VRML

Virtual Reality Markup Language (commonly abbreviated VRML) is, as the name suggests, a language for describing 3-dimensional objects on a computer screen, which is designed to be easily displayed within a standard web browser to achieve a Virtual Reality experience. The main benefit of VRML being computable and displayable from within a browser is that - aside from being viewable by all devices that can run a web browser - VRML can also be tightly coupled to the DOM and as such, can make use of CSS, JavaScript and DHTML effects just like a regular web page. Through this powerful combination of web languages, extremely robust and rich interactions become a reality.

Specification

• VRML spec: http://www.web3d.org/x3d/specifications/#vrml97 | VRML 1.0 (1995) | VRML 2.0 spec (1996)
• X3D spec: http://www.web3d.org/x3d/specifications/
• Web3D family of standards: https://www.web3d.org/standards

Tools

• Instant Reality: http://www.instantreality.org/ (another Unity-like tool, originally built for VRML)
• SketchUp: https://www.sketchup.com/ (leading non-CAD 3D modelling software, full support for VRML as .wrl files)
• CAD Exchanger: https://cadexchanger.com/vrml | STEP to VRML (a way to get interoperability between CAD & VRML)
• X_ITE X3D Browser: https://create3000.github.io/x_ite/ | SRC

Viewers

• Cortona 3D Viewer - VRML Client (plug-in): http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/cortona/
• Karmanaut - Cosmo Player: http://www.karmanaut.com/cosmo/player/
• Flux Player: http://mediamachines.wordpress.com/flux-player-and-flux-studio/
• BS Contact: http://www.bitmanagement.com/en/products/interactive-3d-clients/bs-contact
• view3dscene: https://castle-engine.io/view3dscene.php

Resources

• VRML MIME Types: http://vrmlworks.crispen.org/faq/faq1.html
• X3D MIME Types: http://www.web3d.org/x3d/learn/mimetypes/
• VRML Architecture Group: https://web.archive.org/web/19961222202151/http://vrml.wired.com/
• VRML 97 spec: https://tecfa.unige.ch/guides/vrml/vrml97/spec/
• VRML 97 Worlds & links: http://www.x-3-x.net/vrml/worlds.htm
• TheOldNet -- perserved VRML tool: http://vrml.theoldnet.com/#/assets/dbavatars/M/00/00/2d/f5/av2.wrl
• University of Washington -- Human Interface Technology (HIT) Lab - VRML archive: http://www.hitl.washington.edu/vrml/
• Floops - The First Episodic 3D VRML Cartoon: https://sgeo.github.io/floopsArchive/floops/archive.html
• Floops' greatest hits: https://web.archive.org/web/19971014080758/http://vrml.sgi.com/floops/
• DHTEUMEULEU -- Gerard Ferrandez - VRML-inspired DHTML Dreams/Creations: http://www.dhteumeuleu.com/ (The best VRML-esque DHTML platform I have ever come across, to date)

• VRML Customizable (4-photo) HyperCube: http://www.mediamachines.com/show.php?modelname=PhotoCube&username=tony&uid=5&version=10
• VRML Plugin and Browser Detector: http://cic.nist.gov/vrml/vbdetect.html

Tutorials

• VRML 2.0 Tutorial: http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~aharris/webDesign/vrml/
• VRML 2.0 example: https://www.siggraph.org/special-projects/com97/vrmlexample1.html
• A Guide to VR World Demos: http://graphcomp.com/vrml/pics.html
• From VRML to WebGL: Pt.1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | Pt. 5

External Links

• wikipedia: Virtual Reality Markup Language
• wikipedia: X3D
• wikipedia: Human-centered computing (HCC)
• wikipedia: fsn (file manager)
• wikipedia: Silicon Graphics (SGI... no not the gambling conglomerate... defunct pioneering IT company that worked on 3D/WebGL/VRML)
• wikipedia: CyberTown
• wikipedia: SAPARi
• wikipedia: Tony Parisi (software developer) (WebGL, VRML & X3D pioneer)
• wikipedia: Mark Pesce | VIDEOS (an early VRML pioneer)
• List of PostScript files for the "WWW94" advance proceedings (CERN): http://www94.web.cern.ch/WWW94/PrelimProcs.html (see Pesce, Kennard & Parisi whitepaper/talk "Cyberspace")
• WWW-VRML 1994 by thread: http://1997.webhistory.org/www.lists/www-vrml.1994/index.html
• Extending WWW to support Platform Independent Virtual Reality: https://www.w3.org/People/Raggett/vrml/vrml.html
• An Afternoon with Mark Pesce: The Uncut Version (talking VRML & Cyberspace): http://hyperreal.org/~mpesce/interview.html
• Michael Heim (1994) - The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality (BOOK): https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Metaphysics_of_Virtual_Reality/EF6a-UJf-OcC
• How To Build A Metaverse (classic article that appeared in "New Scientist" on October 14, 1995): https://people.well.com/user/bbear/vrml.html
• CIO Magazine (1992) -- Virtual (reality) Capitalists: https://books.google.ca/books?id=hQoAAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA94&dq="virtual+reality"&pg=PA94&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q="virtual reality"&f=false
• CNET - VRML not quite ready for real world (1996-06-28): https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/vrml-not-quite-ready-for-real-world/
• CNET - VRML support building (1996-12-18): https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/vrml-support-building/
• The Gap Tries On VRML - Will It Fit? (1997-02-20): https://www.wired.com/1997/02/the-gap-tries-on-vrml-will-it-fit/
• Neuromancer, 2000 (BOOK): https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0441007465
• OZ Virtual - Journey to the Dark Star: https://www.digitalspace.com/avatars/book/fullbook/choz/choz1.htm
• VRML Demo: http://westwood.fortunecity.com//678/vrmldemo.htm
• VRML Topographic maps: http://www.evl.uic.edu/pape/vrml/
• VRML Worlds: http://vrmlworks.crispen.org/worlds.html
• VRML Car model: http://www.trulymedia.com/VRML_demos/truly_media_VRML_demos_frameset.html
• JASON VRML: http://www.evl.uic.edu/pape/vrml/JASON/
• VRML is no longer a static language. It is a moving, living thing, which can take inputs and give different output: http://rvirtual.free.fr/programmation/VRML/tuto_eng/tut16.html
• VRML Concepts --- Interpolator Examples: http://www.uco.es/investiga/grupos/eatco/automatica/ihm/cursovrml/frmintex.htm
• VRML resources for the 3E15 lecture: http://www2.cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/wwwvrml.dir/public-vrml/VRMLLECTURE/
• VRML pointers: http://tecfa.unige.ch/guides/vrml/pointers-long.html
• Twenty-five years ago today -- VRML: https://markpescecodex.com/2019/02/03/twenty-five-years-ago-today-vrml/
• Remembering VRML -- The Metaverse of 1995: https://www.howtogeek.com/778554/remembering-vrml-the-metaverse-of-1995/
• What Is the Metaverse? is ut just "Virtual Reality", or something more?: https://www.howtogeek.com/745807/what-is-the-metaverse-is-it-just-virtual-reality-or-something-more/

See Also

2D | 3D | CAD | Animation | Virtual Reality | WebGL | WebVR | HTML5 Canvas | CSS3 | JS | Flash | Unity