Re: LANG: Re: Standardizing coordinate systems, units of measure

D. Owen Rowley (owen@autodesk.com)
Fri, 19 Aug 1994 10:54:42 -0700


> From: Robert.Foster@radiology.msu.edu
> Greetings,
>
> I have been receiving the digest version of the list for a while now and
> decided to add something to the discussion that may or may not have been
> covered before. I would appreciate being directed to any previous
> appropriate messages/reference materials on this subject.
>
> As regards coordinate systems, what about the following:
>
> Those of you who have used a 'Viewmaster' when you were a kid, or seen a
> 3D movie, or viewed aerial photographs using a stereoscopic viewer are
> familiar with the 3D effects seen with this 'equipment'. Eventually, I
> feel it would be possible to use a 'two-screen' viewer, attached like
> a mouse or a keyboard, to access the data on a computer system.

been done.
the cyberscope by Simsalabim is a *stereo-opticon* like device that is
very inexpensive and brings remarkable 3D imaging toi the desktop.

>
> >>From a technical aspect, I think such access would require VRML browsers
> to be able to calculate two different viewing vectors for a scene and send
> one view to one display(right) and one view to another display(left).

this is a local viewer ( client ) issue, and thus has little bearing
on the questions of the VRML structure itself.

> Sound would also have to be directed in this way, since sight and sound
> are currently the major senses 'tricked' by virtual reality.

again is an issue of the localised viewer.

interesting use of the word *tricked* though.
As a magician and a VR researcher, I have long
understood that the term *illusion is virtually the same term as
Virtual reality. Of course it is also virtually the same as
Virtual reality industry as well :-)

But one day the illusions will all be ripped away, and what we do here,
as well as work done in other efforts will stand as an interface to the
media selections of tomorrow.


LUX ./. owen