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!VRMLeyes/Docs/VRML?
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Archimedes World » AW-1996-11.adf » !VRMLeyes_AspexDem |
| Filename: | !VRMLeyes/Docs/VRML? |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0AD2 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
An Overview of VRML What is VRML? VRML is an acronym for "Virtual Reality Modeling Language". It is a file format for describing interactive 3D objects and worlds to be experienced on the world wide web (similar to how HTML is used to view text). The first release is called VRML 1.0. The vast majority of VRML files are VRML 1.0 and comprise mainly of 3D models converted directly from other file formats, DXF, 3DS Lightwave and many others. The number of people creating models and worlds is growing rapidly though, and 'genuine' VRML files are starting to appear. The development of the VRML specification has been moving at a fast pace for more than a year and the format for version two (VRML2.0) has now been established (4Aug96). The much quicker Binary version of the fileformat based on the Apple Metafile is still under development. VRML 2.0 adds significantly more interactive capabilities and allows for richer behaviours including animation, motion physics with Java etc. Most VRML browser developers will be embarking on the task of adding the VRML 2.0 features to their products. See the San Diego Supercomputer Center's VRML Repository or Silicon Graphics' VRML site for more information. http://www.sdsc.edu Whether you are an enthusiast, an artist, designer, hobbyist, developer the VRML Book to have is: The VRML SourceBook. by Andrea L. Ames. Published by Wiley & Sons inc. ISBN 0-471-14159-3 This book contains all the info you need to understand VRML and create VRML files using textfiles. The example files contained in the book can be downloaded from Wiley's site: http://www.wiley.com/compbooks/ The VRMLEyes product and the VRML Source Book together with HTML pages of all the examples and files are available as a product from Aspex Software. A FREQUENT QUESTION! Q. My VRML file is broken or looks very dull! A. There are loads of VRML converters and Viewers out there in the PC World, but not many editors. So there are lots of people out there busily converting from other 3D formats into VRML. This means that a great many of the VRML files found on the internet are simply files containing the coordinate information for creating the 3D Mesh for the model. The resulting model is more often than not a dull monocolour shape. Another problem is that during the rapid development of VRML a number of platforms managed to sneak various little tweaks into the format. The result is that some files which can be easily read by Workstations (because these stations created the original file), can't be read by anyone else. These problems are temporary and will lessen greatly as more 3D designers, artists and enthusiasts upload the real thing.
00000000 41 6e 20 4f 76 65 72 76 69 65 77 20 6f 66 20 56 |An Overview of V| 00000010 52 4d 4c 0a 20 0a 57 68 61 74 20 69 73 20 56 52 |RML. .What is VR| 00000020 4d 4c 3f 0a 56 52 4d 4c 20 69 73 20 61 6e 20 61 |ML?.VRML is an a| 00000030 63 72 6f 6e 79 6d 20 66 6f 72 20 22 56 69 72 74 |cronym for "Virt| 00000040 75 61 6c 20 52 65 61 6c 69 74 79 20 4d 6f 64 65 |ual Reality Mode| 00000050 6c 69 6e 67 20 4c 61 6e 67 75 61 67 65 22 2e 20 |ling Language". | 00000060 49 74 20 69 73 20 61 0a 66 69 6c 65 20 66 6f 72 |It is a.file for| 00000070 6d 61 74 20 66 6f 72 20 64 65 73 63 72 69 62 69 |mat for describi| 00000080 6e 67 20 69 6e 74 65 72 61 63 74 69 76 65 20 33 |ng interactive 3| 00000090 44 20 6f 62 6a 65 63 74 73 20 61 6e 64 20 77 6f |D objects and wo| 000000a0 72 6c 64 73 20 74 6f 20 62 65 0a 65 78 70 65 72 |rlds to be.exper| 000000b0 69 65 6e 63 65 64 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 77 6f |ienced on the wo| 000000c0 72 6c 64 20 77 69 64 65 20 77 65 62 20 28 73 69 |rld wide web (si| 000000d0 6d 69 6c 61 72 20 74 6f 20 68 6f 77 20 48 54 4d |milar to how HTM| 000000e0 4c 20 69 73 20 75 73 65 64 20 74 6f 0a 76 69 65 |L is used to.vie| 000000f0 77 20 74 65 78 74 29 2e 20 54 68 65 20 66 69 72 |w text). The fir| 00000100 73 74 20 72 65 6c 65 61 73 65 20 69 73 20 63 61 |st release is ca| 00000110 6c 6c 65 64 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 31 2e 30 2e 20 0a |lled VRML 1.0. .| 00000120 0a 54 68 65 20 76 61 73 74 20 6d 61 6a 6f 72 69 |.The vast majori| 00000130 74 79 20 6f 66 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 66 69 6c 65 73 |ty of VRML files| 00000140 20 61 72 65 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 31 2e 30 20 61 6e | are VRML 1.0 an| 00000150 64 20 63 6f 6d 70 72 69 73 65 20 6d 61 69 6e 6c |d comprise mainl| 00000160 79 0a 6f 66 20 33 44 20 6d 6f 64 65 6c 73 20 63 |y.of 3D models c| 00000170 6f 6e 76 65 72 74 65 64 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 6c |onverted directl| 00000180 79 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 6f 74 68 65 72 20 66 69 6c |y from other fil| 00000190 65 20 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 73 2c 20 44 58 46 2c 20 |e formats, DXF, | 000001a0 33 44 53 0a 4c 69 67 68 74 77 61 76 65 20 61 6e |3DS.Lightwave an| 000001b0 64 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 6f 74 68 65 72 73 2e 20 54 |d many others. T| 000001c0 68 65 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 70 65 6f |he number of peo| 000001d0 70 6c 65 20 63 72 65 61 74 69 6e 67 20 6d 6f 64 |ple creating mod| 000001e0 65 6c 73 20 61 6e 64 0a 77 6f 72 6c 64 73 20 69 |els and.worlds i| 000001f0 73 20 67 72 6f 77 69 6e 67 20 72 61 70 69 64 6c |s growing rapidl| 00000200 79 20 74 68 6f 75 67 68 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 27 67 |y though, and 'g| 00000210 65 6e 75 69 6e 65 27 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 66 69 6c |enuine' VRML fil| 00000220 65 73 20 61 72 65 20 0a 73 74 61 72 74 69 6e 67 |es are .starting| 00000230 20 74 6f 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 | to appear...The| 00000240 20 64 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 6d 65 6e 74 20 6f 66 20 | development of | 00000250 74 68 65 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 73 70 65 63 69 66 69 |the VRML specifi| 00000260 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 68 61 73 20 62 65 65 6e 20 |cation has been | 00000270 6d 6f 76 69 6e 67 0a 61 74 20 61 20 66 61 73 74 |moving.at a fast| 00000280 20 70 61 63 65 20 66 6f 72 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 74 | pace for more t| 00000290 68 61 6e 20 61 20 79 65 61 72 20 61 6e 64 20 74 |han a year and t| 000002a0 68 65 20 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 0a 66 6f 72 20 76 65 |he format.for ve| 000002b0 72 73 69 6f 6e 20 74 77 6f 20 28 56 52 4d 4c 32 |rsion two (VRML2| 000002c0 2e 30 29 20 68 61 73 20 6e 6f 77 20 62 65 65 6e |.0) has now been| 000002d0 20 65 73 74 61 62 6c 69 73 68 65 64 20 28 34 41 | established (4A| 000002e0 75 67 39 36 29 2e 0a 54 68 65 20 6d 75 63 68 20 |ug96)..The much | 000002f0 71 75 69 63 6b 65 72 20 42 69 6e 61 72 79 20 76 |quicker Binary v| 00000300 65 72 73 69 6f 6e 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 |ersion of the fi| 00000310 6c 65 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 0a 62 61 73 65 64 20 6f |leformat.based o| 00000320 6e 20 74 68 65 20 41 70 70 6c 65 20 4d 65 74 61 |n the Apple Meta| 00000330 66 69 6c 65 20 69 73 20 73 74 69 6c 6c 20 75 6e |file is still un| 00000340 64 65 72 20 64 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 6d 65 6e 74 2e |der development.| 00000350 0a 0a 56 52 4d 4c 20 32 2e 30 20 61 64 64 73 20 |..VRML 2.0 adds | 00000360 73 69 67 6e 69 66 69 63 61 6e 74 6c 79 20 6d 6f |significantly mo| 00000370 72 65 20 69 6e 74 65 72 61 63 74 69 76 65 20 63 |re interactive c| 00000380 61 70 61 62 69 6c 69 74 69 65 73 20 61 6e 64 20 |apabilities and | 00000390 0a 61 6c 6c 6f 77 73 20 66 6f 72 20 72 69 63 68 |.allows for rich| 000003a0 65 72 20 62 65 68 61 76 69 6f 75 72 73 20 69 6e |er behaviours in| 000003b0 63 6c 75 64 69 6e 67 20 61 6e 69 6d 61 74 69 6f |cluding animatio| 000003c0 6e 2c 20 6d 6f 74 69 6f 6e 20 70 68 79 73 69 63 |n, motion physic| 000003d0 73 0a 77 69 74 68 20 4a 61 76 61 20 65 74 63 2e |s.with Java etc.| 000003e0 20 4d 6f 73 74 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 62 72 6f 77 73 | Most VRML brows| 000003f0 65 72 20 64 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 65 72 73 20 77 69 |er developers wi| 00000400 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 65 6d 62 61 72 6b 69 6e 67 0a |ll be embarking.| 00000410 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 74 61 73 6b 20 6f 66 20 61 |on the task of a| 00000420 64 64 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 32 |dding the VRML 2| 00000430 2e 30 20 66 65 61 74 75 72 65 73 20 74 6f 20 74 |.0 features to t| 00000440 68 65 69 72 20 70 72 6f 64 75 63 74 73 2e 0a 0a |heir products...| 00000450 53 65 65 20 74 68 65 20 53 61 6e 20 44 69 65 67 |See the San Dieg| 00000460 6f 20 53 75 70 65 72 63 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 20 |o Supercomputer | 00000470 43 65 6e 74 65 72 27 73 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 52 65 |Center's VRML Re| 00000480 70 6f 73 69 74 6f 72 79 20 6f 72 0a 53 69 6c 69 |pository or.Sili| 00000490 63 6f 6e 20 47 72 61 70 68 69 63 73 27 20 56 52 |con Graphics' VR| 000004a0 4d 4c 20 73 69 74 65 20 66 6f 72 20 6d 6f 72 65 |ML site for more| 000004b0 20 69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 0a 68 | information...h| 000004c0 74 74 70 3a 2f 2f 77 77 77 2e 73 64 73 63 2e 65 |ttp://www.sdsc.e| 000004d0 64 75 0a 0a 57 68 65 74 68 65 72 20 79 6f 75 20 |du..Whether you | 000004e0 61 72 65 20 61 6e 20 65 6e 74 68 75 73 69 61 73 |are an enthusias| 000004f0 74 2c 20 61 6e 20 61 72 74 69 73 74 2c 20 64 65 |t, an artist, de| 00000500 73 69 67 6e 65 72 2c 20 68 6f 62 62 79 69 73 74 |signer, hobbyist| 00000510 2c 20 64 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 65 72 0a 74 68 65 20 |, developer.the | 00000520 56 52 4d 4c 20 42 6f 6f 6b 20 74 6f 20 68 61 76 |VRML Book to hav| 00000530 65 20 69 73 3a 0a 0a 20 20 20 54 68 65 20 56 52 |e is:.. The VR| 00000540 4d 4c 20 53 6f 75 72 63 65 42 6f 6f 6b 2e 20 0a |ML SourceBook. .| 00000550 20 20 20 62 79 20 41 6e 64 72 65 61 20 4c 2e 20 | by Andrea L. | 00000560 41 6d 65 73 2e 20 0a 20 20 20 50 75 62 6c 69 73 |Ames. . Publis| 00000570 68 65 64 20 62 79 20 57 69 6c 65 79 20 26 20 53 |hed by Wiley & S| 00000580 6f 6e 73 20 69 6e 63 2e 0a 20 20 20 49 53 42 4e |ons inc.. ISBN| 00000590 20 30 2d 34 37 31 2d 31 34 31 35 39 2d 33 0a 0a | 0-471-14159-3..| 000005a0 54 68 69 73 20 62 6f 6f 6b 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 |This book contai| 000005b0 6e 73 20 61 6c 6c 20 74 68 65 20 69 6e 66 6f 20 |ns all the info | 000005c0 79 6f 75 20 6e 65 65 64 20 74 6f 20 75 6e 64 65 |you need to unde| 000005d0 72 73 74 61 6e 64 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 61 6e 64 20 |rstand VRML and | 000005e0 63 72 65 61 74 65 0a 56 52 4d 4c 20 66 69 6c 65 |create.VRML file| 000005f0 73 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20 74 65 78 74 66 69 6c 65 |s using textfile| 00000600 73 2e 20 20 54 68 65 20 65 78 61 6d 70 6c 65 20 |s. The example | 00000610 66 69 6c 65 73 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 65 64 20 |files contained | 00000620 69 6e 0a 74 68 65 20 62 6f 6f 6b 20 63 61 6e 20 |in.the book can | 00000630 62 65 20 64 6f 77 6e 6c 6f 61 64 65 64 20 66 72 |be downloaded fr| 00000640 6f 6d 20 57 69 6c 65 79 27 73 20 73 69 74 65 3a |om Wiley's site:| 00000650 0a 20 20 0a 20 20 20 68 74 74 70 3a 2f 2f 77 77 |. . http://ww| 00000660 77 2e 77 69 6c 65 79 2e 63 6f 6d 2f 63 6f 6d 70 |w.wiley.com/comp| 00000670 62 6f 6f 6b 73 2f 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 56 52 4d 4c |books/..The VRML| 00000680 45 79 65 73 20 70 72 6f 64 75 63 74 20 61 6e 64 |Eyes product and| 00000690 20 74 68 65 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 53 6f 75 72 63 65 | the VRML Source| 000006a0 20 42 6f 6f 6b 20 74 6f 67 65 74 68 65 72 20 77 | Book together w| 000006b0 69 74 68 0a 48 54 4d 4c 20 70 61 67 65 73 20 6f |ith.HTML pages o| 000006c0 66 20 61 6c 6c 20 74 68 65 20 65 78 61 6d 70 6c |f all the exampl| 000006d0 65 73 20 61 6e 64 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 61 72 65 |es and files are| 000006e0 20 61 76 61 69 6c 61 62 6c 65 20 61 73 20 61 20 | available as a | 000006f0 0a 70 72 6f 64 75 63 74 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 41 73 |.product from As| 00000700 70 65 78 20 53 6f 66 74 77 61 72 65 2e 0a 0a 0a |pex Software....| 00000710 41 20 46 52 45 51 55 45 4e 54 20 51 55 45 53 54 |A FREQUENT QUEST| 00000720 49 4f 4e 21 0a 51 2e 20 4d 79 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 |ION!.Q. My VRML | 00000730 66 69 6c 65 20 69 73 20 62 72 6f 6b 65 6e 20 6f |file is broken o| 00000740 72 20 6c 6f 6f 6b 73 20 76 65 72 79 20 64 75 6c |r looks very dul| 00000750 6c 21 0a 41 2e 20 54 68 65 72 65 20 61 72 65 20 |l!.A. There are | 00000760 6c 6f 61 64 73 20 6f 66 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 63 6f |loads of VRML co| 00000770 6e 76 65 72 74 65 72 73 20 61 6e 64 20 56 69 65 |nverters and Vie| 00000780 77 65 72 73 20 6f 75 74 0a 20 20 20 74 68 65 72 |wers out. ther| 00000790 65 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 50 43 20 57 6f 72 6c |e in the PC Worl| 000007a0 64 2c 20 62 75 74 20 6e 6f 74 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 |d, but not many | 000007b0 65 64 69 74 6f 72 73 2e 0a 0a 20 20 20 53 6f 20 |editors... So | 000007c0 74 68 65 72 65 20 61 72 65 20 6c 6f 74 73 20 6f |there are lots o| 000007d0 66 20 70 65 6f 70 6c 65 20 6f 75 74 20 74 68 65 |f people out the| 000007e0 72 65 20 62 75 73 69 6c 79 20 63 6f 6e 76 65 72 |re busily conver| 000007f0 74 69 6e 67 20 0a 20 20 20 66 72 6f 6d 20 6f 74 |ting . from ot| 00000800 68 65 72 20 33 44 20 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 73 20 69 |her 3D formats i| 00000810 6e 74 6f 20 56 52 4d 4c 2e 0a 0a 20 20 20 54 68 |nto VRML... Th| 00000820 69 73 20 6d 65 61 6e 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 61 20 |is means that a | 00000830 67 72 65 61 74 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 6f 66 20 74 68 |great many of th| 00000840 65 20 56 52 4d 4c 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 66 6f 75 |e VRML files fou| 00000850 6e 64 0a 20 20 20 6f 6e 20 74 68 65 20 69 6e 74 |nd. on the int| 00000860 65 72 6e 65 74 20 61 72 65 20 73 69 6d 70 6c 79 |ernet are simply| 00000870 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 69 6e | files containin| 00000880 67 20 74 68 65 0a 20 20 20 63 6f 6f 72 64 69 6e |g the. coordin| 00000890 61 74 65 20 69 6e 66 6f 72 6d 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 |ate information | 000008a0 66 6f 72 20 63 72 65 61 74 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 |for creating the| 000008b0 20 33 44 20 4d 65 73 68 20 66 6f 72 0a 20 20 20 | 3D Mesh for. | 000008c0 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 64 65 6c 2e 20 54 68 65 20 72 |the model. The r| 000008d0 65 73 75 6c 74 69 6e 67 20 6d 6f 64 65 6c 20 69 |esulting model i| 000008e0 73 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 6f 66 74 65 6e 0a 20 20 20 |s more often. | 000008f0 74 68 61 6e 20 6e 6f 74 20 61 20 64 75 6c 6c 20 |than not a dull | 00000900 6d 6f 6e 6f 63 6f 6c 6f 75 72 20 73 68 61 70 65 |monocolour shape| 00000910 2e 0a 0a 20 20 20 41 6e 6f 74 68 65 72 20 70 72 |... Another pr| 00000920 6f 62 6c 65 6d 20 69 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 64 75 |oblem is that du| 00000930 72 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 72 61 70 69 64 20 64 |ring the rapid d| 00000940 65 76 65 6c 6f 70 6d 65 6e 74 20 6f 66 20 56 52 |evelopment of VR| 00000950 4d 4c 0a 20 20 20 61 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f |ML. a number o| 00000960 66 20 70 6c 61 74 66 6f 72 6d 73 20 6d 61 6e 61 |f platforms mana| 00000970 67 65 64 20 74 6f 20 73 6e 65 61 6b 20 76 61 72 |ged to sneak var| 00000980 69 6f 75 73 20 6c 69 74 74 6c 65 20 74 77 65 61 |ious little twea| 00000990 6b 73 0a 20 20 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 66 |ks. into the f| 000009a0 6f 72 6d 61 74 2e 20 54 68 65 20 72 65 73 75 6c |ormat. The resul| 000009b0 74 20 69 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 66 |t is that some f| 000009c0 69 6c 65 73 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 63 61 6e 20 62 |iles which can b| 000009d0 65 20 65 61 73 69 6c 79 20 0a 20 20 20 72 65 61 |e easily . rea| 000009e0 64 20 62 79 20 57 6f 72 6b 73 74 61 74 69 6f 6e |d by Workstation| 000009f0 73 20 28 62 65 63 61 75 73 65 20 74 68 65 73 65 |s (because these| 00000a00 20 73 74 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 20 63 72 65 61 74 65 | stations create| 00000a10 64 0a 20 20 20 74 68 65 20 6f 72 69 67 69 6e 61 |d. the origina| 00000a20 6c 20 66 69 6c 65 29 2c 20 63 61 6e 27 74 20 62 |l file), can't b| 00000a30 65 20 72 65 61 64 20 62 79 20 61 6e 79 6f 6e 65 |e read by anyone| 00000a40 20 65 6c 73 65 2e 0a 0a 20 20 20 54 68 65 73 65 | else... These| 00000a50 20 70 72 6f 62 6c 65 6d 73 20 61 72 65 20 74 65 | problems are te| 00000a60 6d 70 6f 72 61 72 79 20 61 6e 64 20 77 69 6c 6c |mporary and will| 00000a70 20 6c 65 73 73 65 6e 20 67 72 65 61 74 6c 79 20 | lessen greatly | 00000a80 61 73 20 6d 6f 72 65 20 33 44 20 0a 20 20 20 64 |as more 3D . d| 00000a90 65 73 69 67 6e 65 72 73 2c 20 61 72 74 69 73 74 |esigners, artist| 00000aa0 73 20 61 6e 64 20 65 6e 74 68 75 73 69 61 73 74 |s and enthusiast| 00000ab0 73 20 75 70 6c 6f 61 64 20 74 68 65 20 72 65 61 |s upload the rea| 00000ac0 6c 20 74 68 69 6e 67 2e 20 0a 0a 20 20 20 0a 0a |l thing. .. ..| 00000ad0 0a 0a |..| 00000ad2
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