> On Jun 2, 11:36pm, Nicky wrote:
> > Subject: Re: www-vrml-digest V1 #13
> > [snip]
> > If people thought like that when html first came out the web would never
> > have grown to the size it is now 'cause no one would sit waiting for the
> > downloads.
> > (I feel necessary to point out that I'm not a sceptic - I've waited
> > hours for glimpses of snapshots of 3D scenes not to mention scenes
> > themselves. - it's the other rabble I'm concerned about - you know those
> > guys who really determine whether something becomes a Netscape1.1 or a
> > DeLorean)
> > Nick
> >-- End of excerpt from Nicky
>
> The model was done in showcase and jot. I have no expensive 3-d modeling
> software, and unless it becomes MUCH less expensive, I will never buy any.
> Showcase is a pretty good 3-d modeler as long as you stick to primitives.
> However the most important modeling tool I have at my disposal is a good
> text editor! Despite what people say they are working on, there are no 3-D
> modelers that can both import and export VRML models right now.
You're right. ASCII we love you....The import export bit is quite
important since showcase CAN at least import inventor files...
> The reason for the spectacular development of the web is that the
> format of the files was completely open and human-readable. This meant that
> anyone anywhere could use existing text-editing tools to quickly create large
> amounts of content, sure editors that were specifically aimed at the web came
> along eventually, and perhaps, in the future, most HTML authoring will take
> place on tools like these, but what caused the GROWTH of the web was the fact
> that ANYONE can do it. If we really want VRML to catch on like HTML did, the
> most important factor is that people not be scared of it.
I agree - a more eloquent version of my babble.
[re: inefficient modelling]
> it needed to be. Redundant Groups and Separators around individual objects,
> normal definitions for objects that didn't need them, (use creaseAngle
> correctly and you will find that VERY few objects really need to have normals
> specified), redundant vertices in indexedFaceSet objects (a cubeoid can be
> described with 8 vertices, many of modelers describe it using 36 vertices,
> one for each corner of each triangle). These are issues that modelers and
> whoever writes format-conversion programs should be worrying about not this
> group, you've defined a format, now let's see how people use it before we go
> off and re-design it. (One idea that has some merit however is shortening
> the keyword names, with all due respect to the Inventor team, VRML is NOT
> Inventor, why are we clinging to this long-winded sintax? Why use "rotation"
> when "rot" is so much shorter?)
Shortening names has been addressed before so I leave that to the team to
sort out. But some very good points about efficiency of the modellers...
-------------------------------------------------------------------.
He who dies with the most toys...
Still dies.
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http://sw.cse.bris.ac.uk/public/cindy.html