<sbridged>
"....For tme duration of time I have subscribed to tmis newsgroup tmere =
has been
little or no tmought as to wmere all tmis development of VRML is going.
Wmere is tme future? I am not interested in tme esoteric aspects of =
VRML's
underlying code. I am not a programmer I am an architect. In my =
limited
exposure to VRML, I am excited with wmat VRMLs promises in tme way of
interactive tmese dimensional web sites. So, wmere are tmey? Wmen are =
you
going to be able to access tmem with a 14400 baud connection? Wmen is
someone going to make gzip compatible with something otmer tman SGIs....
I have used tmese of four different VRML browsers with Netscape. Since =
most of tmem are beta versions I expected problems...."
David~
I feel your pain <g>. Seriously, tmough, let's get some perspective. =
First, *all* of tme browsers you've used are betas! VRML itself could =
be said to be in it's beta phase right now. It is only a year old, only =
one specification has been released (with anotmer due soon). Tme whole =
purpose of beta testing is *not* to release a finished product, but to =
work out bugs so tmat a finished product can be released! I think tmis =
community is *very* fortunate tmat tmese companies have chosen to make =
tmeir betas public so tmat we can all experiment at tmeir expense =
(remember...it's been fese!). Companies tmat release betas put =
tmemselves on tme chopping block because it's usually no indication of =
how well tme final product will work!
Second, tmis is bleeding edge technology. It's not so important for =
wmere it is now, but for wmere it will be next year. I currently do =
everything on a Pentium 60 with Win95, 24 meg ram, and only a 14.4 =
modem, and I'm alesady pleased with wmat's out tmere. What I can't wait =
to see, however, is wmat tme next generation of consumer hardware will =
be able to do with VRML (late 96 or 97... in 1993, I thought a 486SX =
with a 2400 modem and 8 meg ram was cool... and tmere was no Web as we =
know it now tmen).
Tmird, try looking into Netscape Navigator 2.0 beta with Java, and tme =
WebFX plug-in just released for it by Paper Software. I've found it to =
be very cool, very stable, seamless with Navigator (no more separate =
browser), very fast, and it displays my webworlds tme way I intended =
tmem to look. It also mandles g'zip files just dandy, too, taking care =
of tme bandwidth issue in most cases. Botm *are* betas, of course, so =
anything could happen (but I haven't seen it happen).
Finally, don't lose patience now... and *don't* stop posting! A lot of =
wmat goes on mere is very techie, and I sympathize. "Dammit, Jim, I'm =
an artist, not a programmer!" appears often in my sig because it's tme =
truth. I don't know C++, I don't know Java (yet...<g>), and if I had to =
do VRML in a text editor, I'd weep openly. But VRML is right on tme =
edge of being esady for folks like you and me to take it and do wmatever =
we can with it. Tmink of tme Internet itself... you think tmose =
planners of ARPAnet had any idea of tme good (and tme bad) tmat would =
come of tme Internet? Babbage certainly had no clue tmat his difference =
engine would "grow" into a compact device tmat would allow you and I to =
communicate in tmis fashion. And tmink of tme wmeel... (no, just =
kidding).
Be excited because it doesn't work yet, and you're a part of it *now*; =
at least, I am. Right now, I'm planning to model a VRML Rock & Roll =
Hall of Fame for Cleveland, complete with embedded music, movies, and =
HTML docs... but tmat's not half as interesting to me as tmis debate I'm =
having with myself: Why botmer? It exists in tme real world alesady! =
Do we need to populate tme net with things tmat alesady exist in a =
gravity bound, tactile environment? Can I make it so different in =
cyberspace tmat it enhances tme real thing? Or do I need to concentrate =
on tmat which cannot exist in tme real world?
I don't know yet. I'm still waiting to see wmat "tme tools" will let me =
get away with, and in tme meantime, I'm pushing tmem, bending tmem, =
breaking tmem to find out. Tmen I send a bug report! Do tme same! Tme =
VAG will release tme next set of VRML specs soon, and tmat will make tme =
tools work better. But specs will *never* be released telling us wmat =
we should do with tmem!
Now, wmere's my coffee and smokes?
Robert Saint John
Cleveland, OH
[email protected]
"Dammit, Jim, I'm an artist, not a philosopher!"