The best way to create a Synthetic Environment is to build it bit-by-bit in a modular way then bring everything together in this assembly phase. This makes modelling and texturing each part easier as you don't have to continually hide and show all the parts you're not working on. Performance is also improved as the computer is only displaying one object at a time.
The only rules to follow when using this modular approach are to ensure that each piece of the object is modelled to scale and positioned at the world centre. Otherwise, in the case of our camera for example, you could end up with the battery 100 times larger than the camera and 10Km away!
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There are 2 ways to include objects into a VRML scene. Import and Import as Inline. Import includes all the VRML code that makes up the geometry of the object - "lock, stock and barrel" so to speak. Import as Inline only creates a reference to an external object.
When and why do I use Inlines?
Use inlines if you want to keep your scenes as modular and reusable as possible. For instance; if you model and animate a TV then import it as an inline into a number of different scenes then any subsequent changes you make to the TV are reflected in every scene that references it. This is the best way to create Synthetic Environments. Professional developers build up a library of objects which are then simply inlined into each new project.
Inlines also provide the illusion of faster loading. A large scene with many inlined objects will load progressively - piece-by-piece, whereas a scene with everything in the one file must download fully before anything is displayed.
When don't I use Inlines?
Don't import as an inline if you need to animate the properties of an object or its sub-objects from within the scene. The only properties you can modify and animate with inlines are translation, rotation and scale (which aren't really part of the inline anyway).
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Download and unzip the following file (using WinZip) into the relevant folder of your working directory.
models_textured.zip (49Kb)
This file contains:
- camera_textured.wrl
- battery_textured.wrl
- memstick_textured.wrl
Important Note: these wrl files refer to textures in the directory ../textures/ so it is important that you have followed the instructions in Before you begin! and have a working directory structure as follows. If not, you will be unable to see the textures.
- vrml
- models
- movies
- scripts
- sounds
- textures
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 Launch
Cosmo Worlds and Open 
the file camera_textured.wrl |
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Select both the battery and memory stick covers and hide them  |
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| Import as Inline the file battery_textured.wrl. |  |
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Switch to the Front View Turn on the Grid Select and rotate the battery clockwise 90° by dragging on one of the green diamonds of the DynaBox. |
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Switch to the Top View Rotate the battery counter-clockwise 90° |
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Toggle the grid off Move the battery until it sits as shown. Make sure that it's in far enough so that the cover will fully hide it. Hint: to gain more control when moving the battery use |
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Repeat the preceding steps to import and place the memory stick (memstick_textured.wrl) |
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| The memory stick should be oriented as shown. |  |
Save your work. |
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Preview in Cosmo Player. |
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+ F.
(this makes precision rotation and placement easier).
to constrain movement parallel and