
First Preview of Open* with OpenCollage
=======================================

Nils Schwabe
University of Bremen
Germany

30 Jun 1997


Overview
--------
Open* ('Open Star') is intended as a framework for 
the generation of rule-based pictures, animations,
and probably also simulations. It is written entirely
in Java, without any native extensions, so it should
run out of the box on all Java 1.1 compliant platforms.

Some well-known methods of picture generation are,
for example, Lindenmayer Systems, Iterated Function
Systems, and Cellular Automata. Another method are the
Collage Grammars, developed here at the University of 
Bremen, and currently they are the only method that has
been implemented within the Open* framework. Lindenmayer
Systems, IFS and a new general method based on tree 
transductions are the next to follow.


How to get started
------------------
- Add the directory 'OpenStar' to your Java CLASSPATH.

- To view VRML worlds, you should install an externally
  callable VRML viewer program. The default settings 
  assume that you have 'vrweb' installed on your system.
  
- Change your working directory to OpenStar/collage/ui, 
  and type: java Application
  The editor of the CollageSystem should appear.
  
- Press 'Load' and select an example collage grammar 
  (files with extension '.cgr'), preferably beginning with
  the first example, example1.cgr. 
  The textual definition of the grammar is loaded into
  the editor. (You don't have to read this stuff now.)

- Press 'Compile' to activate the parser and translate 
  the text into a collage grammar. The editor disappears
  and the 2D preview area shows up, displaying a single
  object.
  
- Use the 'First', 'Next' etc. buttons to navigate through
  the generated collages. Use the mouse with pressed button
  to change the visible portion of the view. 

- Switch back to the Editor using the '->Editor' button.
  Now read the stuff :-)
  
- Try the other examples, change things, play around, ...

- The documentation for the system currenty consists only
  of javadoc-generated HTML pages. They are located in the
  doc directory, the main page is packages.html.
  The suggested order to read through the packages is:
  1. openstar.generic, 2. openstar.util, 3. collage.generic,
  the rest in arbitrary order.
  

How to stay tuned
-----------------
http://www.informatik.uni-bremen.de/~ns/cs/index.html


How to send feedback
--------------------
mailto:ns@informatik.uni-bremen.de


