3D Graphics Modelling and Rendering mini-HOWTO

3. Installation Instructions

Keep in mind that these are brief instructions; a quick summary of the more important details you'll find listed in README files for the corresponding software packages. It is, by no means, a substitute for actually reading those files (as they contain copyright information and other instructions not necessarily covered by this document).

3.1 Warning

First, let it be known that this document only covers how to get up and running using RedHat v7.0. Whenever given the choice as to which software package to download, please make sure it is compatible with the flavour of Linux you happen to be running.

Second, please only send E-mail if you have information that would be helpful to other people who might read this document (such as explaining how to install other tools, pointers to other tutorials, missing steps grammar and/or speling mistakes and/or tpyos, etc.). If software doesn't compile, or you can't figure it out, please read its accompanying documentation. Please understand that your system may be completely different, and as such debugging problems via E-mail across the Internet is not a task anyone enjoys. ;-)

Third, these are software packages that installed without any severe hitches (read: severe headaches). In the Related Links section, there are alternate software packages along side the ones covered below. Note that just because a given software package is not covered in depth does not mean it is any worse (or better) than those chosen to install.

Good luck!

3.2 Download the Software

Before you begin, you will need a web browser and Unix shell. If you don't know how to use a shell [bash, ksh, etc.], you're own your own (although instructions are given in both English and shell commands).

Unless otherwise specified, all instructions are to be carried out as root.

Create a new directory /usr/local/archives for the packages:
mkdir /usr/local/archives
Download the following packages (in .tar.gz form) into the newly created directory (homepages are given, as well as links to download pages, and minimum software version):
- Mesa Graphics Library v3.4.1: www.mesa3d.org/download.html
- Blue Moon Rendering Toolkit v2.6beta: www.bmrt.org/BMRTdownload/index.html
- The Mops v0.42d: www.informatik.uni-rostock.de/~rschultz/mops/download.html

3.3 Install the Graphics Library

Old versions of tar do not support the z argument. For those systems, leave out the z argument and use gunzip on the file before using tar.

Change to the /usr/local/archives directory:
cd /usr/local/archives

Extract Mesa (substitute version number where required):


tar zxf MesaLib-3.4.1.tar.gz
tar zxf MesaDemos-3.4.1.tar.gz

Change to the MesaLib subdirectory:
cd Mesa-3.4.1
Configure, make, and install Mesa with the following sequence of commands:
./configure; make; make install
Edit /etc/ld.so.conf, and ensure you have a line that reads:
/usr/local/lib
Run the dynamic library configuration program:
ldconfig

3.4 Install the Graphics Renderer

Return to the /usr/local/archives directory:
cd ..
Extract the Blue Moon Rendering Toolkit (substitute version number where required):
tar zxf BMRT2.6beta.linux-glibc2.tar.gz
Change to the BMRT subdirectory:
cd BMRT2.6

Copy files to appropriate destination directories:


cp bin/* /usr/local/bin/
cp lib/lib* /usr/local/lib/
cp include/* /usr/local/include/

Make a directory for the shaders, ensure it is world-writable, then copy the shader files into it:


mkdir /usr/local/shaders
chmod 777 /usr/local/shaders
cp shaders/*.sl* /usr/local/shaders/
cp shaders/*.h /usr/local/shaders/
cp examples/*.sl* /usr/local/shaders/
cp examples/*.h /usr/local/shaders/

Edit the system login profile (/etc/profile or equivalent), and add the line:
export SHADERS=.:/usr/local/shaders
Copy the .rendribrc file to each user's home directory.

If anything goes wrong, please consult the README file that accompanies the Blue Moon Rendering Toolkit, or visit their website.

3.5 Install the Graphics Modeller

The Mops may be installed on a per-user basis, or on a system-wide basis by root (or equivalent). In this example, it is installed using a non-administrative account, which should yield positive results. Note that the compile failed during the install (missing a C header file), so the precompiled binaries (compatible with RedHat v6.0, your system may vary) were installed, as follows:

Change to one directory above where you'd like The Mops to reside. For example, if /usr/local/mops was desired, then issue the following command:
cd /usr/local
Extract the mops (substitute number where required), then change into its directory:
tar zxf /usr/local/archives/mops-0.42d-BMRT26-linux.tar.gz cd mops
Move the following files from /usr/local/mops/src to /usr/local/mops:
mv src/crtmopssh.sh . mv src/mfio.so . mv src/mops .
Copy the .mopsrc file to the home directory of each user wanting to run The Mops. For example, the user "jane" would need the following commands run:
cp src/mopsrc /home/jane/.mopsrc

Create /usr/local/lib/mops and move the buttons and shaders:


mkdir /usr/local/lib/mops/
mv buttons/* /usr/local/lib/mops/
mv shader/*.sl* /usr/local/shaders/

If anything goes wrong, please consult the README and Setup.txt files that accompany The Mops, or visit their website.

Log out from root. Log in as a regular user, and run The Mops as follows:


/usr/local/mops/mops

You may wish to create a subdirectory within $HOME/mops called models for saving 3D models.

3.6 Clean Up

Now that the installation is complete, you can remove from your system all files that you no longer require (substituting version numbers where required).


cd /usr/local/archives/
rm -rf BMRT2.6
rm -rf Mesa-3.4.1

Note: Be cautious when using rm -rf ... make sure you are in the correct directory, and the files and/or directories you wish to delete are present.

Next Previous Contents

docs.sk