#Title#=VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language) #Designation#=resources.formats.vrml #Date#=April 03 1996 #Author#=Robert Cass rcass@garfield.cs.mun.ca #Image#=banner.smaller.gif #Movie#=virtua2.mpg #Text#= VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language) Extensions: .wrl, .vrml, .vrm Platform(s):All Medium:Virtual Reality Pros:Dynamic view of 3D worlds created by you. Cons:Difficult to write and slow to view. Interfaces take a little getting used to. One of the best viewers is WebSpace(tm). The best thing to do is download the required VRML source and images that go with it and then view it locally. Conversion Possibilities: Protein Database files can now be converted to VRML at this nifty URL: http://www.pc.chemie.th-darmstadt.de/vrml/urlvis.html. Atomic Coordinates can also be converted to VRML at this URL: http://193.49.43.3/dif/3D_crystals.html 3D Format Conversion Server: http://www.ocnus.com/translate.html Alias wire files .alias AutoCAD DXF .dxf AutoDesk 3DStudio .3ds IGES .iges or .igs Inventor .iv SoftImage .hrc or .dsc Stereolithography .sla Wavefront .obj Minimum Requirements: Hardware Requirements(MS/Intel): + A 486/66 processor + 8 MB memory + 256 color graphics card You will soon want to have: + A Pentium processor + 16 MB memory (more if you're running NT) + Fast, high resolution, 24bit TrueColor graphics card + OpenGL accelerator cards (Accel, Oki, various GLint-based, etc.) Associated Hardware: OpenGL accelerator cards, 24bit graphics cards Associated Software: Viewers: WebSpace(tm) Navigator , Amber VRML Browser for Windows NT VR Scout 3D VRML Viewer, VRweb, WebFx, WorldView Conversion: 3D Model to VRML Translation Allows user to translate files to VRML format. User file is read from ftp site interactively and returned to VRML browser for viewing or saving. Supports Alias wire files (.alias), AutoCAD (.dxf), AutoDesk 3DStudio (.3ds), IGES (.iges or .igs), Inventor (.iv), Softimage (.hrc or .dsc), and Wavefront (.obj) formats. ORC Incorporated 3D Studio R4 to VRML 1.0 Converter This is the home of Autodesk's 3D Studio to VRML 1.0 Converter. It is an IPAS module that only runs under 3D Studio Release 4. The purpose of this module is to convert 3D Studio objects (including meshes and lights) into the VRML 1.0 standard format. Autodesk. Dx2vrml Version 1.2 Dx2vrml is an outboard module for the IBM Visualization Data Explorer (DX) software package which translates DX objects into scene descriptions compliant with the VRML 1.0 specification. Cornell Theory Center, Visualization dept. dxf2wrl conversion server Uploaded dxf files are converted on a batch basis with the resultant file put on the http://www.organic.com webserver. Organic Online. gocad2vrml Simple awk converter from GOCAD format to VRML. Fabien Bosquet, Colorado School of Mines. im2wrl im2wrl reads an image, creates a quad mesh geometry, colors the verticies by sampling the input image, and saves the resulting (optionally bump-mapped) geometry in a new VRML file. John Moreland and Dave Nadeau, San Diego Supercomputer Center image2wrl ( Archived.) image2wrl reads an sgi format file and converts the first channel into a grid in VRML wrl file format. Geoff Horne, University of Syndey. InterChange A Windows application from Syndesis Corp. that translates between more than thirty 3D file formats such as AutoCAD DXF, Wavefront, 3D Studio, and VRML. For more information, email to syndesis@beta.inc.net, call (414) 674-5200, or fax (414) 674-6363. Syndesis Corporation ivToVRML ivToVRML converts Inventor data files to VRML format. Input files can be either ascii or binary, and can be in Inventor 1.0 or 2.0 formats. Output files will be VRML 1.0 ascii format. Silicon Graphics Computer Systems. lwtoiv lwtoiv converts from Lightwave object format to Open Inventor 2.0 format. All Inventor nodes created by the program are legal VRML nodes also, so changing to VRML format is one simple step. Marvin Landis, University of Arizona. obj2vrml An OBJ (Wavefront) to VRML converter. This converter translates nearly everything (no free form objects) and keeps material and texture descriptions. Andreas Schlempp, Fraunhofer institute for computer graphics. obj2wrl obj2wrl converts Wavefront obj (object) files to VRML geometry. John Moreland, San Diego Supercomputer Center. off2vrml A perl script that converts OFF (Object File Format) geometry files to VRML. OFF is a 3-D ASCII format defining indexed polygons of 3-D objects and many objects in this 3-D format are available from ftp://avalon.viewpoint.com, or http://www.viewpoint.com/. Jason Mathews, NASA. soft2vrml A utility to translate SOFTIMAGE 3.0 3D models to VRML. OZ Inc. Tierra2VRML For more information, see The Tierra Project, a network-wide biodiversity reserve for digital organisms. Tom Ray. tri2wrl tri2wrl converts Alias tri (triangle) files to VRML geometry. During the conversion, coordinate, normal, material, and texture lists are optimized to reduce file size. Textures are organized to optimize loading in VRML. Dave Nadeau and Dema Zlotin, San Diego Supercomputer Center. VRML Stereograms Turn your VRML model or scene into a random-dot stereogram or "Magic Eyes" as they are sometimes called. ORC Incorporated VRMLConvert: Mathematica 3D Graphics to VRML VRMLConvert is a free Mathematica package for converting Mathematica 3D graphics to VRML. Documentation, examples, and the package itself are available at this URL. The package also includes a Mathematica translation of Stephen Chenney's orient.c program for orienting a VRML camera. Dr. H. Edward Donley, Indiana University of PA. wadtoiv Reads a Doom wad (or patchwad) file and outputs a specified episode and mission's map data in Open Inventor format. Kenneth B. Russell, MIT Media Laboratory. WCVT2POV V2.6 This is an MS-Windows program that converts between various 3d file formats. These formats include 3d studio, Wavefront, VRML, POVRay, NFF, DXF, TrueType Fonts, and others. Keith Rule. Wld2vrml A converter that reads WLD files (and the PLG and FIG files that they reference) into VRML. The WLD/PLG/FIG formats are used by a number of freeware VR programs, including REND386, AVRIL, VR-386 and Gossamer. The converter currently only runs under DOS. Bernie Roehl, University of Waterloo. wrl2off Converter wrl2off converts *.wrl 3d file format to *.off format which is one of the WebOOGL data types. The program is written in C and is free to all pursuing the VRML R&D area. Professor Kang Hoon, Chung-Ang University Development: Object Creation Tools SDSC wrlgrid - Generate geometric grids in the form of "grout" (line segments), or "tiles" (filled polygons). CubeWorld's VRML Page - Program to create VRML objects from ascii floor plans, a virtual maze generator, and VRMLSketch. Topographic Map Generator - Interactively generate VRML scenes of topographic maps of the world. (Try longitude of -110, lattitude of 33 for area surrounding Tucson). VRML Authenticator Page - Submit the URL for your object to this authentication page, it will automatically check the syntax of your supposed VRML file and report the results. Scene Creation Tools Virtual World Factory - Create VRML worlds by filling out HTML forms. IVL - A language for creating and manipulating VRML scenes using simple English-like descriptions. Caligari Fountain - Windows 95 VRML authoring tool and browser. Home Space Builder - Windows compatible VRML authoring tool. Unsupported beta version available via anonymous ftp. VRML Repository Modelers list - Links to information about commercial 3D object modelers and scene layout software that support VRML format. There is also a recently released book by Mark Pesce, one of the original developers of VRML, that explains basic VRML terminology and concepts, as well as advanced and future directions of VRML. The book is titled VRML: Browsing and Building Cyberspace. Description:This is a fascinating way to present 3-dimensional phenomena. It takes a bit of effort, but the results are fantastic. VRML is a developing standard for describing interactive three-dimensional scenes delivered across the WorldWide Web. VRML browsers are intended to work in conjunction with HTML browsers such as Mosaic and Netscape, providing a navigational tool into virtual 3D worlds. These worlds can contain 3D objects which have hyperlinks to other VRML worlds or HTML documents. Recommendations: Get WebSpace Or WorldView to View these worlds, the designs are well thought out. Use a machine with as much power as possible. If you plan to do development, use a toolkit or do your modelling in 3D Studio and run it through a converter. If you become hooked, learn the language thoroughly and use OpenInventor.The VRML specification 1.0 is a more in-depth guide to the language : http://vrml.wired.com/vrml.tech/vrml10-3.html Samples:http://www.cgrg.ohio-state.edu/~mlewis/Gallery/Ball.wrl http://193.49.43.3/dif/3D_crystals.html (this one includes an attempt to get you started writing VRML)