A guide to further information about CiteMap Builder and related products.

Creating Multiple Linked Windows without Frames

This file (ExFrTarg_EM.htm) is identical to the file ExFr_EM.htm, except for the information you are reading now. The intended use of ExFr_EM.htm was to "wrap" the VRML content of a two-frame CiteMap layout.

However, the VRML file created by a CMB can be used to produce "two-up navigation" without the use of frames. The HTML Frames [tab] option in the Generate VRML screen modifies the VRML file in a very simple way: a target is added to the Anchor node for each Tricon. Here are two examples, with and without the target parameter: 

#WITHOUT THE TARGET:
Anchor {
 description "Some text here."
 url ["http://www.some.com/"]

 children [
  DEF Tricon1Touch TouchSensor {}
   DEF Tricon1 SomeName{
    #PROTO field defns here
   }
 ]
}

#WITH THE TARGET:
Anchor {
 description "Some text here."
 url ["http://www.some.com/"]
 parameter ["target=frm_target"]
 children [
  DEF Tricon1Touch TouchSensor {}
   DEF Tricon1 SomeName{
    #PROTO field defns here
   }
 ]
}

Clicking a Tricon in the CiteMap above should cause the browser to create a new window, loading the associated page into that window. Subsequent clicks will load new pages into that existing window. (If you have the browser sized to full screen, the new window will be created on top of the current window. One way of noticing this effect is to look at the "Back" button, which is not active for the new window).

Note: the Portal flag in the CMB Tricon (Object) Attributes screen is used to override the setting of the target parameter. That is, if you enable the Portal option for a Tricon, no target parameter is output. Hence, when a Portal Tricon is clicked, the associated page is loaded into the window containing the Tricon. This is handy for loading new 3D scenes (for example, to produce a multiple level, hierarchically linked set of CiteMap scenes).

In summary, here are the steps to create a CiteMap with Tricons that create a new window (and subsequently send pages to it):

  1. Run the CiteMap Builder software
  2. Create or modify a CiteMap scene
  3. File --> Generate VRML
  4. Type in a file prefix (someName)
  5. Select Single HTML Page and hit OK
  6. Select HTML Frames and hit OK
  7. Edit the file someName_EM.htm as desired

The second Generate VRML operation (with the HTML Frames) option caused the file someName.wrl to be re-written, adding the target parameter to all the Tricon Anchor nodes. The first Generate VRML operation previously created the file someName_EM.htm, which already embeds the correct VRML filename (someName.wrl).

A final note: the name of the target parameter is always the same (frm_target). If you make many versions of CiteMaps, it is possible that this name will "step on" the wrong window. A simple way around this is to globally substitute a new name for the string "frm_target" in the VRML file (If frames are to be used, edit the frames file, prefix_FR.htm, to match this new target name).

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