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Re: VRML



Yes it does stand for Virtual Reality Modeling Language. It's purpose
is/was to create an open-standard for creating, distributing and
presenting 3-D information on the Internet. The idea is that anyone could
create content development tools, anyone could create browsers or brower
plugins or even incorporate VMRL support into their browsers if they
followed the rules. 
VMRL was based closely on SGI (then named Silicon Graphics) product-line
at the time and their Open Inventor tool kit. SGI contributed their file
formats etc to the VRML. SGI had hoped to be a giant leader in the
breaking 3-D WWW space.
Although VRML has been fully functional since 1996 and the VRML standard
was adopted by the International Standards Organization in 1997, it has
yet to take off (if it ever will). Infighting among VRML
proponents--particularly the charismatic but ornery Mark Pesce and almost
anyone who didn't agree with him--, SGI's weak financial position, the
large size of any useful VRML file combined with the still too slow speed
of the Net, and the rise of sophistocated competitors like ShockWave and
QuickTime 3-D, pretty much crashed the project.
But true believers soldier on at http://www.vrml.org aka the web3d
consortium. You can read more and see examples there. 

see also http://urizen.village.virginia.edu/hell/ Dante's Inferno in 3-D
still breaks my macNetscape :-<

==========================================================================
                             Paul Jones
   "We must protect our precious bodily fluids!" General Jack D Ripper
http://MetaLab.unc.edu/pjones/ at the Site Formerly Known As SunSITE.unc.edu
  pjones@MetaLab.unc.edu   voice: (919) 962-7600     fax: (919) 962-8071 
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