The VRML scene above is a CiteMap. To move into the scene, click and drag in the scene (try to grab some open area, like the floor or background). Drag the mouse up/down to move in/out or right/left to turn as you move. The more you push the mouse, the faster you will go (you can also go outside the window with the cursor, if you like).

The objects in the scene are "Tricons" --- these may each have a hyperlink to another Web page. They may also have a link title that appears in the status bar of the browser (plus a visible label). If you pause the mouse over a Tricon, an abstract may appear "in the sky" usually after a brief delay.

When you click on an object to follow its link, the associated page may appear in place of the CiteMap scene, in another frame, or in another window. The best way to find out what will happen is to click an object --- the other objects should behave the same way.

If you have trouble moving around in 3D, there may be some special objects in the scene (called Viewposts) that will help. Clicking one of these objects will transport you to a "scenic" viewpoint. Also, your VRML browser may have other controls that aid in navigation. If you don't like using the mouse to move, see if the arrow keys work for your browser (you might need to click into the VRML window first, to get "focus"). The arrow keys can also be useful if you get "stuck up against" an object. If you get disoriented, you can usually access the viewpoint stack to get back to a useful spot. For example, in CosmoPlayer, try the right mouse button for a menu, or the PageUp/PageDown/Home keys.

Finally, if you see a dashboard along the bottom (or sometimes also the side) of the scene, there is usually a way to hide this to get more useable space. For example, in CosmoPlayer2.0 there are little up and down arrows on the left side of the dashboard.

Mr. Phillip Sand Hansel II   ©1999