This package contains several plugins for use with Innovation3D.

To install the packages from CVS:
> make -f Makefile.dist
> ./configure
> make
> make install

To install them from a tarball:
> ./configure
> make
> make install

The default location of I3D is /usr/local/i3d.  If you installed it somewhere
else, you can use the configure options to specify where it is installed.  The
same goes for NURBS++ and QT

By default, all plugins are installed to I3DDIR/Plugins.  If you wish to change
this location, you can set it with the prefix option of configure. You'll have 
to tell I3D where the Plugins are installed via the options dialog, and restart I3D.

AC3D Plugin
The AC3D Plugin is fairly completely.  All mesh objects should be saved and 
opened correctly.  Lines are not saved, however, and the AC3D format does 
not support curves or surfaces.

MD2 Plugin
The MD2 plugin is an import only plugin.  MD2 uses PCX as a texture format,
which isn't supported in I3D.  To display the textures, you must first convert
them. (ImageMagic or the Gimp works great )  Once they are in a format supported
by I3D, load them into the material editor, and reapply them.  Animations can be
viewed by opening the Animation Editor and moving the slider.  MD2 files have
very large units, so you may need to zoom the camera out.

CS Plugin
??

QMDL Plugin
See notes for the MD2


RIB Plugin
This is a dialog based plugin available for the plugin menu.  It will export all
meshes and surfaces to a RIB file.  Due to the fact that I3D doesn't really have
camera objects yet, the default camera for the RIB file is located at 0, 8, -8,
and looks at the origin.  Materials default to the shader "supertexmap".  I3D
doesn't convert texures to TIF files usable by rendrib, so you must convert them
manually, and move them to the same directory as the RIB file.  There are some
problems with complex surfaces, or huge meshes exported.


Plugin Development
If you wish to develop your own plugin, start by copying an existing one into 
a new directory, update file names and the  Makefile.am.

KDevelop and Plugins.
I use the KDevelop IDE for most development of I3D as well as Plugins.  An easy way to
get set up is:
1) Create the directory structure as previously mentioned.
2) Have KDevelop create a project by MenuBar -> Project -> Generate Project File in
   the new directory.
3) Open the new projects.  In Project -> Options -> Make Options, add 'install' in the 'Additional options'
   line.
4) In the Binary section of Options, set the executable to be the full path to I3D.

Now, when ever you build the project, it will install it, and when you run it, it will launch I3D.  
Debugging is very easy as well, you can easily step through both I3D code and your plugin code.






