What is Virtual Reality Modelling Language? Well, like you use HTML (HyperText Mark-up Language) for making linked documents for the Web, you can use VRML to design a "world" on the web, in which bypassers can take a walk. You can build something that looks like a house (but, the door might be a hyperlink to another world or an ordinary HTML-page), a Deppoo-oid spacestation, a model of Louvre or the complex system of an anthill. The only limits are your imagination and the power of the computer you (and your visitors) are using.

VRML looks rather much like other languages such as HTML or PostScript, but opposite HTML, WYSIWYG editors were developed pretty fast (while plenty of us have been doing HTML the hard way for a long time - and still often do). The world(s) you'll be able to enter from this place is(are) created with the Virtus Editor, but I've started teaching myself VRML 2.0 the hard way... It's tough!

The world(s) provided here is(are all) in VRML 1.0 format. The VRML 2.0 format exists, but many plug-ins and helper-applications for Webbrowsers still only support VRML 1.0. I can recommend Chaco's VRScout as a plug-in/helper-application for both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape. If you're watching this from a Silicon Graphics, consider using SGI's own VR software. If you're using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or Netscape 4.0 you shouldn't experience any problems; at least, it's easy to find add-ons to these!

Remember, if you pronounce VRML as [vee-arh-em-el], consider yourself a "luser" or "induhvidual" - the true pronounciation is of course ['ver-mal] like in "vermin"!

Wanna play?

About VRML:

A book to recommend:
Andrea L. Ames, David R. Nadeau & John Moreland:
VRML 2.0 sourcebook, 2nd Edition (1997),
ISBN 0-471-16507-7

VRML sites on the Web:

Best, most excellent starting point:
The VRML Repository, hosted by San Diego Supercomputer Center.
VRML Specifications: http://vag.vrml.org & http://vrml.sgi.com/moving-worlds/spec

Browsers:

• Caligari Pioneer - if you have a powerful computer. Also an editor. [Win3.1, Win95, WinNT]
• Chaco Communications VRScout - stand-alone browser or Netscape Plug-in, Internet Explorer. My favourite. [Win3.1, Win95, WinNT]
• Silicon Graphics Cosmo Player. Get it for free! BTW, this is now an integrated part of the new version of Netscape (at least, one of the new versions of the new version of Netscape...)! [SGI, Win95, WinNT]
• Sony Community Place Browser. Free. [Win95, WinNT]
• Virtus Voyager. A classic! Now for Win95... Free. [Mac68k, PowerMac, Win95]
• VREAM WIRL. Haven't tried it. Free. [Win95]

Editing software:

• Caligari Pioneer - if you have a powerful computer. Also an editor. Has a hilarious dialog box: "Changes to current World will be lost. Do you want to save this World? Yes, No, Cancel". You simply have to like a program that allows you to save the world, right? [Win3.1, Win95, WinNT]
• Microsoft VRML - of course they've got one too! [Win95, WinNT]
• Okino Computer Graphics NuGraf Rendering System + PolyTrans. Haven't tried them. [DOS, SGI, Sun, Win3.1, Win95, WinNT]
• ParaGraph Virtual Home Space Builder. [Win3.1, Win95, WinNT]
• Radiance Ez3D. Excellent - and you'll get used to that "Silicon Graphics"-like interface! [HP, SGI, Sun, Win3.1, Win95, WinNT]
• Silicon Graphics Cosmo Worlds [SGI]
• Virtus 3-D Website Builder. I can usually recommend Virtus' software! [Mac68k, PowerMac, Win3.1, Win95]

Browsers/editing software: Found through the above mentioned book.

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