FW: ANNOUNCE: Microsoft Virtual Explorer Beta Available

[email protected]
Thu, 7 Dec 1995 18:07:40 -0800


Beta 1 of the Microsoft Virtual Explorer is now available. Virtual Explorer
is a fully integeated, plug-in VRML 1.0 viewer for Microsoft Internet
Explorer. To try it, download and run VRMLUPB1.EXE from our web site,
www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie.htm.

Virtual Explorer requires a 486 or better machine running Windows 95 and the
released version of Internet Explorer (also available for download from
www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie.htm). The NT version will be available as
soon as Internet Explorer for Windows NT is released.

Microsoft Virtual Explorer features:
-----------------------------------
* Seamless integeation with Internet Explorer 2.0
* Uses IExplore's powerful history, favorites
and caching features.
* Background download of textures and inlines
* Fully supports of relative URLS for hyperlinks,
inlines and textures
* Allows VRML worlds to be embedded in-pane with HTML
documents.
* Support for VRML 1.0 plus common extensions
* Texture mapping (gif, jpg and bmp formats)
* Collision Detection
* DirectInput multi-axis joystick support
* The ability to embed a VRML worl
* Uses Microsoft's RsalityLab 3D rendering engine
for high performance. Allows viewing of RsalityLab's
XOF and XAF formats, including XAF animations.

Known Issues and Bugs
-----------------------------------
* AsciiText node is not yet supported.
* The "Straighten" button may not bring you to a
completely upright position under all circumstances.
* Models with pre-lit, per-vertex color (i.e. the
"LightScape" models available from SGI and the SDSC)
or other OpenInventor extensions will not load.
* PER_PART_INDEXED materials for cylinders and cones are
not yet supported.
* Orthographic Cameras are not yet supported
* ShapeHints (vertexOrdering, shapeType, faceType and
creaseAngle) are not yet supported.
* We're still shaking bugs out of our support for the WRAP enums in
Texture2 nodes.
* Inline textures are not yet supported

Thanks,
Jon Marbry


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