Where can I enjoy it due to legacy specification ?
- On PCs running Windows 98 and up; on MACs; Linux is not supported
- In the following desktop browsers: MS Internet Explorer v4.0 and up, Mozilla v1.x (or
Netscape-compatible)
Where has it actually been enjoyed recently ?
- On a PC running Windows XP
- In the following desktop browsers:
- MS Internet Explorer: RECOMMENDED ! Because it can handle windowless content, too !
- Firefox
- Opera (does not support communication between plugin and embedding webpage)
What are its characteristics ?
- It is true 3D from the ground up and therefore still superior to e.g. Flash when it
comes to 3D.
- The player software supporting it is legacy software; it has been retired and not been
further developed for years now.
- It does not leverage the latest graphics card capabilities and so does not require the
latest graphics cards at all; it does however consume much processing power nonetheless
...; do not open too many browser windows containing Axel 3D web content !
- It is well suited to provide highly interactive 3D web content; interaction is provided
by:
- Handles in the content itself: Hover over the content with Your mouse and see the
cursor shape change to indicate those handles; they react to mouse clicks or movements,
respectively.
- Keyboard presses: If content can be accessed via the keyboard, the relevant keyboard
presses are described explicitly, of course.
- The embedding webpage: Axel 3D web content allows for communication with the embedding
webpage; it can therefore be manipulated from "the outside"; via widgets residing on
the embedding webpage - or programmatically for that matter.
This capability shall actually be leveraged in the near future for providing collaborative
user experiences instead of an isolated one-user-only experience.
- It can be created by a very small team - which may consist of one person only. This is
actually the very important reason which lends Axel 3D web content perfectly for a
low-budget website endeavour like mine still is at the time of this writing :-) !
- It can be experienced via two alternative browser plugins:
- The native Axel Player browser plugin; in order for it to be able to replay movies
residing in the Axel 3D web content, the QuickTime Player must be installed
- The QuickTime Player browser plugin; the QuickTime Player must be enhanced by the
dedicated Axel QuickTime component for this to function
For the interested it shall be mentioned that there is also a standalone player
available which does not depend on any browser.
Hopefully those characteristics described above have watered Your mouths for Axel 3D web
content enough to make You install the triple "Axel Player Browser plugin/Quick Time
Player/Axel QuickTime component"; this triple would have You covered for really all
things Axel 3D :-)
How can Axel 3D web content be enjoyed (repeating it shouldn't hurt) ?
- Using the Axel Player browser plugin
- Using the QuickTime Player browser plugin plus the Axel QuickTime component
- In order to be able to watch movies contained within Axel 3D web content, the QuickTime
Player must be installed
How can the needed plugins be installed ?
- This description is valid for Windows (XP) only; MAC has not been tested by me at all (I am
very much interested in experiences having had by MAC users, however)
- Note: You must probably log in as administrator or have administrator privileges in
order to finish the plugin installation(s) successfully.
Installation of the Axel Player browser plugin:
- IE: If Axel 3D web content is encountered on a webpage, a seamless installation
process is triggered automatically: Choose the "Manual Install" and the ActiveX
control located at "http://www.kaitischler.eu/AxelPlayer/beta/AXELPlayerAX_Win32.cab" will
be installed automatically
- Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox/Opera:
- If Axel 3D web content is encountered on a webpage, a redirection is triggered
automatically: Choose the "Manual Install" and You will be led to
"http://www.mindavenue.com/Downloads/AXELPlayerNPInstall.htm"; from there You can
download "AXELPlayer.exe"; close all browser windows and invoke "AXELPlayer.exe";
choose all browsers You want the Axel player plugin to be installed for; after
having done that You are good to go with Axel; e.g. in Firefox if You have chosen
to equip it with the plugin.
- A link to "AXELPlayer.exe" is provided explicitly at the end of this page to allow
You to install the Axel player plugin proactively along the lines described above.
Installation of the QuickTime Player plugin:
There are two possible situations:
- You have installed the QuickTime Player and its browser plugins already:
- You have to install the Axel QuickTime component additionally (see below)
- The QuickTime Player is not yet installed on Your machine:
For all cases described below the following holds: You have to install the Axel QuickTime
component additionally (see below)
- If QuickTime web content is encountered on a webpage, a redirection is triggered
automatically: Choose the "Manual Install" and You will be led to
"http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/"; from there You can download the latest
"QuickTimeInstaller.exe"; close all browser windows and invoke "QuickTimeInstaller.exe";
after having done that You are good to go with QuickTime.
- Links to the legacy QuickTime Player 6 - considerably smaller than QuickTime
Player 7 and able to install the Axel QuickTime component automatically - are
provided explicitly at the end of this page to allow You to install QuickTime
Player 6 proactively along the lines described above.
- A link to the newer QuickTime Player 7 - considerably larger than QuickTime
Player 6 and not able to install the Axel QuickTime component automatically - is
provided explicitly at the end of this page to allow You to install QuickTime
Player 7 proactively along the lines described above.
Installation of the Axel QuickTime component - a link to "QuickTimeAXEL.qtx" is provided
explicitly at the end of this page
- If You have QuickTime Player 6 installed, the installation process of the Axel
QuickTime Component might be triggered automatically; then You have just to follow
the instructions and You are done; if for reasons unknown to the author of this
description no installation process is triggered, You have to move the Axel QuickTime
component manually into the right location, which is "\WINDOWS\system32\QuickTime" or
a corresponding directory, respectively.
- If You have QuickTime Player 7 installed, You definitely have to move the Axel QuickTime
component manually into the right location, which is "\Programme\QuickTime\QTComponents" or
a corresponding directory, respectively.
Comprehensive overview of links allowing to install the triple "Axel Player Browser
plugin/Quick Time Player/Axel QuickTime component" proactively
- Axel Player browser plugin for Netscape/Mozilla/Firefox/Opera: Just download
"AXELPlayer.exe" (488 KB), invoke it and select the browsers You want the plugin to be
installed into.
- QuickTime Player:
Just download one of those alternatives, invoke the .exe and follow the instructions.
- Axel QuickTime component: Just download "QuickTimeAXEL.qtx" (986 KB), and move/copy it
to
- "\Programme\QuickTime\QTComponents" or a corresponding directory, respectively, for
QuickTime version 7
- "\WINDOWS\system32\QuickTime" or a corresponding directory, respectively, for
QuickTime version 6