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This page has been established to give some basic information about making RWX models for Active Worlds. It includes some data on cobtorwx.exe, editing rwx files in notepad to get the desired surface characteristics, and other assorted information. Subject to change, of course.
-Cobtorwx.exe
A fairly simple command-line (DOS) program used to convert from Caligari trueSpace's .COB object format to the AW .RWX format. The command line operates like:
cobtorwx object.cob
Which would convert the object.cob (if any) in the directory you ran this from the DOS prompt (C:\>) to object.rwx (object.cob would not be deleted, just also saved as an .RWX copy). You could also say:
cobtorwx c:\ts3\object.cob c:\uploadin\awobj.rwx
which would convert object.cob in the c:\ts3 directory to and rwx with the name of awobj.rwx in the c:\uploadin directory (BTW directory is the same thing as folder).
-Caligari trueSpace
One of many brands of 3D modelling and animation software, the one I use. I haven't had much experience with other 3D modelling software, so this material is based on experiences using trueSpace (version 3, should also be applicable down to version 2, maybe 1). Click here for the Caligari website.
-RWX object modification in notepad
Usually after I convert an object from .COB to .RWX format, once I get it into AW, the object is very shiny and washed out on one side (the side the AW light source comes from), and in very deep black shadow on the other side. After alot of trial and error without success trying to get the surface attributes set in trueSpace so the objects wouldn't do that when converted to .RWX, I decided to go into the .RWX files with notepad after the conversion and see if I could fix the problem there. I brought up two notepad windows, one with the code for standard AW object arch08l.rwx in it, the other with one of my objects in it (let's call it truespace.rwx), and figured out where the surface attributes where for the two objects, and then simply copied the surface attributes from arch08l.rwx over truespace.rwx. Well, after alot of trial and error anyway. Example follows:
Texture NULL
Surface 0.100000 1.000000 0.100000
LightSampling Vertex
Opacity 1.000000
Color 0.823529 0.823529 0.823529
The preceding surfacing and texturing data will yield a shiny light grey surface (washed out on one side, black on the other).
texture stone8
texturemode foreshorten lit (this is probably necessary for good texturing)
Surface .5 .3 0
(I don't know about LighSampling Vertex vs. LightSampling Facet, I don't think it matters greatly, although you should probably have it)
Opacity 1.000000 (I don't think this is a necessary line)
Color .15 .15 .2
The last surfacing example would yield a dark grey object with stone8 texture.
This should help out. The color section is probably based on RGB, but I'm not sure if it's arranged in the RGB sequence. I'll be experimenting more with it and learning as I go. So far, this ought to get you people going. Note that sometimes an object is composed of three objects, E.G: ABC.RWX, in which case each letter would have its own texturing and surfacing information. Be sure to find each instance of surface info. Otherwise you would have one letter working right and the other two with the wrong surfaces.
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