After hanging around the periphery of the World Wide Web for a while, Virtual Reality Mark-up Language received a boost at the Siggraph show in Los Angeles last month with InterVista Software Inc and Sunnyvale, California-based ParaGraph International teaming up to produce a virtual reality bundle and Integrated Data Systems Inc and Austin, Texas-based Portable Graphics Inc doing the same. At the same time IBM Corp and Worlds Inc announced and demonstrated Virtual Reality Modeling Language+, VRML+, a jointly proposed extension to the emerging standard. IBM and Worlds said they will begin distributing a free VRML+ browser this quarter, which will support multi-user virtual environments for OS/2, Power Macintoshes and Windows95 and NT. The pair are also building servers for RS/6000, Irix, Linux, Solaris and Windows NT. Intervista and ParaGraph used the show to announce availability of beta versions of the former’s WorldView VRML Web browser on the Internet at http://www.hyperion.com/intervista/ and ParaGraph’s Home Space Builder, an easy-to-use VRML world creator for Windows, at http://www.paragraph.com/whatsnew/homespace.htm. The companies said both their products will be optimised to work over sub-28.8kbps modem links. WorldView needs at least a 50MHz 80486 with 8Mb RAM to render the worlds smoothly, a Pentium is preferable. It uses Microsoft Corp’s Reality Lab three-dimensional rendering library application programming interface. It is also developing Macintosh and Unix versions of the browser though no dates were given.
Home Space
ParaGraph International’s Home Space Builder 1.0 (Beta 2), is claimed to be one of the fastest available under Windows and lets designers build worlds that include integrated text, pictures, sound, movies, Musical Instrument Digital Interface and walking shows. The designer can also link objects within the home space to other Internet sites. The beta 1 version is free and the beta 2 version of Home Space Builder is available for $50. Moving on to the next duo, Integrated Data Systems and Portable Graphics are also intending to provide a browser and authoring tool combination. The VRealm browser and the VRealm Builder are expected to ship this autumn. The companies will make the products available for all major Unix systems, Windows NT, Windows95, OS/2 and Power Macs. The browser will be available for download over the Internet and will cost $30 to register (a popular price for Internet client-end software at the moment). There is no pricing for the builder yet. Portable Graphics has also developed VRML extensions that it will be bundling with its Open Inventor software developer’s tool kit. This will enable developers to add Internet capabilities to their existing virtual reality applications built with the tool.
