This is an interesting technology. Thank you for
enabling me to review your documentation.
Because VRML is a recognized acronym at this time, I
prefer to refer to the Microsoft language as MAMML:
Microsoft Active Multi Media Language. This is functionally what it is.
Yes, I have esad the literature at the Microsoft Web site.
<nits>
1. Please spell check and grammar check
your documents. You invented tools
for such. Please use them. Do not
remind us of the preliminary aspects of
your documents or their dynamic nature.
That only says you are hurrying for
some reason and are skipping steps
a professional development group does
not skip. A document of this kind in
public makes me ask myself what
other steps are being skipped in
other aspects of the product.
2. The current presence of many members
of your staff on the VRML lists to answer
questions is gracious. It also has the
appearance of a full-court press tactic.
</nits>
The language does appear to be simpler
to use than Java. It is a procedural or
functional language that enables one
to create higher order functions from
primitives. However, it is probably still
an order of magnitude too hard to use
than what is required by shops that
will create multimedia in a production
environment. Therefore, like Visual Basic,
a graphical interface that manages the
language and is configurable in the
way that an SGML editor is configurable
will be required. As Microsoft does
not have an SGML product which can
easily do this, I suggest you look to
SoftQuad or ArborText for models.
MAMML violates the tenets of VRML as
I understand them.
1. It appears to use VRML only for primitive
shapes which would better be defined
with MAMML itself. Otherwise, in the
examples given, values which are
defined within the scene description
are redefined within the MAMML. So
what little use it makes of the VRML
standard appears to be perfunctory.
The reactive paradigm is not new and I do
understand it. It is not the paradigm
of VRML as has been agreed to by
the members of the VRML community.
That does not invalidate it as a useful
tool, as I think it can be that without question.
Simply, it is not VRML.
2. If to use the reactive behaviors
paradigm I must reauthor my current VRML
world and move the transforms, texture
declarations, etc. into MAMML, I have
a bit of work to do. So the requirement
for interoperability appears to have been
violated.
3. The VRML 1.0 standard is registered,
I believe, as a W3C and/or IETF type. Will
Microsoft give up control of the language
to an international body, a consoritum,
or will they publish the specification but
continue to control its evolution as Adobe
has for PDF? What in Microsoft's opinion
is an "open standard"?
4. Where is MAMML positioned in the
multi-tier architecture of Microsoft
products described in other articles
on your Web page?
5. Will any features of MAMML be
provided which make the use of
Visual Basic or MFC components simpler
with regard to creating MAMML support
systems and browsers?
6. How soon can the user base of VRML
expect Microsoft support tools for MAMML?
By this, I mean Modeling tools and repositories.
7. What functionality will be in the reference
implementation? How well supported will this
be and for how long?
8. Is HTML the only SGML application
or language notation targeted as an MAMML hub?
If not, what others can be supported? Will
support be predicated on URL address types?
Will peer communication be supported by
and API? Who will create that or will OLE2
be the preferred choice?
9. How will MAMML interact with multiple notations
in the windowing system? It is necessary for
complex compound document architectures
to provide better coordination of window displays
than can be provided using simple Netscape *frames*.
It is possible that this can be achieved with MAMML
and is a subject of some interest to my customers.
10. How does this fit with the Microsoft statements
on other Web pages that Microsoft does not believe
that "light applet" applications are sufficient, and
that learning new languages should not be required
for creating Internet applications?
Thank you again for the opportunity to review
your documents and proposals.
Len Bullard
Senior Systems and CALS Analyst
Loral Defense Systems - East
Len Bullard