Virtual Reality Modelling
Language
Go and see VRML Mac demo.. or read on
Was VRML invented by Mark Pesce?
<Mark Pesce * Outside
the Light-Cone>
To quote from [VRML] The Virtual Reality Modeling Language Version
1.0
Specification 26-MAY-95 Gavin Bell, Silicon Graphics, Inc. Anthony
Parisi, Intervista Software Mark Pesce, VRML List Moderator
VRML-Enabled by Aereal Inc.
History
VRML was conceived in the spring of 1994 at the first annual World
Wide Web Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Tim Berners-Lee and Dave
Raggett organized a Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) session to discuss
Virtual Reality interfaces to the World Wide Web. Several BOF
attendees described projects already underway to build three
dimensional graphical visualization tools which interoperate with the
Web. Attendees agreed on the need for these tools to have a common
language for specifying 3D scene description and WWW hyperlinks -- an
analog of HTML for virtual reality. The term Virtual Reality Markup
Language (VRML) was coined, and the group resolved to begin
specification work after the conference. The word 'Markup' was later
changed to 'Modeling' to reflect the graphical nature of VRML.
Shortly after the Geneva BOF session, the www-vrml mailing list was
created to discuss the development of a specification for the first
version of VRML. The response to the list invitation was
overwhelming: within a week, there were over a thousand members.
After an initial settling-in period, list moderator Mark Pesce of
Labyrinth Group announced his intention to have a draft version of
the specification ready by the WWW Fall 1994 conference, a mere five
months away. There was general agreement on the list that, while this
schedule was aggressive, it was achievable provided that the
requirements for the first version were not too ambitious and that
VRML could be adapted from an existing solution. The list quickly
agreed upon a set of requirements for the first version, and began a
search for technologies which could be adapted to fit the needs of
VRML. The search for existing technologies turned up a several
worthwhile candidates. After much deliberation the list came to a
consensus: the Open Inventor ASCII File Format from Silicon Graphics,
Inc.
The full VRML 1.0 specification (and 2.0 and much more)
can be obtained from
VRML
Repository: Documentation
"Plug in" .WRL (VRML) BROWSERS for the MAC
There are many for the PC, some very sophisticated ones for
SGi,
and no commercial ones as yet (9/5/96) for the Mac, apart from
ExpressVR
created by Brad
Anderson , (a student)
which works on simple .wrls, but crashes on others, there are
standalone browsers..
VRML Equinox
Information
Whirlwind
Voyager
These can be downloaded via the
VRML
Repository:
(the VRML Repositroy is well organised, uptodate and a rich source of
information)
Or this, a Mac plug in for live3DMF files (is this going to become
part of a VRML standard??)
Whurlplug
Demo
Other Sources of VRML information:
- VRNET.html
- VRML
World: January 16, 1996
3DMF
and VRML Model Files
Mathematica and
VRML
VRML from
HELL
3DMF
and VRML Model Files
Virtual Reality Modelling
Language (VRML) Forum
Weblynx Virtual World
Library
- Survey
of VR and VRML Systems
An alternative for the PC:
TVML Technology Download
Page
<<May 1996 | UPDATE | July 1996 >>
Since the above, "time" has moved on, VRML 2.0, Moving Worlds,
Java, VRML worlds aplenty, CyberGate Art-Worlds and much more
being created as I write (wrote)..
This is but a branch, and will date rapidly as VRML, 3D API's etc
develop,
(What is happening in the 3D/VRML Mac world?? Netscape Mb++,
Direct 3d etc..)
Here are some links where hot information is their business..
*
A summery report from Mark Pesce:
July
11, 1996: Summer Dreams (Part One)
Publishing Group: interesting uptodate VRML sites..
ZD3D:
VRMLinks