Instructions for Adventure in VREAM Demo
========================================

VREAM, Inc.
2568 N. Clark St. #250
Chicago, IL.  60614
Phone: (312) 477-0425  Fax: (312) 477-9702

About VREAM
-----------

The VREAM Virtual Reality Development System allows users to create 
fully interactive, textured, virtual reality worlds, without doing any 
programming.  The Adventure in VREAM demo is a very simple virtual 
world developed with the VREAM System, which illustrates some of the 
fundamental capabilities of worlds developed with the VREAM System. For 
more information on the VREAM Virtual Reality Software, please contact 
VREAM at the above address.

Introduction
------------

The Adventure in VREAM Runtime demonstration will allow you to execute 
a simple VREAM virtual world which will illustrate some of the capabilities 
of worlds developed with the VREAM Virtual Reality Development System:

	-       Ability to move the Viewer to any position within the virtual   
		world (even inside of objects)
	-       Simultaneous control of both the Viewer and the 3D Hand
	-       Full interactivity through control of the 3D Hand, allowing 
		the user to:
		  Grab objects, pick them up, and manipulate them in 3D space
		  Activate objects by "grabbing" them (the ceiling fan)
		  Activate objects by "pushing" them (the TV and the juke box)
		  Throw objects in 3D space, and watch them drop due to 
		    gravity (the beach balls)
	-       Incorporation of photorealistic textures (the pictures on 
		the wall, and the images on the TV)
	-       Incorporation of text (the blocks, the juke box, and the 
		front of the building)
	-       Real time shading of objects based on light source position 
		(surface colors change when moved)
	-       Ability to define gravity and elasticity values for objects 
		(the beach balls)
	-       Full screen display of virtual worlds for immersive feel 
		within head mount displays
	-       Multiple environments within a virtual world
	-       Utilization of extended memory, allowing for extremely large 
		virtual worlds



Other capabilities of worlds created with the VREAM System include:

	-       Compatibility with low end or high end interface devices 
		(Head mount displays, gloves, etc.)
	-       Stereoscopic generation of virtual worlds
	-       Incorporation of stereo sound (the TV and the juke box)
	-       Ability to launch external programs from within the virtual 
		reality environment
	-       Ability to generated on-screen text for counters, timers, 
		help screens, etc.
	-       Ability to incorporate full hierarchical rotations and 
		translations
	-       Full set of 3D drawing tools available within 3D World Editor
	-       Ability to import 3D Objects defined within DXF files


Files Included
--------------

The Adventure in VREAM demonstration consists of the following files:

	SEEVREAM.EXE    Compressed file containing Adventure in         
			VREAM Demo files
	VREAMADV.EXE    Adventure in VREAM demo
	*.PCX           Bitmap files containing the textures used in the 
			demo world
	*.CHR           Font files used to create text in the virtual   
			world
	README.TXT      Text file containing description of Adventure in 
			VREAM Demo
	
System Requirements
-------------------

In order to execute the Adventure in VREAM demo, you should have the 
following minimum computer system configuration:

	IBM compatible computer with a 386 and math coprocessor or better
		(i.e. 386 25MHz with a math coprocessor, 486DX, or better)
	At least 4 MB of available EXTENDED Memory, with NO Upper       
		Memory Blocks (UMBs)
	A hard (or fixed) disk drive with at least 3MB of free space
	VGA compatible graphics board and monitor
	2 or 3 button mouse and keyboard



Memory Configuration
--------------------

In order for the Adventure in VREAM demo to execute, the memory in your 
computer (at least 4MB) must be configured as EXTENDED memory.  Also, 
there should be NO Upper Memory Blocks (UMBs) allocated.  In order to 
provide this configuration on your computer, the HIMEM.SYS driver should 
be defined in your CONFIG.SYS file (i.e. DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS),       
but no other memory manager programs should be loaded.  This will insure 
that all of the memory in your computer is configured as EXTENDED memory.  

If you need to maintain a portion of your memory 
as EXPANDED memory for use with some other programs, then 
the Adventure in VREAM demo should work properly with most 
memory managers, as long as enough extended memory is available for 
the demo to execute (and as long as no UMBs are allocated).  However, 
a memory manager conflict may exist if an Out of Memory error is 
generated when the VREAM demo is executed, but you actually 
have 4MB or more of memory installed in your computer.  If you have 
other memory managers installed (in addition to HIMEM.SYS), and you 
cannot execute the Adventure in VREAM demo, you may have to remove the 
other memory managers from your CONFIG.SYS (leaving only 
HIMEM.SYS), in order to execute the demo.  


Executing the Adventure in VREAM Demo
-------------------------------------

In order to execute the VREAM Demo, enter the following command at the 
DOS command line:

C:\>VREAMADV (enter)
(Press F10 to quit)

The demo world will take about 6 seconds to load from the hard drive. This is 
due to the time required to load and decompress each of the Textures from 
the disk.


Adventure in VREAM Demo Instructions
------------------------------------

The viewer's position within the virtual world may be controlled by the keys 
on the keyboard, and the 3D hand may be controlled by the mouse.  The 
viewer may move to any position within the virtual world, and the hand may 
be used to grab, manipulate, and carry objects in the virtual world.

The following keyboard and mouse controls may be used with the VREAM 
Demo:

	Keyboard Controls
	=================

	Viewer Movement
	---------------

	KEY     ACTION
	---     ------
	q       viewer move left
	w       viewer move right
	a       viewer move backward
	s       viewer move forward
	z       viewer move down
	x       viewer move up

	Viewer Rotation
	---------------

	KEY     ACTION
	---     ------
	e       viewer yaw left
	r       viewer yaw right
	d       viewer pitch down
	f       viewer pitch up
	c       viewer roll left
	v       viewer roll right

	System Control
	--------------

	KEY     ACTION
	---     ------
	F5      hand on/off 
	F6      environment wireframe on/off
	F7      environment solid on/off
	F8      environment hidden wireframe on/off
	F10     quit
	Shift   viewer move and rotate faster



	Mouse Controls
	==============

	Hand Movement
	-------------

	MOUSE   ACTION
	-----   ------
	mouse left                      hand move left
	mouse right                     hand move right
	mouse up                        hand move up
	mouse down                      hand move down
	right button + mouse up         hand move forward
	right button + mouse down       hand move backward

	Hand Rotation
	-------------

	MOUSE   ACTION
	-----   ------
	middle button + mouse right     hand yaw left
	middle button + mouse left      hand yaw right
	middle button + mouse down      hand pitch down
	middle button + mouse up        hand pitch up
	right button + mouse left       hand roll left
	right button + mouse right      hand roll right

	Hand Finger Movement
	--------------------

	MOUSE   ACTION
	-----   ------
	left button                     make fist (hand grab)
	right button + left button      index finger in (hand push)
	right button + middle button    thumb in (hand point)


HINTS:
------

The viewer movement keys will always move the viewer relative to the current 
orientation of the viewer in space.  The orientation of the viewer in space is 
determined by the viewer rotation keys on the keyboard.

The viewer will move faster if the shift key is pushed in combination with any 
of the viewer movement or rotation keys.

The F5 key will turn the hand on and off within each environment.

The mouse may be used to move the 3D hand forwards and backwards by 
holding down the right button on the mouse, and moving the mouse forwards 
and backwards.

You can generally tell when you are close enough to an object to grab it by 
moving towards it until the hand disappears behind the object.  At this point, 
you may pull the hand back from behind the object and should be in position 
to grab the object with the hand.


Interacting with the Virtual World
==================================


Start-Up
--------

The demo virtual world is a simple demonstration world which illustrates 
some of the basic capabilities of virtual worlds developed with the VREAM 
System. 

The demo virtual world begins with the viewer in the main room of a house. 
There are two rooms in the house: the main room, and the attic.  The viewer 
may move to the outside environment to gain an external view of the house.


Main Room
---------

When the demo virtual world begins, the viewer is in the main room of a 
house, looking at three blocks, and a picture of a rose on the wall. Behind the 
viewer, there is a ceiling fan, a TV, and another picture on the wall.

The viewer may move towards the blocks, pick up and move any of the blocks 
by "grabbing" any of them with the 3D Hand.  Once grabbed, a block may be 
moved or rotated with the 3D hand, or carried along with the viewer.  This 
illustrates the ability to grab and fully manipulate objects in 3D space.

The picture on the wall illustrates the ability to incorporate photorealistic 
textures into virtual worlds.  This picture may also be grabbed and fully 
manipulated with the 3D Hand.

The ceiling fan in the middle of the room may be turned on and off by 
"grabbing" the cord which is hanging down from the fan. In order to get close 
enough to the cord to grab it, the user should move towards the ceiling fan 
cord, until the hand is displayed behind the cord. At this point the user may 
back up until the hand is once again in front of the cord, and grab the cord 
with the hand.

The user may also view images on the TV by "pushing" the top or bottom 
button on the TV with the index finger of the hand.  The buttons on the TV 
will turn from white to yellow when the hand is close enough to push them.  
Each of the two buttons on the TV will display a different image when 
pushed.  The TV may also be grabbed and manipulated by the 3D hand. 
Grabbing the TV and moving it after an image has been displayed on it 
provides a good interactive visual effect.

The user may go inside of all of the objects in the main room.

The user may pass through any of the walls of the main room.  By passing 
through the ceiling of the main room, the viewer will enter the attic.  By 
passing through any of the other walls of the main room, the viewer will enter 
the outside environment.


Attic
-----

Within the attic, there is a juke box and two beach balls. 

All of the objects in the attic may be grabbed and moved with the hand.

Both of the beach balls adhere to gravity. If they are grabbed by the hand, 
lifted above the floor, and released, they will drop back to the floor.  Both 
beach balls may also be thrown by the user. This is accomplished by grabbing 
a beach ball, moving it with the hand, and releasing the ball while the hand is 
still in motion. The blue and green beach ball is elastic and will bounce. The 
red and white beach ball is not elastic and will not bounce.

When the sound files are installed, the user may play songs on the juke box by 
pushing any of the four juke box buttons.  The buttons on the juke box will 
turn from white to yellow when the hand is close enough to push them.

The user may go inside of all of the objects in the attic.

The user may pass through any of the walls of the attic.  By passing through 
the floor, the viewer will enter either the main room.  By passing through any 
of the other walls of the attic, the viewer will enter the outside environment.


Outside Environment
-------------------

While outside of the house, the viewer will be in an outside environment, and 
will have an external view of the house.  The front of the house will say 
VREAM.

The user may move to anywhere in the outside environment without 
limitation.

If the user goes below the ground level, then the grass will disappear, 
allowing the user to look up and view all of the objects from a below ground 
perspective.

The user may re-enter the house by passing through any of the walls of the 
house. The room entered will depend on where the user enters the house. 

Have Fun!


