VRML

http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/users/dixa/teaching/VAV/VRML.html

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what is it?

standardised (sort of) notation for virtual reality over the web

text file (use normal text editor)

bit like a programming language

also special world building software

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how do you use it?

you need a browser

Netscape plug-in

stand alone VRML viewer

and a world

find one on the net

write your own

some examples on S: drive

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interactivity over the web???

'world' is downloaded

interaction is local

moving within the world

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links to the web?

can be linked to from web pages

active objects link back

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versions

VRML 1.0

first version

'static' worlds - only viewpoint changes

VRML 2.0

animated objecst in world

tidying up etc.

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VRML file format

filename (URL) ends ".wrl"

c.f. .html, .gif, .jpg etc.

VRML 1.0 first line:

#vrml 1.0 ascii

VRML 2.0 first line:

#vrml 2.0 utf8

can have binary versions too

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contents

one or more nodes

general format

    DEF object objecttype {
        fieldname  value
             . . .
    }

or simply:

    objecttype {
        fieldname  value
             . . .
    }

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types of nodes

objects that appear in the world

e.g. sphere, cone, cube etc.

nodes that alter subsequent objects

e.g. texture, color, transformations

nodes that group other nodes

also limit the effect of transformations etc.

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examples

When you are looking at a virtual world you can use "Document Source" from Netscape's View menu to see the VRML code that produced it.

a sphere

add color

alternatively wrap a texture round it

you can use any gif or jpeg image

other shapes such as a cone

put them together

OOPs! - all objects are centred at origin, need to use a Transform node to move one of the objects

try again with a cone and sphere

that's better

a framed picture built out of 'cubes'

N.B. in VRML cube means cuboid!

finally a rogue's gallery

this uses WWWInline nodes to include one VRML file within another

also WWWAnchor nodes are used to link to other web pages

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more ...

Leeds University VRML & JAVA3D site

Nic Sulver's 3D graphics web pages

These include a local copy of the VRML 1.0 standard, Nic's own lectures as Powerpoint presntations and various 3D examples and links.

VRML Browsing & Building Cyberspace, Mark Pesce, New Riders, 1995.

Nic's recommended book. I've not read it yet. He says it is good on the philosphy as Pesce was one of the originators of VRML, but not so good as tutorial.

VRML: Exploring Virtual Worlds on the Internet, Walter Goralski, Matthew Poli and Peter Vogel, Prentice Hall, 1997.

3D Graphics and VRML2, Laura Lemay, Kelly Murdock and Justin Couch, Sams.net, 1997.

Two "big book + CD ROM" bundles. Both go wider than VRML. Possibly the VRML was almost a marketing afterthought? CD ROMs contain lots of useful freebees - mostly for the PC, less for the Mac (sigh). Each deal with different versions of VRML. However, I found that the VRML 1.0 tags in the Goralski book do not always agree with the official VRML 1.0 specification. I think this is a sign of the way VRML has drifted and is implemented and extended differently by different browsers. The Lemay book has a very useful reference section on the back for both VRML 2.0 and HTML.