Information AboutVrml |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT VRML | |
| graphics standards | |
| iso standards | |
| markup languages | |
| virtual reality | |
| graphics file formats | |
| 3d computer graphics | |
| vector graphics markup languages | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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FORMAT VRML is a Text File format where, e.g., Vertices and Edge s for a 3D Polygon can be specified along with the Surface Color , image-mapped Texture s, Shininess , Transparency , and so on. URL s can be associated with Graphic al components so that a Web Browser might fetch a web-page or a new VRML file from the Internet when the User clicks on the specific graphical Component . Animation s, Sound s, Lighting , and other Aspect s of the Virtual World can interact with the user or may be triggered by external Event s such as Timer s. A special Script Node allows the addition of Program Code (e.g., written in Java or JavaScript (ECMAScript)) to a VRML file. VRML files are commonly called World s and have the .wrl Extension (for example island.wrl). Although VRML worlds use a text format they may often be compressed using Gzip so that they transfer over the internet more quickly. Most 3D Modeling Program s can save Object s and Scene s in VRML format. STANDARDIZATION The Web3D Consortium has been formed to further the collective development of the format. The first version of VRML was specified in November (ISO/IEC 19775-1). EMERGENCE, POPULARITY, AND DECLINE The term VRML was coined by , where Mark Pesce presented the Labyrinth demo he developed with Tony Parisi & Peter Kennard . VRML reached the height of its popularity after the release of VRML2 in 1997, when it was used on some personal homepages and sites such as CyberTown , which offered 3D chats. The format had been championed by SGI 's Cosmo Software ; when SGI restructured in 1998 the division was sold to Platinum Technologies , which was then taken over by Computer Associates , which did not develop or distribute the software. To fill the void a variety of short-lived proprietary Web 3D formats emerged over the next few years, including Microsoft Chrome , Adobe Atmosphere and Shockwave 3D , none of which are supported today. VRML's capabilities remained largely the same while realtime 3D graphics kept improving. The VRML Consortium changed its name to the Web3D Consortium , and began work on the successor to VRML - X3D . While VRML is still occasionally used, particularly in education and research where an open specification is most valued, it has now been superseded by X3D. The MPEG-4 Interactive Profile (ISO/IEC 14496) was based on VRML (now on X3D), and X3D is largely back-compatible with it. VRML is also still used as a file format for interchange of 3D models, particularly from CAD systems. SEE ALSO
Shockwave 3D is a feature of Macromedia Director's authoring environment and is still actively used by developers. OPEN SOURCE PROGRAMS THAT CAN EXPORT VRML
OPEN SOURCE VRML PROGRAMS (EXTERNAL LINKS)
MORE EXTERNAL LINKS
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