or add a
comment to a selected node or property.

Tree Structure Pane Icons

The Tree structure pane displays icons to help you visually distinguish
node field types.

Node Field Type 3D World Editor Icon

field

eventIn

eventOut

exposedField

ROUTE

USE

6-9
 6 Using the 3D World Editor

Create a Virtual World

There are a number of tasks involved in creating a virtual world. You can use
the 3D World Editor throughout the process of building a virtual world, and
you can perform activities in many different ways.

For a step-by-step tutorial about building a virtual world using the 3D World
Editor, see “Build and Connect a Virtual World” on page 5-7.

In general, the following is a common workflow for creating a virtual world

using the 3D World Editor. This example workflow includes optional tasks
and a small subset of the types of tasks that you can perform. For more
information, see “Basic Editing” on page 6-12.

1 Open a new VRML file.

2 Under the ROOT node, optionally add:

• A WorldInfo node to document the virtual world.

• A NavigationInfo node to define overall navigation characteristics of
the virtual world, such as the Avatar size.

3 Under the ROOT node, add a Transform node in the virtual world for each
object that you want to share properties with other object in that same
Transform node.

4 Under the Transform node, include nodes in a hierarchy, such as:

children
Shape
appearance
Appearance
material
Material
texture
textureTransform
Geometry
Box

5 Use the object properties edit pane to change default property values
to create the effects that you want.

6-10
 Create a Virtual World

6 Insert 3D World Editor library objects to define aspects, such as textures,

for virtual world objects.
• Give a VRML DEF name to each object that you create, so that you can
access them using Simulink 3D Animation.
• You can use Orbisnap to view library objects to determine which objects
you want to insert into the virtual world.

7 In the virtual world display pane, use the context menu to specify
display characteristics, such as:
• View characteristics (for example, zooming and a navigation panel)
• Viewpoints
• Navigation characteristics (for example, methods (such as fly or walk)
and speed)
• Rendering techniques (for example, antialiasing, lighting, and
transparency)

8 Save or export the VRML file.

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

Basic Editing
In this section...
“Add Objects” on page 6-12
“Copy and Paste a Node” on page 6-14
“Edit Object Properties” on page 6-15
“Document a Virtual World Using Comments” on page 6-15
“Expand and Collapse Nodes” on page 6-16
“Wrap Nodes as Children of Another Node” on page 6-16
“Remove Nodes” on page 6-17
“Save and Export Virtual World Files” on page 6-18
“Edit VRML Scripts” on page 6-18

These topics describes how to use the 3D World Editor for common tasks
involved in creating a virtual world.

For information about opening a file in the editor, see “Open the 3D World
Editor” on page 6-5.

For a step-by-step tutorial, see “Build and Connect a Virtual World” on page
5-7.

Add Objects
Add virtual world objects by adding nodes in the tree structure pane. The
hierarchy of nodes controls the scope to which node properties apply.

Note Nodes must have unique names to work in the Simulink 3D Animation
product.

Approaches for Adding Objects

Use one of these approaches to add a node.

6-12
 Basic Editing

Approach Procedure
Use the Nodes menu
1 In the tree structure pane, select the parent
node for the object that you want to add.

2 Select Nodes > Add.

3 Select appropriate submenus to add the node

that you want.
Use a context menu for
a node 1 In the tree structure pane, right-click the
parent node for the object that you want to
add.

2 Select the Add Node menu, and then select

appropriate submenus to add the node that
you want.
Insert an object from a For Material, Texture, and children nodes,
library select the Insert From menu option (from either
the Nodes menu or from the context menu for
a node).
For information about library objects, see “3D
World Editor Library” on page 6-25.
Add an inlined VRML For a ROOT or children node, from the Nodes
file menu or the context menu for the node, select
the Inline VRML File menu item.

The node that you add gets added to different locations in the hierarchy,
depending on the node that you select to begin the process of adding a node.

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

Selected Node Location of Added Node

ROOT At the bottom of the hierarchy
Node at the next level down from Above the selected node
the ROOT node (for example, a
Transform node).
A children node Under the children node (as a child
node of the selected node)

Copy and Paste a Node

You can copy a node below a top-level Transform node and paste that copied
node to be a child of another node, including the ROOT node.

You can paste the copied node as either an explicit text copy (Paste) or as a
referenced copy (Paste As Reference).

• An explicit text copy allows you to edit properties of that node,

independently from the original node that you copied.
• A referenced copy node appears with the term USE. Referenced copies
streamline the tree structure pane display. Edits that you make to the
original (referenced) node are applied to the copied node, ensuring that the
two nodes remain exact copies of each other.

To copy and paste a node:

1 In the tree structure pane, select the node that you want to copy.

2 Copy the node, using one of these techniques:

• Select Edit > Copy.

• Right-click the node and select Copy.

3 Under the appropriate node, paste the copied node.

• Paste the node using one of the following techniques:

– Select the Edit > Paste or the Paste As Reference menu item.

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 Basic Editing

– Right-click the parent node and select Paste Node, and then select
Paste or Paste As Reference.

Copy and Paste Between Virtual Worlds

In the same editing session, you can copy nodes from a virtual world in one
VRML file to another virtual world in a different VRML file. After you copy
the nodes from one virtual world, select File > Open to open the second
VRML file where you want to paste the nodes.

Edit Object Properties

To define the characteristics of an object, in the tree structure pane, select
the appropriate property. At the bottom of the 3D World Editor, use the
object properties edit pane to change property values. Then click Apply.

The tree structure pane shows the current property values, which reflect
your edits.

When you enter a numeric field value in the 3D World Editor, you can use
MATLAB expressions and MATLAB variables. For example, to convert
an angle from degrees to radians, enter a MATLAB expression such as
25*pi/180.

Set Viewpoint Values in the 3D World Editor Based on Camera

Position
You can use the current camera position to interactively specify a viewpoint
in the 3D World Editor.

1 Navigate to the position in the scene where you want the viewpoint.

2 In the tree structure pane, right-click a Viewpoint node.

3 Select Copy values from current camera.

Document a Virtual World Using Comments

To document a virtual world, in the object property edit pane, use the
Comments tab for nodes and properties. Comments can help others
understand the design of a virtual world.

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

Comments do not appear in the virtual world. They appear in the VRML file,
next to the given node or property, on lines that begin with #.

Expand and Collapse Nodes

To expand a node in the tree structure pane, click the plus (+) sign to the left
of the node. To collapse a node, click the minus (-) sign to the left of the node.

To expand or collapse all nodes in one step, select Tree > Expand All or
Tree > Collapse All.

To expand subtrees within a node:

1 In the tree structure pane, right-click a node.

2 From the context menu, select Expand Subtree.

Alternative approaches for expanding the subtree for a node that you select in
the tree structure pane are:

• Select Tree > Expand Subtree.

• Click the Expand Subtree toolbar button ( ).

Hide Default Values

To simplify the tree view, you can hide default VRML values. Select Tree >
Hide Default Values. To display default values, clear the Hide Default
Values option.

Wrap Nodes as Children of Another Node

To wrap contiguous nodes as children of another node:

1 Select the nodes. You can use the Shift key to select contiguous nodes, and
the CTRL key to select discontiguous nodes.

2 Right-click the selected nodes and from the context menu, select Wrap By.

As an alternative, on the 3D World Editor menu bar, select Nodes > Wrap
By.

6-16
 Basic Editing

3 From the list of nodes, select the node in which you want to wrap the
selected nodes.

Remove Nodes
To delete one or more nodes, select the nodes and use one of these methods:

• On the toolbar, click the red X button.

• Click the Delete button.
• Select Edit > Delete.
• Right-click the node and select Delete.

From the Edit menu, you can also delete a specific child node or all the
children nodes of a selected parent node, without deleting the parent node.

To cut a node and save it to the clipboard, select the node and use one of
these techniques:

• On the toolbar, click the scissors button.

• Select Edit > Cut.
• Right-click the node and select Cut.

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

Save and Export Virtual World Files

You can save your virtual world files as VRML (.wrl) files using the File >
Save or File > Save As menu items.

If you use the Save option, the 3D World Editor renames the previous version
of the file by appending .bak after the .wrl extension.

If you use the Save As option, the 3D World Editor saves the file using the
new name that you specify. The file is saved in a form that is supported by
the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer and 3D World Editor (for example, the
saved file preserves links to the library texture files).

Use the File > Export menu item to export a fully VRML97–compliant file
for use:

• With other VRML tools

• On different computers
• In previous versions of the Simulink 3D Animation (previously the Virtual
Reality Toolbox) product

For exported files, the 3D World Editor copies referenced inlined VRML
files and texture files to the <filename>_files folder. It modifies
the corresponding URLs for those files, so that they point to the
<filename>_files folder.

Edit VRML Scripts

To add a VRML Script node:

1 In the Tree structure pane, select the ROOT node.

2 Select the appropriate kind of script, using the Node > Add > Common >
Script menu.

To add Script interface elements:

1 Right-click a Script node.

2 Select the appropriate Add Interface Item menu option.

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 Basic Editing

The following is an example of a Script node in the Tree structure pane.

To edit a url node, click the node and edit the URL code in the Object
property edit pane.

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

Reduce Number of Polygons for Shapes

For a node that is, or includes, an IndexedFaceSet node, you can improve
rendering speed by reducing the number of polygons in the IndexedFaceSet.
Choose the polygon reduction factor that produces your desired balance of
rendering performance and quality.

To reduce the number of polygons:

1 Right-click an IndexedFaceSet node, or a node that includes one or more

IndexedFaceSet nodes.

2 Select Optimize Child Geometries.

3 In the Geometries Optimization Preview dialog box, use the slider or enter
a value in the Polygon reduction factor field to set the polygon reduction
factor. A value of 0 performs the maximum reduction, and a value of 1
performs no reduction.

4 Click OK.

6-20
 Virtual World Navigation in 3D World Editor

Virtual World Navigation in 3D World Editor

In this section...
“Specify Virtual World Rendering” on page 6-21
“Basic Navigation” on page 6-21
“Coordinate Axes Triad” on page 6-21
“View Panes” on page 6-22
“Pivot Point” on page 6-24

Specify Virtual World Rendering

You can control the rendering used in the virtual world display pane of
the 3D World Editor. Right-click in the virtual world display pane and set
rendering options, such as antialiasing, lighting, and transparency.

Basic Navigation
Use the virtual world display pane to visualize the virtual world as you
create it.

To control navigation, right-click anywhere in the pane and select the

appropriate navigation options. You can control aspects such as methods
(for example, fly or walk) and speed.

To save these navigation settings in a virtual world file, you must define the
navigation properties in a NavigationInfo node.

To navigate in the virtual world, left-click in the pane. The cursor changes to
a white cross hair. Moving the cursor changes the orientation of the virtual
world.

Coordinate Axes Triad

To help you visualize changes in the orientation (coordinate axes) of nodes in
a virtual world, the 3D World Editor virtual world display pane includes a
triad of red, green, and blue arrows. These arrows are always parallel with

6-21
 6 Using the 3D World Editor

global x, y, and z coordinate axes. As you navigate in a virtual world, the

triad display changes to reflect changes in orientation.

To hide the triad for a virtual world, or to change the location of the triad
in the virtual world display pane, right-click in the pane and select the
appropriate option from the View > Triad menu.

To change the default location or visibility of the triad:

1 From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences.

2 In the Preferences dialog box left pane, select Simulink 3D Animation >
3D World Editor > Triad.

View Panes
You can view the virtual world in one pane, two horizontal panes, two vertical
panes, or four panes.

For example, if you select View Pane > Grid View, the 3D World Editor
displays four view panes:

6-22
 Virtual World Navigation in 3D World Editor

You can also use toolbar buttons to set view panes:

When the grid view panes are open, if you change the view pane option, the
3D World Editor displays the following view panes from the grid view.

New View Pane Option Grid View Panes Displayed

Horizontal Split Left two panes
Vertical Split Top two panes
Single View Top left pane

To change the relative size of a panes, select one of the gray borders for a
view pane and drag the cursor.

To delete a pane when there are multiple panes, click the dot in the border
between view panes.

You can control the navigation of each pane independently. For example, you
can set viewpoints, manipulate the triad, and specify rendering techniques
independently for each pane. The navigation panel in the active pane is blue.
For example:

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

Pivot Point
In Examine mode, you can use a pivot point for rotating a virtual world
around a point, using a mouse.

The default pivot point is 0,0,0 (world coordinates). To set a new pivot point,
hold CRTL and double-click the spot where you want the pivot point.

6-24
 3D World Editor Library

3D World Editor Library

In this section...
“3D World Editor Library Objects” on page 6-25
“Add a Library Object” on page 6-25
“Guidelines for Using Custom Objects” on page 6-26

3D World Editor Library Objects

The 3D World Editor includes a library of virtual world objects, which you
can insert into a virtual world. The library consists of component, texture,
and material objects.

These library objects supplement the default empty nodes available via the
Nodes menu or the Insert From context menu item. The library objects are
predefined with specific nodes and property settings to represent common
virtual world effects. For example, from the Component sublibrary, you can
choose from several vehicle objects, such as a van or pickup truck.

After you add a library object to a virtual world, you can modify its nodes
and properties.

Add a Library Object

To add a 3D World Editor library object to a virtual world:

1 Select the parent node under which you want to insert the library object.

2 Use one of these techniques to access the library objects:

• Select the Nodes > Insert From menu item.

• Right-click the parent node and select the Insert From menu item.

The set of objects displayed depends on the parent node that you select. For
example, if you select a child node under a Transform node, you can choose
among Component sublibrary objects.

3 Follow the folder paths to find the object that you want to insert.

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 6 Using the 3D World Editor

You can also insert VRML objects from other locations, using the Insert
From > Other Location menu item.

• The first Transform node of the file that you select from another location is
inserted in place into the tree view of the virtual world that you are editing.
• If you want to insert a whole VRML file into the virtual world that you are
editing, use the Nodes > Inline VRML file menu option.

Before you add a custom library object from a location other than from the
3D World Editor object library, see “Guidelines for Using Custom Objects”
on page 6-26.

Guidelines for Using Custom Objects

If you use a VRML object from a source other than from the 3D World Editor
object library, the object must comply with the following guidelines:

• A component object must be in a VRML file that contains at least one

Transform node.
• A material object must be a VRML file whose only content is a
fully-qualified Material node.
• A texture object must be in either:
- A .png, .jpg, or .gif graphics file for use in the URL field of an
ImageTexture node.
- A VRML file whose only content is a fully qualified ImageTexture node.

If you create VRML objects to use with the 3D World Editor, create your
own folder for storing the custom objects. Avoid using the 3D World Editor
library folder to ensure that you can:

• Edit the custom library object in the library folder; the 3D World Editor
library folders are generally read-only.
• Update to a future version of the Simulink 3D Animation product without
compatibility issues relating to mixing custom objects with the 3D World
Editor objects.

6-26
 7

Viewing Virtual Worlds

• “VRML Viewers” on page 7-3

• “Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-6
• “Open the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-10
• “Simulate with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-11
• “Specify Rendering Techniques” on page 7-12
• “Navigate Using the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-20
• “Viewpoints” on page 7-32
• “Define and Reset Viewpoints” on page 7-34
• “Navigate Through Viewpoints” on page 7-38
• “Record Offline Animations with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer”
on page 7-42
• “Play Animations with Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-52
• “Configure Frame Capture Parameters” on page 7-53
• “Capture Frames” on page 7-55
• “Simulink® 3D Animation™ Web Viewer” on page 7-56
• “Open the Web Viewer” on page 7-57
• “Navigate Using the Web Viewer” on page 7-59
• “Blaxxun Contact Interface” on page 7-62
• “Configure Blaxxun Contact” on page 7-63
• “Navigate Using Blaxxun Contact” on page 7-65
• “Use Stereoscopic Vision” on page 7-67
 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

• “Use Blaxxun Contact on a Client Computer” on page 7-68

• “Legacy Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-69

7-2
 VRML Viewers

VRML Viewers
In this section...
“Host and Remote Viewing” on page 7-3
“Sound” on page 7-4
“Comparison of Viewers” on page 7-4
“Legacy Viewer” on page 7-5

After you create a virtual world in VRML (as described in “Build Virtual
Reality Worlds”), you can visualize that virtual world with a VRML viewer or
VRML-enabled Web browser.

The Simulink 3D Animation product includes several viewers.

• Simulink 3D Animation Viewer (the default viewer)

• Simulink 3D Animation Web Viewer
• Orbisnap viewer
• Blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in

To determine which viewer to use, see “Comparison of Viewers” on page 7-4.

Host and Remote Viewing

You can view a virtual world on your host computer, with either the Simulink
3D Animation Viewer, Orbisnap, or a Web browser. For Web browser support,
Simulink 3D Animation provides the Simulink 3D Animation Web Viewer,
and the Blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in.

In most configurations, you do not need to install a viewer on a client computer

because you can perform all the tasks on a host computer. However, if you
have very large models that consume considerable computational resources,
you might want to use a client computer to run and view the virtual world.

To view a virtual world on a client computer, which does not need to have
Simulink 3D Animation installed, you can use the Web Viewer, Orbisnap, or

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Blaxxun Contact. For remote viewing, MathWorks recommends that you use
the Web Viewer or Orbisnap.

Sound
The Blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in is required for sound. Other Web viewers
may allow for sound playback, but are not officially supported. To add sound
to a virtual world, you can include the MATLAB sound command in your
model or in a MATLAB script.

Comparison of Viewers
Feature Simulink 3D Simulink 3D Orbisnap Blaxxun
Animation AnimationWeb Contact
Viewer Viewer
Platforms Windows, Windows, Windows, Windows
Macintosh, and Macintosh, and Macintosh, and
Linux Linux Linux
Note The
Blaxxun Contact
plug-in does not
work reliably
on Microsoft
Windows 7
platforms.

Web browser HTML5-enabled Internet

Web browser Explorer or
Netscape
Installation Installed with Host interface Separate Separate
product installed with installation installation
product
Simulink 3D X
Animation
required
Remote viewing X X X

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 VRML Viewers

Feature Simulink 3D Simulink 3D Orbisnap Blaxxun

Animation AnimationWeb Contact
Viewer Viewer
Viewpoint X
creation
Animation X Starts
start/stop automatically
Simulation X
start/stop
Sound X
Stereoscopic X
viewing

Legacy Viewer
The Simulink 3D Animation product includes a legacy viewer, which is still
supported for compatibility. In general, use the Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer or other supported viewers instead of the legacy viewer. For
information about the legacy viewer, see “Legacy Simulink® 3D Animation™
Viewer” on page 7-69.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Simulink 3D Animation Viewer

In this section...
“What You Can Do with the Viewer” on page 7-6
“Viewer Uses MATLAB Figures” on page 7-8
“Set Viewer Appearance Preferences” on page 7-9

What You Can Do with the Viewer

This section provides an overview of the features and controls of the viewer.

This section uses the vrpend, vrplanets, and vrtut1 examples to illustrate
the viewer features:

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 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

1 Select a Simulink 3D Animation example and type that example’s name in

the MATLAB Command Window. For example:

vrpend

The Simulink model is displayed. By default, the Simulink 3D Animation

viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the viewer is not
displayed, double-click the VR Sink block in the Simulink model.

2 Inspect the viewer window.

The Simulink 3D Animation viewer displays the virtual scene. The top of
the viewer contains a menu bar and toolbar. By default, the Simulink
3D Animation viewer displays the virtual scene with a navigation panel
at the bottom. These three areas of the viewer give you alternate ways to
work with the virtual scene.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Note The Simulink 3D Animation viewer settings are saved when you
save your model file.

Viewer Uses MATLAB Figures

The Simulink 3D Animation software contains a viewer as the default
method for viewing virtual worlds. You can use this viewer on any supported
operating system. This viewer uses MATLAB figures. It provides a number of
capabilities, including:

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 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

• Treat the viewer window like a MATLAB figure. This ability enables you
to perform MATLAB figure actions such as dock the viewer window in
the MATLAB window. For example:

• Right-click in the viewer window to display a context menu that contains

the viewer commands. For example:

• Combine multiple virtual reality viewer figures in several tiles of a

MATLAB figure.

Set Viewer Appearance Preferences

You can configure the appearance of the viewer using Simulink 3D Animation
preferences. For details, see “Figure Preferences” on page 2-23.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Open the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer

In this section...
“Open from the VR Sink Block” on page 7-10
“Open from the Command Line” on page 7-10

Open from the VR Sink Block

You can open the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer by double-clicking a VR
Sink block in the Simulink Editor.

You can configure a VR Sink block to automatically open the Simulink 3D

Animation Viewer.

1 In the Simulink Editor, double-click the VR Sink block to open the Simulink
3D Animation Viewer.

2 From the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer Simulation menu, select Block

parameters.

3 Select Open VRML Viewer automatically.

4 Click OK.

Open from the Command Line

Use vrview. For example, to open the vrbounce virtual world in the Simulink
3D Animation Viewer, use vrview('vrbounce').

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 Simulate with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

Simulate with the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer

You can start and stop simulations of the virtual world from the Simulink 3D
Animation viewer through the menu bar, toolbar, or keyboard.

• From the menu bar, select the Simulation menu Start or Stop option.
• From the toolbar, click Start/pause/continue simulation or Stop
simulation.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+T to toggle between starting or stopping
the simulation.

Note The Ctrl+T operation is available only if you started the viewer from
a Simulink model. If you start the viewer through the MATLAB interface,
no Simulink model is associated with the viewer. You cannot start and stop
the simulation in this case.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Specify Rendering Techniques

You can change the rendering of the scene through the controls on the
navigation panel or options on the rendering menu. The vrpend and
vrplanets examples are used to show the viewer’s functionality.

You can turn the antialiasing of the scene on or off. Antialiasing applies to
the textures of a world. Antialiasing is a technique that attempts to smooth
the appearance of jagged lines. These jagged lines are the result of a printer
or monitor’s not having enough resolution to represent a line smoothly. When
Antialiasing is on, the jagged lines are surrounded by shades of gray or color.
Therefore, the lines appear smoother rather than jagged.

The following figure depicts the vrplanets example View on Earth viewpoint
with Antialiasing on. To better display the effects of antialiasing, turn
Headlight on. You can turn antialiasing on or off to observe the differences.

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 Specify Rendering Techniques

You can turn the camera headlight and the lighting of the scene on or off.
When Headlight is off, the camera does not emit light. Consequently, the
scene can appear dark. For example, the following figure depicts the vrpend
example with Headlight on.

The scene looks darker when Headlight is set to off.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Note It is helpful to define enough lighting within the virtual scene so that it
is lit regardless of the Headlight setting.

When Lighting is off, the virtual world appears as if lit in all directions. The
Simulink 3D Animation viewer does not compute and render all the lighting
effects at the surfaces of the objects. Shadows disappear and the scene loses
some of its 3-D quality. The following is the vrpend example with Lighting
off.

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 Specify Rendering Techniques

If Transparency is off, transparent objects are rendered as solid objects.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Turning Wireframe on changes the scene’s objects from solid to wireframe

rendering. The following is the vrpend example with Wireframe on.

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 Specify Rendering Techniques

If Textures is on, objects have texture in the virtual scene. The following is
the vrplanets example with Textures on.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

If Textures is off, objects do not have texture in the virtual scene. The
following is the vrplanets example with Textures off.

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 Specify Rendering Techniques

You can specify the maximum size of a texture used in rendering the vrfigure
object. This option gives you a list of texture sizes to choose from. See the
vrfigure MaxTextureSize property for further details.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Navigate Using the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer

In this section...
“Basic Navigation” on page 7-20
“Navigation Panel” on page 7-22
“Viewer Keyboard Shortcuts” on page 7-24
“Mouse Navigation” on page 7-26
“Control Menu” on page 7-27
“Change the Navigation Speed” on page 7-27
“Sensors Effect on Navigation” on page 7-28
“Display a Coordinate Axes Triad” on page 7-30
“Pivot Point” on page 7-31

Basic Navigation
You can navigate around a virtual scene using the menu bar, toolbar,
navigation panel, mouse, and keyboard. The vrbounce example illustrates
the several key features of the viewer.

Navigation Panel — The center navigation wheel and two curved buttons
on either side allow you to move about in the scene. Experiment by moving
backward and forward and side to side until you become comfortable with
the controls.

Navigation view — You can change the camera position. From the menu
bar, select the Navigation menu Straighten Up option. Alternatively, from
the toolbar, you can click the Straighten Up control, or on the keyboard, you
can press F9. This option resets the camera so that it points straight ahead.

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 Navigate Using the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

Navigation methods — Navigation with the mouse depends on the

navigation method that you select and the navigation zone that you are
in when you first click and hold down the mouse button. You can set the
navigation method using one of the following:

• From the menu bar, select the Navigation menu Method option.
This option provides three choices: Walk, Examine, or Fly. See “Mouse
Navigation” on page 7-26.
• From the toolbar, select the drop-down list that displays the navigation
options Walk, Examine, and Fly.

• From the navigation panel, click the W, E, or F buttons.

• On the keyboard, press Shift+W, Shift+E, Shift+F, or Shift+N.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Navigation zones — You can view the navigation zones for a scene through
the menu bar or keyboard.

From the menu bar, select the View menu Navigation Zones option. The
virtual scene changes as the navigation zones are toggled on and appear in
the virtual scene. Alternatively, on the keyboard, press the F7 key.

The vrbounce example with Method set to Fly has three navigation zones.

Navigation Panel
The Simulink 3D Animation viewer navigation panel has navigation controls
for some of the more commonly used navigation operations available from
the menu bar.

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 Navigate Using the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

Navigation
wheel
Full-screen Slide Slide
mode left right Wireframe
Headlight

Minimize
Help
panel

Previous Next
Walk /Examine /Fly
Default
viewpoint

If you have multiple viewers open, the navigation panel in the active viewer
is blue.

Minimize the Navigation Panel

You can minimize the navigation panel using one of these approaches:

• Click the red x control on the left side of the navigation panel.
• Select View > Navigation Panel > Minimized

The minimized navigation panel appears as an icon in the lower right corner
of the viewer.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

To display the navigation panel again, click the Show Panel left arrow on
the minimized navigation panel icon.

To minimize the navigation panel by default, from the MATLAB Toolstrip,

set the Preferences > Simulink 3D Animation > Canvas > Navigation
panel preference to minimized.

The minimized navigation panel is blue for the active viewer and gray for
the inactive viewers.

Viewer Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigation Function Keyboard Shortcut
Use full-screen mode. Ctrl+f
Undo move. Backspace
Start or stop recording. Ctrl+r

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 Navigate Using the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

Navigation Function Keyboard Shortcut

Capture frame. Ctrl+i
Start or stop simulation. Ctrl+t
Straighten up and make the camera F9
stand on the horizontal plane of its local
coordinates.
Zoom in and out. +/-
Toggle the headlight on and off. F6
Toggle the navigation zones on and off. F7
Toggle the wireframe option on and off. F5
Toggle the antialiasing option on and off. F8
Go to default viewpoint. Esc
Return to current viewpoint. Home
Go to previous viewpoint. Page Up
Go to next viewpoint. Page Down

Camera is bound/unbound from the F10

viewpoint.
Set the navigation method to Walk. Shift+w
Set the navigation method to Examine. Shift+e
Set the navigation method to Fly. Shift+f
Move the camera forward and backward. Shift Up/Down Arrow
Pan the camera up and down. Up/Down Arrow
Pan the camera right and left. Left/Right Arrow,
Shift+Left/Right Arrow
Slide up and down. Alt+Up/Down Arrow
Slide left and right. Alt+Left/Right Arrow

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Navigation Function Keyboard Shortcut

Pressing Ctrl alone acquires the examine Ctrl+Left/Right/ Up/Down
lock at the point of intersection between the Arrow
line perpendicular to the screen, coming
through the center of the viewer window,
and the closest visible surface to the
camera. Pressing the arrow keys without
releasing Ctrl rotates the viewpoint about
the acquired center point.
Tilt the camera right and left. Shift+Alt+Left/ Right
Arrow

Mouse Navigation
The following table summarizes the behavior associated with the movement
modes and navigation zones when you use your mouse to navigate through a
virtual world. Turn the navigation zones on and experiment by clicking and
dragging your mouse in the different zones of a virtual world.

Simulink 3D Animation Viewer Mouse Navigation

Movement
Mode Zone and Description
Walk Outer — Click and drag the mouse up, down, left, or
right to slide the camera in any of these directions in
a single plane.
Inner — Click and drag the mouse up and down to
move forward and backward. Drag the mouse left and
right to turn left or right.
Examine Outer — Click and drag the mouse up and down to
move forward and backward. Drag the mouse left and
right to slide left or right.
Inner — Click and drag the mouse to rotate the
viewpoint around the origin of the scene.
Fly Outer — Click and drag the mouse to tilt the view
either left or right.

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 Navigate Using the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

Simulink 3D Animation Viewer Mouse Navigation (Continued)

Movement
Mode Zone and Description

Inner — Click and drag the mouse to pan the camera

up, down, left, or right within the scene.
Center — Click and drag the mouse up and down to
move forward and backward. Move the mouse left or
right to turn in either of these directions.

If your virtual world contains sensors, these sensors take precedence over
mouse navigation at the sensor’s location. For more information, see “Sensors
Effect on Navigation” on page 7-28.

Control Menu
Access the control menu by right-clicking in the viewer window. You can use
the control menu to specify a predefined viewpoint or change the appearance
of the control panel. You can also control the navigation method, speed,
and rendering of the virtual world. For more information about navigation
methods, see “Navigate Using the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on
page 7-20. For more information about rendering, see “Specify Rendering
Techniques” on page 7-12.

Change the Navigation Speed

You can change the speed at which you navigate around the view.

1 In the menu bar, select the Navigation menu.

2 Select the Speed option.

3 Select the specific speed that you want.

4 Navigate the virtual world.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Note Your navigation speed controls the distance that you move with each
keystroke. It does not affect rendering speed.

Consider setting a higher speed for large scenes and a slower speed for more
controlled navigation in smaller scenes.

To change the default navigation speed for a virtual scene, modify the speed
field of the NavigationInfo node in the scene VRML file. For further details,
see the VRML97 standard.

Sensors Effect on Navigation

1 At the MATLAB command prompt, type

vrpend

The Inverted Pendulum example starts, and the viewer displays the
following scene.

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 Navigate Using the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

2 In the Simulink Editor window, from the Simulation menu, choose Run.

The example starts running.

3 Click inside and outside the sensor area of the viewer window. The sensor
takes precedence over navigation with the left mouse button. The shape of
your pointer changes when it is located over the sensor area.

If the sensor covers the entire navigable area, mouse navigation is effectively
disabled. In this case, use the control panel or the keyboard to move about
the scene. For a three-button mouse or a mouse with a clickable wheel, you
can always use the middle button or the wheel to move about the scene. The
middle mouse button and wheel do not trigger sensors within the virtual
world.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Display a Coordinate Axes Triad

To help you visualize changes in the orientation (coordinate axes) of nodes in
a virtual world, you can display a triad of red, green, and blue arrows. These
arrows are always parallel with global x, y, and z coordinate axes. As you
navigate in a virtual world, the triad display changes to reflect changes in
orientation .

To display a triad in the viewer, or to change the location of the triad, use one
of the following approaches:

• Right-click in the virtual world. Select the appropriate option from the
View > Triad menu.
• In the viewer menu bar, select the appropriate option from the View >
Triad menu.

To change the default location or visibility of the triad:

1 From the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in the Environment

section, select Preferences.

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 Navigate Using the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

2 In the Preferences dialog box, select Simulink 3D Animation > Figure >
Triad.

Pivot Point
In Examine mode, you can use a pivot point for rotating a virtual world
around a point, using a mouse.

To set the pivot point in a virtual world, hold CRTL and double-click the
spot where you want the pivot point.

Note On Macintosh platforms, use the command key instead of Ctrl.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Viewpoints
Visitors to your virtual world are navigating in an environment you create
for them, using navigation methods allowed by the viewer (Walk, Examine,
Fly). Besides this, it is useful to set up in the world several locations, places
of interest you want to point the visitors to. These locations are called
viewpoints. Users can browse through them, carrying out a guided tour you
prepared for them, gaining the visual information you consider important in
your model.

When entering a world, user is placed at the first Viewpoint node encountered
in the file. It is especially important to define this viewpoint carefully as the
most interesting entry point - default viewpoint.

Each virtual world has as many viewpoints as you define for it. You can
define viewpoints in the virtual world through your chosen editor or through
the Simulink 3D Animation viewer.

Defined viewpoints can be static - created usually at the top level of the
virtual world object hierarchy or as children of static objects (Transforms),
or dynamic - created as children of moving objects (objects driven from
MATLAB/Simulink) or linked to them using the VRML ROUTE mechanism.
This allows you to create interesting effects like view at the driving range
from the driver’s seat etc. You or visitors to a virtual world navigate through
the virtual world environment using the Simulink 3D Animation viewer
navigation methods Walk, Examine, Fly, and None. In addition to these
navigation methods, a virtual world creator can set up points of interest,
known as viewpoints, in the virtual world. You can use viewpoints to guide
visitors through the virtual world and to emphasize important points.

When a visitor first enters a virtual world, he or she is defaulted to the default
viewpoint. This is the first Viewpoint node in the virtual world file. Define
the virtual world default viewpoint carefully; it should be the most interesting
entry point to the virtual world.

Each virtual world has as many viewpoints as you define for it. You can
define viewpoints in the virtual world through your chosen editor or through
the Simulink 3D Animation viewer.

You can define a viewpoint to be either static or dynamic.

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 Viewpoints

• Static -- Created typically at the top level of the virtual world object
hierarchy. You can also create these viewpoints as children of static objects
(Transforms).
• Dynamic -- Created as children of moving objects (objects controlled from
MATLAB or Simulink) or linked to moving objects with the VRML ROUTE
mechanism. Dynamic viewpoints allow you to create interesting views such
as from the driver’s seat at a racing course.

For more information about working with viewpoints, see:

• “Define and Reset Viewpoints” on page 7-34

• “Navigate Through Viewpoints” on page 7-38

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Define and Reset Viewpoints

In this section...
“Reset Viewpoints” on page 7-34
“Define Viewpoints” on page 7-34

Reset Viewpoints
You can reset your position in a scene to initial default or current viewpoint
position through the menu bar, toolbar, navigation panel, or keyboard
shortcut keys.

• From the menu bar, use the Viewpoints menu Return to viewpoint
option to return to the initial position of the current viewpoint.
Alternatively, from the toolbar, select Return to viewpoint button to
return to the initial position of the current viewpoint.
• From the navigation panel, click the Go to default viewpoint control to
return to the default viewpoint of the virtual world. Alternatively, from the
menu bar, use the Viewpoints menu Go to Default Viewpoint option to
return to the default viewpoint of the virtual world.
• From the keyboard:
- Press the Esc key to return to the default viewpoint of the virtual world.
- Press the Home key to return to the initial position of the current
viewpoint.

Define Viewpoints
You can add new viewpoints to the virtual world through the menu bar or
toolbar. You can start the simulation before creating viewpoints. This topic
assumes that the model is not currently running.

1 Select a Simulink 3D Animation example and type that example name in

the MATLAB Command Window. For example:

vrplanets

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 Define and Reset Viewpoints

The Simulink model is displayed. Also, by default, the Simulink 3D

Animation viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the viewer
is not displayed, double-click the VR Sink block in the Simulink model.

In the Simulink 3D Animation viewer, the default viewpoint for this model
is View from top.

2 From the menu bar, choose the Viewpoints menu.

3 Choose View on Earth.

4 In the viewer window, navigate to a random position in the scene.

5 From the Viewpoints menu, choose Create Viewpoint. Alternatively,

click Create viewpoint on the toolbar.

The Create Viewpoint dialog box is displayed.

6 In the Name box, enter a unique and descriptive name for the viewpoint.

7 The state of the Placement field depends on the current viewpoint. If

the current viewpoint is at the top hierarchy level in the virtual world
(one of the children of the root), the Placement field is grayed out. In
this case, it is only meaningful to create the new viewpoint at the same
top hierarchy level.

In this example, the Placement field is editable. Select Child of the

root as the viewpoint type. This option makes the viewpoint a static one.

8 Select the Jump to new viewpoint immediately check box to make the
new viewpoint become the current viewpoint for the viewer. If you do not

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

select this check box, you still create a new viewpoint, but you remain
bound to the current viewpoint, not to the new viewpoint.

9 Click OK.

10 From the File menu, click Save As to save the file with the new viewpoint.
If you do not save the file, the new viewpoint will be lost during simulation.

11 From the Simulation menu, click Start. Observe the motion of the planets
from the new, static viewpoint.

12 Stop the simulation.

13 Repeat steps 2 to 6.

14 In the Placement field, select Sibling of the current viewpoint. This

option creates a new viewpoint at the same level in the virtual world object
hierarchy as the child of the parent transform of the current viewpoint.
The local coordinate system of the parent transform defines the new
viewpoint coordinates. As a result, the new viewpoint moves with the
parent transform. The new viewpoint also keeps the position relative to the
transform (offset) you first defined by navigating somewhere in the space
from the current viewpoint (step 4).

Note If the current viewpoint is at the top hierarchy level in the virtual
world (one of the children of the root), the Placement field is grayed out.
In this case, it is only meaningful to create the new viewpoint as a static
one at the same top hierarchy level.

15 Select the Jump to new viewpoint immediately check box to make the
new viewpoint become the current viewpoint for the viewer. If you do not
select this check box, you still create a new viewpoint, but you remain
bound to the current viewpoint, not to the new viewpoint.

16 Click OK.

17 From the File menu, choose Save As to save the file with the new
viewpoint. If you do not save the file, the new viewpoint will be lost during
simulation.

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 Define and Reset Viewpoints

18 From the Simulation menu, choose Start. Observe that the relative
position between the new viewpoint and Earth remains the same. The new
viewpoint moves together with its parent object Earth transform.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Navigate Through Viewpoints

You can navigate through a virtual scene’s viewpoints using the menu bar,
toolbar, navigation panel, or keyboard shortcut keys. These navigation
methods are inactive if the author has specified no or only one viewpoint
in the virtual world.

• From the menu bar, use the Viewpoints menu to move between
viewpoints. Use the Previous Viewpoint and Next Viewpoint options
to sequentially move up and down the list of existing viewpoints. To
move focus to a particular viewpoint, choose a viewpoint from the list of
viewpoints.
• From the toolbar, use the drop-down list of viewpoints to select a particular
viewpoint.
• From the navigation panel, use the Previous Viewpoint and Next
Viewpoint controls to sequentially move up and down the list of existing
viewpoints.
• From the keyboard, press Page Up and Page Down.

To reset a camera to the initial position of the current viewpoint, use one
of the methods listed in “Reset Viewpoints” on page 7-34. Resetting the
viewpoint is useful when you have been moving about the scene and need to
reorient yourself.

This topic illustrates viewpoints using the vrplanets example.

1 Select a Simulink 3D Animation example and type that example’s name in

the MATLAB command window. For example:

vrplanets

The Simulink model is displayed. By default, the Simulink 3D Animation

viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the viewer is not
displayed, double-click the VR Sink block in the Simulink model.

2 From the menu bar, select the Viewpoints menu.

A menu of the viewpoint options is displayed. Included is a list of the

existing viewpoints.

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 Navigate Through Viewpoints

3 Select the drop-down list on the leftmost side of the toolbar to see the list of
existing viewpoints from the toolbar. The status bar at the bottom of the
viewer displays the current viewpoint.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

When you add new viewpoints to the world, these lists are updated to reflect
the new viewpoints.

The current viewpoint is also displayed in the left pane of the status bar.

You manage and navigate through viewpoints from the menu bar, toolbar,
navigation panel, and keyboard. In particular, you can

• Navigate to a previous or next viewpoint

• Return to the initial position of the current viewpoint

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 Navigate Through Viewpoints

• Go to the virtual world’s default viewpoint

• Create and remove viewpoints
• Navigate to an existing viewpoint

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Record Offline Animations with the Simulink 3D Animation

Viewer
In this section...
“Animation Recording” on page 7-42
“Recording Formats” on page 7-43
“File Names” on page 7-44
“Start and Stop Animation Recording” on page 7-44
“Play Animation Files” on page 7-45
“Record Files in the VRML Format” on page 7-45
“Record Files in the Audio Video Interleave (AVI) Format” on page 7-46
“Schedule Files for Recording” on page 7-49

Animation Recording
The Simulink 3D Animation software enables you to record animations of
virtual scenes that are controlled by the Simulink or MATLAB product. You
can record simulations using the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer. You can
then play back these animations offline, in other words, independent of the
MATLAB, Simulink, or Simulink 3D Animation products. You might want
to generate such files for presentations, to distribute simulation results, or
to generate archives.

Note Optimally, use the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer to record animations

of virtual worlds associated with Simulink models. This method ensures that
all necessary virtual world and vrfigure properties are properly set to record
simulations. If you are working with virtual scenes controlled from MATLAB,
you can record virtual scenes through the MATLAB interface. For details, see
“Animation Recording” on page 4-11.

You can save a frame snapshot (capture) of the current Simulink 3D

Animation viewer scene. You can save this frame as either a TIF or PNG
format file. For details, see “Capture Frames” on page 7-55.

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 Record Offline Animations with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

Recording Formats
You can save the virtual world offline animation data in the following formats:

• 3-D VRML file — The Simulink 3D Animation software traces object

movements and saves that data into a VRML file using VRML97 standard
interpolators. You can then view these files with the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer. 3-D VRML files typically use much less disk space than
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) files. If you make any navigation movements
in the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer while recording the animation, the
Simulink 3D Animation software does not save any of these movements.

Note If you distribute VRML animation files, be sure to also distribute all
the inlined object and texture files referenced in the original VRML world
file.

• 2-D Audio Video Interleave (AVI) file — The Simulink 3D Animation

software writes animation data into an .avi file. The Simulink 3D
Animation software uses vrfigure objects to record 2-D animation files.
The recorded 2-D animation reflects exactly what you see in the viewer
window. It includes any navigation movements you make during the
recording.

Note While recording 2-D .avi animation data, always ensure that the
Simulink 3D Animation Viewer is the topmost window and fully visible.
Graphics acceleration limitations might prevent the proper recording of
2-D animation otherwise.

See the following topics:

• “Record Files in the VRML Format” on page 7-45 — Describes how to

configure the record simulation parameters to create 3-D format animation
files.
• “Record Files in the Audio Video Interleave (AVI) Format” on page 7-46 —
Describes how to configure the record simulation parameters to create
2-D format animation files.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

• “Schedule Files for Recording” on page 7-49 — Describes how to schedule

record simulation operations to occur automatically.

File Names
By default, the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer records simulations or
captures virtual scene frames in a file named with the following format:

%f_anim_%n.<extension>

This format creates a unique file name each time you capture a frame or
record the animation. %f and %n are tokens. %f is replaced with the name
of the virtual world associated with the model and %n is a number that
increments each time you record a simulation for the same virtual world.
If you do not change the default file name, for example, if the name of the
virtual world file is vrplanets and you record a simulation for the first time,
the animation file is

vrplanets_anim_1.wrl

If you record the simulation a second time, the animation file name is
vrplanets_anim_2.wrl. In the case of frame captures, capturing another
frame of the scene increments the number.

For details, see “Define File Name Tokens” on page 4-14.

Start and Stop Animation Recording

You can start or stop recording animations of the virtual world from the
Simulink 3D Animation viewer through the menu bar, toolbar, or keyboard.
This section assumes that you have specified animation files into which the
animation is to be recorded.

• From the menu bar, choose the Simulation menu, Run option to start
recording the animation (select Stop to stop the recording).
• From the toolbar, click the Start/stop recording button to start or stop
recording the animation (select Stop to stop the recording). Alternatively,
you can use the Recording menu Start Recording and Stop Recording
options. From the keyboard, press Ctrl+R to toggle between starting or
stopping the animation recording.

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 Record Offline Animations with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

• Stop the simulation or let the model simulate until the defined simulation
stop time.

Note If you stop the simulation while recording is enabled, the viewer
also stops recording the animation.

Play Animation Files

You can view animation files using the 3D Animation Player or vrplay. For
details, see “Play Animation Files” on page 4-33.

Record Files in the VRML Format

To create a 3-D VRML format file from a Simulink model execution, set
recording parameters. You can start the simulation before setting up the
recording.

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type the model name. For example:

vrplanets

The Simulink model is displayed. Also, by default, the Simulink 3D

Animation viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the viewer
is not displayed, double-click the VR Sink block in the Simulink model.

2 From the Recording menu, choose Capture and Recording

Parameters.

The Capture and Recording Parameters dialog box is displayed.

3 Find the Recording section of the dialog. This is located under the Frame
Capture dialog.

4 Select the Record to VRML file check box.

The File text field becomes active and the default file name,
%f_anim_%n.wrl, appears in the text field.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

To save files to other file names, see “File Name Tokens” on page 4-16.

5 Click OK.

After you define an animation file, you can manually record simulations. See
“Start and Stop Animation Recording” on page 7-44. If you want to record
simulations on a schedule, see “Schedule Files for Recording” on page 7-49.

Record Files in the Audio Video Interleave (AVI)

Format
To create a 2-D AVI format file from a Simulink model execution, set recording
parameters. You can start the simulation before setting up the recording.

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type the model name. For example:

vrplanets

The Simulink model is displayed. Also, by default, the Simulink 3D

Animation viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the viewer
is not displayed, double-click the VR Sink block in the Simulink model.

2 From the Recording menu, choose Capture and Recording

Parameters.

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 Record Offline Animations with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

The Capture and Recording Parameters dialog box is displayed.

3 Find the Recording section of the dialog box. This is located under the
Frame Capture dialog box.

4 Select the Record to AVI file check box.

The File text field and Compression selection area become active, and the
default file name, %f_anim_%n.avi, appears in the text field.

To save files to other file names, see “File Name Tokens” on page 4-16.

5 Set the FPS (Frames Per Second) to an appropriate value.

Set FPS to auto if you want to use the sample time of the associated VR
Sink block to make the file playback correspond to the model simulation
time.

For example, to record a Simulink simulation with 25 frames per second

(of the simulation time), in the VR Sink block set Sample time to be
0.04. In that situation, if you want to create an AVI file where 1 second
of simulation time corresponds to 1 second of AVI file playback time, set
the FPS parameter to auto. Simulink 3D Animation saves the value 25
into the AVI file FPS parameter.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Note For a virtual world not associated with a Simulink model, or if

the sample time of the associated VR Sink block cannot be determined at
simulation start time, an FPS setting of 15 is used, even if you set FPS
to auto.

6 From the Compression list, select a compression method for the .avi
file. Because .avi files can become large, you might want to compress
the .avi file.

Choose from
• Autoselect — Allows the Simulink 3D Animation software to select the
most appropriate compression codec. This option allows you to specify
a quality setting that is a number between 0 and 100. Higher quality
numbers result in higher video quality and larger file sizes. Lower
quality numbers result in lower video quality and smaller file sizes.
• Lossless — Forces the Simulink 3D Animation software to compress
the animation file without loss of data. (Typically, the compression of
files sacrifices some data.)
• User Defined — Enables you to specify a particular compression codec.
This option allows you to specify a quality setting that is a number
between 0 and 100. Higher quality numbers result in higher video
quality and larger file sizes. Lower quality numbers result in lower video
quality and smaller file sizes. You need to specify an identification string
of a codec that your system supports.
• None — Prevents any compression for the animation file.

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 Record Offline Animations with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

7 Disable the navigation panel. The navigation panel appears at the bottom
of the virtual scene view. You might want to turn off this panel for a cleaner
view of the virtual scene. Choose View > Navigation Panel > None.

You can re-enable the Navigation Panel (for example, choose View >
Navigation Panel > Halfbar) after you are finished recording the .avi
file.

8 Click OK.

After you define an animation file, you can record animations. See “Start and
Stop Animation Recording” on page 7-44. If you want to record animations on
a schedule, see “Schedule Files for Recording” on page 7-49.

Schedule Files for Recording

This topic describes how to schedule the recording of an animation using the
MATLAB interface for a virtual world that is associated with a Simulink
model. In this case, the timing in an animation file derives from the
simulation time. One second of the recorded animation time corresponds to
one second of Simulink time. To schedule the recording of an animation file,
you preset the simulation time interval during which the animation recording
occurs. This procedure uses the vrplanets example. It assumes that you
have already configured the recording parameters for an animation file.

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type the model name. For example:

vrplanets

The Simulink model is displayed. Also, by default, the Simulink 3D

Animation viewer for that model is loaded and becomes active. If the viewer
is not displayed, double-click the VR Sink block in the Simulink model.

2 From the Recording menu, choose Capture and Recording

Parameters.

The Capture and Recording Parameters dialog box is displayed. In the

Recording section, this dialog box contains the Record mode list. Note
that the Record mode list is enabled only if you also select either or both
of the Record to VRML and Record to AVI check boxes.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

3 From the Record mode list, choose Scheduled.

The Start time and Stop time text fields are enabled.

4 Enter in Start time and Stop time the start and stop times during which
you want to record the animation. For example, enter 0 as the start time
and 100 as the stop time.

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 Record Offline Animations with the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

Ensure that the recording start time value is not earlier than the start
time of the Simulink model; the recording operation cannot start in this
instance. If the stop time exceeds the stop time of the Simulink model, or
if it is an out of bounds value such as a negative number, the recording
operation stops when the simulation stops.

Note You can also set the stop time before the start time. This allows
for a scenario where the simulation starts first and you manually start
recording. The recording then automatically stops at stop time and
automatically restarts at start time.

5 Click OK.

After you define the schedule, you can record simulations. See “Start and Stop
Animation Recording” on page 7-44.

Note You can override the recording schedule by starting or stopping the
recording interactively.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Play Animations with Simulink 3D Animation Viewer

You can use the Simulink 3D Animation You can also use the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer to play animation files, using one of these approaches:

At the MATLAB command line, use vrview. For example, enter:

w=vrview('vrplanets_anim_1.wrl');
set(w,'TimeSource','freerun');

The vrview command displays the default Simulink 3D Animation Viewer

for the animation file. Setting the TimeSource property of the set method
to 'freerun' directs the viewer to advance its time independent of the
MATLAB software.

To stop the animation, type:

set(w,'TimeSource','external');

To close the viewer and delete the world, get the handle of the vrfigure
object and close it, as follows:

f=get(w,'Figures')
close(f);
delete(w);

Or, to close all vrfigure objects and delete the world, type

vrclose
delete(w);

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 Configure Frame Capture Parameters

Configure Frame Capture Parameters

This topic describes how to configure and capture a frame, using the
vrplanets example as the example.

1 In the MATLAB Command Window, type

vrplanets

at the MATLAB command prompt. The Planets example starts.

2 From the Recording menu, choose Capture and Recording

Parameters.

The Capture and Recording Parameters dialog box is displayed.

3 Find the Frame Capture section of the dialog. This is located at the top
of the dialog.

The file name %f_anim_%n.tif appears in the first text field, File.

4 Leave this file name as is.

5 In the File Format list, tif or png specify the graphic file format for the
captured frame. The default is tif. For this procedure, leave this format
setting at tif.

6 You can disable the navigation panel. The navigation panel appears at the
bottom of the virtual scene view. You might want to turn off this panel for
a cleaner view of the virtual scene. Choose View > Navigation Panel
> None.

You can re-enable the Navigation Panel (for example, choose View >
Navigation Panel > Halfbar) after you finish recording the .tif file.

7 Click OK.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

With this configuration, each subsequent capture of a scene in the same world
increments the file name number (%n) and saves it in a tif file.

7-54
 Capture Frames

Capture Frames
The Simulink 3D Animation product allows you to save a frame snapshot
(capture) of the current Simulink 3D Animation viewer scene. You can save
this frame as either a TIF or PNG format file. You can later view this scene
offline (in other words, without the Simulink 3D Animation viewer). You can
treat this frame capture file like any other TIF or PNG file, such as print it,
include it in other files, and so forth.

After you complete the steps in “Configure Frame Capture Parameters” on

page 7-53, you can capture frames of a virtual scene.

You can capture frames of the virtual world from the Simulink 3D Animation
viewer through the menu bar, toolbar, or keyboard. This section assumes that
you have specified frame capture file formats.

These actions save the captures in files in the current folder.

• From the menu bar, choose Recording > Capture Frame to capture
a frame.
• From the toolbar, click the Capture a frame screenshot button to
capture a frame.
• From the keyboard, press Ctrl+I to capture a frame.

You can view the frame capture files using any tool that reads tif or png files,
including the MATLAB imread function. For example,

image(imread('vrplanets_anim_1.tif'))

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Simulink 3D Animation Web Viewer

Use the Simulink 3D Animation Web Viewer to access virtual worlds with an
HTML5-enabled Web browser. You can open a virtual world in Simulink 3D
Animation on a host computer and then view it remotely in a Web browser
on another computer. You do not need to install Simulink 3D Animation on
the remote computer.

The Web Viewer supplements the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer. It also

supplements the VRML plug-in Blaxxun Contact viewer and the Orbisnap
viewer, which come with Simulink 3D Animation. Some benefits of the Web
Viewer include:

• Multiplatform remote viewing of Simulink 3D Animation virtual worlds

- Support for HTML5-enabled browsers on Microsoft Windows, Macintosh,
and Linux platforms
• No additional software installation required on client computers
• Access to HTML5 browser features for creating customized pages with
virtual reality visualization

Note Because the Web Viewer accesses an HTML version of the virtual
world, you cannot use it to modify the virtual world (for example, to create
new viewpoints).

For more information, see:

• “Open the Web Viewer” on page 7-57

• “Navigate Using the Web Viewer” on page 7-59

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 Open the Web Viewer

Open the Web Viewer

In this section...
“Set Up for Remote Viewing” on page 7-57
“Connect the Web Viewer” on page 7-57

Set Up for Remote Viewing

To enable a user on a remote computer to use a Web browser to view a virtual
world that is connected to a Simulink model:

1 In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, select Simulation > Block

parameters > Allow viewing from the Internet.

If the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer is the default viewer, you can open
that viewer from the Simulink Editor by double-clicking the VR Sink block.

2 Enable the Allow viewing from the Internet parameter.

Alternatively, to enable remote computers to view all opened virtual worlds

with a Web browser, in the MATLAB Home tab, in the Environment
section, use the Preferences > Simulink 3D Animation > Allow viewing
from the Internet preference.

Connect the Web Viewer

1 In Simulink 3D Animation, open the virtual world that you want to view.

2 On the computer from which you want to open the Web Viewer, open
an HTML5-enabled browser (supporting WebGL and WebSocket). The
browser must have Javascript enabled.

Note For a list of HTML5-enabled browsers, see

http://www.x3dom.org/?page_id=9.

3 Connect to the local host HTTP port. To open the Web Viewer on:

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

• The same computer on which Simulink 3D Animation runs, enter the

following in your Web browser: http://localhost:8123/
• A remote computer that does not have Simulink 3D Animation, in the
http://localhost:8123 URL, replace localhost with the HTTP port
of the host computer .

Note If you need to change the HTTP port (for example, if a firewall blocks
a port), set a different port number and restart MATLAB. To change the
HTTP port, in the MATLAB Home tab, in the Environment section, use
the Preferences > Simulink 3D Animation > HTTP Port> preference.

4 In the Web Viewer, from the list of open virtual worlds, select the one that
you want to view.

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 Navigate Using the Web Viewer

Navigate Using the Web Viewer

In this section...
“Display and Navigation” on page 7-59
“Keyboard Shortcuts” on page 7-60
“Web Viewer Preferences” on page 7-61

Display and Navigation

Most of the navigation features for the Web Viewer are the same as for the
Simulink 3D Animation Viewer and the 3D World Editor Virtual world
display pane. For details about Simulink 3D Animation Viewer navigation,
see “Navigate Using the Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer” on page 7-20.

Some differences between the two viewers include:

• The Web Viewer does not include a menu bar.

• For virtual worlds with undefined background colors, the Web Viewer uses
the default canvas color of the browser; the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer
uses a black background.

The supported navigation features depend on what Web browser you use. For
example, at the time R2013b was released, Firefox® was the only supported
Web browser that supports context menu options that are specific to Simulink
3D Animation, such as viewpoints options.

To determine whether the HTML5-enabled browser that you

want to use supports WebGL (Web Graphics Library), see
http://www.x3dom.org/?page_id=9.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Keyboard Shortcuts
Navigation Function Keyboard Shortcut
Straighten up and make the camera U
stand on the horizontal plane of its local
coordinates.
Toggle the headlight on and off. H
Toggle the navigation zones on and off. Z
Go to default viewpoint. Esc
Return to current viewpoint. R
Go to previous viewpoint. Page Up
Go to next viewpoint. Page Down

Set the navigation method to Walk. W

Set the navigation method to Examine. E
Set the navigation method to Fly. F
Move the camera forward and backward. Shift Up/Down Arrow
Pan the camera up and down. Up/Down Arrow
Pan the camera right and left. Left/Right Arrow,
Shift+Left/Right Arrow
Tilt the camera right and left. Shift+Alt+Left/ Right
Arrow
Slide up and down. Alt+Up/Down Arrow
Slide left and right. Alt+Left/Right Arrow
Set pivot point Double-click
Orbit around selected item (pivot point) Ctrl+Left/Right/Up/Down
Arrow
Turn interactive mode on or off I
Set navigation mode to none N

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 Navigate Using the Web Viewer

Navigation Function Keyboard Shortcut

Cycle through navigation speed presets G
Show or hide information panel D
Show or hide status bar S
Show or hide rendering information panel Spacebar
Cycle through navigation panel modes P

Web Viewer Preferences

The following Simulink 3D Animation preferences apply to the Web Viewer,
as well as to the 3D World Editor.

• Canvas > Navigation panel

• Figure > Appearance > Status bar
• Figure > Appearance > Navigation zones

To access the preferences, from the MATLAB Toolstrip, in the Home tab, in
the Environment section, select Preferences > Simulink 3D Animation.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Blaxxun Contact Interface

Note Support for the Blaxxun Contact viewer will be removed in a future
release. Consider using one of the other VRML viewers described in “VRML
Viewers” on page 7-3.

The Simulink 3D Animation product includes the Blaxxun Contact VRML

plug-in. This is a VRML plug-in for either Internet Explorer or Netscape
Navigator on a Windows platform. This section provides a quick overview of
the functions and controls of the Blaxxun Contact VRML plug-in, and also
describes full screen stereo support in Blaxxun Contact.

When you open a VRML file with a Web browser, the Blaxxun Contact VRML
plug-in is used to display a virtual scene. A control panel is located at the
bottom of the scene.

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 Configure Blaxxun Contact®

Configure Blaxxun Contact

In this section...
“Blaxxun Contact Settings” on page 7-63
“Specify Rendering Techniques” on page 7-63
“Control Menu” on page 7-64

Blaxxun Contact Settings

For PCs, the Simulink 3D Animation software includes the Blaxxun Contact
VRML plug-in for Web browsers. The viewer allows you to select several
working configurations, and its performance depends on several factors:

• The speed of your hardware

• System display driver settings
• Method of 3-D rendering
• Blaxxun Contact parameters
• The size of the window in which you display the 3-D visualization

You might want to test the various combinations possible on your system to
find an optimal configuration for the best performance in 3-D visualization.

In Direct3D® configuration, you can select the speed and quality on the fly
from the top level of the menu. You can, depending on the system capabilities,
select one of the options on the menu. For example, you can select High
Speed, High Quality, Hardware Acceleration, and MMX Speed.

In the OpenGL configuration, you can set similar rendering properties. From
the floating menu, choose Settings, and then choose Preferences.

Specify Rendering Techniques

With respect to the 3-D rendering method, you can install Blaxxun
Contact with two basic configurations using OpenGL and Direct3D drivers.
You can tune the viewer performance by setting the parameters in the

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Settings-Preferences dialog box of the viewer floating menu, accessible by

right-clicking when you are viewing a virtual scene.

Control Menu
You use the control menu to review or select viewer settings and navigation
methods. To access the control menu, use the following procedure:

1 On the Control Panel, click the question mark, or place your mouse pointer
anywhere in the browser window, and then right-click.

If you selected Direct3D with the Blaxxun Contact installation, a menu

similar to the following appears:

2 From the menu, you can make changes to the navigational mode, graphic
quality, and graphic speed.

Depending on the complexity of the virtual world and the required speed and
rendering quality, you can choose the settings that best meet your needs.

Because the viewer’s graphical performance strongly depends on several

factors, you might want to experiment to find a reasonable compromise
between the quality and speed for your system.

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 Navigate Using Blaxxun Contact®

Navigate Using Blaxxun Contact

In this section...
“Navigate a Virtual World” on page 7-65
“Movement Modes” on page 7-65
“Navigate Through Viewpoints” on page 7-66

Navigate a Virtual World

The dial control and left/right buttons give you direct access to the movement
mode for walking through a virtual world. However, the movement behavior
of your mouse pointer changes depending on the movement mode you select.
When you select a different movement mode, clicking your left mouse button
causes your viewpoint to move differently. Practice changing the movement
mode and navigating through a virtual world until you get satisfactory results.

To select a movement mode, use the following procedure:

1 Place your mouse pointer over a virtual world, then right-click. A menu
appears.

2 On the menu, point to Movement. A submenu appears.

3 Choose Walk, Slide, Rotate, Examine, Fly, Pan, or Jump.

A letter in the center of the dial indicates the current movement mode. For
example, in the preceding illustration, the large E stands for Examine mode.

Initially, you should use Examine mode, which is for examining objects
from various angles. You will find that the functions of the left/right button
controls in Examine mode are the easiest for beginners to master.

Movement Modes
The following table lists the movement modes.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Movement
Mode Description
Walk Drag the mouse toward the top or the bottom of the
screen to move forward or backward, and drag toward
the left or right to turn left or right.
Slide Drag the mouse to move up, down, left, or right within
a plane that is perpendicular to your view.
Rotate Press the left mouse button to select a rotation point
within the scene. Then drag the mouse toward the top
or bottom to move forward or back, or drag the mouse
left or right to rotate around the fixed point.
Examine Press the left mouse button to select a rotation point
within the scene. Then drag the mouse up, down, left,
or right to rotate the object.
Fly Press the left mouse button to start flying. Drag the
mouse toward the top or bottom to rise or sink, and
drag left or right.
Pan Drag the mouse toward the top or bottom of the scene
to loop up and down, and drag left or right to turn left
or right.
Jump Place your mouse pointer over an object, then left-click.
Your view moves to that point.

Navigate Through Viewpoints

Three buttons on the control panel control the viewpoint. The square button
in the middle resets the current viewpoint to its initial position. This is the
most useful viewpoint control button until you gain enough experience with
the viewer to explore worlds using navigation. The keyboard shortcut for the
square button is the Esc key.

You use the other two triangular buttons to browse forward and backward
through author-defined viewpoints of the virtual world. If the author does not
define other viewpoints, these buttons are inactive. The keyboard shortcuts
for the triangular buttons are the Page Up and Page Down keys.

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 Use Stereoscopic Vision

Use Stereoscopic Vision

Blaxxun Contact supports stereoscopic vision. If the graphic card and system
driver enable full screen stereo mode, and if you have corresponding stereo
vision hardware (such as stereoscopic shutter glasses), you can access this
support. In full screen mode, no menus and other user interfaces are available
to the user.

• To switch Blaxxun Contact to the full screen mode, press F5.

• To switch back to normal mode, press Esc.

If you have installed the appropriate stereo driver, Blaxxun Contact supports
full screen stereo mode under Windows with most NVIDIA graphic cards. For
details, refer to the card manufacturer documentation.

If you want to tune the full screen mode resolution or color depth.

1 In the Blaxxun Contact window, place your mouse pointer over a virtual
world, then right-click.

A menu appears.

2 On the menu, point to Settings. A submenu appears.

3 Choose Preferences.

4 Tune the full screen mode resolution or color depth settings.

5 Click OK when done.

Note that your system configuration can switch to stereoscopic full screen
mode only when using one of the Direct3D or OpenGL rendering engines. If
you are unable to switch to full screen stereo mode, try to install Blaxxun
Contact using another rendering engine. Typically, graphic card stereo drivers
provide testing applications to confirm the functionality of stereoscopic modes.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

Use Blaxxun Contact on a Client Computer

The Simulink 3D Animation software uses a Simulink 3D Animation HTTP
server for communication between a VRML-enabled Web browser and the
MATLAB and Simulink environment. It generates the main Simulink 3D
Animation HTML page with the list of currently available virtual worlds and
sends VRML and other requested files and data to clients (VRML viewers).

The server is started when the software is loaded into the MATLAB interface.
This happens whenever you use a Simulink 3D Animation block in a Simulink
block diagram, or whenever you open a vrworld object in the MATLAB
interface. The HTTP server is shut down when you close all Simulink models
that contain Simulink 3D Animation blocks, or use the vrclear command.

When the HTTP server is running, your browser can see a list of available
virtual worlds at the following address, where 8123 is the default port number:

http://localhost:8123

Remote users can connect to the following address, where 8123 is the default
port number:

http://your_machine:8123

You can set the port number of the server in the Simulink 3D Animation
Preferences dialog box from the Simulink interface, or use vrsetpref in the
MATLAB Command Window.

Depending on the status of served vrworld objects, the list of available virtual
worlds can be empty.

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 Legacy Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

Legacy Simulink 3D Animation Viewer

In this section...
“Introduction” on page 7-69
“Starting the Legacy Viewer” on page 7-69
“Differences Between the Default and Legacy Viewer” on page 7-71
“Differences When Setting the DefaultViewer Property to ’internalv4’” on
page 7-72

Introduction
The Simulink 3D Animation viewer has a legacy viewer. This legacy viewer
is the former default viewer. For details about the differences between the
current viewer and the legacy viewer, see “Differences Between the Default
and Legacy Viewer” on page 7-71.

Starting the Legacy Viewer

By default, you use the default Simulink 3D Animation viewer to visualize
virtual worlds. To configure your Simulink 3D Animation software to use
the legacy viewer,

1 Determine your default viewer by typing

vrgetpref

The MATLAB Command Window displays

ans =

DataTypeBool: 'logical'
DataTypeInt32: 'double'
DataTypeFloat: 'double'
DefaultCanvasNavPanel: 'none'
DefaultCanvasUnits: 'normalized'
DefaultFigureAntialiasing: 'off'
DefaultFigureCaptureFileFormat: 'tif'
DefaultFigureCaptureFileName: '%f_anim_%n.tif'

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

DefaultFigureDeleteFcn: ''
DefaultFigureLighting: 'on'
DefaultFigureMaxTextureSize: 'auto'
DefaultFigureNavPanel: 'halfbar'
DefaultFigureNavZones: 'off'
DefaultFigurePosition: [5 92 576 380]
DefaultFigureRecord2DCompressMethod: 'auto'
DefaultFigureRecord2DCompressQuality: 75
DefaultFigureRecord2DFileName: '%f_anim_%n.avi'
DefaultFigureRecord2DFPS: 15
DefaultFigureStatusBar: 'on'
DefaultFigureTextures: 'on'
DefaultFigureToolBar: 'on'
DefaultFigureTransparency: 'on'
DefaultFigureWireframe: 'off'
DefaultViewer: 'internal'
DefaultWorldRecord3DFileName: '%f_anim_%n.wrl'
DefaultWorldRecordMode: 'manual'
DefaultWorldRecordInterval: [0 0]
DefaultWorldRemoteView: 'off'
DefaultWorldTimeSource: 'external'
Editor: [1x60 char]
HttpPort: 8123
TransportBuffer: 5
TransportTimeout: 20
VrPort: 8124

The DefaultViewer property is set to 'internal'. The Simulink 3D

Animation viewer is the default viewer for viewing virtual scenes. Any
virtual scenes that you open are displayed in the viewer.

2 Change the default viewer to the legacy viewer by typing

vrsetpref('DefaultViewer','internalv4')

The legacy viewer becomes the default viewer.

3 At the MATLAB command prompt, type

vrplanets

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 Legacy Simulink® 3D Animation™ Viewer

The Planets example is loaded and the virtual scene is displayed using
the legacy viewer.

To revert to the original default viewer, type

vrsetpref('DefaultViewer','internal')

Differences Between the Default and Legacy Viewer

The legacy viewer has the functionality and appearance of the default
Simulink 3D Animation viewer:

• In the legacy viewer, you cannot dock the viewer window in the MATLAB
window.

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 7 Viewing Virtual Worlds

• In the legacy viewer, you cannot right-click in the viewer window to display
a context menu that contains the viewer commands.
• In the legacy viewer, you cannot combine multiple figures in several tiles
of a MATLAB figure.

The legacy and default viewer have minor visual differences, such as:

• In the legacy viewer, circles denote selected menu command options. In the
default viewer, checks denote selected menu command options.
• In the legacy viewer, the status bar has no border. In the default viewer,
the status bar has a border.

Differences When Setting the DefaultViewer Property

to ’internalv4’
Setting the DefaultViewer property to 'internalv4' also affects the
behavior of the vrplay function. When you create additional vrplay windows
using File > New Window, the window respects the current setting of the
DefaultViewer property. By default, the File > New Window command
creates the new player window as a MATLAB figure.

If you set the DefaultViewer property to 'internalv4', the File > New
Window command creates the new player window as in previous releases.

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 8

Simulink 3D Animation
Stand-Alone Viewer

The Simulink 3D Animation stand-alone viewer, Orbisnap, allows you to

visualize virtual worlds or prerecorded animation files without running the
MATLAB or Simulink 3D Animation products.

• “Orbisnap Viewer” on page 8-2

• “Install Orbisnap” on page 8-3
• “Start Orbisnap” on page 8-5
• “Orbisnap Interface” on page 8-7
• “Navigate Using Orbisnap” on page 8-11
• “View Animations or Virtual Worlds with Orbisnap” on page 8-15
• “View Virtual Worlds Remotely with Orbisnap” on page 8-16
 8 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Stand-Alone Viewer

Orbisnap Viewer

What is Orbisnap?
The Simulink 3D Animation product includes Orbisnap. Orbisnap is a free,
optional, stand-alone VRML97 viewer that does not require you to have
either the MATLAB or Simulink 3D Animation products running. You can
use Orbisnap to:

• View prerecorded WRL animation files. For example, you might want to
show prerecorded animation files in a meeting at which you do not have
access to the MATLAB or Simulink 3D Animation products.
• Remotely view, from a client machine, a virtual world loaded in a current
session of the Simulink 3D Animation product. For example, if you want
to visualize a virtual world active in a Simulink 3D Animation session
that is running on a computer in another part of the building, or across
the network. This functionality allows you to remotely view a simulation,
but not control it.
• View and navigate, but not simulate, a VRML world. You can navigate,
render, and otherwise visualize a VRML world without simulating it.

Orbisnap is multiplatform. You can run Orbisnap on any of the platforms that
the Simulink 3D Animation product supports. You do not need a MathWorks
license to run Orbisnap.

8-2
 Install Orbisnap

Install Orbisnap
In this section...
“Section Overview” on page 8-3
“System Requirements” on page 8-3
“Copying Orbisnap to Another Location” on page 8-3
“Adding Shortcuts or Symbolic Links” on page 8-4

Section Overview
The collection of Orbisnap files includes the Orbisnap starter file,
Orbisnap executable file, and supporting files. These files are located
under the Simulink 3D Animation orbisnap folder (for example,
matlabroot\toolbox\sl3d\orbisnap\bin for the Windows platform). No
further installation is necessary, but you might want to copy the Orbisnap
files to another location or create shortcuts or symbolic links to the Orbisnap
starter file for convenience.

System Requirements
Orbisnap has the same hardware and software requirements as MATLAB.
It is a multiplatform product that can run on PC-compatible computers with
Windows or Linux. See the following page on the MathWorks Web site:

http://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab/requirements.html

Copying Orbisnap to Another Location

Orbisnap runs independently of the MATLAB and Simulink 3D Animation
products. This means that you can copy Orbisnap to another location or
even another machine. The following is a general procedure on how to copy
Orbisnap to another location:

1 From a command line or a graphical interface such as Windows Explorer,

create a folder into which you can copy Orbisnap.

8-3
 8 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Stand-Alone Viewer

2 Copy all the files in the Orbisnap folder and its subdirectories. These
files are likely located in the Simulink 3D Animationorbisnap folder, for
example, matlabroot\toolbox\sl3d\orbisnap for the Windows platform.

3 Paste the files into the folder you created in step 1.

Adding Shortcuts or Symbolic Links

For convenience, you can create a shortcut (Windows) or symbolic link (UNIX)
to the Orbisnap starter file.

• In Windows Explorer, right-click orbisnap.bat and select Properties.

You can start Orbisnap from either the shortcut or the original starter file.
• In UNIX, use the ln -s command to create a symbolic link to orbisnap.

8-4
 Start Orbisnap

Start Orbisnap
You can start Orbisnap from any command line with the following:

orbisnap
orbisnap -f vr_filename
orbisnap -c hostname -w "vrworld" -t http -v vrport -q=end_time
orbisnap -t http -v vrport vr_filename_or_hostname -q=end_time
orbisnap -h

No arguments -- Starts the default Orbisnap. There is no loaded vrworld file

and no connection to a Simulink 3D Animation server.

-f vr_filename — (Optional) Orbisnap starts and loads the vrworld

contained in vr_filename. If you do not provide vr_filename, Orbisnap
prompts you for the filename.

-c hostname — (Optional) Orbisnap starts and connects to the Simulink

3D Animation server located at hostname. hostname can be a hostname or
IP address. If you do not provide hostname, Orbisnap prompts you for the
hostname.

-w vrworld — (Optional) Orbisnap starts, connects to the Simulink 3D

Animation server, and loads the virtual world associated with the title
"vrworld". If "vrworld" is not currently active in the Simulink 3D
Animation server, the connection to the server does not succeed and the
default Orbisnap starts.

-t http — (Optional) Orbisnap starts and connects to the Simulink 3D

Animation server at this HTTP port (default 8123).

-t vrport — (Optional) Orbisnap starts and connects to the Simulink 3D

Animation server listening at this port (default 8124).

vr_filename_or_hostname — (Optional) Orbisnap starts and interprets this

string first as a vrworld filename (for example, vrbounce.wrl). If the string
is not a valid vrworld filename, Orbisnap tries to interpret the string as the
name of the host that is running the Simulink 3D Animation server.

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 8 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Stand-Alone Viewer

-q=end_time — (Optional) Orbisnap ends when virtual scene time equals

end_time.

-h — (Optional) Orbisnap displays the Orbisnap command-line help.

8-6
 Orbisnap Interface

Orbisnap Interface
In this section...
“Menu Bar” on page 8-8
“Toolbar” on page 8-9
“Navigation Panel” on page 8-9

Orbisnap looks like the following:

Orbisnap provides much of the functionality of the Simulink 3D Animation

Viewer. Using the menu bar, toolbar, and navigation panel, you can:

8-7
 8 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Stand-Alone Viewer

• Customize the Orbisnap window

• Manage virtual world viewpoints
• Manage scene rendering

You cannot

• Open an editor for the virtual world

• Open another window for the virtual world
• Simulate the world (start/stop the model)
• Record or manage animation files

Menu Bar
The Orbisnap menu bar has the following menus:

• File — General file operation options, including,

- Open — Invokes a browser that you can use to browse to the virtual
world you want to visualize.
- Connect to server -- Allows you to connect to a Simulink 3D Animation
server. Enter the IP address or hostname of the host computer running
the Simulink 3D Animation server (127.0.0.1 by default) and the port
number at which the Simulink 3D Animation server is listening (8124
by default).
- Reload — Reloads the saved virtual world. Note that if you have
created any viewpoints in this session, they are not retained unless you
have saved those viewpoints with the Save As option.
- Save As — Allows you to save the virtual world.
- Close — Closes the Orbisnap window.
• View — Enables you to customize Orbisnap, including,
- Toolbar — Toggles the toolbar display.
- Status Bar — Toggles the status bar display at the bottom of Orbisnap.
This display includes the current viewpoint, simulation time, navigation
method, and the camera position and direction.

8-8
 Orbisnap Interface

- Navigation Zones — Toggles the navigation zones on/off (see “Navigate

Using Orbisnap” on page 8-11 for a description of how to use navigation
zones).
- Navigation Panel — Controls the display of the navigation panel,
including toggling it.
- Zoom In/Out — Zooms in or out of the world view.
- Normal (100%) — Returns the zoom to normal (initial viewpoint
setting).
• Viewpoints — Manages the virtual world viewpoints.
• Navigation — Manages scene navigation.
• Rendering — Manages scene rendering.
• Help — Displays the Help browser for Orbisnap.

Toolbar
The Orbisnap toolbar has buttons for some of the more commonly used
operations available from the menu bar. These buttons include:

• Drop-down list that displays all the viewpoints in the virtual world

• Return to viewpoint button

• Create viewpoint button

• Straighten up button
• Drop-down list that displays the navigation options Walk, Examine, and Fly

• Undo move button

• Zoom in/out buttons ,

Navigation Panel
The Orbisnap navigation panel has navigation controls for some of the more
commonly used navigation operations available from the menu bar.

8-9
 8 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Stand-Alone Viewer

The navigation panel controls include:

• Hide panel — Toggles the navigation panel.

• Next/previous viewpoint — Toggles through the list of viewpoints.
• Return to default viewpoint — Returns focus to original default
viewpoint.
• Slide left/right — Slides the view left or right.
• Navigation wheel — Moves view in one of eight directions.
• Navigation method — Manages scene navigation.
• Wireframe toggle — Toggles scene wireframe rendering.
• Headlight toggle — Toggles camera headlight.
• Help — Invokes the Orbisnap online help.

8-10
 Navigate Using Orbisnap

Navigate Using Orbisnap

You can navigate around a virtual world using the menu bar, toolbar,
navigation panel, mouse, and keyboard.

Navigation view — You can change the camera position. From the menu
bar, select the Navigation menu Straighten Up option. Alternatively,
you can click the Straighten Up control from the toolbar or press F9 on the
keyboard. This option resets the camera so that it points straight ahead.

Navigation methods — Navigation with the mouse depends on the

navigation method you select and the navigation zone you are in when you
first click and hold down the mouse button. You can set the navigation
method using one of the following:

• From the menu bar, select the Navigation menu Method option. This
option provides three choices, Walk, Examine, or Fly. See the table
Orbisnap Mouse Navigation on page 8-12.
• From the toolbar, select the drop-down menu that displays the navigation
options Walk, Examine, and Fly.
• From the navigation panel, click the W, E, or F buttons.
• From the keyboard, press Shift+W, Shift+E, or Shift+F.

Navigation zones — You can view the navigation zones for a virtual world
through the menu bar or keyboard.

From the menu bar, select the View menu Navigation Zones option. The
virtual world changes as the navigation zones are toggled on and appear in
the virtual world. Alternatively, from the keyboard, press the F7 key.

The following table summarizes the behavior associated with the movement
modes and navigation zones when you use your mouse to navigate through a
virtual world. Turn the navigation zones on and experiment by clicking and
dragging your mouse in the different zones of a virtual world.

8-11
 8 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Stand-Alone Viewer

Orbisnap Mouse Navigation

Movement
Mode Zone and Description
Walk Outer -- Click and drag the mouse up, down, left, or
right to slide the camera in any of these directions in
a single plane.
Inner -- Click and drag the mouse up and down to move
forward and backward. Drag the mouse left and right
to turn left or right.
Examine Outer -- Click and drag the mouse up and down to
move forward and backward. Drag the mouse left and
right to slide left or right.
Inner -- Click and drag the mouse to rotate the
viewpoint around the origin of the scene.
Fly Outer -- Click and drag the mouse to tilt the view either
left or right.
Inner -- Click and drag the mouse to pan the camera
up, down, left, or right within the scene.
Center -- Click and drag the mouse up and down to
move forward and backward. Move the mouse left or
right to turn in either of these directions.

If your virtual world contains sensors, these sensors take precedence over
mouse navigation at the sensor’s location. In this case, mouse navigation is
still possible through the right or middle mouse buttons.

Keyboard — You can also use the keyboard to navigate through a virtual
world. It can be faster and easier to issue a keyboard command, especially if
you want to move the camera repeatedly in a single direction. The following
table summarizes the keyboard commands and their associated navigation
functions. Note that the letters presented do not need to be capitalized to
perform their intended function.

8-12
 Navigate Using Orbisnap

Orbisnap Keyboard Navigation

Keyboard
Command Navigation Function
Backspace Undo move.
F9 Straighten up and make the camera stand on the
horizontal plane of its local coordinates.

+/- Zoom in/out.

F6 Toggle the headlight on/off.
F7 Toggle the navigation zones on/off.
F5 Toggle the wireframe option on/off.
F8 Toggle the antialiasing option on/off.
Esc Go to default viewpoint.
Home Return to current viewpoint.
Page Up, Page Move between preset viewpoints.
Down
F10 Toggle camera binding from the viewpoint.
Shift+W Set the navigation method to Walk.
Shift+E Set the navigation method to Examine.
Shift+F Set the navigation method to Fly.
Shift Up/Down Move the camera forward and backward.
Arrow
Up/Down Arrow Pan the camera up and down.
Left/Right Arrow, Pan the camera right and left.
Shift+Left/Right
Arrow
Alt+Up/Down Slide up and down.
Arrow

8-13
 8 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Stand-Alone Viewer

Orbisnap Keyboard Navigation (Continued)

Keyboard
Command Navigation Function
Alt+Left/Right Slide left and right.
Arrow
Ctrl+Left/Right/Up/ Pressing Ctrl alone acquires the examine lock
Down Arrow at the point of intersection between the line
perpendicular to the screen, coming through the
center of the Orbisnap window, and the closest
visible surface to the camera. Pressing the arrow
keys without releasing Ctrl rotates the viewpoint
about the acquired center point.
Shift+Alt+Left/Right Tilt the camera right and left.
Arrow

8-14
 View Animations or Virtual Worlds with Orbisnap

View Animations or Virtual Worlds with Orbisnap

This topic assumes that you have a prerecorded WRL animation file
or an existing virtual world file. This procedure uses a file named
vr_bounce_anim.wrl.

1 Start Orbisnap. For example, in Windows double-click orbisnap.bat in

matlabroot\toolbox\sl3d\orbisnap\bin.

This is an Orbisnap starter file that calls the Orbisnap executable.

Orbisnap is displayed.

2 In Orbisnap, select File > Open.

A file browser is displayed.

3 Browse to the folder that contains the prerecorded WRL animation file
or virtual world you want to view.

4 Select the virtual world or prerecorded WRL file you want to view.

5 Click Open.

The file is displayed. If the file is an animation file, the simulation begins.

6 To close Orbisnap, select File > Close.

Using the menus, toolbar, and navigation panel, you can perform many of the
same operations on the virtual world that you can with the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer. See “Orbisnap Interface” on page 8-7 for an overview of
the Orbisnap interface. See “Start Orbisnap” on page 8-5 for a description of
the Orbisnap command-line options.

8-15
 8 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Stand-Alone Viewer

View Virtual Worlds Remotely with Orbisnap

To view virtual worlds from the Simulink 3D Animation server in Orbisnap,
you must have

• The MATLAB software running a Simulink 3D Animation server session

• The version of the Simulink 3D Animation server to which you want to
connect must be compatible with the Orbisnap version you are running.
For example, you cannot connect Orbisnap to Simulink 3D Animation
software Version 3.1.
• Network access between the client computer (running Orbisnap) and host
computer (running MATLAB and Simulink 3D Animation server)

Note If you expect Orbisnap to access a virtual world on the Simulink 3D

Animation server from a remote computer, you must make that virtual
world available for Internet viewing. In the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer
for the virtual world you want to make available, select Simulation >
Block Parameters, select the Allow viewing from the Internet check
box, then click OK.

Note the following when using Orbisnap remotely:

• Although you can visualize a virtual world from the Simulink 3D Animation
server in Orbisnap, any navigation or rendering in one viewer is not
reflected in the other. For example, any navigation you do on the virtual
world in Orbisnap is not reflected in the virtual world in the Simulink 3D
Animation <olink localinfo="sViewer, and vice versa.
• You cannot start or stop a simulation of the virtual world in Orbisnap. You
can see a simulation on Orbisnap only if the virtual world is simulated in
the Simulink 3D Animation server.
• The simulation might slow when you connect Orbisnap remotely to the
Simulink 3D Animation server.

1 Start Orbisnap. For example, in Windows, double-click orbisnap.bat in

matlabroot\toolbox\sl3d\orbisnap\bin.

8-16
 View Virtual Worlds Remotely with Orbisnap

This is an Orbisnap starter file that calls the Orbisnap executable.

Orbisnap is displayed.

2 In Orbisnap, select File > Connect to Server.

The Connect to Server dialog is displayed.

3 Enter the IP address or hostname of the host computer running the

Simulink 3D Animation server (127.0.0.1 by default). The HTTP port
number is 8123 by default and the port number at which the Simulink 3D
Animation server is listening is 8124 by default.

The Choose a world dialog is displayed. This dialog lists all the virtual
worlds that are currently active on the Simulink 3D Animation server.

If no virtual world has ever been opened in this session of the Simulink 3D
Animation server, Orbisnap displays a message. If you see this message,
contact your counterpart running the Simulink 3D Animation server to
better synchronize your activities. A virtual world must be fully active on
the Simulink 3D Animation server for Orbisnap to remotely access it.

8-17
 8 Simulink® 3D Animation™ Stand-Alone Viewer

4 Select a virtual world.

5 Click OK.

Orbisnap displays the selected virtual world of the remote Simulink 3D

Animation server.

6 Navigate and render the virtual world as you want.

7 To close Orbisnap, select File > Close.

Using the menus, toolbar, and navigation panel, you can perform many of
the same operations on the virtual world that you can with the Simulink
3D Animation <olink localinfo="sViewer. See “Orbisnap Interface” on page
8-7. See “Start Orbisnap” on page 8-5 for a description of the Orbisnap
command-line options.

8-18
 9

Blocks — Alphabetical List

Cross Product

Purpose Cross product of two 3-D vectors

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description Takes two 3-by-1 vectors as input and returns their cross product.

Block Parameters Dialog Box

9-2
 Joystick Input

Purpose Process input from asynchronous joystick device

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description The Joystick Input block provides interaction between a Simulink model
and the virtual world associated with a Simulink 3D Animation block.
The Joystick Input block uses axes, buttons, and the point-of-view
selector, if present. You can use this block as you would use any other
Simulink source block. Its output ports reflect the status of the joystick
controls for axes and buttons.
The Joystick Input block also supports force-feedback devices.
When building a model using Real-Time Windows Target, use the
RTWin Joystick Input driver instead of the Joystick Input block.

Block
Parameters Joystick ID — The system ID assigned to the given joystick device.
Dialog You can find the properties of the joystick that is connected to the
Box system in the Game Controllers section of the system Control Panel.
Adjust I/O ports according to joystick capabilities — If you select
this check box, the Simulink 3D Animation software dynamically

9-3
Joystick Input

adjusts the ports to correspond to the capabilities of the connected

joystick each time that you open the model. If the connected device does
not have force-feedback capability, selecting this check box causes the
removal of the force-feedback input from the block, even if you select the
Enable force-feedback input check box. The block ports do not have
the full widths provided by the Windows Game Controllers interface.
Enable force-feedback input — If you select this check box, the
Simulink 3D Animation software can support force-feedback joystick,
steering wheel, and haptic (one that enables tactile feedback) devices.
Output Ports — Depending on the Adjust I/O ports according
to joystick capabilities check box setting, the output ports change
to correspond to the actual capabilities of the connected joystick. Or,
on Windows platforms, the output ports have fixed maximum width
provided by the system Game Controllers interface.

Output Port Value Description

Axes Vector of doubles in the Outputs correspond to
range < -1; 1 > the current position of the
joystick in the given axis.
Values are normalized to
range from -1 to 1.
Buttons Vector of doubles Outputs correspond to
the current status of
0 — Button released joystick buttons.
1 — Button pressed
Point of view -1 — Selector inactive Output corresponds to
<0; 360> — The angle the current status of the
of the POV selector, in joystick point-of-view
degrees selector.

9-4
 Joystick Input

Input Port Value Description

Force Vector of doubles Port active only for
in the range force-feedback devices.
< -1; 1 > Inputs correspond to the
force to be applied in the
given axis.

Usually, not all of

the device axes have
force-feedback. The size
of the Force vector is then
smaller than the Axes
vector size.

9-5
Normalize Vector

Purpose Unit vector parallel to input vector

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description Takes an input vector of any size and outputs the unit vector parallel
to it.

Block Parameters Dialog Box

Maximum modulus to treat vector as zero — The output is set to

zeroes if the modulus of the input is equal to or lower than this value.

9-6
 Rotation Between 2 Vectors

Purpose VRML rotation between two 3-D vectors

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description Takes input of two 3-by-1 vectors and returns a VRML rotation
(specified as a four-element vector defining axis and angle) that is
needed to transform the first input vector to the second input vector.

Block Parameters Dialog Box

9-7
Rotation Matrix to VRML Rotation

Purpose Convert rotation matrix into representation used in VRML

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description Takes an input of a rotation matrix and outputs the axis/angle rotation
representation used for defining rotations in VRML. The rotation
matrix can be either a 9-element column vector or a 3-by-3 matrix
defined columnwise.

Block Parameters Dialog Box

Maximum value to treat input value as zero — The input is

considered to be zero if it is equal to or lower than this value.

Rotation Matrix
A representation of a three-dimensional spherical rotation as a 3-by-3
real, orthogonal matrix R: RTR = RRT = I, where I is the 3-by-3 identity
and RT is the transpose of R.

⎛ R11 R12 R13 ⎞ ⎛ Rxx Rxy Rxz ⎞

⎜ ⎟ ⎜ ⎟
R = ⎜ R21 R22 R23 ⎟ = ⎜ Ryx Ryy Ryz ⎟
⎜R R32 R33 ⎟⎠ ⎜⎝ Rzx Rzy Rzz ⎟⎠
⎝ 31

9-8
 Rotation Matrix to VRML Rotation

In general, R requires three independent angles to specify the rotation

fully. There are many ways to represent the three independent angles.
Here are two:

• You can form three independent rotation matrices R1, R2, R3, each
representing a single independent rotation. Then compose the full
rotation matrix R with respect to fixed coordinate axes as a product
of these three: R = R3*R2*R1. The three angles are Euler angles.
• You can represent R in terms of an axis-angle rotation n = (nx,ny,nz)
and θ with n*n = 1. The three independent angles are θ and the two
needed to orient n. Form the antisymmetric matrix:

⎛ 0 − nz ny ⎞
⎜ ⎟
Ĵ = ⎜ nz 0 − nx ⎟
⎜ −n nx 0 ⎟⎠
⎝ y

Then Rodrigues’ formula simplifies R:

R = exp(θJ ) = I + J sin θ + J 2 (1 − cos θ)

9-9
Space Mouse Input

Purpose Process input from space mouse device

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description A space mouse is a device similar to a joystick in purpose, but it also

provides movement control with six degrees of freedom. This block
reads the status of the space mouse and provides some commonly
used transformations of the input. The Space Mouse Input block
supports current models of 3–D navigation devices manufactured by
3Dconnexion (http://www.3dconnexion.com). Contact MathWorks
Technical Support (http://www.mathworks.com/support) for further
information on the support of older 3Dconnexion devices.

Data Type The Space Mouse Input block outputs signals of type double.
Support

9-10
 Space Mouse Input

Block
Parameters Port — Serial port to which the space mouse is connected. Possible
Dialog values are USB1...USB4 and COM1...COM4.
Box
Output Type — This field specifies how the inputs from the device
are transformed: 9-11
Space Mouse Input

• Speed — No transformations are done. Outputs are translation and

rotation speeds.
• Position — Translations and rotations are integrated. Outputs are
position and orientation in the form of roll/pitch/yaw angles.
• Viewpoint coordinates — Translations and rotations are
integrated. Outputs are position and orientation in the form of an
axis and an angle. You can use these values as viewpoint coordinates
in VRML.

Dominant mode — If this check box is selected, the mouse accepts

only the prevailing movement and rotation and ignores the others. This
mode is very useful for beginners using space mouse input.
Disable rotation movement — Fixes the positions at the initial
values, allowing you to change rotations only.
Disable position movement — Fixes the rotations at initial values,
allowing you to change positions only.
Normalize output angle — Determines whether the integrated
rotation angles should wrap on a full circle (360°) or not. This is not
used when you set the Output Type to Speed.
Limit position — Determines whether you can limit the upper and
lower positions of the mouse.
Position sensitivity — Mouse sensitivity for translations. Higher
values correspond to higher sensitivity.
Rotation sensitivity — Mouse sensitivity for rotations. Higher values
correspond to higher sensitivity.
Initial position — Initial condition for integrated translations. This is
not used when you set the Output Type to Speed.
Initial rotation — Initial condition for integrated rotations. This is
not used when you set the Output Type to Speed.
Lower position limit — Position coordinates for the lower limit of
the mouse.

9-12
 Space Mouse Input

Upper position limit — Position coordinates for the upper limit of

the mouse.

See Also
Manipulator with SpaceMouse

9-13
Viewpoint Direction to VRML Orientation

Purpose Convert viewpoint direction to VRML orientation

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description Takes a viewpoint direction (3-by-1 vector) as input and outputs

the corresponding VRML viewpoint orientation (four-element VRML
rotation vector).

Block Parameters Dialog Box

9-14
 VR Placeholder

Purpose Send unspecified value to Simulink 3D Animation block

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description The VR Placeholder block sends out a special value that is interpreted
as “unspecified” by the VR Sink block. When this value appears on the
VR Sink input, whether as a single value or as an element of a vector,
the appropriate value in the virtual world stays unchanged. Use this
block to change only one value from a larger vector. For example, use
this block to change just one coordinate from a 3-D position.
The value output by the VR Placeholder block should not be modified
before being used in other VR blocks.

Data Type A VR Placeholder block outputs signals of type double.

Support

Block
Parameters Output Width — Length of the vector containing placeholder signal
Dialog values.
Box

9-15
VR Signal Expander

Purpose Expand input vectors into fully qualified VRML field vectors

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description The VR Signal Expander block creates a vector of predefined length,

using some values from the input ports and filling the rest with
placeholder signal values.

Data Type A VR Signal Expander block accepts and outputs signals of type double.
Support

Block
Parameters Output width — How long the output vector should be.
Dialog
Output signal indices — Vector indicating the position at which the
Box
input signals appear at the output. The remaining positions are filled
with VR Placeholder signals.

9-16
 VR Signal Expander

For example, suppose you want an input vector with two signals and an
output vector with four signals, with the first input signal in position 2
and the second input signal in position 4. In the Output width box,
enter 4 and in the Output signal indices box, enter [2,4]. The first
and third output signals are unspecified.

9-17
VR Sink

Purpose Write data from Simulink model to virtual world

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description The VR Sink block writes values from its ports to virtual world fields
specified in the Block Parameters dialog box.
For an example of how to use the VR Sink block, see the Foucault
Pendulum Model with Virtual Reality Scene example.
The VR Sink block is equivalent to the VR To Video block, except that
the Show video output port parameter for the VR Sink block is
cleared by default.
The VR Sink block cannot be compiled by the Simulink Coder software,
but it can be used as a SimViewing device on the host computer.

Note The current internal viewer window (vrfigure) properties are

saved together with the Simulink model. The next time you open the
model, the internal viewer window opens with the same parameters
that were last saved, such as position, size, and navigation mode. When
closing the viewer window, the Simulink software does not alert you
if these properties have changed.

The VR Sink block is a Sim Viewing Device. You can include it in

models that you compile with Simulink Coder software. If you use
External mode to compile, build, and deploy the model on a target
platform, such as Simulink Real-Time™ or Real-Time Windows Target,
some sink blocks and Sim Viewing Device blocks stay in Normal mode
during simulation, receive data from the target, and display that data.
For more information, see “Sim Viewing Devices in External Mode”
in the Simulink documentation.

Data Type A VR Sink block accepts all meaningful data types on input. The block
Support converts these data types to natural VRML types, as necessary. These
data types include logicals, many types of signed and unsigned integers,

9-18
 VR Sink

singles, and doubles. The MATLAB and Simulink interfaces also accept
matrices. For further details, see “VRML Data Types” on page 5-24.

Block
Parameters Source file — VRML file name specifying the virtual world that
Dialog connects to this block. By default, the full path to the associated .wrl
Box file appears in this text box. If you enter only the file name in this box,
the software assumes that the .wrl file resides in the same folder as
the model file.

• Click the New to open an empty default VRML editor. When you
either enter a source file name or use the Browse button, the New
button becomes an Edit button.

9-19
VR Sink

• Click the Edit button to launch the default VRML editor with the
source file open.
• Click the View button to view the world in the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer or a Web browser.
• Click the Reload button reloads the world after you change it.

Open VRML Viewer automatically — If you select this check box,

the default VRML viewer displays the virtual world after loading the
Simulink model.
Allow viewing from the Internet — If you select this check box,
the virtual world is accessible for viewing on a client computer. If you
do not select this check box, then the world is visible only on the host
computer. This parameter is equivalent to the RemoteView property
of a vrworld object.
Description — Description that is displayed in all virtual reality
object listings, in the title bar of the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer,
and in the list of virtual worlds on the Simulink 3D Animation HTML
page. This parameter is equivalent to the Description property of a
vrworld object.
Sample time — Enter the sample time or -1 for inherited sample time.
To achieve a smooth simulation, MathWorks recommends that you
explicitly set the Sample time parameter. You can change the value of
this parameter to achieve the specific visual experience that you want.
Show video output port — Enables a port to output an RGB video
stream for further 2D video processing.
Video output signal dimensions — Dimensions ([vertical horizontal])
of the video output signal in pixels (default is [200 320]).
Setup and preview video output — Opens a figure window for
navigation and viewing.
VRML Tree — This box shows the structure of the VRML file and the
virtual world itself.

9-20
 VR Sink

Nodes that have names are marked with red arrows. You can access
them from the Simulink 3D Animation interface. Nodes without names,
but whose children are named, are also marked with red arrows. This
marking scheme makes it possible for you to find all accessible nodes by
traversing the tree using arrows. Other nodes have a blue dot before
their names.
Fields with values that you set have check boxes. Use these check boxes
to select the fields whose values you want the Simulink software to
update. For every field that you select, an input port is created in the
block. Input ports are assigned to the selected nodes and fields in the
order that corresponds to the VRML file.
Fields whose values cannot be written (because their parent nodes do
not have names, or because they are not of VRML data class eventIn or
exposedField) have an X-shaped icon.
Show node types — If you select this check box, node types are shown
in the VRML tree.
Show field types — If you select this check box, field types are shown
in the VRML tree.

9-21
VR Source

Purpose Read data from virtual world to Simulink model

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description The VR Source provides access to virtual world fields, as chosen in the
Block Parameters dialog box as input signals during simulation.
The VR Source block supports several activities. For example, use the
VR Source block to:

• Provide interactivity between a user navigating the virtual world

and the Simulink model. The VR Source block can register user
interaction with the virtual world. The block can pass to the model
those values which then can affect the simulation of the model.
• Read into the model events from the virtual world, such as time ticks
or outputs from scripts.
• Read into the model static information about the virtual world (for
example, the size of a box defined in the VRML file).
• Access values of 3D object nodes that are not driven by simulation,
but whose monitoring is essential.

For an example of how to use the VR Source block, see the Set the
Setpoint subsystem in the vrcrane_panel example.

Note The current internal viewer window (vrfigure) properties are

saved together with the Simulink model. The next time that you open
the model, the internal viewer window opens with the same parameters
that were saved, such as position, size, and navigation mode. When
closing the viewer window, the Simulink software does not alert you
if these properties have changed.

You cannot use the Simulink Coder software to compile a model that
includes a VR Source block.

9-22
 VR Source

Data Type A VR Source block outputs signals of type double.

Support

Block
Parameters Source file — VRML file name specifying the virtual world that
Dialog connects to this block. By default, the full path to the associated .wrl
Box file appears in this text box. If you enter only the file name in this box,
the software assumes that the .wrl file resides in the same folder as
the model file.

• Click the New to open an empty default VRML editor. When you
either enter a source file name or use the Browse button, the New
button becomes an Edit button.

9-23
VR Source

• Click the Edit button to launch the default VRML editor with the
source file open.
• Click the View button to view the world in the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer or a Web browser.
• Click the Reload button reloads the world after you change it.

Open VRML Viewer automatically — If you select this check box,

the default VRML viewer displays the virtual world after loading the
Simulink model.
Allow viewing from the Internet — If you select this check box, the
virtual world is accessible for viewing on a client computer. If you do not
select this check box, the world is visible only on the host computer. This
parameter is equivalent to the RemoteView property of a vrworld object.
Description — Description that is displayed in all virtual reality
object listings, in the title bar of the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer,
and in the list of virtual worlds on the Simulink 3D Animation HTML
page. This parameter is equivalent to the Description property of a
vrworld object.
Sample time — Enter the sample time or -1 for inherited sample time.

Note To achieve a smooth simulation, MathWorks recommends that

you explicitly set the Sample time parameter. You can change the
value of this parameter to achieve the specific visual experience you
want.

Allow variable-size output signals — Specify the type of signals

allowed out of this port.
By default, the VR Source block does not allow variable-size signals.
If you enable this parameter, then the VR Source block allows
variable-size signals for fields that can change dimensions during
simulation. These fields include MFxxx fields that can have a variable
number of elements (typically, MFFloat or MFVec3f). The SFImage is

9-24
 VR Source

the only SFxxx field that can map to a variable-size signal. For details
about these data types, see “VRML Field Data Types” on page 5-24.

Note The signal dimensions of a variable-size output signal of a VR

Source block must be the same size as, or smaller than, the initial
state of the signal.

VRML Tree — This box shows the structure of the VRML file and the
virtual world itself.
Nodes that have names are marked with red arrows. You can access
them from the MATLAB interface. Nodes without names, but whose
children are named, are also marked with red arrows. This marking
scheme makes it possible for you to find all accessible nodes by
traversing the tree using arrows. Other nodes have a blue dot before
their names.
Fields with readable values have check boxes. Use these check boxes to
select the fields that you want the Simulink software to monitor and to
use to input values. For each field that you select in the VRML Tree
box, Simulink creates an output port in the VR Source block. Simulink
creates the output ports in the same order as the selected fields appear
in the VRML file.
Fields whose values cannot be read (because their parent nodes do not
have names, or because their values cannot be imported to Simulink)
have an X-shaped icon.
Show node types — If you select this check box, node types are shown
in the VRML tree.
Show field types — If you select this check box, field types are shown
in the VRML tree.

9-25
VR Text Output

Purpose Allows display of Simulink signal values as text in VRML scene

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description The VR Text Output can display Simulink values of signal as text in
a VRML scene.
Text rendering is a demanding task for VRML viewers, so there is
generally be a decrease in rendering speed when outputting text. This
effect increases with the complexity of the text output. You can improve
the performance if you limit the output from the Simulink model to
only the values of signals that change (e.g., modeling captions) or use
more static-text nodes.

9-26
 VR Text Output

Block
Parameters Associated VRML file — VRML file specifying the virtual world to
Dialog which text is output.
Box
Associated Text node — Text node within the virtual world to which
text is output.

9-27
VR Text Output

Format string — Format used for output text. This block uses
sprintf() to format the output strings. Like sprintf(), it works in
a vectorized fashion, where the format string is recycled through the
components of the input vector. This block does not support the %c
and %s conversion formats, as signals in the Simulink product cannot
have both characters and strings.
Sample time — Enter the sample time or -1 for inherited sample time.
Ensure that a viewer window is open during simulation — Select
this check box to ensure that the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer is
open during simulation.

9-28
 VR To Video

Purpose Write data from Simulink model to virtual world (video output port
enabled)

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description This block is equivalent to the VR Sink block, except that its Show
video output port is selected by default.
See the VR Sink block for details.

9-29
VR Tracer

Purpose Trace trajectory of object in associated virtual scene

Library Simulink 3D Animation

Description Trace the trajectory of an object in the associated virtual scene.

This block creates marker nodes in regular time steps either as children
of the specified parent node (Parent node parameter), or at the top
level of scene hierarchy (root).
You can specify one of three types of markers:

• General shape
• Line segments connecting object positions in every time step
• Axis-aligned triads for orienting the trajectory in the 3–D space

Also, you can project traced object positions to a plane or to a point.

Object position input must correspond to the placement of the object in
the scene hierarchy. If the traced object resides as a child of a parent
object, define the parent object DEF name in the parent node field. If
the traced object resides at the top of the scene hierarchy (its position is
defined in global scene coordinates), leave this field empty.
The first block input vector determines the position of the marker.
The second block input (if enabled by the Marker color selection
parameter) represents the marker color. The second or third block input
vector (depending on whether the marker color input vector is enabled)
specifies the project point coordinates.

9-30
 VR Tracer

Block Following is the Main pane of the VR Tracer block dialog box.
Parameters
Dialog
Box

9-31
VR Tracer

Following is the Marker Projections pane of the VR Tracer block

dialog box.

Associated VRML file — VRML file name specifying the associated

virtual world.
Parent node (leave empty for root) — Specify the location of the
traced object in the scene hierarchy.

9-32
 VR Tracer

Marker shape — From the list, select one shape:

• None
• Tetrahedron
• Pyramid
• Box
• Octahedron
• Sphere

Connect markers with line segments — Select this check box to

connect the traced object path with lines.
Place a triad at each marker position — Select this check box to
place a triad at each marker position. A triad helps you orient the object
trajectory in the x-y-z plane.
Marker scale — Specify a three-component vector that defines the
scaling of predefined marker shapes and triads. This parameter allows
accommodation for scenes of various sizes.
Marker color selection — From the list, select:

• Block input — Disables Marker color parameter and relies on the

second block input to define the marker color. Selecting this option
enables the second block input, to which you can connect a signal
for the marker color.
• Selected in block mask from color list — Enables the
Marker color parameter, for selecting one color from of a list of
colors for the marker.
• Defined in block mask as RGB values — Enables Marker color
parameter to accept RGB values for the marker color.

Marker color — If Marker color selection is Selected in block

mask from color list, select the color from the list: yellow, magenta,
cyan, red, green, blue, white, black

9-33
VR Tracer

If Marker color selection is Defined in block mask as RGB

values, enter RGB values for the marker color.
Sample time — Enter the sample time or -1 for inherited sample time.
Ensure that a viewer window is open during simulation — Select
this check box to ensure that the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer is
open during simulation.
Project positions on a plane — Specify whether to display line
segments from an object to a plane to approximate the trajectory of
the object. If you enable this parameter, use the Projection plane
equation coefficients edit box to specify the plane to which to project
the position of the object. The coefficients are in the form ax+by+cz+d=0.
For example, if you use the default plane equation coefficients to [0 1
0 0] for the vrtkoff_trace model, then after you simulate the model,
the object positions project to the y=0 plane.

9-34
 VR Tracer

Project positions to a point— Displays line segments from an object

to a point to approximate the trajectory of the object.

• None — (Default) No projection to a point.

• Defined in block mask — If you select this option, enter
coordinates in the Projection point coordinates edit box.
• Defined in the block input — If you select this option, specify
the coordinates of the point in the output of a block that inputs to
the VR Tracer block.

9-35
VR Tracer

9-36
 10

Functions — Alphabetical
List
figure

Purpose Create new virtual reality figure

Syntax f = figure
f = figure([])
f = figure(world)
f = figure(world, 'PropertyName', propertyvalue, ...)

Description f = figure returns an empty figure object. This object does not have a
visual representation. All properties are empty.
f = figure([]) returns an empty vector of type figure.
f = figure(world) creates a new virtual reality figure. It shows the
specified world(s) and returns the figure object, f.
f = figure(world, 'PropertyName', propertyvalue, ...)
shows the specified world(s) with specified properties and returns the
figure object, f.
Creating a virtual figure object with this method creates and displays
the object in the figure window viewer (default viewer 'internalv5').
It ignores the value of the vrsetpref DefaultViewer property.

Examples Create a vrfigure object.

w=vrworld('membrane.wrl')
open(w);
f=vrfigure(w)

10-2
 stl2vrml

Purpose Convert STL files to VRML format

Syntax stl2vrml(source)
stl2vrml(source,destination)

Description stl2vrml(source) Converts the STL file that you specify with source
to a VRML file.
Converts both ASCII and binary STL files. The resulting files are
VRML97 compliant, UTF-8 encoded text files.
VRML files have the same name as the source STL files, except that
the extension is .WRL instead of .STL. The stl2vrml function places the
VRML files into the current folder.
stl2vrml(source,destination) creates the converted VRML files in
the destination folder.

Tips • You can use the created assembly VRML files as templates for
creating virtual scenes in which you can work with objects of the
converted assemblies. To work with the scene effectively, edit the
scene as necessary. For example, consider whether you need to add
lights, viewpoints, and surrounding objects, modify part materials,
define navigation speeds, or make other additions and changes.
• The stl2vrml function converts individual STL files according to
the STL convention, which places parts in the global coordinate
system. If you specify a Physical Modeling XML file as the source,
the resulting VRML assembly file reflects the initial positions of the
parts defined in the XML file.
• If you use SolidWorks, then do not use spaces when naming
assemblies and components. Avoiding spaces in assembly and
component names ensures that the assembly VRML file has the same
tree structure as the related source in SolidWorks. You can then use
the vrphysmod function to process the assembly VRML file to obtain
a Simulink model with VRML visualization.

10-3
stl2vrml

Input source
Arguments The name of the source STL or Physical Modeling XML file. If source
is a Physical Modeling XML file, stl2vrml converts all STL files that
the XML file references. The stl2vrml function also creates a main
assembly VRML file that contains inline references to all converted
individual VRML files. All inlines are wrapped by transform nodes with
DEF names corresponding to the part names defined in their respective
STL source files.

Default: ''

destination
(Optional) Folder in which to create converted files. If the destination
folder does not exist, stl2vrml attempts to create the destination folder.

Default: ''

Examples These examples use STL files that SimMechanics product includes. If
you do not have the SimMechanics product installed, then substitute
another STL file .
Convert the STL file fourbar-Bar1-1.STL (which is in
matlab/toolbox/physmod/mech/mechdemos) to a VRML file and
place the resulting file in the current folder. The resulting VRML file
(fourbar-Bar1-1.wrl) has the same name as the source file, except
that it has a .wrl extension instead of a .stl extension.

stl2vrml('fourbar-Bar1-1.STL')
ls
. .. fourbar-Bar1-1.wrl
% Other files and folders in the current folder appear, as well

Convert the STL file fourbar-Bar2-1.STL to a VRML file and place the
resulting file in a folder called virtualworlds. The resulting VRML
file is in the destination folder that you specify.

mkdir('virtualworlds')

10-4
 stl2vrml

stl2vrml('fourbar-Bar2-1.STL','virtualworlds')
cd virtualworlds
ls
. .. fourbar-Bar2-1.wrl

See Also vrcadcleanup | vrphysmod

10-5
vrcadcleanup

Purpose Clean up VRML file exported from CAD tools

Syntax vrcadcleanup('filename')
vrcadcleanup('filename', 'hint')

Description vrcadcleanup('filename') copies the specified file to a backup file

with the extension bak. It then modifies the VRML file exported from
Pro/ENGINEER® or SolidWorks. This cleanup enables the Simulink 3D
Animation software to use these files.
vrcadcleanup performs the following modifications:
• Removal of everything except inlines, viewpoints, and transforms
• Provision of names for inline transforms
vrcadcleanup('filename', 'hint') takes in account the value of
'hint' during conversion. Possible value of 'hint' includes:

Argument Description
'solidworks' Assumes that the software is exporting the
original set of VRML files from SolidWorks. This
option adds or increments the numerical suffix
to the node names to match the part names that
exist in the corresponding physical modeling
XML file.

This function expects the input file structure to correspond to the typical
output of the specified CAD tools. The typical input file should contain:
• A structure of viewpoints and inline nodes (possibly contained in one
layer of transform nodes)
• One inline node for each part of the exported assembly
The function also performs the following:
• Upon output, discards any additional nodes, including transform
nodes, that do not contain inline nodes.

10-6
 vrcadcleanup

• Processes hierarchically organized assemblies, where inline files

instead of part geometries contain additional groups of nested node
inline nodes. In such subassembly files, copies all inline references to
the main VRML file. The function wraps these inline references with
a Transform node, using a name that corresponds to the subassembly
name.

Note If you call this function for a file that is not a product of a CAD
export filter, the output file might be corrupted.

Examples To clean up the VRML file four_link.wrl:

vrcadcleanup('four_link.wrl');

See Also stl2vrml | vrphysmod

10-7
vr.canvas

Purpose Create virtual reality canvas object

Syntax c = vr.canvas(vrworld)
c = vr.canvas(vrworld, parent)
c = vr.canvas(vrworld, parent, position)
c = vr.canvas(world, 'propertyName', propertyValue,...)

Description c = vr.canvas(vrworld) creates a MATLAB figure containing a

virtual reality canvas that shows the specified virtual reality world. It
returns a virtual reality canvas object.
c = vr.canvas(vrworld, parent) creates a virtual reality canvas
that shows the specified virtual world in the figure specified in parent.
It returns a virtual reality canvas object.
c = vr.canvas(vrworld, parent, position) creates a virtual
reality canvas object that shows the specified virtual world in the figure
specified in parent at position, specified in pixels. It returns a virtual
reality canvas object.
c = vr.canvas(world, 'propertyName', propertyValue,...)
creates a virtual reality canvas that shows the specified world with
specified properties. See “Property Summary” on page 10-9 for a list of
the properties and their values.

Method Method Description

Summary
vr.canvas/capture Capture virtual reality canvas to RGB
image

10-8
 vr.canvas

Property Property Values Description

Summary
Antialiasing 'off' | 'on' Determines whether
antialiasing is used
Default: 'off'
when rendering the
scene. Antialiasing
smooths textures
by interpolating
values between
texture points. This
property causes a
significant CPU load,
but the resulting
scene looks more
natural. Read/write.
CameraBound 'off' | 'on' Controls whether
or not the camera
Default: 'on'
moves with the
current viewpoint.
When the camera is
bound, its position,
direction, and up
vector are relative to
the viewpoint. For
unbound camera,
these values are
absolute. Read/write.
CameraDirection Vector of three Specifies the camera
doubles direction relative to
the direction of the
current viewpoint.
Read/write.

10-9
vr.canvas

Property Values Description

CameraDirectionAbs Vector of three Specifies the camera
doubles direction in world
coordinates. Read
only.
CameraPosition Vector of three Specifies the camera
doubles position relative to
the position of the
current viewpoint.
Read/write.
CameraPositionAbs Vector of three Specifies the camera
doubles position in world
coordinates. Read
only.
CameraUpVector Vector of three Specifies the camera
doubles up vector relative to
the up vector of the
current viewpoint.
Read/write.
CameraUpVectorAbs Vector of three Specifies the camera
doubles up vector in world
coordinates. Read
only.
DeleteFcn String Specifies the callback
invoked when closing
the vr.canvas object.
Read/write.

10-10
 vr.canvas

Property Values Description

Headlight 'off' | 'on' Turns the headlight
on or off. Read/write.
Default: 'on'
Specifies whether
headlight is enabled.
The headlight is
an additional white
directional light that
moves and rotates
with the camera.
Lighting 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether
the lighting is taken
Default: 'on'
into account when
rendering. If it is off,
all the objects are
drawn as if uniformly
lit. Read/write.
MaxTextureSize 'auto' | 32 <= x Sets the maximum
<= video card limit, pixel size of a texture
where x is a power used in rendering
of 2 (video card limit vr.canvas objects.
is typically 1024 or The value must be a
2048) power of two and may
be further adjusted
to match specific
hardware renderer
limits. The smaller
the size, the faster the
texture can render.
Increasing this value
improves image
quality but decreases
performance. A value
of 'auto' sets the

10-11
vr.canvas

Property Values Description

maximum possible
pixel size.
NavMode 'fly' | 'examine' Specifies the current
| 'walk' |'none' navigation mode.
Default: 'fly'
NavPanel Controls the
• 'none'
appearance of the
Panel is not visible. control panel in the
vr.canvas object.
• 'minimized'
Panel is
minimized.
• 'translucent'
Panel floats half
transparently
above the scene.
• 'opaque'
Panel floats above
the scene.
Default: 'none'
NavSpeed 'veryslow' | Specifies navigation
'slow' | 'normal' speed. Read/write.
| 'fast' |
'veryfast'
Default: 'normal'
NavZones 'off' | 'on' Toggles navigation
zones on/off.
Default: 'off'
Read/write.

10-12
 vr.canvas

Property Values Description

Parent Double Specifies handle
of parent of this
virtual reality canvas.
Read-only.
Position Vector of four doubles Specifies screen
coordinates of this
virtual reality canvas.
Textures 'off' | 'on' Turns texture
rendering on or off.
Default: 'on'
Read/write.
Tooltips 'off' | 'on' Displays tooltips for
navigation panel
Default: 'on'
Transparency 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether
or not transparency
Default: 'on'
information is taken
into account when
rendering. If it is off,
all objects are drawn
opaque. Read/write.
Triad Displays coordinate
• 'none'
axes triad in the 3D
Triad is not visible. World Editor virtual
world display pane.
• 'topleft'
Triad is shown in
top-left corner
• 'topright'
Triad is shown in
top-right corner
• 'bottomleft'

10-13
vr.canvas

Property Values Description

Triad is shown in
bottom-left corner
• 'bottomright'
Triad is shown
in bottom-right
corner
• 'center'
Triad is shown in
the center
Default:
'bottomleft'
Units 'pixels' | Specifies the
'normalized' units to interpret
the Position
property. The
DefaultCanvasUnits
preference controls
the default for this
property. Read/write
Viewpoint String. Specifies the
vr.canvas object’s
If active viewpoint
active viewpoint.
does not have a name,
This value is an
value is empty.
empty string if the
active viewpoint
has no description.
Read/write.
Wireframe 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether
objects are drawn as
Default: 'off'
solids or wireframes.
Read/write.

10-14
 vr.canvas

Property Values Description

World vrworld object Specifies the world
this vr.canvas object
is displaying. Read
only.
ZoomFactor Double Specifies the
camera zoom factor.
Default: 1
Read/write.
A zoom factor of 2
makes the scene look
twice as big. A zoom
factor of 0.1 makes it
look 10 times smaller,
and so forth.

See Also vrworld

10-15
vr.canvas/capture

Purpose Capture virtual reality canvas to RGB image

Syntax z = capture(vr.canvas object)

Description z = capture(vr.canvas object) captures a virtual reality canvas

object into a TrueColor RGB image. You can then display this image
with the image function.

Examples Create a vr.canvas object to contain the virtual world, vrlights,

capture that object to an RGB image, and display that image with the
image function.

w = vrworld('vrlights');
open(w);
c = vr.canvas(w, gcf, [30 30 300 200]);
z=capture(c);
image(z);

10-16
 vrclear

Purpose Remove all closed virtual worlds from memory

Syntax vrclear
vrclear('-force')

Description The vrclear function removes from memory all virtual worlds that are
closed and invalidates all vrworld objects related to them. This function
does not affect open virtual worlds. Open virtual worlds include those
loaded from the Simulink interface. You use this command to
• Ensure that the maximum amount of memory is freed before a
memory-consuming operation takes place.
• Perform a general cleanup of memory.
The vrclear('-force') command removes all virtual worlds from
memory, including worlds opened from the Simulink interface.

See Also vrworld | vrworld/delete

10-17
vrclose

Purpose Close virtual reality figure windows

Syntax vrclose
vrclose all

Description vrclose and vrclose all close all the open virtual reality figures.

Examples Open a series of virtual reality figure windows by typing

vrpend
vrbounce
vrlights

Arrange the viewer windows so they are all visible. Type

vrclose

All the virtual reality figure windows disappear from the screen.

See Also vrfigure/close

10-18
 vrdir2ori

Purpose Convert viewpoint direction to orientation

Syntax vrdir2ori(d)
vrdir2ori(d,options)

Description vrdir2ori(d) converts the viewpoint direction, specified by a vector of

three elements, to an appropriate orientation (VRML rotation vector).
vrdir2ori(d,options) converts the viewpoint direction with the
default algorithm parameters replaced by values defined in options.
The options structure contains the parameter epsilon that represents
the value below which a number will be treated as zero (default value is
1e-12).

See Also vrori2dir | vrrotmat2vec | vrrotvec | vrrotvec2mat

10-19
vrdrawnow

Purpose Update virtual world

Syntax vrdrawnow

Description vrdrawnow removes from the queue pending changes to the virtual
world and makes these changes to the scene in the viewer.
Changes to the scene are normally queued and the views are updated
when
• The MATLAB software is idle for some time (no Simulink model is
running and no script is being executed).
• A Simulink step is finished.

10-20
 vredit

Purpose Open 3D World Editor

Syntax w = vredit
w = vredit(filename)

Description w = vredit opens the 3D World Editor with an empty virtual world.
w = vredit(filename) opens a virtual world file in the 3D World
Editor, based on the specified filename. It returns the vrworld handle
of the virtual world.

Examples Open New Virtual World in 3D World Editor

vredit

Open Existing Virtual World in 3D World Editor

Open the membrane virtual world in the 3D World Editor.

myworld = vredit('membrane.wrl')

See Also vrworld/edit | vrworld/open

10-21
vrfigure

Purpose Create new virtual reality figure

Syntax f = vrfigure(world)
f = vrfigure(world,position)
f = vrfigure
f = vrfigure([])

Description f = vrfigure(world) creates a new virtual reality figure showing the

specified world and returns an appropriate vrfigure object. The input
argument world must be a vrworld object.
f = vrfigure(world,position) creates a new virtual reality figure
at the specified position.
f = vrfigure returns an empty vrfigure object that does not have a
visual representation.
f = vrfigure([]) returns an empty vector of type vrfigure.
Creating a virtual figure with this method creates and displays the
figure in the viewer specified in the vrsetpref DefaultViewer property.

Method Method Description

Summary
capture Create RGB image from virtual reality figure
close Close virtual reality figure
get Property value of vrfigure object
isvalid 1 if vrfigure object is valid, 0 if not
set Change property value of vrfigure object

Examples Create and Display a vrworld Object

Create a vrworld object that is associated with the virtual world
vrmount.wrl. Open and view the virtual world.

myworld = vrworld('vrmount.wrl');

10-22
 vrfigure

open(myworld);
f = vrfigure(myworld);

See Also vrworld | vrworld/open

10-23
vrfigure/capture

Purpose Create RGB image from virtual reality figure

Syntax image_capture = capture(vrfigure_object)

Description image_capture = capture(vrfigure_object) captures a virtual

reality figure into a TrueColor RGB image. This image can be displayed
by the image command and subsequently printed.

Examples Create a vrworld object. At the MATLAB command prompt, type

myworld = vrworld('vrmount.wrl')

The vrworld object myworld is associated with the virtual world

vrmount.wrl.
Next, open the virtual world using the vrworld object. You must open
the virtual world before you can view it. At the MATLAB command
prompt, type

open(myworld)

You can now view the virtual world in the Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer by typing

f = vrfigure(myworld)

Your viewer opens and displays the virtual scene. Next, create an RGB
image by typing

image_capture = capture(f);

Lastly, view the image

image(image_capture)

The scene from the viewer window is displayed in a MATLAB figure

window.

10-24
 vrfigure/capture

See Also vrfigure

10-25
vrfigure/close

Purpose Close virtual reality figure

Syntax close(vrfigure_object)

Arguments vrfigure_object Name of a figure object.

Description close(vrfigure_object) closes the virtual reality figure referenced by

vrfigure_object. If vrfigure_object is a vector of vrfigure handles,
then multiple figures are closed.

Examples myworld = vrworld('vrpend.wrl')

open(myworld)
f = vrfigure(myworld)
close(f)

See Also vrfigure | vrworld | vrworld/open

10-26
 vrfigure/get

Purpose Property value of vrfigure object

Syntax get(vrfigure_object)
x = get(vrfigure_object, 'property_name')

Arguments vrfigure_object Name of a vrfigure object.

property_name Name of the property.

Description get(vrfigure_object) lists all the properties of the vrfigure object.

This is useful when you want to determine the current values of these
properties. Use a command like the following to return a value of the
specified property of the vrfigure object.
x = get(vrfigure_object, 'property_name') returns a value of the
specified property of the vrfigure object.
The following are properties of vrfigure objects.

Property Value Description

Antialiasing 'off' | 'on' Determines whether antialiasing
is used when rendering the scene.
Default: 'off'
Antialiasing smooths textures
by interpolating values between
texture points. Read/write.
CameraBound 'off' | 'on' Controls whether or not the
camera moves with the current
Default: 'on'
viewpoint. Read/write.
CameraDirection Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera direction
relative to the direction of the
current viewpoint. Read/write.
CameraDirectionAbs Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera direction in
world coordinates. Read only.

10-27
vrfigure/get

Property Value Description

CameraPosition Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera position
relative to the position of the
current viewpoint. Read/write.
CameraPositionAbs Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera position in
world coordinates. Read only.
CameraUpVector Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera up vector
relative to the up vector of the
current viewpoint. Read/write.
CameraUpVectorAbs Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera up vector in
world coordinates. Read only.
CaptureFileFormat 'tif' | 'png' Specifies file format for a captured
frame file. Read/write.
Default: 'tif'
CaptureFileName String. Specifies the frame capture file
name. The string can contain
Default:
tokens that are replaced by the
'%f_anim_%n.ext'
corresponding information when
the frame capture takes place.
For further details, see “Define
File Name Tokens” on page 4-14.
Read/write.
DeleteFcn String Specifies the callback invoked
when closing the vrfigure object.
Read/write.
Fullscreen 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether the figure is in
fullscreen mode. Read/write.
Default: 'off'
Headlight 'off' | 'on' Turns the headlight on or off.
Read/write.
Default: 'on'

10-28
 vrfigure/get

Property Value Description

Lighting 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether the lighting
is taken into account when
Default: 'on'
rendering. If it is off, all the
objects are drawn as if uniformly
lit. Read/write.
MaxTextureSize 'auto' | 32 <= x <= video Sets the maximum pixel size
card limit, where x is a of a texture used in rendering
power of 2 (video card limit vrfigure objects. The smaller
is typically 1024 or 2048) the size, the faster the texture
can render. Increasing this
value improves image quality but
decreases performance. A value
of 'auto' sets the maximum
possible pixel size. If the value
you enter is unsuitable, a warning
might trigger. The Simulink
3D Animation software then
automatically adjusts the property
to the next smaller suitable value.
Name String Specifies the name of this
vrfigure object. Read/write.
NavMode 'fly' | 'examine' | Specifies navigation mode.
'walk' | 'none' Read/write.
Default: 'examine'
NavPanel 'opaque' | 'translucent' Controls the appearance of the
| 'none' | 'halfbar' | navigation panel in the Simulink
'bar' 3D Animation Viewer. Read/write.
Default: 'halfbar'

10-29
vrfigure/get

Property Value Description

NavSpeed 'veryslow' | 'slow' Specifies navigation speed.
| 'normal' | 'fast' | Read/write.
'veryfast'
Default: 'normal'
NavZones 'off' | 'on' Toggles navigation zones on/off.
Read/write.
Default: 'off'
Position Vector of four doubles Specifies the screen coordinates of
this vrfigure object. Read/write.
Record2D 'off' | 'on' Enables 2-D offline animation file
recording. Read/write.
Default: 'off'
Record2DCompress '' | 'auto' | Specifies the compression method
Method 'lossless' | 'none' for creating 2-D animation files.
| 'compress_method' For valid compress_method
settings, see profile in
Default: 'auto'
the MATLAB VideoWriter
documentation. Read/write.
Record2DCompress 0-100 Specifies the quality of 2-D
Quality animation file compression.
Default: '75'
For details, see the MATLAB
VideoWriter documentation.
Read/write.
Record2DFileName String. Specifies the 2-D offline animation
file name. The string can contain
Default:
tokens that are replaced by the
'%f_anim_%n.ext'
corresponding information when
the animation recording takes
place. For further details, see
“File Name Tokens” on page 4-13.
Read/write.

10-30
 vrfigure/get

Property Value Description

Record2DFPS Positive double or the Specifies rate of playback for
string 'auto' the 2-D offline animation video
in frames per second (fps).
Default: 'auto'
For details, see the MATLAB
VideoWriter documentation.
StatusBar 'off' | 'on' Toggles the status bar at the
bottom of the Simulink 3D
Default: 'on'
Animation Viewer. Read/write.
Textures 'off' | 'on' Turns texture rendering on or off.
Read/write.
Default: 'on'
ToolBar 'off' | 'on' Toggles toolbar on the Simulink
3D Animation Viewer. Read/write.
Default: 'on'
Transparency 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether or not
transparency information is taken
Default: 'on'
into account when rendering.
Read/write.
Viewpoint String. Specifies the vrfigure object’s
active viewpoint. Read/write.
If active viewpoint does
not have a name, value is
empty.
Wireframe 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether objects are
drawn as solids or wireframes.
Default: 'off'
Read/write.
World vrworld object Specifies the world this vrfigure
object is displaying. Read only.
ZoomFactor Double Specifies the camera zoom factor.
Read/write.

10-31
vrfigure/get

Examples Create a vrworld object:

myworld = vrworld('vrmount.wrl');

The vrworld object myworld is associated with the virtual world

vrmount.wrl. Open the world:

open(myworld)

Create a vrfigure object:

f = vrfigure(myworld);

You can now get the object properties of the vrfigure object f:

get(f)

This returns the following object properties:

Antialiasing = 'off'
CameraBound = 'on'
CameraDirection = [0 0 -1]
CameraDirectionAbs = [0 -0.198669 -0.980067]
CameraPosition = [0 0 0]
CameraPositionAbs = [20 8 50]
CameraUpVector = [0 1 0]
CameraUpVectorAbs = [0 0.980067 -0.198669]
CaptureFileFormat = 'tif'
CaptureFileName = '%f_anim_%n.tif'
DeleteFcn = ''
Fullscreen = 'off'
Headlight = 'on'
Lighting = 'on'
MaxTextureSize = 4096
Name = 'VR Car in the Mountains'
NavMode = 'examine'
NavPanel = 'halfbar'
NavSpeed = 'normal'

10-32
 vrfigure/get

NavZones = 'off'
Position = [5 92 576 380]
Record2D = 'off'
Record2DCompressMethod = 'auto'
Record2DCompressQuality = 75
Record2DFPS = 15
Record2DFileName = '%f_anim_%n.avi'
StatusBar = 'on'
Textures = 'on'
ToolBar = 'on'
Transparency = 'on'
Viewpoint = 'View 1 - Observer'
Wireframe = 'off'
World = vrworld object: 1-by-1
ZoomFactor = 1

See Also vrfigure | vrfigure/set

10-33
vrfigure/isvalid

Purpose 1 if vrfigure object is valid, 0 if not

Syntax x = isvalid(vrfigure_object_vector)

Arguments vrfigure_object_vector Name of an array of vrfigure objects.

Description This method detects whether the vrfigure handles are valid and
returns an array that contains a 1 where the vrfigure handles are
valid and returns a 0 where they are not.

See Also vrnode/isvalid | vrworld/isvalid

10-34
 vrfigure/set

Purpose Change property value of vrfigure object

Syntax set(vrfigure_object, 'property_name', property_value)

Arguments vrfigure_object Name of a vrfigure object.

property_name Name of the property you want to set.
property_value New value of the property.

Description The set(vrfigure_object) method allows you to set the property

value of a vrfigure object. This method is useful when you want to
change the value of a property.
The following are properties of vrfigure objects.

Property Value Description

Antialiasing 'off' | 'on' Determines whether antialiasing
is used when rendering the scene.
Default: 'off'
Antialiasing smooths textures by
interpolating values between texture
points. Read/write.
CameraBound 'off' | 'on' Controls whether or not the camera
moves with the current viewpoint.
Default: 'on'
Read/write.
CameraDirection Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera direction relative
to the direction of the current viewpoint.
Read/write.
CameraDirectionAbs Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera direction in world
coordinates. Read only.
CameraPosition Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera position relative
to the position of the current viewpoint.
Read/write.

10-35
vrfigure/set

Property Value Description

CameraPositionAbs Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera position in world
coordinates. Read only.
CameraUpVector Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera up vector
relative to the up vector of the current
viewpoint. Read/write.
CameraUpVectorAbs Vector of three doubles Specifies the camera up vector in world
coordinates. Read only.
CaptureFileFormat 'tif' | 'png' Specifies file format for a captured
frame file. Read/write.
Default: 'tif'
CaptureFileName String. Specifies the frame capture file name.
The string can contain tokens that
Default:
are replaced by the corresponding
'%f_anim_%n.ext'
information when the frame capture
takes place. For further details, see
“Define File Name Tokens” on page
4-14. Read/write.
DeleteFcn String Specifies the callback invoked
when closing the vrfigure object.
Read/write.
Headlight 'off' | 'on' Turns the headlight on or off.
Read/write.
Default: 'on'
Lighting 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether the lighting is taken
into account when rendering. If it is off,
Default: 'on'
all the objects are drawn as if uniformly
lit. Read/write.

10-36
 vrfigure/set

Property Value Description

MaxTextureSize 'auto' | 32 <= x <= Sets the maximum pixel size of a
video card limit, where texture used in rendering vrfigure
x is a power of 2 (video objects. The smaller the size, the faster
card limit is typically the texture can render. Increasing
1024 or 2048) this value improves image quality but
decreases performance. A value of
'auto' sets the maximum possible
pixel size. If the value you enter is
unsuitable, a warning might trigger.
The Simulink 3D Animation software
then automatically adjusts the property
to the next smaller suitable value.
Name String Specifies the name of this vrfigure
object. Read/write.
NavMode 'fly' | 'examine' | Specifies navigation mode. Read/write.
'walk' | 'none'
Default: 'examine'
NavPanel 'opaque' | Controls the appearance of the
'translucent' | navigation panel in the Simulink 3D
'none' | 'halfbar' | Animation Viewer. Read/write.
'bar'
Default: 'halfbar'
NavSpeed 'veryslow' | 'slow' Specifies navigation speed. Read/write.
| 'normal' | 'fast'
| 'veryfast'
Default: 'normal'
NavZones 'off' | 'on' Toggles navigation zones on/off.
Read/write.
Default: 'off'
Position Vector of four doubles Specifies the screen coordinates of this
vrfigure object. Read/write.

10-37
vrfigure/set

Property Value Description

Record2D 'off' | 'on' Enables 2-D offline animation file
recording. Read/write.
Default: 'off'
Record2DCompress '' | 'auto' | Specifies the compression method
Method 'lossless' | for creating 2-D animation files.
'codec_code' The codec code must be registered
in the system. See the MATLAB
Default: 'auto'
function documentation for avifile.
Read/write.
Record2DCompress 0-100 Specifies the quality of 2-D animation
Quality file compression. Read/write.
Default: '75'
Record2DFileName String. Specifies the 2-D offline animation file
name. The string can contain tokens
Default:
that are replaced by the corresponding
'%f_anim_%n.ext'
information when the animation
recording takes place. For further
details, see “File Name Tokens” on page
4-13. Read/write.
StatusBar 'off' | 'on' Toggles the status bar at the bottom
of the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer.
Default: 'on'
Read/write.
Textures 'off' | 'on' Turns texture rendering on or off.
Read/write.
Default: 'on'
ToolBar 'off' | 'on' Toggles toolbar on the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer. Read/write.
Default: 'on'
Transparency 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether or not transparency
information is taken into account when
Default: 'on'
rendering. Read/write.

10-38
 vrfigure/set

Property Value Description

Viewpoint String. Specifies the vrfigure object’s active
viewpoint. Read/write.
If active viewpoint does
not have a name, value
is empty.
Wireframe 'off' | 'on' Specifies whether objects are drawn as
solids or wireframes. Read/write.
Default: 'off'
World vrworld object Specifies the world this vrfigure object
is displaying. Read only.
ZoomFactor Double Specifies the camera zoom factor.
Read/write.

Examples Create a vrworld object.

myworld = vrworld('vrmount.wrl');

The vrworld object myworld is associated with the virtual world

vrmount.wrl. Open the world:

open(myworld)

Create a vrfigure object:

f = vrfigure(myworld);

The VR Car in the Mountains virtual world opens in the Simulink

3D Animation Viewer. You can now set the object properties of the
vrfigure object f:

set(f,'Name','Car on a Mountain Road')

You can see that the name of the virtual world has changed in the
viewer.

10-39
vrfigure/set

See Also vrfigure | vrfigure/get

10-40
 vrgcbf

Purpose Current callback vrfigure object

Syntax f = vrgcbf

Description f = vrgcbf returns a vrfigure object representing the virtual reality

figure that contains the callback currently being executed.
When no virtual reality figure callbacks are executing, vrgcbf returns
an empty array of vrfigure objects.

10-41
vrgcf

Purpose Handle for active virtual reality figure

Syntax h = vrgcf

Description h = vrgcf returns the handle of the current virtual reality figure. The
current virtual reality figure is the currently active virtual reality
figure window in which you can get and set the viewer properties. If no
virtual reality figure exists, the MATLAB software returns an empty
vrfigure object.
This method is most useful to query and set virtual reality figure
properties.

See Also vrfigure | vrfigure/get | vrfigure/set

10-42
 vrgetpref

Purpose Values of Simulink 3D Animation preferences

Syntax x = vrgetpref
x = vrgetpref('preference_name')
x = vrgetpref('preference_name','factory')
x = vrgetpref('factory')

Arguments preference_name Name of the preference to read.

Description x = vrgetpref returns the values of all the Simulink 3D Animation

preferences in a structure array.
x = vrgetpref('preference_name') returns the value of the specified
preference. If preference_name is a cell array of preference names, a
cell array of corresponding preference values is returned.
x = vrgetpref('preference_name','factory') returns the default
value for the specified preference.
x = vrgetpref('factory') returns the default values for all the
preferences.
The following preferences are defined. For preferences that begin
with the string DefaultFigure or DefaultWorld, these values are the
default values for the corresponding vrfigure or vrworld property:

Preference Description
DataTypeBool Specifies the handling of the VRML
Bool data type for vrnode/setfield
and vrnode/getfield. Valid values
are 'logical' and 'char'. If set
to 'logical', the VRML Bool data
type is returned as a logical value.
If set to 'char', the Bool data type

10-43
vrgetpref

Preference Description

is returned 'on' or 'off'. Default

is 'logical'.
DataTypeInt32 Specifies handling of the
VRML Int32 data type
for vrnode/setfield and
vrnode/getfield. Valid values
are 'int32' and 'double'. If set
to 'int32', the VRML Int32 data
type is returned as int32. If set to
'double', the Int32 data type is
returned as 'double'. Default is
'double'.
DataTypeFloat Specifies the handling of
the VRML float data type
for vrnode/setfield and
vrnode/getfield. Valid values are
'single' and 'double'. If set to
'single', the VRML Float and
Color data types are returned as
'single'. If set to 'double', the
Float and Color data types are
returned as 'double'. Default is
'double'.

10-44
 vrgetpref

Preference Description
DefaultCanvasNavPanel Controls the appearance of the
control panel in the vr.canvas
object. Values are:
• 'none'
Panel is not visible.
• 'minimized'
Panel appears as a minimized icon
in the right-hand corner of the
viewer.
• 'translucent'
Panel floats half transparently
above the scene.
• 'opaque'
Panel floats above the scene.
Default: 'none'
DefaultCanvasUnits Specifies default units for new
vr.canvas objects. See vr.canvas
for detailed description. Default is
'normalized'.
DefaultFigureAnti Determines whether antialiasing is
Aliasing used by default for new vrfigure
objects. This preference also applies
to new vr.canvas objects. Valid
values are 'off' and 'on'.
DefaultFigureCapture Specifies default file name for
FileName vr.capture files. See vrfigure/get
for detailed description. Default is
'%f_anim_%n.tif'.

10-45
vrgetpref

Preference Description
DefaultFigureDeleteFcn Specifies the default callback invoked
when closing a vrfigure object.
DefaultFigureLighting Specifies whether the lights are
rendered by default for new
vrfigure objects. This preference
also applies to new vr.canvas
objects. Valid values are 'off' and
'on'.
DefaultFigureMax Specifies the default maximum size
TextureSize of a texture used in rendering new
vrfigure objects. This preference
also applies to new vr.canvas
objects. Valid values are 'auto' and
32 <= x <= video card limit, where
x is a power of 2.
DefaultFigureNavPanel Specifies the default appearance
of the control panel in the viewer.
Valid values are 'opaque',
'translucent', 'none', 'halfbar',
'bar', and 'factory'. Default is
'halfbar'.
DefaultFigureNavZones Specifies whether the navigation
zone is on or off by default for new
vrfigure objects. This preference
also applies to new vr.canvas
objects. Valid values are 'off' and
'on'.
DefaultFigurePosition Sets the default initial position and
size of the Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer window. Valid value is a
vector of four doubles.

10-46
 vrgetpref

Preference Description
DefaultFigureRecord2D Specifies the default compression
CompressMethod method for creating 2-D animation
files for new vrfigure objects. Valid
values are '', 'auto', 'lossless',
and 'codec_code'.
DefaultFigureRecord2D Specifies the default quality of 2-D
CompressQuality animation file compression for new
vrfigure objects. Valid values are
0-100.
DefaultFigureRecord2D Specifies the default 2-D offline
FileName animation file name for new
vrfigure objects.
DefaultFigureRecord2DFPS Specifies the default frames per
second playback speed.
To have the 2D AVI animation play
back at approximately the same
playback speed as the 3D VRML
animation, set this preference to
auto.
DefaultFigureStatusBar Specifies whether the status bar
appears by default at the bottom of
the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer
for new vrfigure objects. Valid
values are 'off' and 'on'.
DefaultFigureTextures Specifies whether textures should
be rendered by default for new
vrfigure objects. This preference
also applies to new vr.canvas
objects. See vrfigure/get for
detailed description. Default is 'on'.

10-47
vrgetpref

Preference Description
DefaultFigureToolBar Specifies whether the toolbar
appears by default on the Simulink
3D Animation Viewer for new
vrfigure objects. Valid values are
'off' and 'on'.
DefaultFigure Specifies whether or not
Transparency transparency information is taken
into account when rendering for new
vrfigure objects. This preference
also applies to new vr.canvas
objects. Valid values are 'off' and
'on'.
DefaultFigureWireframe Specifies whether objects are drawn
as solids or wireframes by default
for new vrfigure objects. This
preference also applies to new
vr.canvas objects. Valid values are
'off' and 'on'.
DefaultViewer Specifies which viewer is used to
view a virtual scene.
• 'internal'
Default Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer. This is the same as
setting the value to 'internalv5'
for all platforms except the Linux
platform.
• 'internalv4'
Legacy Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer.
• 'internalv5'

10-48
 vrgetpref

Preference Description

Viewer based on MATLAB figure

windows.
• 'web'
Web browser becomes viewer.
This is the current Web browser
VRML plug-in.

Note For Linux platforms,

'internal' sets the default
viewer to the legacy viewer, and
'internalv5' sets the default
viewer to the viewer based on
MATLAB figures.

DefaultWorldRecord3D Specifies the default 3-D animation

FileName file name for new vrworld objects.
DefaultWorldRecordMode Specifies the default animation
recording mode for new vrworld
objects. Valid values are 'manual'
and 'scheduled'.
DefaultWorldRecord Specifies the default start and
Interval stop times for scheduled animation
recording for new vrworld objects.
Valid value is a vector of two doubles.
DefaultWorldRemoteView Specifies whether the virtual world
is enabled by default for remote
viewing for new vrworld objects.
Valid values are 'off' and 'on'.

10-49
vrgetpref

Preference Description
DefaultWorldTimeSource Specifies the default source of
the time for new vrworld objects.
Valid values are 'external' and
'freerun'.
Editor Path to the VRML editor. If this
path is empty, the MATLAB editor
is used.
EditorPreserveLayout Specifies whether the 3D World
Editor starts up with a saved version
of the layout of a virtual world when
you exited it or reverts to the default
layout. The layout of the virtual
world display pane includes settings
for the view, viewpoints, navigation,
and rendering. Valid values are
'off' and 'on'. The default is on
(use saved layout).
HttpPort IP port number used to access the
Simulink 3D Animation server over
the Web via HTTP. If you change
this preference, you must restart the
MATLAB software before the change
takes effect.
TransportBuffer Length of the transport buffer
(network packet overlay) for
communication between the
Simulink 3D Animation server and
its clients.

10-50
 vrgetpref

Preference Description
TransportTimeout Amount of time the Simulink
3D Animation server waits for a
reply from the client. If there is
no response from the client, the
Simulink 3D Animation server
disconnects from the client.
VrPort IP port used for communication
between the Simulink 3D Animation
server and its clients. If you change
this preference, you must restart the
MATLAB software before the change
takes effect.

The HttpPort, VrPort, and TransportBuffer preferences affect

Web-based viewing of virtual worlds. DefaultFigurePosition and
DefaultNavPanel affect the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer.
DefaultFigureNavPanel — Controls the appearance of the navigation
panel in the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer. For example, setting
this value to 'translucent' causes the navigation panel to appear
translucent.
DefaultViewer — Determines whether the virtual scene appears in
the default Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, based on MATLAB figure
windows, the legacy Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, or in your Web
browser.

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vrgetpref

DefaultViewer Setting Description

'internal' Default Simulink 3D Animation Viewer.
This is the same as setting the value to
'internalv5' for all platforms except
the Linux platform.
'internalv4' Simulink 3D Animation Viewer that
is the previous default viewer for most
platforms. This viewer continues to be
the default viewer for Linux platforms.
'internalv5' Viewer based on MATLAB figure
windows.
'web' Viewer is the default Web browser with
the VRML plug-in.

Note If you are running the Simulink 3D Animation software on

a Linux platform, the default viewer continues to be legacy viewer,
which does not support MATLAB figures. If you have a Linux platform
and want to access the MATLAB figure capability, you must install
the hardware-accelerated OpenGL rendering engine. Otherwise, the
Simulink 3D Animation software cannot properly display the viewer.
You can then activate the viewer by using vrsetpref to set the
DefaultViewer property to 'internalv5'.

Editor — Contains a path to the VRML editor executable file. When

you use the edit command, Simulink 3D Animation runs the VRML
editor executable with all parameters required to edit the VRML file.
When you run the editor, Simulink 3D Animation uses the Editor
preference value as if you typed it into a command line. The following
tokens are interpreted:

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 vrgetpref

%matlabroot Refers to the MATLAB root folder

%file Refers to the VRML file name

For instance, a possible value for the Editor preference is

`%matlabroot\bin\win32\meditor.exe %file'

If this preference is empty, the MATLAB editor is used.

HttpPort -- Specifies the network port to be used for Web access. The
port is given in the Web URL as follows:

http://server.name:port_number

The default value of this preference is 8123.

TransportBuffer — Defines the size of the message window for
client-server communication. This value determines how many
messages, at a maximum, can travel between the client and the server
at one time.
Generally, higher values for this preference make the animation run
more smoothly, but with longer reaction times. (More messages in the
line create a buffer that compensates for the unbalanced delays of the
network transfer.)
The default value is 5, which is optimal for most purposes. You should
change this value only if the animation is significantly distorted or the
reaction times are very slow. On fast connections, where delays are
introduced more by the client rendering speed, this value has very little
effect. Viewing on a host computer is equivalent to an extremely fast
connection. On slow connections, the correct value can improve the
rendering speed significantly but, of course, the absolute maximum is
determined by the maximum connection throughput.
VrPort — Specifies the network port to use for communication between
the Simulink 3D Animation server (host computer) and its clients (client
computers). Normally, this communication is completely invisible to the
user. However, if you view a virtual world from a client computer, you

10-53
vrgetpref

might need to configure the security network system (firewall) so that

it allows connections on this port. The default value of this preference
is 8124.

See Also vrsetpref

10-54
 vrinstall

Purpose Install and check Simulink 3D Animation components

Syntax vrinstall('action')
vrinstall action
vrinstall('action','component')
vrinstall action component
x = vrinstall('action', 'component')

Arguments action Type of action for this function. Values are

-interactive, -selftest, -check, -install, and
-uninstall.
component Name of the component for the action. Values are
viewer and editor.

Description You use this function to manage the installation of optional software
components related to the Simulink 3D Animation product. Currently
there are two such components: VRML plug-in and VRML editor.

Action Value Description

-selftest Checks the integrity of the current installation. If
this function reports an error, you should reinstall
the Simulink 3D Animation software. The function
vrinstall automatically does a self-test with any
other actions.
-interactive Checks for the installed components, and then
displays a list of uninstalled components you can
choose to install.
-check Checks the installation of optional components.
If the given component is installed, returns 1. If
the given component is not installed, returns 0. If
you do not specify a component, displays a list of
components and their status.

10-55
vrinstall

Action Value Description

-install Installs optional components. This action
requires you to specify the component name. All
components can be installed using this command,
but some of them (currently only the plug-in)
need to be uninstalled using the system standard
uninstallation procedure.
-uninstall Uninstalls optional components. This option is
currently available for the editor only. Note that
this action does not remove the files for the editor
from the installation folder. It removes the editor
registry information.
If you want to uninstall the VRML plug-in, exit the
MATLAB software and, from the Control Panel
window, select Add/Remove Programs.

Examples Install the VRML plug-in. This command starts the Blaxxun Contact
install program and installs the plug-in to your default Web browser.

vrinstall -install viewer

Install the VRML editor. This command associates V-Realm Builder

with the Edit button in the Block Parameters dialog boxes.

vrinstall -install editor

10-56
 vrjoystick

Purpose Create joystick object

Syntax joy = vrjoystick(id)

joy = vrjoystick(id,'forcefeedback')

Description joy = vrjoystick(id) creates a joystick object capable of interfacing

with a joystick device. The id parameter is a one-based joystick ID.
joy = vrjoystick(id,'forcefeedback') enables force feedback if the
joystick supports this capability.

Methods Method Description

axis a = axis(joy, n) reads the status of
joystick with axis number n. Axis status
is returned in the range of -1 to 1. The
n parameter may be a vector to return
multiple buttons.
button b = button(joy, n) reads the status of
joystick button number n. Button status
is returned as logical 0 if not pressed and
logical 1 if pressed. The n parameter may
be a vector to return multiple buttons.
caps c = caps(joy) returns joystick
capabilities, such as the number of axes,
buttons, POVs, and force-feedback axes.
The return value is a structure with fields
named Axes, Buttons, POVs, and Forces.
close close(joy) closes and invalidates the
joystick object. The object cannot be used
once it is closed.

10-57
vrjoystick

Method Description
force force(joy, n, f) applies force feedback
to joystick axis n. The n parameter can be
a vector to affect multiple axes. f values
should be in range of -1 to 1, and the
number of elements in f should either
match the number of elements of n, or
f can be a scalar to be applied to all the
axes specified by n.
pov p = pov(joy, n) reads the status of
joystick POV (point of view) of control
number n. pov is usually returned in
degrees, with -1 meaning "not selected." n
can be a vector to return multiple POVs.
read [axes, buttons, povs] = read(joy)
reads the status of axes, buttons, and
POVs of the specified joystick. [axes,
buttons, povs] = read(joy, forces)
applies feedback forces, in addition, to a
force-feedback joystick.

where joy is the handle to the joystick object.

10-58
 vrlib

Purpose Open Simulink block library for Simulink 3D Animation

Syntax vrlib

Description The Simulink library for the Simulink 3D Animation product has a
number of blocks and utilities. You can access these blocks in one of
the following ways:
• In the MATLAB Command Window, type vrlib.
• From a Simulink block diagram, select the View menu, click Show
Library Browser.
• In the MATLAB Command Window, click the Simulink icon.

10-59
vrnode

Purpose Create node or handle to existing node

Syntax mynode = vrnode

mynode = vrnode([])
mynode = vrnode(vrworld_object,'node_name')
mynode = vrnode(vrworld_object, 'node_name','node_type')
mynode = vrnode(vrworld_object, 'USE', othernode)
mynode = vrnode(parent_node,'parent_field', 'node_name',
'node_type')
mynode = vrnode(parent_node,'parent_field', 'USE',
'othernode')

Arguments vrworld_object Name of a vrworld object representing a

virtual world.
node_name Name of the node.
node_type Type of the node.
parent_node Name of the parent node that is a vrnode
object.
parent_field Name of the field of the parent node.
'USE' Enables a USE reference to another node.
othernode Name of another node for a USE reference.

Description mynode = vrnode creates an empty vrnode handle that does not
reference any node.
mynode = vrnode([]) creates an empty array of vrnode handles.
mynode = vrnode(vrworld_object,'node_name') creates a handle to
an existing named node in the virtual world.
mynode = vrnode(vrworld_object, 'node_name','node_type')
creates a new node called node_name of type node_type on the root of
the virtual world. It returns the handle to the newly created node.

10-60
 vrnode

mynode = vrnode(vrworld_object, 'USE', othernode) creates

a USE reference to the node othernode on the root of the world
vrworld_object. It returns the handle to the virtual world to the
original node.
mynode = vrnode(parent_node,'parent_field',
'node_name','node_type') creates a new node called
node_name of type node_type that is a child of the parent_node and
resides in the field parent_field. It returns the handle to the newly
created node.
mynode = vrnode(parent_node,'parent_field', 'USE',
'othernode') creates a USE reference to the node othernode as a child
of node parentnode and resides in the field parentfield. It returns
the handle to the original node.
A vrnode object identifies a virtual world node in a way very similar to
a handle. If you apply the vrnode method to a node that does not exist,
the method creates a node, the vrnode object, and returns the handle
to the vrnode object. If you apply the vrnode method to an existing
node, the method returns the handle to the vrnode object associated
with this node.

Method Method Description

Summary
delete Remove vrnode object
fields VRML field summary of node object
get Property value of vrnode object
getfield Field value of vrnode object
isvalid 1 if vrnode object is valid, 0 if not
set Change property of virtual world node
setfield Change field value of vrnode object
sync Enable or disable synchronization of VRML fields
with client

10-61
vrnode

See Also vrnode/delete | vrnode/get | vrnode/getfield | vrnode/set |

vrnode/setfield | vrworld

10-62
 vrnode/delete

Purpose Remove vrnode object

Syntax delete(vrnode_object)
delete(n)

Arguments vrnode_object Name of a vrnode object.

Description delete(vrnode_object) deletes the virtual world node.

delete(n) deletes the vrnode object referenced by the vrnode handle n.
If n is a vector of vrnode handles, multiple nodes are deleted.
As soon as a node is deleted, it and all its child objects are removed from
all clients connected to the virtual world.

See Also vrworld/delete

10-63
vrnode/fields

Purpose VRML field summary of node object

Syntax fields(vrnode_object)
x = fields(vrnode_object)

Arguments vrnode_object Name of a vrnode object representing the node

to be queried.

Description fields(vrnode_object) displays a list of VRML fields of the node

associated with the vrnode object in the MATLAB Command Window.
x = fields(vrnode_object) returns the VRML fields of the node
associated with the vrnode object in a structure array. The resulting
structure contains a field for every VRML field with the following
subfields:
• Type is the name of the VRML field type, for example, 'MFString',
'SFColor'.
• Access is the accessibility description of the VRML data class, for
example, 'eventIn', 'exposedField'.
• Sync is the synchronization status 'on' or 'off'. See also
vrnode/sync.

See Also vrnode/get | vrnode/set

10-64
 vrnode/get

Purpose Property value of vrnode object

Syntax get(vrnode_object)
x = get(vrnode_object)
x = get(vrnode_object, 'property_name')

Arguments vrnode_object Name of a vrnode object representing the node to

be queried.
property_name Name of the property to be read.

Description get(vrnode_object) lists all vrnode properties in the MATLAB

Command Window.
x = get(vrnode_object), where vrnode_object is a scalar, returns
a structure where each field name is the name of a property and each
field contains the value of that property.
x = get(vrnode_object, 'property_name') returns the value of
given property.
If vrnode_object is a vector of vrnode handles, get returns an M-by-1
cell array of values, where M is equal to length(vrnode_object).
The vrnode property values are case sensitive. Property names are not
case sensitive.
The vrnode object properties allow you to control the behavior and
appearance of objects. The vrnode objects have the following properties.
All these properties are read only.

Property Value Description

Fields Cell Valid field names for the VRML node.
array
Name String Name of the node.

10-65
vrnode/get

Property Value Description

Type String VRML type of the node. The value is
a string (for example, 'Transform',
'Shape').
World Handle Handle of the parent vrworld object. This
is a vrworld object that represents the
node’s parent world.

See Also vrnode | vrnode/getfield | vrnode/set | vrnode/setfield

10-66
 vrnode/getfield

Purpose Field value of vrnode object

Syntax getfield(vrnode_object)
x = getfield(vrnode_object)
x = getfield(vrnode_object,'fieldname')

Arguments vrnode_object Name of a vrnode object representing the node to

be queried.
fieldname Name of the vrnode object field whose values you
want to query.

Description getfield(vrnode_object) displays all the field names and their

current values for the respective VRML node.
x = getfield(vrnode_object), where vrnode_object is a scalar,
returns a structure where each field name is the name of a vrnode field
and each field contains the value of that field.
x = getfield(vrnode_object,'fieldname') returns the value of
the specified field for the node referenced by the vrnode_object
handle. If vrnode_object is a vector of vrnode handles, getfield
returns an M-by-1 cell array of values, where M is equal to
length(vrnode_object).
If 'fieldname' is a 1-by-N or N-by-1 cell array of strings containing
field names, getfield returns an M-by-N cell array of values.

Note The dot notation is the preferred method for accessing nodes.

See Also vrnode | vrnode/get | vrnode/set | vrnode/setfield

10-67
vrnode/isvalid

Purpose 1 if vrnode object is valid, 0 if not

Syntax x = isvalid(vrnode_object_vector)

Arguments vrnode_object_vector Name of an array of vrnode objects to be

queried.

Description This method returns an array that contains 1 when the elements of
vrnode_object_vector are valid vrnode objects, and 0 when they are
not.
The vrnode object is considered valid if the following conditions are met:
• The parent world of the node exists.
• The parent world of the node is open.
• The VRML node with the given vrnode handle exists in the parent
world.

See Also vrfigure/isvalid | vrworld/isvalid

10-68
 vrnode/set

Purpose Change property of virtual world node

Syntax x = set(vrnode_object, 'property_name','property_value')

Arguments vrnode_object Name of a vrnode object representing a node in

the virtual world.
property_name Name of a property.
property_value Value of a property.

Description x = set(vrnode_object, 'property_name','property_value')

changes the specified property of the vrnode object to the specified
value.
The vrnode property values are case sensitive, while property names
are not case sensitive.
The vrnode property values are case sensitive, while property names
are not case sensitive.
The vrnode objects have the following properties. All these properties
are read only.

Property Value Description

Fields Cell array Valid field names for the VRML node. Read
only.
Name String Name of the node. Read only.
Type String VRML type of the node. The value is a string
(for example, 'Transform', 'Shape'). Read
only.
World Handle Handle of the parent vrworld object. This is
a vrworld object that represents the node’s
parent world. Read only.

Currently, VRML nodes have no settable properties.

10-69
vrnode/set

See Also vrnode | vrnode/get | vrnode/getfield | vrnode/setfield

10-70
 vrnode/setfield

Purpose Change field value of vrnode object

Syntax x = setfield(vrnode_object,'fieldname','fieldvalue')

Arguments vrnode_object Name of a vrnode object representing the node

to be changed.
fieldname Name of the vrnode object VRML field whose
values you want to set.
fieldvalue Value of fieldname.

Description x = setfield(vrnode_object,'fieldname','fieldvalue') changes

the specified field of the vrnode object to the specified value. You can
specify multiple field names and field values in one line of code by
grouping them in pairs. For example, x = setfield(vrnode_object,
'fieldname1', 'fieldvalue1', 'fieldname2', 'fieldvalue2', ...).
Note that VRML field names are case sensitive, while property names
are not.

Note The dot notation is the preferred method for accessing nodes.
For example:

vrnode_object.fieldname=fieldvalue;

See Also vrnode | vrnode/get | vrnode/getfield | vrnode/set

10-71
vrnode/sync

Purpose Enable or disable synchronization of VRML fields with client

Syntax sync(vrnode_object, 'field_name', 'action')

Arguments vrnode_object Name of a vrnode object representing the node.

field_name Name of the VRML field to be synchronized.
action The action parameter determines what should
be done:

• 'on' enables synchronization of this field.

• 'off' disables synchronization of this field.

Description The sync method controls whether the value of a VRML field is
synchronized.
When the field is marked 'on', the field value is updated every time it
is changed on the client computer. If the field is marked 'off', the host
computer ignores the changes on the client computer.
Synchronized fields add more traffic to the network line because the
value of the field must be resent by the client any time it is changed.
Because of this, you should mark for synchronization only the fields you
need to scan for changes made on clients (typically sensors). By default,
fields are not synchronized and their values reflect only settings from
MATLAB or the Simulink software.
Synchronization is meaningful only for readable fields. Readable fields
are of VRML data class eventOut and exposedField. You cannot
enable synchronization for eventIn or nonexposed fields.

See Also vrnode | vrnode/get

10-72
 vrori2dir

Purpose Convert viewpoint orientation to direction

Syntax vrori2dir(r)
vrori2dir(r,options)

Description vrori2dir(r) converts the viewpoint orientation, specified by a

rotation vector, r, to a direction the viewpoint points to.
vrori2dir(r,options) converts the viewpoint orientation with the
default algorithm parameters replaced by values defined in options.
The options structure contains the parameter epsilon that represents
the value below which a number will be treated as zero (default value is
1e-12).

See Also vrdir2ori | vrrotmat2vec | vrrotvec | vrrotvec2mat

10-73
vrphysmod

Purpose Add virtual reality visualization framework to block diagrams

Syntax vrphysmod(vrmlfile, model)

vrphysmod(vrmlfile, subsystem)

Description vrphysmod(vrmlfile, model) or vrphysmod(vrmlfile, subsystem)

updates the model or subsystem that the SimMechanics mech_import
function generates.
The model must be on the MATLAB path or already open prior to
calling the vrphysmod function.
As necessary, vrphysmod adds additional blocks to visualize the
mechanical system in virtual reality. You can then save, rename,
modify, and run the model. The .wrl extension for vrmlfile is
optional. The association between mechanical system bodies and
corresponding VRML nodes found in the VRML file is based on the
name correspondence.
If your model contains several VR Sink blocks that refer to the same
vrmlfile, this function attempts to consolidate the animation signals
of that virtual scene into one VR Sink block.

Note The SolidWorks VRML export filter does not preserve part
instance names and the part order in the resulting VRML file.
Therefore, the association between such parts and the corresponding
bodies in the block diagram is not always an exact match. In such cases,
the function identifies nodes with partial matches and issues warnings.
To prevent these warnings, ensure that node DEF names in the VRML
file are identical to their corresponding bodies in the Simulink model
before running this function.

If you receive this warning and the set of VRML files does not originate
in the SolidWorks product, ignore the message. Other supported CAD
tools also generate part names with similar names, but preserve them
across different export formats.

10-74
 vrphysmod

Examples To update the model four_link using the VRML file four_link.wrl:

vrphysmod('four_link.wrl', 'four_link');

To update the subsystem four_link/FOURLINK_ASM using the VRML

file four_link.wrl, ensure that the model that contains the subsystem
is open, then:

vrphysmod('four_link.wrl', 'four_link/FOURLINK_ASM');

To update the current system using the VRML file four_link.wrl:

vrphysmod('four_link.wrl', gcs);

See Also stl2vrml | vrcadcleanup | mech_import

10-75
vrplay

Purpose Play VRML animation file

Syntax vrplay
vrplay(filename)
x=vrplay(filename)

Description vrplay opens the 3D Animation Player, which you use to open and
play VRML animation files.
vrplay(filename) opens the 3D Animation Player and loads the
virtual world filename.
x=vrplay(filename) also returns a 3D Animation Player figure
handle.
vrplay works only with VRML animation files created using the
Simulink 3D Animation VRML recording functionality.

stop
play
step reverse step forward
fast forward
rewind
last jump
start loop

time indicator

10-76
 vrplay

Setting the DefaultViewer property to internalv4 affects the behavior

of the vrplay function. When you create additional vrplay windows
using the File > New Window command, the window respects
the current setting of the DefaultViewer property. By default, the
File > New Window command creates the new player window
implemented as a MATLAB figure.
If you set the DefaultViewer property to internalv4, the File > New
Window command creates the new player window as in previous
releases.

Keyboard The playback controls can also be accessed from the keyboard.
Support
Key Function
F, Page Down Fast forward
J Jump to time
L Loop
P Play/pause toggle
S Stop
R, Page Up Rewind
Right arrow key Step forward
Left arrow key Step reverse
Up arrow key First
Down arrow key Last

Examples To play the animation file based on the vr_octavia example, run
vrplay('octavia_scene_anim.wrl').

See Also vrview

How To • “Record Offline Animations with the Simulink® 3D Animation™

Viewer” on page 7-42

10-77
vrrotvec

Purpose Calculate rotation between two vectors

Syntax r = vrrotvec(a,b)
r = vrrotvec(a,b,options)

Description r = vrrotvec(a,b) calculates a rotation needed to transform the 3D

vector a to the 3D vector b.
r = vrrotvec(a,b,options) calculates the rotation with the default
algorithm parameters replaced by values defined in options.
The options structure contains the parameter epsilon that represents
the value below which a number will be treated as zero (default value is
1e-12).
The result, r, is a four-element axis-angle rotation row vector. The first
three elements specify the rotation axis, and the last element defines
the angle of rotation.

See Also vrrotmat2vec | vrrotvec2mat

10-78
 vrrotmat2vec

Purpose Convert rotation from matrix to axis-angle representation

Syntax r = vrrotmat2vec(m)
r = vrrotmat2vec(m,options)

Description r = vrrotmat2vec(m) returns an axis-angle representation of rotation

defined by the rotation matrix m.
r = vrrotmat2vec(m,options) converts the rotation with the default
algorithm parameters replaced by values defined in options.
The options structure contains the parameter epsilon that represents
the value below which a number will be treated as zero (default value is
1e-12).
The result r is a four-element axis-angle rotation row vector. The first
three elements specify the rotation axis, and the last element defines
the angle of rotation.

See Also vrrotvec | vrrotvec2mat

10-79
vrrotvec2mat

Purpose Convert rotation from axis-angle to matrix representation

Syntax m = vrrotvec2mat(r)
m = vrrotvec2mat(r,options)

Description m = vrrotvec2mat(r) returns a matrix representation of the rotation

defined by the axis-angle rotation vector, r.
m = vrrotvec2mat(r,options) returns a matrix representation of
rotation defined by the axis-angle rotation vector r, with the default
algorithm parameters replaced by values defined in options.
The options structure contains the parameter epsilon that represents
the value below which a number will be treated as zero (default value is
1e-12).
The rotation vector, r, is a row vector of four elements, where the first
three elements specify the rotation axis, and the last element defines
the angle.
To rotate a column vector of three elements, multiply it by the rotation
matrix. To rotate a row vector of three elements, multiply it by the
transposed rotation matrix.

See Also vrrotvec | vrrotmat2vec

10-80
 vrsetpref

Purpose Change Simulink 3D Animation preferences

Syntax vrsetpref('preference_name', 'preference_value')

vrsetpref('factory')

Arguments preference_name Name of the preference.

preference_value New value of the preference.

Description This function sets the given Simulink 3D Animation preference to a

given value. The following preferences are defined. For preferences that
begin with the string DefaultFigure or DefaultWorld, these values are
the default values for the corresponding vrfigure or vrworld property:

Preference Description
DataTypeBool Specifies the handling of the VRML
Bool data type for vrnode/setfield
and vrnode/getfield. Valid values
are 'logical' and 'char'. If set to
'logical', the VRML Bool data type
is returned as a logical value. If set to
'char', the Bool data type is returned
'on' or 'off'. Default is 'logical'.
DataTypeInt32 Specifies handling of the VRML Int32
data type for vrnode/setfield and
vrnode/getfield. Valid values are
'int32' and 'double'. If set to
'int32', the VRML Int32 data type is
returned as int32. If set to 'double',
the Int32 data type is returned as
'double'. Default is 'double'.

10-81
vrsetpref

Preference Description
DataTypeFloat Specifies the handling of the VRML
float data type for vrnode/setfield
and vrnode/getfield. Valid values
are 'single' and 'double'. If set to
'single', the VRML Float and Color
data types are returned as 'single'.
If set to 'double', the Float and
Color data types are returned as
'double'. Default is 'double'.
DefaultCanvasNavPanel Controls the appearance of the control
panel in the vr.canvas object. Values
are:
• 'none'
Panel is not visible.
• 'minimized'
Panel appears as a minimized icon
in the right-hand corner of the
viewer.
• 'translucent'
Panel floats half transparently
above the scene.
• 'opaque'
Panel floats above the scene.
Default: 'none'
DefaultCanvasUnits Specifies default units for new
vr.canvas objects. See vr.canvas
for detailed description. Default is
'normalized'.

10-82
 vrsetpref

Preference Description
DefaultFigureAnti Determines whether antialiasing is
Aliasing used by default for new vrfigure
objects. This preference also applies to
new vr.canvas objects. Valid values
are 'off' and 'on'.
DefaultFigureCapture Specifies default file name for
FileName capturing viewer figures. See
vrfigure/get for detailed description.
Default is '%f_anim_%n.tif'.
DefaultFigureDeleteFcn Specifies the default callback invoked
when closing a vrfigure object.
DefaultFigureLighting Specifies whether the lights are
rendered by default for new vrfigure
objects. This preference also applies to
new vr.canvas objects. Valid values
are 'off' and 'on'.
DefaultFigureMax Specifies the default maximum size
TextureSize of a texture used in rendering new
vrfigure objects. This preference
also applies to new vr.canvas objects.
Valid values are 'auto' and 32 <= x
<= video card limit, where x is a power
of 2.
DefaultFigureNavPanel Specifies the default appearance of
the control panel in the viewer. Valid
values are 'opaque', 'translucent',
'none', 'halfbar', 'bar', and
'factory'. Default is 'halfbar'.

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vrsetpref

Preference Description
DefaultFigureNavZones Specifies whether the navigation zone
is on or off by default for new vrfigure
objects. This preference also applies to
new vr.canvas objects. Valid values
are 'off' and 'on'.
DefaultFigurePosition Sets the default initial position and
size of the Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer window. Valid value is a vector
of four doubles.
DefaultFigureRecord2D Specifies the default compression
CompressMethod method for creating 2-D animation
files for new vrfigure objects. Valid
values are '', 'auto', 'lossless',
and 'codec_code'.
DefaultFigureRecord2D Specifies the default quality of 2-D
CompressQuality animation file compression for new
vrfigure objects. Valid values are
0-100.
DefaultFigureRecord2D Specifies the default 2-D offline
FileName animation file name for new vrfigure
objects.
DefaultFigureRecord2DFPS Specifies the default frames per second
playback speed.
To have the 2D AVI animation play
back at approximately the same
playback speed as the 3D VRML
animation, set this preference to auto.
DefaultFigureStatusBar Specifies whether the status bar
appears by default at the bottom of
the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer for
new vrfigure objects. Valid values
are 'off' and 'on'.

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 vrsetpref

Preference Description
DefaultFigureTextures Specifies whether textures should be
rendered by default for new vrfigure
objects. This preference also applies
to new vr.canvas objects. See
vrfigure/get for detailed description.
Default is 'on'.
DefaultFigureToolBar Specifies whether the toolbar appears
by default on the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer for new vrfigure
objects. Valid values are 'off' and
'on'.
DefaultFigure Specifies whether or not transparency
Transparency information is taken into account when
rendering for new vrfigure objects.
This preference also applies to new
vr.canvas objects. Valid values are
'off' and 'on'.
DefaultFigureWireframe Specifies whether objects are drawn
as solids or wireframes by default for
new vrfigure objects. This preference
also applies to new vr.canvas objects.
Valid values are 'off' and 'on'.

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vrsetpref

Preference Description
DefaultViewer Specifies which viewer is used to view
a virtual scene.
• 'internal'
Default Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer. This is the same as setting
the value to 'internalv5' for
all platforms except the Linux
platform.
• 'internalv4'
Legacy Simulink 3D Animation
Viewer.
• 'internalv5'
Viewer based on MATLAB figure
windows.
• 'web'
Web browser becomes viewer. This
is the current Web browser VRML
plug-in.

Note For Linux platforms,

'internal' sets the default viewer to
the legacy viewer, and 'internalv5'
sets the default viewer to the viewer
integrated with MATLAB figures.

DefaultWorldRecord3D Specifies the default 3-D animation

FileName file name for new vrworld objects.

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 vrsetpref

Preference Description
DefaultWorldRecordMode Specifies the default animation
recording mode for new vrworld
objects. Valid values are 'manual' and
'scheduled'.
DefaultWorldRecord Specifies the default start and
Interval stop times for scheduled animation
recording for new vrworld objects.
Valid value is a vector of two doubles.
DefaultWorldRemoteView Specifies whether the virtual world is
enabled by default for remote viewing
for new vrworld objects. Valid values
are 'off' and 'on'.
DefaultWorldTimeSource Specifies the default source of the time
for new vrworld objects. Valid values
are 'external' and 'freerun'.
Editor Path to the VRML editor. If this path
is empty, the MATLAB editor is used.
EditorPreserveLayout Specifies whether the 3D World Editor
starts up with a saved version of the
layout of a virtual world when you
exited it or reverts to the default
layout. The layout of the virtual world
display pane includes settings for the
view, viewpoints, navigation, and
rendering. Valid values are 'off' and
'on'. The default is on (use saved
layout).

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vrsetpref

Preference Description
HttpPort IP port number used to access the
Simulink 3D Animation server over
the Web via HTTP. If you change
this preference, you must restart the
MATLAB software before the change
takes effect.
TransportBuffer Length of the transport buffer (network
packet overlay) for communication
between the Simulink 3D Animation
server and its clients.
TransportTimeout Amount of time the Simulink 3D
Animation server waits for a reply
from the client. If there is no response
from the client, the Simulink 3D
Animation server disconnects from the
client.
VrPort IP port used for communication
between the Simulink 3D Animation
server and its clients. If you change
this preference, you must restart the
MATLAB software before the change
takes effect.

When you use 'factory' as a single argument, all preferences are

reset to their default values. If you use 'factory' for a preference
value, that single preference is reset to its default.
The HttpPort, VrPort, and TransportBuffer preferences affect
Web-based viewing of virtual worlds. DefaultFigurePosition and
DefaultNavPanel affect the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer. Changes
to the HttpPort or VrPort preferences take effect only after you restart
the MATLAB software.
DefaultFigureNavPanel — Controls the appearance of the navigation
panel in the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer. For example, setting

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 vrsetpref

this value to 'translucent' causes the navigation panel to appear

translucent.
DefaultViewer — Determines whether the virtual scene appears
in the default Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, based on MATLAB
figure windows, legacy Simulink 3D Animation Viewer, or in your Web
browser.

DefaultViewer Setting Description

'internal' Default Simulink 3D Animation Viewer.
This is the same as setting the value to
'internalv5' for all platforms except
the Linux platform.
'internalv4' Simulink 3D Animation Viewer that
is the previous default viewer for most
platforms. This viewer continues to be
the default viewer for Linux platforms.
'internalv5' Viewer based on MATLAB figure
windows.
'web' Viewer is the default Web browser with
the VRML plug-in.

Note If you are running the Simulink 3D Animation software on

a Linux platform, the default viewer continues to be legacy viewer,
which does not support MATLAB figures. If you have a Linux platform
and want to access the MATLAB figure capability, you must install
the hardware-accelerated OpenGL rendering engine. Otherwise, the
Simulink 3D Animation software cannot properly display the viewer.
You can then activate the viewer by using vrsetpref to set the
DefaultViewer property to 'internalv5'.

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vrsetpref

Editor — Contains a path to the VRML editor executable file. When

you use the edit command, Simulink 3D Animation runs the VRML
editor executable with all parameters required to edit the VRML file.
When you run the editor, Simulink 3D Animation uses the Editor
preference value as if you typed it into a command line. The following
tokens are interpreted:

%matlabroot Refers to the MATLAB root folder

%file Refers to the VRML file name

For instance, a possible value for the Editor preference is

`%matlabroot\bin\win32\meditor.exe %file'

If this preference is empty, the MATLAB editor is used.

HttpPort -- Specifies the network port to be used for Web access. The
port is given in the Web URL as follows:

http://server.name:port_number

The default value of this preference is 8123.

TransportBuffer — Defines the size of the message window for
client-server communication. This value determines how many
messages, at a maximum, can travel between the client and the server
at one time.
Generally, higher values for this preference make the animation run
more smoothly, but with longer reaction times. (More messages in the
line create a buffer that compensates for the unbalanced delays of the
network transfer.)
The default value is 5, which is optimal for most purposes. You should
change this value only if the animation is significantly distorted or the
reaction times are very slow. On fast connections, where delays are
introduced more by the client rendering speed, this value has very little
effect. Viewing on a host computer is equivalent to an extremely fast

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 vrsetpref

connection. On slow connections, the correct value can improve the

rendering speed significantly but, of course, the absolute maximum is
determined by the maximum connection throughput.
VrPort — Specifies the network port to use for communication between
the Simulink 3D Animation server (host computer) and its clients (client
computers). Normally, this communication is completely invisible to the
user. However, if you view a virtual world from a client computer, you
might need to configure the security network system (firewall) so that
it allows connections on this port. The default value of this preference
is 8124.

See Also vrgetpref

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vrspacemouse

Purpose Create space mouse object

Syntax mouse = vrspacemouse(id)

Description mouse = vrspacemouse(id) creates a space mouse object capable of

interfacing with a space mouse input device. The id parameter is a
string that specifies the space mouse connection: COM1, COM2, COM3,
COM4, USB1, USB2, USB3, or USB4.
The vrspacemouse object has several properties that influence the
behavior of the space mouse input device. The properties can be read or
modified using dot notation (e.g., mouse.DominantMode = true;).

Properties Valid properties are (property names are case-sensitive):

Property Description
PositionSensitivity Mouse sensitivity for translations. Higher
values correspond to higher sensitivity.
RotationSensitivity Mouse sensitivity for rotations. Higher
values correspond to higher sensitivity.
DisableRotation Fixes the rotations at initial values,
allowing you to change positions only.
DisableTranslation Fixes the positions at the initial values,
allowing you to change rotations only.
DominantMode If this property is true, the mouse
accepts only the prevailing movement
and rotation and ignores the others. This
mode is very useful for beginners using
a space mouse.
UpperPositionLimit Position coordinates for the upper limit of
the mouse.

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 vrspacemouse

Property Description
LimitPosition Enables mouse position limits.
If false, the object ignores
the UpperPositionLimit and
LowerPositionLimit properties.
LowerPositionLimit Position coordinates for the lower limit of
the mouse.
NormalizeOutputAngle Determines whether the integrated
rotation angles should wrap on a full
circle (360°). This is not used when you
read the Output Type as Speed.
InitialPosition Initial condition for integrated
translations. This is not used when you
set the Output Type to Speed.
InitialRotation Initial condition for integrated rotations.
This is not used when you set the Output
Type to Speed.

Methods Method Description

button b = button(mouse, n) reads the status
of space mouse button number n. Button
status is returned as logical 0 if not
pressed and logical 1 if pressed. n can be
a vector to return multiple buttons.
close close(mouse) closes and invalidates the
space mouse object. The object cannot be
used once it is closed.

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vrspacemouse

Method Description
position p = position(mouse, n) reads the
position of space mouse axis number
n. n can be a vector to return positions
of multiple axes. Translations and
rotations are integrated. Outputs are the
position and orientation in the form of
roll/pitch/yaw angles.
speed s = speed(mouse, n) reads the speed
of space mouse axis number n. n can be
a vector to return the speeds of multiple
axes. No transformations are done.
Outputs are the translation and rotation
speeds.
viewpoint p = viewpoint(mouse) reads the space
mouse coordinates in VRML viewpoint
format. Translations and rotations are
integrated. Outputs are the position and
orientation in the form of an axis and
an angle. You can use these values as
viewpoint coordinates in VRML.

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 vrview

Purpose View virtual world using Simulink 3D Animation viewer or Web browser

Syntax vrview
x = vrview('filename')
x = vrview('filename','-internal')
x = vrview('filename','-web')

Description vrview opens the default Web browser and loads the Simulink 3D
Animation software Web page containing a list of virtual worlds
available for viewing.
x = vrview('filename') creates a virtual world associated with the
.wrl file, opens the virtual world, and displays it in the Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer or the Web browser depending on the value of the
DefaultViewer preference. The handle to the virtual world is returned.
x = vrview('filename','-internal') creates a virtual world
associated with the .wrl file, opens the virtual world, and displays it in
the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer.
x = vrview('filename','-web') creates a virtual world associated
with the .wrl file, opens the virtual world, and displays it in your Web
browser.
vrview('filename#viewpointname') specifies a default viewpoint.

See Also vrplay | vrworld | vrworld/open | vrworld/view

10-95
vrwho

Purpose List virtual worlds in memory

Syntax vrwho
x = vrwho

Description If you do not specify an output parameter, vrwho displays a list of

virtual worlds in memory in the MATLAB Command Window.
If you specify an output parameter, vrwho returns a vector of handles
to existing vrworld objects, including those opened from the Simulink
interface.

See Also vrclear | vrwhos | vrworld

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 vrwhos

Purpose List details about virtual worlds in memory

Syntax vrwhos

Description vrwhos displays a list of virtual worlds currently in memory, with a

description, in the MATLAB Command Window. The relation between
vrwho and vrwhos is similar to the relation between who and whos.

See Also vrclear | vrwho

10-97
vrworld

Purpose Create new vrworld object associated with virtual world

Syntax myworld = vrworld(filename)

myworld = vrworld(filename,'reuse')
myworld = vrworld(filename, 'new')
myworld = vrworld
myworld = vrworld('')
myworld = vrworld([])

Arguments filename String containing the name of the VRML file from
which the virtual world is loaded. If no file extension
is specified, the file extension .wrl is assumed.
'new' Argument to create a virtual world associated with
filename.

Description myworld = vrworld(filename) creates a virtual world associated

with the VRML file filename and returns its handle. If the virtual
world already exists, a handle to the existing virtual world is returned.
Specify the file name as a string.
myworld = vrworld(filename,'reuse') has the same functionality as
myworld = vrworld(filename).
myworld = vrworld('filename', 'new') creates a virtual world
associated with the VRML file filename and returns its handle. It
always creates a new virtual world object, even if another vrworld object
associated with the same VRML file already exists.
myworld = vrworld creates an invalid vrworld handle
myworld = vrworld('') creates an empty vrworld object that is not
associated with any VRML file
myworld = vrworld([]) returns an empty array of returns an empty
array of vrworld handles.

10-98
 vrworld

A vrworld object identifies a virtual world in a way very similar to a

handle. All functions that affect virtual worlds accept a vrworld object
as an argument to identify the virtual world.
If the given virtual world already exists in memory, the handle to the
existing virtual world is returned. A second virtual world is not loaded
into memory. If the virtual world does not exist in memory, it is loaded
from the associated VRML file. The newly loaded virtual world is closed
and must be opened before you can use it.
The vrworld object associated with a virtual world remains valid until
you use either delete or vrclear.

Examples myworld = vrworld('vrpend.wrl')

Method Method Description

Summary
addexternproto Add externproto declaration to virtual world.
close Close virtual world
delete Remove virtual world from memory
edit Open virtual world file in external VRML editor
get Property value of vrworld object
isvalid 1 if vrworld object is valid, 0 if not
nodes List nodes available in virtual world
open Open virtual world
reload Reload virtual world from VRML file
save Write virtual world to VRML file
set Change property values of vrworld object
view View virtual world

See Also vrworld/close | vrworld/delete | vrworld/open

10-99
vrworld/addexternproto

Purpose Add externproto declaration to virtual world

Syntax addexternproto(vrworld_object, protofile, protoname)

addexternproto(vrworld_object, protofile, protoname, protodef)

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing the virtual world.

protofile String containing the name of the prototype file
from which the EXTERNPROTO declaration is added.
protoname String containing the name of the EXTERNPROTO
declaration.
protodef String containing a new name for the EXTERNPROTO
declaration.

Description addexternproto(vrworld_object, protofile, protoname) adds an

EXTERNPROTO declaration from file protofile to the virtual world. The
handle vrworld_object refers to the virtual world. The EXTERNPROTO
declaration is identified as protoname. If protoname is a cell array of
identifiers, the function adds multiple EXTERNPROTOs from one file to
the virtual world.
addexternproto(vrworld_object, protofile, protoname,
protodef) adds an EXTERNPROTO declaration from file protofile to the
virtual world. The handle vrworld_object refers to the virtual world.
The EXTERNPROTO declaration is identified as protoname. If protoname
is a cell array of identifiers, the function adds multiple EXTERNPROTOs
from one file to the virtual world. This command then renames the new
EXTERNPROTO declaration to protodef.
In both cases, the EXTERNPROTO declaration becomes equivalent to the
VRML PROTO declaration. In other words, protoname or protodef
becomes an internal PROTO type in the virtual scene associated with
vrworld_object. After you save the virtual world, these PROTO
declarations no longer require a reference to the original file, protofile,
that contains the EXTERNPROTO declarations.

10-100
 vrworld/close

Purpose Close virtual world

Syntax close(vrworld_object)

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing the virtual world.

Description This method changes the virtual world from an opened to a closed state:
• If the world was opened more than once, you must use an appropriate
number of close calls before the virtual world closes.
• If vrworld_object is a vector of vrworld objects, all associated
virtual worlds close.
• If the virtual world is already closed, close does nothing.
Opening and closing virtual worlds is a mechanism of memory
management. When the system needs more memory and the virtual
world is closed, you can discard its contents at any time.
Generally, you should close a virtual world when you no longer need it.
This allows you to reuse the memory it occupied. The vrworld objects
associated with this virtual world stay valid after it is closed, so the
virtual world can be opened again without creating a new vrworld
object.

Examples myworld = vrworld('vrpend.wrl')

open(myworld)
close(myworld)

See Also vrworld | vrworld/delete | vrworld/open

10-101
vrworld/delete

Purpose Remove virtual world from memory

Syntax delete(vrworld_object)

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing a virtual world.

Description The delete method removes from memory the virtual world associated
with a vrworld object. The virtual world must be closed before you
can delete it.
Deleting a virtual world frees the virtual world from memory and
invalidates all existing vrworld objects associated with the virtual
world.
If vrworld_object is a vector of vrworld objects, all associated virtual
worlds are deleted.
You do not commonly use this method. One of the possible reasons to
use this method is to ensure that a large virtual world is removed from
memory before another memory-consuming operation starts.

See Also vrclear | vrworld/close

10-102
 vrworld/edit

Purpose Open virtual world file in external VRML editor

Syntax edit(vrworld_object)

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing a virtual world.

Description The edit method opens the VRML file associated with the vrworld
object in a VRML editor. The Editor preference specifies the VRML
editor to use. See vrsetpref for details on setting preferences.
The VRML editor saves any changes you make directly to a virtual
world file. If the virtual world is open,
• Use the save command in the VRML editor to save the changes to
a virtual world file. In the MATLAB interface, the changes appear
after you reload the virtual world.
• Use the save method in the MATLAB software to replace the
modified VRML file. Any changes you made in the editor are lost.

See Also vrworld/reload | vrworld/save

10-103
vrworld/get

Purpose Property value of vrworld object

Syntax get(vrworld_object)
x = get(vrworld_object)
x = get(vrworld_object, 'property_name')

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing a virtual world.

property_name Name of the property.

Description get(vrworld_object) displays all the virtual world properties and

their values.
x = get(vrworld_object) returns an M-by-1 structure where the field
names are the names of the virtual world properties. Each field contains
the associated property value. M is equal to length(vrworld_object).
x = get(vrworld_object, 'property_name') returns the value of
the specified property.
• If vrworld_object is a vector of vrworld handles, the get
method returns an M-by-1 cell array of values where M is equal to
length(vrworld_object).
• If property_name is a 1-by-N or N-by-1 cell array of strings containing
field names, the get method returns an M-by-N cell array of values.
The following are properties of vrworld objects. Names are not case
sensitive.

Property Value Description

Clients Scalar Number of clients currently viewing
the virtual world. Read only.
ClientUpdates 'off' | 'on' Client cannot or can update the virtual
scene. Read/write.
Default: 'on'

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 vrworld/get

Property Value Description

Description String. Description of the virtual world as
it appears on the main Web page.
Default: automatically
Read/write.
taken from the VRML file
property title
Figures Vector of vrfigure objects Vector of handles to Simulink 3D
Animation Viewer windows currently
viewing the virtual world. Read only.
FileName String Name of the associated VRML file.
Read only.
Nodes Vector of vrnode objects Vector of vrnode objects for all named
nodes in the virtual world. Read only.
Open 'off' | 'on' Indicates a closed or open virtual
world. Read only.
Default: 'off'
Record3D 'off' | 'on' Enables 3-D animation recording.
Read/write.
Default: 'off'
Record3DFileName String. 3-D animation file name. The string
can contain tokens that are replaced by
Default:
the corresponding information when
'%f_anim_%n.wrl'
the animation recording takes place.
For details, see “File Name Tokens” on
page 4-13. Read/write.
Recording 'off' | 'on' Animation recording toggle. This
property acts as the master recording
Default: 'off'
switch. Read/write.
RecordMode 'manual' | 'scheduled' Animation recording mode.
Read/write.
Default: 'manual'

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vrworld/get

Property Value Description

RecordInterval Vector of two doubles Start and stop times for scheduled
animation recording. Corresponds to
Default: [0 0]
the virtual world object Time property.
Read/write.
RemoteView 'off' | 'on' Remote access flag. If the virtual world
is enabled for remote viewing, it is set
Default: 'off'
to 'on'; otherwise, it is set to 'off'.
Read/write.
Time Double Current time in the virtual world.
Read/write.
TimeSource 'external' | 'freerun' Source of the time for the virtual
world. If set to 'external', time in the
Default: 'external'
scene is controlled from the MATLAB
interface (by setting the Time property)
or the MATLAB interface (simulation
time).
If set to 'freerun', time in the scene
advances independently based on the
system timer. Read/write.
View 'off' | 'on' Indicates an unviewable or viewable
virtual world. Read/write.
Default: 'on'

The ClientUpdates property is set to 'on' by default and can be

set by the user. When it is set to 'off', the viewers looking at this
virtual world should not update the view according to the virtual world
changes. That is, the view is frozen until this property is changed
to 'on'. This is useful for preventing tearing effects with complex
animations. Before every animation frame, set ClientUpdates to
'off', make the appropriate modifications to the object positions, and
then switch ClientUpdates back to 'on'.
The Description property defaults to '(untitled)' and can be set by
the user. If the virtual world is loaded from a VRML file containing a

10-106
 vrworld/get

WorldInfo node with a title property, the Description property is

loaded from the VRML file instead.
The Nodes property is valid only when the virtual world is open. If the
virtual world is closed, Nodes always contains an empty vector.
The RemoteView property is set to 'off' by default and can be set by the
user. If it is set to 'on', all viewers can access the virtual world through
the Web interface. If it is set to 'off', only host viewers can access it.
The View property is set to 'on' by default and can be set by the user.
When it is set to 'off', the virtual world is not accessible by the viewer.
You rarely use this property.

See Also vrworld | vrworld/set

10-107
vrworld/isvalid

Purpose 1 if vrworld object is valid, 0 if not

Syntax x = isvalid(vrworld_object)

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing a virtual world.

Description A vrworld object is considered valid if its associated virtual world

still exists.
x = isvalid(vrworld_object) returns an array that contains a 1
when the elements of vrworld_object are valid vrworld objects, and
returns a 0 when they are not.
You use this method to check whether the vrworld object is still valid.
Using a delete or vrclear command can make a vrworld object invalid.

See Also vrfigure/isvalid | vrnode/isvalid

10-108
 vrworld/nodes

Purpose List nodes available in virtual world

Syntax nodes(vrworld_object, '-full')

x = nodes(vrworld_object, '-full')

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing a virtual world.

'-full' Optional switch to obtain a detailed list of nodes
and fields.

Description If you give an output argument, the method nodes returns a cell array
of the names of all available nodes in the world. If you do not give an
output argument, the list of nodes is displayed in the MATLAB window.
You can use the '-full' switch to obtain a detailed list that contains
not only the nodes, but also all their fields. This switch affects only the
output to the MATLAB Command Window.
The virtual world must be open for you to use this method.

See Also vrworld | vrworld/open

10-109
vrworld/open

Purpose Open virtual world

Syntax open(vrworld_object)

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing a virtual world.

Description The open method opens the virtual world. When the virtual world is
opened for the first time, the virtual world internal representation is
created based on the associated VRML file.
If the input argument is an array of virtual world handles, all the
virtual worlds associated with those handles are opened.
The virtual world must be open for you to use it. You can close the
virtual world with the method close.
You can call the method open more than once, but you must use an
appropriate number of close calls before the virtual world returns to
a closed state.

Examples Create two vrworld objects by typing

myworld1 = vrworld('vrmount.wrl')
myworld2 = vrworld('vrpend.wrl')

Next, create an array of virtual world handles by typing

myworlds = [myworld1 myworld2];

open(myworlds) opens both of these virtual worlds.

See Also vrworld | vrworld/close

10-110
 vrworld/reload

Purpose Reload virtual world from VRML file

Syntax reload(vrworld_object)

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing a virtual world.

Description The reload method reloads the virtual world from the VRML file
associated with the vrworld object. If the input argument is an array
of virtual world handles, all the virtual worlds associated with those
handles are reloaded. The virtual world must be open for you to use
this method.
reload forces all the clients currently viewing the virtual world to
reload it. This is useful when there are changes to the VRML file.

See Also vrworld/edit | vrworld/open | vrworld/save

10-111
vrworld/save

Purpose Write virtual world to VRML file

Syntax save(vrworld_object, 'vrml_file')

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing a virtual world.

vrml_file Name of the VRML file to save the virtual world to.

Description The save method saves the current virtual world to a VRML97 file. The
virtual world must be open for you to use this method.
The resulting file is a VRML97 compliant UTF-8 encoded text file.
Lines are indented using spaces. Line ends are encoded as CR-LF or LF
according to the local system default. Values are separated by spaces.

See Also vrworld/edit | vrworld/open | vrworld/reload

10-112
 vrworld/set

Purpose Change property values of vrworld object

Syntax set(vrworld_object, 'property_name', property_value)

Arguments vrworld_object Name of a vrworld object representing a virtual

world.
property_name Name of the property.
property_value New value of the property.

Description You can change the values of the read/write virtual world properties.
The following are properties of vrworld objects. Names are not case
sensitive.

Property Value Description

Clients Scalar Number of clients currently viewing
the virtual world. Read only.
ClientUpdates 'off' | 'on' Client cannot or can update the
virtual scene. Read/write.
Default: 'on'

Description String. Description of the virtual world as

it appears on the main Web page.
Default: automatically
Read/write.
taken from the VRML file
property title
Figures Vector of vrfigure objects Vector of handles to Simulink 3D
Animation viewer windows currently
viewing the virtual world. Read
only.
FileName String Name of the associated VRML file.
Read only.

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Property Value Description

Nodes Vector of vrnode objects Vector of vrnode objects for all
named nodes in the virtual world.
Read only.
Open 'off' | 'on' Indicates a closed or open virtual
world. Read only.
Default: 'off'
Record3D 'off' | 'on' Enables 3-D animation recording.
Read/write.
Default: 'off'
Record3DFileName String. 3-D animation file name. The string
can contain tokens that are replaced
Default:
by the corresponding information
'%f_anim_%n.wrl'
when the animation recording takes
place. For details, see “File Name
Tokens” on page 4-13. Read/write.
Recording 'off' | ’on' Animation recording toggle. This
property acts as the master recording
Default: 'off'
switch. Read/write.
RecordMode 'manual' | 'scheduled' Animation recording mode.
Read/write.
Default: 'manual'
RecordInterval Vector of two doubles Start and stop times for scheduled
animation recording. Corresponds
Default: [0 0]
to the virtual world object Time
property. Read/write.
RemoteView 'off' | 'on' Remote access flag. If the virtual
world is enabled for remote viewing,
Default: 'off'
it is set to 'on'; otherwise, it is set
to 'off'. Read/write.
Time Double Current time in the virtual world.
Read/write.

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 vrworld/set

Property Value Description

TimeSource 'external' | 'freerun' Source of the time for the virtual
world. If set to 'external', time
Default: 'external'
in the scene is controlled from the
MATLAB interface (by setting the
Time property) or the Simulink
interface (simulation time).
If set to 'freerun', time in the scene
advances independently based on
the system timer. Read/write.
View 'off' | 'on' Indicates an unviewable or viewable
virtual world. Read/write.
Default: 'on'

See Also vrworld | vrworld/get

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vrworld/view

Purpose View virtual world

Syntax view(vrworld_object)
x = view(vrworld_object)
x = view(vrworld_object,'-internal')
x = view(vrworld_object,'-web')

Arguments vrworld_object A vrworld object representing a virtual world.

Description The view method opens the default VRML viewer on the host computer
and loads the virtual world associated with the vrworld object into
the viewer window. You specify the default VRML viewer using the
DefaultViewer preference. The virtual world must be open for you
to use this method.
x = view(vrworld_object) opens the default VRML viewer on the host
computer and loads the virtual world associated with the vrworld object
into the viewer window. If the Simulink 3D Animation Viewer is used,
view also returns the vrfigure handle of the viewer window. If a Web
browser is used, view returns an empty array of vrfigure handles.
x = view(vrworld_object,’-internal’) opens the virtual world in the
Simulink 3D Animation Viewer.
x = view(vrworld_object,’-web’) opens the virtual world in the Web
browser.
If the virtual world is disabled for viewing (that is, the View property
for the associated vrworld object is set to 'off'), the view method does
nothing.

Examples myworld = vrworld('vrpend.wrl')

open(myworld)
view(myworld)

See Also vrview | vrworld

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 Glossary

Glossary

simulation
The process of running a dynamic system in nonreal time to observe
its behavior.

virtual figure object

A handle to a Simulink 3D Animation viewer window.

virtual node object

A handle to a node in a virtual world that allows access to the node’s
properties.

Virtual Reality Modeling Language

The specification for displaying three-dimensional objects using a
VRML viewer.

virtual world
An imaginary world where you can navigate around objects in three
dimensions.

virtual world object

A handle to a virtual world that allows you to interact with and control
the world.

VRML
Virtual Reality Modeling Language. See “Virtual Reality Modeling
Language (VRML)” on page 1-11.

Glossary-1