Changes in CAVE Library Version 2.4

OpenGL & IrisGL versions

New functions

• CAVEGetPosition() & CAVEGetOrientation() - meant to replace CAVEGetWand, CAVEGetHead, CAVEGetWandOrientation, & CAVEGetHeadOrientation macros. Can also be used to get eye positions.
• CAVEHeadTransform() & CAVEWandTransform() - meant to replace Orientation macros (although the transformation produced is slightly different - no translation is used).
• CAVENewLock(), CAVEFreeLock(), CAVESetReadLock(), CAVESetWriteLock(), CAVEUnsetReadLock(), & CAVEUnsetWriteLock() - for mutual exclusion of processes using shared memory. (Currently a max of roughly 1300 locks can be allocated)
• CAVEInStereo()

Simulator merged with CAVE library

Simulator wand: Simulates pc wand's joystick & buttons using spacebar & mouse. Selected by "wand simulator" in configuration.

Simulator display: selected using "Walls simulator" configuration (WallDisplay can of course be used to define the simulator window's geometry). This generates a display like that of the old simulator, although without a "wall-view" mode (mode 1 is perspective, mode 2 is outside-view). The SimulatorControls configuration option can be used to remap the display controls by giving a list of 15 keys (using their GL device names) which are to be used for the various simulator display commands.

'Full simulator' mode: the configuration option "Simulator y" is a convenience option which enables all the simulator features. It is equivalent to "Walls simulator","WallDisplay simulator -1 window", "TrackerType simulator", & "Wand simulator". The flag CAVEConfig->Simulator will be set to 1 if this option is selected; it will be 0 if "simulator n" is given or no "simulator" option is given at all.

Immersadesk

The Logitech tracker is selected by the configuration "TrackerType logitech". "Wand logitech" is also available (and should be used when the logitech tracker is used) for reading the Logitech mouse's buttons. The CAVEBUTTON4 macro was added for Logitech mouse's 4th button.

Other configuration changes

• Configuration will also read ./.caverc (if it exists) after ~/.caverc
• Added "window" option for wall geometry (eg "walldisplay simulator 0 window"). Creates a 512x512 window, with a frame, which can be resized. (Except when DisplayMode is Stereo120, in which case the display is always full-screen.)
• If the pipe number in a WallDisplay option is -1, that wall uses the current DISPLAY variable, rather than redefining it.
• The second argument for a WallDisplay option can be a DISPLAY value instead of just a pipe number (eg "WallDisplay front zbox:0.1").
• Added "arpafloor" option for Walls configuration. Creates a projection for the floor of the ARPA Enterprise CAVE (rotated 45 degrees). Also masks out the corners of the screen after the display function is called.
• Added "TransmitterPosition" configuration option. Specifies transmitter offset by position of transmitter in CAVE coordinates (older "TransmitterOffset" options used flock-of-birds coordinates).
• Removed FrameCounter config option

Miscellaneous

• Environment variable CAVE_HOME can be used to specify a directory other than /usr/local/CAVE which will be searched for auxiliary files (i.e. etc/cave.config, bin/mplock, bin/mpunlock, bin/DisplayMode)
• Added "custom" wand type. Defined by "Wand custom" and "WandButtons" & "WandValuators" configuration options. WandButtons takes a list of GL device names to check for the wand button values, and WandValuators takes a list of device names and minimum & maximum values to use for the wand valuators.

Internal changes

• Changed semaphoring for shared function pointers (used by CAVEDisplay() et al) so that a CAVE program can run with no display processes.
• Made tracker process do putenv("DISPLAY=:0.0") (except when using simulator tracking) to make sure remotely started programs read correct wand devices.
• Added DisplayMode script to /usr/local/CAVE/bin - determines a pipe's video mode using gfxinfo. This is used (when possible) to supersede NonCAVEDisplayMode config option.
• Removed Polhemus tracking code. It has never been tested with the current setup, and would definitely not work correctly as is, due to other past changes.
• CAVEExit calls usdetach to close the library's shared arena