Cosmo Worlds for Irix

1. Platforms, Pricing, and Company:

Processor: SGI workstation
Operating System: IRIX 6.2 or better
Recommended RAM: 64 MB
Free Hard Disk Space: 26.8 MB for installation. 15 MB for permanent storage of the tool on the hard drive.
Note: A Windows implementation of the Cosmo Worlds software was developed by Computer Associates (http://www3.ca.com), however, according to sources (http://lists.evolt.org/archive/Week-of-Mon-20010305/027283.html) Computer associates abandoned the Cosmo line of software products.
Pricing: Cosmo Worlds 1.0.3 binaries are freely available to download. To download the software and license tools, one must register as a Surf Zone member (http://support.sgi.com/colls/patches/tools/patchset/). One must acquire a license to use Cosmo World, but that is also free. The Cosmo Worlds 1.0.3 tool and the License Tools are available for download at http://www.sgi.com/products/evaluation/6.x_cosmoworlds_1.0.3/index.html.
Prerequisite software for Cosmo Worlds: Cosmo Player 1.1 must be installed, as well as Cosmo Create 1.0.3, before Cosmo Worlds 1.0.3 is installed.
Company: SGIŽ is the company offering Cosmo Worlds 1.0.3. Computer Associates (http://www3.ca.com) was also involved in the development of Windows based Cosmo software.

The current state of Cosmo Worlds' development:
- In 1998, SGI terminated their investments in Cosmo software (http://www.sgi.com/company_info/investors/annual_report/98/annual.pdf). It appears that no companies are currently developing this tool, even Computer Associates has deleted all references to this tool.

2. Applications:

Cosmo Worlds is a tool that can create complex 3D scenes in the once popular VRML format. With this tool, 3D scenes and animations are easily integrated into websites.
The Cosmo Worlds tool allows one to create, and import 3D models. It also provides means of manipulating the 3D objects, such as replicating, stretching, scaling, and combining objects. Lighting effects can also be added to the scene. Textures can be applied to 3D objects, to create realistic scenes.
Another powerful aspect of Cosmo Worlds is that it allows a person to animate the scene as well. A developer must only set keyframes, and then Cosmo Worlds software generates the rest of the frames. Proximity sensors, collision detectors, and more interactive behaviors can be added to scenes as well. Sounds can also be added to the animated environment.

3. Samples:

Due to the demise of Cosmo Worlds, few sites contain samples that have been developed using this application. This site http://www.hiddenline.com/wireframe/word/grotto/cosmoworlds-tutorial.html does include a tutorial and a sample.

4. Functions:

Modeling:
- Importing Objects - 3D objects, 2D images, sounds, and movies can be imported into a scene, either directly or through an inline reference.
- Manipulation of Objects -
  - Objects can be translated, rotated and scaled.
  - Objects can be copied, pasted, and cloned.
- Creation of Objects -
  - There are buttons that will automatically create cubes, spheres, cones, and cylinders
  - There's a Draw Face function that allows one to draw a 2D object.
  - The Extrusion Editor can be used to create 3D triangular, cylindrical, and torus shapes.
  - PEP Modeling: Editing Points, Edges, and Polygons - Allows for fine-tuning of polygon elements, and optimization of polygons.
- Properties of Objects -
  - The color of the objects can be specified and textures can be applied to the object. One can also specify the properties of the material.
  - Normals of the object can also be specified.
Animation:
- Keyframe animation - Users create a few frames that are used as "keyframes." The software interpolates the frames in between. Objects, lights, viewpoints, colors, textures, and other properties can be animated through this method.
- Scripts - Scripts can be created and edited to specify the behavior of objects in the scene.
- Outline Editor - The outline feature allows values to be passed during the animation.
- Trigger Creation - Events can be set to occur once another event takes place
- Viewpoint Editor - The viewpoint can be changed during the animation. This can be used to have a camera follow an object, walk through a scene, and to manipulate the viewpoint in many other ways
Documentation:
- Online manuals (http://oldsite.vislab.usyd.edu.au/users/manuals/internet/cosmoworlds/index.html). This page is the source of most of the information about the functionality of Cosmo Worlds.
- A small FAQ offered by SGI (http://www.sgi.com/products/software/cosmo/faq.html)
File Formats:
- Open File Formats:
  - VRML 1.0, Inventor, VRML 2.0, any files created with Cosmo Worlds
  - If xlators_3d from IRIX 6.x is installed, then these formats can be opened as well: Alias, DXF, Obj, SLA, Softimage
- Import File Formats:
  - 3D Objects:
    - Same as Open File Formats
  - Images:
    - JPEG, GIF, PNG, or SGI (.rgb, .rgba, or .bw) format
  - Sounds:
    - .wav, .aiff, .aifc, .au, and MPEG audio
- Output File Formats:
  - VRML files, with special authoring notes

5. Web Resources:

General:

Manuals:

Old (outdated references):

Cosmo Worlds history:
- http://www.philliphansel.com/tools/old_tools.htm
- http://lists.evolt.org/archive/Week-of-Mon-20010305/027283.html