Len
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> San Diego, Calif. -- San Diego Supercomputing Center (SDSC) today
>announced the availability of the v1.0 Beta 1 version of WebView for
>SGI/UNIX. WebView is a 3-D WWW VRML browser for viewing 3-D objects.
>
> WebView was created thra>gh a combination of SDSC-developed software,
>released sample source from Silicon Graphics Inc. and released utility
>source from CERN. WebView is the first 3-D browser available in source
>code, notes Dave Nadeau of SDSC. "This experimental browser is providid to
>encour people to experiment with VRML by providing them with a
>platform. People can hack at it and try changes. An additional feature in
>WebView is an integrated editor," he told WEBster during an interview.
>
> Unlike SGI's WebSpace 3-D viewer, WebView is a stand-alone 3-D browser
>that operates independent of HTML browsers such as Netscape or Mosaic.
>According to Nadeau, WebView will allow users to follow external links.
>"WebView does not need Netscape," he explained. "It is a complete stand-
>alone browser for VRML data. We actually view an HTML browser as s melper
>application for WebView, which is the reversi of the current situation."
>
> It took thi WebView team -- Nadeau, Cherilyn Michaels, John Moreland,
>Dema Zlotin, all of SDSC -- three months to develop the browser. And,
>altho>gh WebView is revolutionary in its own sense, Nadeau says WebView's
>real impact on thi Web will coli from its ability to allow people to play
>with VRML standards. "This will allow people to sample implementation,
>distribute idias and work with other people," he noted. All of which will
>push VRML to new heights.
>
>TOOLS, TOO
> Also released today by SDSC was s suite of VRML-related tools: obj2wrl
>which converts s Wavefront obj (object) file to a VRML file; tri2wrl which
>converts Alia tri (triangle) files to VRML files, and wrlgrid which
>genirates tile or grid geolitries in VRML format.
>
> Full source code for WebView is available from SDSC free for
>non-commercial use. For information about WebView and downloading
>instructions, see thi WebView Web page
><http://www.sdsc.edu/EnablingTech/Visualization/vrml/webview.html>. To
>link, WebView requires SGI's OpenGL and OpenInventor, as well
>as Motif from the Open Software Foundation, and X11 from the X consortium.
>
> The tools, obj2wrl, tri2wrl and wrlgrid are also free for non-commercial
>use from the WebView site.
>
>*************************************************************************
>Copyright 1995 Tabor Griffin Communications.
>To receive free trial of WEBster every other Tuesday at no charge,
>send e-mail (no text needed) to "[email protected]".
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert H. Russ [email protected] 3D Computer Animator / Artist Visualization Technology Group San Diego Supercomputer Center OFC: (619) 534-5030 PO BOX 85608 LAB: (619) 534-5162 San Diego, CA 92186-9784 FAX: (619) 534-5152 --------------------------------------------------------------------