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The Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) can been seen as a 3-D visual extension of the WWW. People can navigate through 3-D space and click on objects representing URLs (including other VRML worlds). Often, VRML is pronounced like ``Vermal'', not ``V-R-M-L''. | The Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) can been seen as a 3-D visual extension of the WWW. People can navigate through 3-D space and click on objects representing URLs (including other VRML worlds). Often, VRML is pronounced like ``Vermal'', not ``V-R-M-L''. | ||
== A short history == | |||
As Mark Pesce [Pesce, 1995, p. 16] points out, the WWW had two fundamental dimensions: connectivity (the http protocol) and interface (i.e. the rendering of content, especially HTML and embedded URLS). VRML inserts itself seamlessly in the Web's connectivity. VRML browsers can access other VRML files via an URL. They can access any other format that then is passed to another application (e.g. an HTML browser or a HTML window). On the other hand HTML browsers can be configured to fire up VRML helper applications (or plug-ins). HTTP servers, finally, can be configured to tell the client that a VRML (*.wrl) document is transferred. | As Mark Pesce [Pesce, 1995, p. 16] points out, the WWW had two fundamental dimensions: connectivity (the http protocol) and interface (i.e. the rendering of content, especially HTML and embedded URLS). VRML inserts itself seamlessly in the Web's connectivity. VRML browsers can access other VRML files via an URL. They can access any other format that then is passed to another application (e.g. an HTML browser or a HTML window). On the other hand HTML browsers can be configured to fire up VRML helper applications (or plug-ins). HTTP servers, finally, can be configured to tell the client that a VRML (*.wrl) document is transferred. | ||
A short word on its history: The major impulse for VRML can be traced back to a ``birds of the feature sessions'' on ``Virtual Reality Markup Languages'' at the First International Conference on the World-Wide-Web, May 25-27, 1994 at CERN in Geneva. It's conceptual origins are older, e.g. (a) Science Fiction literature (e.g. [Gibson, 1994], [Stephenson, 1992]), (b) Mark Pesce's, P. Kennard's and Toni Parisi's ``Labyrinth'' system ([Pesce et al., 1994]) and proposal for a 3-D navigation and representation scheme and (c) more generally 3-D computer graphics (including VR). Based upon SGI's ``Open Inventor'' format, a almost final draft for VRML 1.0 was presented at the second WWW conference in fall 94 in Chicago. On April 3, 1995 SGI presented WebSpace, the first publicly available VRML browser. So all in all it took about a year to set standards and make the first browser available. Since VRML is a relatively simple format building upon a well defined standard, very quickly a number of modeling tools and convertors also became available. | A short word on its history: The major impulse for VRML can be traced back to a ``birds of the feature sessions'' on ``Virtual Reality Markup Languages'' at the First International Conference on the World-Wide-Web, May 25-27, 1994 at CERN in Geneva. It's conceptual origins are older, e.g. (a) Science Fiction literature (e.g. [Gibson, 1994], [Stephenson, 1992]), (b) Mark Pesce's, P. Kennard's and Toni Parisi's ``Labyrinth'' system ([Pesce et al., 1994]) and proposal for a 3-D navigation and representation scheme and (c) more generally 3-D computer graphics (including VR). Based upon SGI's ``Open Inventor'' format, a almost final draft for VRML 1.0 was presented at the second WWW conference in fall 94 in Chicago. On April 3, 1995 SGI presented WebSpace, the first publicly available VRML browser. So all in all it took about a year to set standards and make the first browser available. Since VRML is a relatively simple format building upon a well defined standard, very quickly a number of modeling tools and convertors also became available. | ||
In the late nineties VRML was almost dead. Since VRML was invented before we had cheap 3D cards, it was too slow. Gaming engines back then optimzed speed (e.g. did a lot just with textures) and they built specialized rendering engines for specialized tasks, so games looked much better. In addition, companies like SGI who had the skills to build decent viewers and editors did not pursue long-term strategies, e.g. its Cosmo Divsion was sold and soon thereafter the Cosmo Player was dead. Other companies were bought and killed by competition, others went broke for commercial reasons. Finally initiatives to build a virtual worlds standard (multi-user VRML) never made it. | |||
VRLM seems to back in a new form, see [[X3D]. | |||
== Links == | == Links == | ||
Revision as of 19:33, 21 May 2007
Definition
See X3D, the successor. VRML is still in use, but I suggest that people new to Web3D should rather go for X3D.
Copy/Paste from here: http://tecfa.unige.ch/guides/vrml/vrmlman/node5.html
The Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) can been seen as a 3-D visual extension of the WWW. People can navigate through 3-D space and click on objects representing URLs (including other VRML worlds). Often, VRML is pronounced like ``Vermal, not ``V-R-M-L.
A short history
As Mark Pesce [Pesce, 1995, p. 16] points out, the WWW had two fundamental dimensions: connectivity (the http protocol) and interface (i.e. the rendering of content, especially HTML and embedded URLS). VRML inserts itself seamlessly in the Web's connectivity. VRML browsers can access other VRML files via an URL. They can access any other format that then is passed to another application (e.g. an HTML browser or a HTML window). On the other hand HTML browsers can be configured to fire up VRML helper applications (or plug-ins). HTTP servers, finally, can be configured to tell the client that a VRML (*.wrl) document is transferred.
A short word on its history: The major impulse for VRML can be traced back to a ``birds of the feature sessions on ``Virtual Reality Markup Languages at the First International Conference on the World-Wide-Web, May 25-27, 1994 at CERN in Geneva. It's conceptual origins are older, e.g. (a) Science Fiction literature (e.g. [Gibson, 1994], [Stephenson, 1992]), (b) Mark Pesce's, P. Kennard's and Toni Parisi's ``Labyrinth system ([Pesce et al., 1994]) and proposal for a 3-D navigation and representation scheme and (c) more generally 3-D computer graphics (including VR). Based upon SGI's ``Open Inventor format, a almost final draft for VRML 1.0 was presented at the second WWW conference in fall 94 in Chicago. On April 3, 1995 SGI presented WebSpace, the first publicly available VRML browser. So all in all it took about a year to set standards and make the first browser available. Since VRML is a relatively simple format building upon a well defined standard, very quickly a number of modeling tools and convertors also became available.
In the late nineties VRML was almost dead. Since VRML was invented before we had cheap 3D cards, it was too slow. Gaming engines back then optimzed speed (e.g. did a lot just with textures) and they built specialized rendering engines for specialized tasks, so games looked much better. In addition, companies like SGI who had the skills to build decent viewers and editors did not pursue long-term strategies, e.g. its Cosmo Divsion was sold and soon thereafter the Cosmo Player was dead. Other companies were bought and killed by competition, others went broke for commercial reasons. Finally initiatives to build a virtual worlds standard (multi-user VRML) never made it.
VRLM seems to back in a new form, see [[X3D].
Links
References
- Ames, A. L., Nadeau, D. R., et Moreland, J. L. (1996b). The VRML Sourcebook. Wiley, New York.
- Pesce, M. (1995). VRML, Browsing and Building Cyberspace. New Riders, Indianapolis.
- Pesce, M. D., Kennard, P., et S., P. A. (1994). Cyberspace. In Proceedings of The First International Conference on The World-Wide Web.
- Stephenson, N. (1992). Snow Crash. Bantam.