A VUE (.vue) file is an editable ASCII file. You create a VUE file using the VUE file renderer.
A VUE file contains a sequence of frames to render. Each frame is described by a sequence of commands, beginning with a "frame" command, which specifies the frame number, and ending with a viewport command, which specifies the view to render (such as "top" or "camera"). Between these two commands, there can be any number of "transform", "light", and "spotlight" commands.
The VUE file commands are as follows:
frame <n>
transform <object name> <transform matrix>
light <light name> <x> <y> <z> <r> <g> <b>
spotlight <light name> <x> <y> <z> <tox> <toy> <toz> <r> <g> <b> <hot angle> <falloff angle> <shadow flag>
top <x> <y> <z> <width>
bottom <x> <y> <z> <width>
left <x> <y> <z> <width>
right <x> <y> <z> <width>
front <x> <y> <z> <width>
back <x> <y> <z> <width>
user <x> <y> <z> <horiz> <vert> <roll> <width>
camera <x> <y> <z> <tox> <toy> <toz> <roll> <focal>
Begins each frame description. Has a single parameter: the frame number.
Transforms the specified object.
The first parameter is the name of the object. This is the name as it appears when you use 3ds Max, but enclosed in double quotes.
The second parameter is a transform matrix. This consists of 12 real numbers:
T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 T11 T12
The VUE file treats these as if they were arranged in a 4 x 4 matrix (M):
T1 T2 T3 0
T4 T5 T6 0
T7 T8 T9 0
T10 T11 T12 1
The first nine values, T1–T9, describe rotation and scaling. The last three, T10–T12, describe a move, in world coordinates.
The VUE file renderer transforms the points of the object by post-multiplication:| X' Y' Z' 1| = | X Y Z 1 | * M
Controls the location and color of an Omni light.
The first parameter is the name of the light. This is the name as it appears when you use 3ds Max, but enclosed in double quotes.
The next three parameters, <x>, <y>, <z>, are the light's location.
The next three parameters, <r>, <g>, <b>, are the light's color. The color values are normalized to range between 0.0 and 1.0.
The last parameter, <shadow flag>, parameter is 1 if the light casts shadows, 0 otherwise.
Controls the location, color, and other characteristics of a target spotlight.
The first parameter is the name of the light. This is the name as it appears when you use 3ds Max, but enclosed in double quotes.
The next three parameters, <x>, <y>, <z>, are the light's location.
The next three parameters, <tox>, <toy>, <toz>, are the location of the light's target.
The next three parameters, <r>, <g>, <b>, are the light's color. The color values are normalized to range between 0.0 and 1.0.
The <hot angle> parameter is the angle of the light's hot spot, in degrees.
The <falloff angle> parameter is the falloff angle, in degrees
The <shadow flag> parameter is 1 if the light casts shadows, 0 otherwise.
These commands render a particular view—top, bottom, left, right, front, or back.
The <x>, <y>, <z> parameters are the coordinates of the center of the view.
The <width> parameter is the width of the rendered image, in world units.
Renders the user view.
The <x>, <y>, <z> parameters are the coordinates of the center of the view.
The <horiz> parameter is the horizontal angle, in degrees.
The <vert> parameter is the vertical angle, in degrees.
The <roll> parameter is a placeholder for the roll angle—but this is an "empty," unused parameter that must always be zero. To use roll in a VUE file, use a camera view instead of a user view.
The <width> parameter is the width of the rendered image, in world units.
Renders a camera view.
The <x>, <y>, <z> parameters are the camera's location.
The <tox>, <toy>, <toz> parameters are the location of the camera's target.
The <roll> parameter is the camera roll angle, in degrees.
The <focal> parameter is the camera's focal length, in millimeters.