[Chimera-users] exporting ribbon models to vrml

[Greg Couch]

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005, Doug Huff wrote:

> I work at Arkitek studios. We create rendered 3D for the science and
> technology crowd. I am a animator and have been charged with creating a
> rendering of a ribbon model in 3DS max (our software package). Your
> Chimera program displays the type of geometry I need and I can import
> vrml into my application. I can't seem to find the method to export
> ribbon models to vrml. When I use the multiscale models tools I always
> wind up with a surface model. Please remember I am not a scientist :)

In the recent release candidates and the imminment production release 
(1.2180), there is an "Export Scene" option in the File menu.  It lets you 
export all of the scene information in X3D, Pov-ray or RenderMan format 
(surfaces, ribbons, atoms, bonds, ...).  There is also VRML output for 
just surfaces.

If you want ribbons in VRML, you'll need to first export the scene in X3D 
format and then convert it.  There various tools for X3D and VRML listed 
at <http://www.web3d.org/applications/tools/utilities_and_translators/>. 
You can also use XML Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT), 
<http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/X3dToVrml97.xslt>, to convert the 
XML-based X3D file to VRML.  A large list of XSLT software is at 
<http://dmoz.org/Computers/Data_Formats/Markup_Languages/XML/Style_Sheets/XSL/Implementations/>. 
Information about XSL and XSLT, can be found at 
<http://www.w3.org/Style/XSL/>.  Because there are so many tools available 
to convert X3D to VRML, it may be some time before we integrate one into 
chimera.

 	Greg Couch
 	UCSF Computer Graphics Lab
 	gregc at cgl.ucsf.edu