Mauz's Activeworlds Pages: HagViewer Tutorial

Introduction Installing Basic Use Command Reference

HagViewer screenshot

Introduction

HagViewer is a utility for viewing points, triangles and quads in Criterion's RenderWare 3D rendering API script files (rwx). It was programmed in 1998 by Dachs's friend Haka (Hagen). It is free to use and doesn't expire.

HagViewer is useful for finding polygons and vertices, like ones you want to change, or unnecessary parts that are not visible to the outside so that they can be cleaned away. It doesn't show the textures, but then it also doesn't need them to view the file either, nor the RenderWare dll's. It is good to use it after you have already optimized the file in RWXMod.

HagViewer's current version doesn't show models with hierarchical clumps like articulated avatars, which give the error Programm works with only one Clump. Prototypes show up empty too. But you can merge the prototypes in RWXMod by saving the file, and unite the multiple clumps by running Consolidate clumps from Edit menu there.

Installing

DOWNLOAD HagViewer 4.8a (in German, 1803 KB) or the English version (90 KB, dll's not included) translated by Eep. HagViewer needs the Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 files msvbvm50.dll, oleaut32.dll and comdlg32.ocx which are included in the German setup package. The commands list file Befehle.txt must be in the same directory as the exe is or in the command path, or else you get the error Run-time error '53': File not found.

The latest version 4.9.12 can be obtained from Dachs. It has a feature to save a selection of the object.

Basic Use

The HagViewer main view has three windows: 1) the view window, 2) FileText or the contents of the rwx file with the lines numbered, and 3) Auswahl or the selection window, showing just the selected vertex and polygon lines. When you select a vertex or polygon from the view window, the appropriate line of the RWX file is highlighted in the FileText and Auswahl windows.

View window title bar Position shows the x and y value of the area you're pointing at, and when the you're pointing at a vertex, also its z value.

Command Reference

Mode Buttons

Lupe or Zoom Mode

To zoom in, left-click on the view window
To zoom out, right-click on the view window

Zooming may not work right if you resize the view window.

Bewegungen or Movement Mode

To rotate the model, hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse
To move the model, hold down the right mouse button and drag the mouse

In this mode you can also select or deselect single vertices like in Selection mode.

If rotating does not seem to work, try zooming out first.

Auswahl or Selection Mode

To select a vertex, left-click on it in the main view
To select a group of vertices, hold down left mouse button and draw a box around them
To deselect a vertex, right-click on it
To deselect a group, hold down the right mouse button and draw a box around them

A selected vertex has a light blue square around it.

You can also select vertices from the FileText or Auswahl window. FileText window shows the selected lines of the rwx file with a checkmark in front of them. Auswahl window shows the selected vertices and/or polygons, depending on the Select - Points and Select - Objects settings.

You can select polygons from the FileText or Auswahl window. Their outlines show up highlighted in light green. Selected polygons move to the top of the Auswahl list, latest selection last. Selection highlight color can be removed by unchecking the appropriate lines from the FileText-window.

File Menu

New

Creates a new file with ModelBegin/ModelEnd and ClumpBegin/ClumpEnd commands. Don't choose New if you have been viewing a file already, otherwise HagViewer may close with an error.

Update

Opens the file again, e.g. if you have changed it in another program. Resets the view back to opening position. Don't choose Update if you don't have a file open, otherwise HagViewer may close with an error. HagViewer also exits with an error if you have reduced vertices from the file in RWXMod.

Open

Lets you choose a new file to open. If you cancel this dialog, you get message Eben nich.

Save

Saves the file. If you try to save a new unnamed file, you get error Da stimmt was nicht.

Save as

Lets you save the file with a different name. If you cancel this dialog, you get message Eben nich.

Quit

Closes the program. Note that HagViewer doesn't save its settings.

Select Menu

New

Clears selections.

Points

Controls how vertices are shown in the Auswahl window. Same If Object[s] Marked makes the showing of vertices independent of whether the polygons are checkmarked. Of Marked Objects is the default; it shows the vertices of the checkmarked polygons. The third choice w/o Objects (Without Objects) is not in use; it was meant for a possible editor version of HagViewer, to select vertices that aren't connected to any polygon.

Objects

Controls how polygons like triangles and quads are shown in the Auswahl window. Same If Point[s] Marked does not show the polygons for the checkmarked vertices. With 1 Marked Point is the default; it shows the polygons that have at least one of the checkmarked vertices. With 2 Marked Points shows the polygons that have two the checkmarked vertices. With 3 Marked Points shows the polygons that have three of the checkmarked vertices.

Hierarchy

Checks the file hierarchy, e.g. that there is modelbegin and modelend lines, and a matching clumpend for every clumpbegin. If it is correct, there is message Hierarchie akzepatabel. Otherwise there is error message Hierarchie wurde als fehlerhaft eingestuft, da....

File Errors

Selects the errors in the file, that is, commands that are not listed in befehle.txt (shown by View - Window - Command List). Note that it doesn't contain AW 3.0 commands like textureaddressmode, but you can edit it outside of HagViewer to add them there.

View Menu

Standard

Resets the model to the center of the main view window, in front view mode.

of

Shows the model from the fr[o]nt, back, top, under, left, or right.

Window

Controls which windows are visible inside the program window: RWX Text (FileText), Select (Auswahl), Main View, and/or Command List.

arranged

Controls how the windows are arranged: auto (flat) is the default mode with three windows, and narrow tiles them horizontally. The third choice manual doesn't close the Commands List if you have opened it from View - Window.

(I don't guarantee the reliability or completeness of the information on this page.)

2007-01-23