lavalite — 3D OpenGL simulation of a Lavalite.

Synopsis

lavalite [-display host:display.screen] [-window] [-root] [-visual visual] [-delay microseconds] [-fps] [-style style ] [-spin xyz ] [-no-spin ] [-speed float ] [-resolution integer ] [-count integer ] [-no-smooth ] [-wireframe ] [-impatient ] [-lava-color color ] [-fluid-color color ] [-base-color color ] [-table-color color ] [-fluid-texture filename ] [-base-texture filename ] [-table-texture filename ]

Description

The lavalite program displays a 3D simulation of the famous lamp of the same name. It requires a fast computer with fast OpenGL support.

Options

lavalite accepts the following options:
-window
Draw on a newly-created window. This is the default.
-root
Draw on the root window.
-visual visual
Specify which visual to use. Legal values are the name of a visual class, or the id number (decimal or hex) of a specific visual.
-style style
Specify which model of lamp to draw. Available models are: Classic, Giant, Cone, and Rocket. Default: random.
-spin xyz
Around which axes the model should auto-spin. Defaults to "Z", meaning it rotates horizontally, but otherwise pitch or roll.
-no-spin
Same as -spin ''.
-speed float
A number controlling the frequency at which new blobs launch: you can think of this as being related to the the heat of the lightbulb in the base. Default: 0.003.
-delay usecs
The delay between steps of the animation; default is 30000 (0.03 second.)
-resolution integer
The size of the grid from which the mesh is created that is used to polygonize the blobs. higher values will give very smooth looking blobs, at the expense of speed. Default: 40.

The options "-resolution 10 -no-smooth" look kind of interesting.

-fps
Display the current frame rate, CPU load, and polygon count.
-count integer
The maximum number of blobs that can be in motion at once. Default: 3.
-no-smooth
Turn off smoothing: the objects in the scene will be facetted.
-wireframe
Render all objects in wireframe instead of as solids.
-impatient
Provide this option if you are. This will pre-warm the lamp, so when it starts up, the first frame will show a blob already halfway up the lamp.
-lava-color color
Specifies the color of the blobbies. Default: red.
-fluid-color color
Specifies the color of the fluid that the blobbies float in. Default: light blue.
-base-color color
Specifies the color of the lamp base, and the cap on top of the bottle. Default: very dark gray.
-table-color color
Specifies the color of the table that the lamp is sitting on. Default: black (meaning it is invisible.)
-fluid-texture filename
An image file to wrap around the glass.

Note that on most systems, GL textures must have dimensions that are a power of two.

Note also that colors and textures are both applied: so, if you apply a texture and it isn't showing up, try specifying the corresponding color as "white". Otherwise, the combination of the two might be too dark to see.

-base-texture filename
An image file to wrap around the base of the lamp, and the cap on top of the bottle.
-table-texture texture
An image file to spread across the table that the lamp is sitting on.

Environment

DISPLAY
to get the default host and display number.
XENVIRONMENT
to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.

Author

Jamie Zawinski <jwz@jwz.org>