In an HTML page this is solved with a surrogate. Netscape displays a
little broken image icon. Luckily in VRML there's a bounding box for
WWWInlines which allows us to show about where the missing object will be.
It's up to the browser to give this missing object a "look".
Additionally, we (at SGI) are preparing a little guide for VRML authors
where we're suggesting a structure using an LOD node with the lowest level
of detail child in the file and the rest in WWWInlines. This way, an LOD
with a missing WWWInline can render the simpler child so you'll get a
placeholder with a somewhat accurate shape/color. But this is just a
guideline.
--
chris marrin ,,.
Silicon Graphics, Inc. ,`` 1$`
(415) 390-5367 ,|` ,$`
[email protected] b` ,P` ,,.
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"As a general rule, don't solve puzzles that open portals to Hell."
- excerpt from "A Horror Movie Character's Survival Guide"