Typical Three Dee Editor

The typical 3d editors share much in common.

The basic units of a 3d editor are:

• A ThreeDeeGraphics display (usually OpenGl, sometimes DirectDraw)
• A database of materials, models, and textures
• A set of scenes, where each scene contains a set of elements, which stores the material,model,texture, and transforms
• A GUI with element selection/modification
• A file format for the 3d documents

Additional units may be:

• Importing/Exporting of 3rd party formats, i.e. ModelLoading
• Various rendering modes - point,wireframe,flat,shaded,textured
• Clipboard with cut/copy/paste
• Select All/Invert/None
• Right button usually activates a context menu
• UnitTests for the display - HowToUnitTestOpenGlCalls

Standard tools usually include:

• Select and Rectangle select
• Transform/Rotate/Scale, and may include mirror/bend/twist/shear
• Paint

Element selection must be consistent:

• Left button usually selects an element
• Shift+Left = Add to selection
• Ctrl+Left - Remove from selection

Solved:

• Selection occurs on b1(down) as the choice between selecting and showing the relevant context menu would occur then
• If selection happens over a currently selected element - what is the behaviour? Simply select the new element
• If selection happens over multiple currently selected element - what is the behaviour? Select the singular

Unresolved:

• If the context menu activates differently when over an element, should the selection change? (I don't think so. . . )
• Should the selection be emptied if b1_down happens when not over an element? (have to see what others do. . . )
  • Yes - Clears selection
  • No - Retains selection, more user-friendly, allows better use of toolbars

. . . page is still in progress -- LayneThomas