Selvander Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 I'm planning to do a project with a virtual model of a building. Why VRML is a cheap alternative I'd like to use that. However I need to learn more about it. Do you know any "tutorials" or "discussionforums" around VRML? I will model in 3D Studio Max. Any other tips or thaughts is welcome.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhinks Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 Hi Selvander Im in the same boat. I want to use a program like VRML to view my landscapes. I've been recommended to use Quest3D. Its pretty cool. I've been playing with the demo today. See what you think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csven Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 what's the cost of Quest3D? and does it import your scene or do you create it with their toolset (similar to PG's Internet Space Builder / Scene Assembler)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selvander Posted June 7, 2004 Author Share Posted June 7, 2004 Thanks for the tip. Yes, I'll try out quest 3D, although it's not for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard McCarthy Posted June 7, 2004 Share Posted June 7, 2004 Right now most of the company offering VRML are pretty much dead.... You can still download tutorials and their plugins for free though.. Plugins: http://www.parallelgraphics.com http://www.cosmosoftware.com http://www.blaxxun.com EXCELLENT VRML Export plugin for MAX *not free* http://www.edgewise-consulting.com/products/vrmlexp Tutorials: http://webreference.com/3d/indexa.html http://3dgraphics.about.com/od/web3di3d http://www.neeneenee.de/vrml/desktop.html Hope those help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selvander Posted June 8, 2004 Author Share Posted June 8, 2004 Thanks for all this useful links. Howcome the VRML-companys are dying? Is VRML an outgoing technique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcorbett Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 VRML never really had much of a life in the first place. Universities and military are still experimenting with it. Navy is developing an XML-based VRML called X3D, but for the most part there hasn't been much of a public market for it. The current browsers have weak navigation, and the exporters from major software packages often create unpredictable results. All in all, a good idea that just never really took off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selvander Posted June 8, 2004 Author Share Posted June 8, 2004 ok. So doy you have any other free solution instead of VRML? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csven Posted June 8, 2004 Share Posted June 8, 2004 didn't know it was the Navy's job. i know they're involved, but afaik the X3D spec is run by the web3d consortium: http://www.web3d.org reason vrml stagnated is b/c big companies got involved around 1997/98, started funding development, tried pulling it in their own self-serving directions, then basically abandoned it when the "3d virtual world" buzz died off (although their legacy and tangled involvement problem hampers it still, no doubt). growth of XML has fueled the recent improvements and development in VRML, now known as X3D. and seeing that the web3d.org site has recently updated indicates its doing well. even see an updated Contact; hope this version works with my files since i've also had problems with it. but afaik the spec is only now being finalized. once it becomes a standard and fits with the XML system, all browsers will work with it. but the path to standardization will only be as fast as XML (and how many webpages are XML standard now?). i've been watching the development of an indy programmer's upgraded X3D spec. can find it here: http://www.vscape.com . but don't hold your breath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcorbett Posted June 9, 2004 Share Posted June 9, 2004 Csven - You know more about this than I do. I only place I ever saw anything about X3D was in a presentation for a Navy project, using it for timeline based re-enactments of events for analysis, in this case the recreation of the USS Cole incident. It will be interesting to see what happens when the full spec is available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard McCarthy Posted June 9, 2004 Share Posted June 9, 2004 The story/history of VRML is quite a long winded story like every other story..... It's basically boils down to too many cooks spoils the soup... everyone have their idea of how to implement the spec, so you have this 10 (?) plus of VRML plugins, each fighting each other at the height of the VRML era. And when I say fighting, I literally mean it. Try installing different VRML plugin to your browser means both plugin will spoil each other and make VRML usually unplayable or screw up bad. But yeh, come to think of it, VRML died when it just beginning to show how much it can achieve back in 1997-8... when SGI sold Cosmo Software to couple of 3rd parties and eventually to CA and got shelved. I still have fond memory of Cosmo World, one of the application I had the most fun playing with. It's powerful and yet very intuitive and fun to explore. There are lot of fond memory of I have with VRML.... like Shout Interactive's MOD Squad series.. one of the classy interactive, 3D realtime web-episode I have seen. There are also Protozoa with their funny 3D cartoon soap series (Floops!) which really shows what VRML can achieve....There are also lots of movies with 3D VRML presentation at the height of the 3D web craze...........(Mask of Zorro for one, Johnny Mnemonic, Lost in Space...etc) ah. the good ol' days... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csven Posted June 9, 2004 Share Posted June 9, 2004 haha. someone else who remembers that sale to CA. i'm feeling old. you? maybe we should trade geriatric information too! hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csven Posted June 9, 2004 Share Posted June 9, 2004 Csven - You know more about this than I do. I only place I ever saw anything about X3D was in a presentation for a Navy project, using it for timeline based re-enactments of events for analysis, in this case the recreation of the USS Cole incident. It will be interesting to see what happens when the full spec is available. Navy was heavily into VR for simulation training. but so was the Air Force, NASA, GE, Boeing, and a bunch others. i've read the history and it is interesting stuff. worth a trip to the library. but does seem like the Navy is the most involved tho. and for some reason i do see alot of references to Navy people when i visit/read the Web3D consortium stuff. not sure why. maybe because they used it not just for flight sims, but for ship sims too. they integrated it more into their training maybe. Air Force probably didn't need it for anything other than fighter training. but every plane in the Navy has to land on a carrier - makes sense to practice first in VR! in any event, i think it was Mark Pesce and some other guy (who's name i'm sorry i've forgotten) who wrote the spec itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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