Suggested Image Based VR enhancements for VRML 2.0

Sandy Ressler ([email protected])
Mon, 17 Apr 1995 11:54:37 -0400 (EDT)

Is anyone giving any serious consideration at incorporating (in
VRML 2.0) image-based VR environments. An image-based VR environment
is exemplified by Apple's QuickTime VR (QTVR) work. In this type of an
environment you can turn your head 360 degrees around and the images
are updated in real time. The current version of QTVR does not support
travel terribly well so your stuck in one place. Let me stress
that this is NOT a plug for QTVR but rather a plug for not excluding
image-based VR environments from VRML. Much of the computer graphics
being done in the domain of image warping is applicable to this
problem.

The big win with image-based VR environments is the ability to very
quickly create complex environments. No you can't easily manipulate
everything but you can represent environments in photo-realistic detail.
Hot spots can be defined on top of these environment which let you
take actions such as linking via URLs to other sites. Ultimatly I
would expect environments with combinations of polygonal and image-based
sites to exploit the advantages of both.

Any thoughts???
Sandy Ressler

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NAME: Sandy Ressler TELE: (301) 975-3549
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