Poised Solutions Tech Library

Building VRML Worlds

Building VRML Worlds Author: Ed Tittel Charlie Scott Paul Wolfe Claire Sanders Publisher: McGraw Hill Published: 1993 Pages: 381

Building VRML Worlds

Building VRML Worlds Chapters

Building VRML Worlds Chapters

1. An Introduction to VRML
   • How VRML Can Change Your Web Experience
   • Pondering VRML
   • How VRML Works
   • Comparing HTML and VRML
   • VRML's History and Evolution
     • Cyberspace Description Format
     • A File Format for the Interchange of Virtual Worlds
     • Labyrinth - VRML Specification Version 1.3.1
     • Web OOGL
     • Manchester Scene Description Language (MSDL)
     • Multitasking Extensible Messaging Environment (Meme)
     • And the winner: open Inventor (OI)
     • The VRML 1.0 Specification
   • The History Continues
     • VRML+
     • VRML 1.1
     • VRML 2.0
     • VRML and the Web: A Stellar Partnership
       • Inter Vista's World View
       • Cosom Players
       • CyberGate
       • GL view
       • Liquid Reality
       • Caligari Pioneer
       • Virtuss Voyager
       • Whurlwind
       • VRweb
       • Live3D
       • Topper
   • The Future of VRML To Be Determined
2. Thinking in 3-D
   • Origin and Axes
     • The VRML Coordinate System
     • VRML Units
   • Moving in 3-D
     • Orientation
     • Viewpoints
     • Translation
   • Objects
     • Points to Polygons
     • From Frames to Surfaces
   • Working with Light Sources
     • Ambient Light
     • Directional Lights
     • Spotlights
     • Point Lights
     • Lights, Sensors and Scripts
     • Rendering
   • Shading Techniques
     • Flat Shading
     • Gouraud Shading
     • Phong Shading
     • Ray Tracing
   • Texture Mapping: Realism Made Easy
3. The Basic of VRML Files
   • Don't Let the Jargon Get You Down
   • The VRML 2.0 Specification Hype
   • Now About Those Files...
   • What Your Browser Needs to Know: VRML's MIME Types
   • What Makes a VRML File?
     • VRML Sample File
     • The VRML File Header
     • Comments in VRML Files
   • Nodes: The True Building Blocks of VRML
     • The Structure of a Node
     • The Parent-Child Relationship
     • Nodes: Barren or Fecund
     • Bindable Children Nodes
     • Instancing
     • An Example of Instancing
     • Prototyping
     • Bounding Boxes
   • The Way of the Node How Nodes are Processed
     • Parsing
     • Traversing
     • Rendering
     • Wold Transforming
     • Picking
   • An Overview of Node Types
     • Node Changes in VRML 2.0
     • New Node Types in VRML 2.0
     • Nodes Changed in Moving Worlds VRML 2.0
     • Important New 'Common Nodes'
     • Appearance Nodes
     • Sensor Nodes
     • Grouping Nodes
     • Geometry Nodes
     • Special Nodes
     • Interpolator Nodes
   • Summary
4. Creating Good VRML
   • Speed Versus Reality
     • Consider the Client Machine's CPU
     • Consider the Client Machine's Internet Connection
     • Textures as a Bottleneck
   • Ways to Increase the Speed of VRML Worlds
     • GZIP Your Worlds
     • Don't Create Objects That Aren't Visible
     • Use Primitives Rather than Polygons
     • Use as Few Polygons as Possible
     • The Pros and Cons of WWWInline
   • Avoid Building 'Movie Set' Worlds
   • The Benefits of Functional VRML World
   • Making Good VRML Isn't (Completely) Easy
5. What to Look for in a VRML Authoring Tool
   • Ease of Use
   • Exportability of VRML-Compliant Files
   • Importing Other File Formats
   • Objects and Textures
   • Ability to Add New Textures and Object Libraries
   • Text as Well as Graphics
   • Multimedia Effects
   • WWW Awareness
   • VRML Power features
   • VRML Creation Tools vs. Rendering Software
     • The Interfaces
     • The Power
     • The Price
     • When to Use VRML Tools or Rendering Packages
   • Summary
6. Paragraph's Virtual Home Space Builder
   • The Technical Stuff
     • System Requirements
     • VRML Considerations
   • VHSB: The Guts
     • Getting Started with VHSB
     • Building a VRML Virtual Space in Seven Easy Steps
     • Virtual Space Finishing Touches
     • Setting Up a Walkthrough Show
     • Converting Files to VRML
     • Building a Virtual Community
     • VHSB and the Future of VRML
7. Caligari's Pioneer
   • Technical Requirements
   • Pioneer: The Guts
     • Interface
   • How to Make a Complex World in Six Easy Steps
     • The Quick, clean Guide to VRML Publishing with Pioneer
   • Drawbacks
   • Conclusion
8. Virtus Walk Through Pro and 3-D Website Builder
   • Virtus' Background
   • The Virtus Web Site
     • Virtus Help
     • The 3-D Durham Bulls Ballpark: A Virtus Creation
   • Virtus' VMDL: A VRML Alternative?
   • Exporting to VRML
   • 3-D Website Builder
     • WB System Requirements
     • WB's Impressive Features
     • A Glance at WB's Windows
     • The Design Concepts Behind WB
     • WB's Tools
     • WB Tips
   • WalkThrough Pro
     • WTP System Requirements
     • Virtus Rules
     • WTP's Offerings
     • A Glance at WTP Views
     • Drawing Concepts in WTP
     • Highlights of the WTP Toolkit
     • Rabbit in the Moon: An Example of What You Can Do with WTP
     • WTP Tips
   • Summary
9. VR Tools
   • Java/VRML Tools
     • Dimension X's Liquid Reality
     • Hyperwire
   • VRML Conversion and Translation Tools
     • Interchanges
     • Extreme 3-D
     • DoomTo Vrml2
     • VRML1to2
     • VRML1toVRML2
     • MUStoVRML
     • ORC 3-D Translators
   • VR Server and Other Fascinating VRML Tools
     • V-Relam 3-D Media Server
     • VRserver
     • Axial Flyer Toolkit
     • RealVR
   • Summary
10. VRML Extensible Rendering Packages
    • The Five Points of Rendering
      • Object Creation and Shaping
      • Shading and Lighting
      • Object Libraries
      • Surface Texture Libraries
      • Perspective
    • Physical Requirements of a Rendering Package
      • Technical Requirements
    • Strata's StudioPro
      • Technical Requirements
      • Features
      • The Five Points Check
      • Five Points Summary
    • Kinetix 3D Studio Max
      • Technical Requirements
      • Features
      • Five Points Check
      • Kinetix 3D Studio Max Summary
    • Summary
11. Working with Surface Textures
    • The Making of a Good Texture Map
      • Elements of Style: VRML and Texture Use
      • Graphic Formats
    • Resources for Texture Maps
      • Commercial Packages
      • The World Wide Web
      • In-House Graphics Development
    • Examples of Effective Texture Maps Use
    • Summary
12. Using Object Libraries
    • Why Object Libraries?
    • Working with Generic Objects
      • The Generic Object Strategy
      • File Formatting and Conversion
    • Resources for Objects
      • VRML Object Libraries on the Internet
      • Commercial Libraries
      • VRML Library Development
    • Summary
13. VRML Worlds for WWW Navigation
    • On the First Day: Preparing for World Creation
    • The Hammer and the Anvil: Banging Out a Virtual World
      • Strategies for Linking Worlds
    • Summary
14. Using Web Applications with VRML
    • Server-side vs Client Side Applications
      • On the Server-side: CGIs and APIs
      • Client-side Applications Break the Server Resource Barrier
      • For VRML, Client-side Application Will Prevail
    • Server-side Applications
      • Possible Uses for Server-side VRML Web Applications
      • Creating CGI Programs
      • Delivering VRML from Your CGI Programs
      • VRML Generation
    • Client-side Applications
      • Uses for Client-side VRML Web Applications
      • VRML 2.0's Script Node
      • Java and VRML
      • JavaScript and VRML
    • Summary

Building VRML Worlds Appendices

1. Glossary
2. Resources
3. Index