VRML, the client and the third component

Jan Hardenbergh (jch@nell.oki.com)
Tue, 06 Dec 94 13:51:00 E

> And this mailing list has acknowledged many times that the interaction
> in VRML 1.0 (moving around the scene and following hyperlinks) is a
> tiny subset of the kinds of interaction that are desireable. We have
> to start somewhere. Inventor is a good existence proof that
> interaction CAN be added to VRML in at least one way (Inventor's
> engines, manipulators and draggers are not part of VRML 1.0; they or
> something like them, or some other way of doing interaction, may be
> part of VRML 2.0).

OK. Let's go to VRML 3.0 - we can imbue high level objects with high level
behaviors and goals. (part 1)

We have a milieu manager (viewer for you mundane types, or scene manager).
This component caches objects, maintains time and steps behaviors. It can
predict what you will do and prefetch stuff. It knows what you are thinking,
so be
good for goodness sake :-) (part 2, the client)

There must be a third piece. The MUD/MOO/Simultateous Simulation Engine.
This piece maintains a database of who is in the space, what behavior
objects
are exhibiting and what stage they are in and where things are. This is
where
edits need to happen if others will see them.

I believe this third piece is NOT part of VRML or the viewer. But, I was
wrong about
whether prefetch should be allowed, so I could be wrong about this, too.

YON, jch@oki.com, Jan C. Hardenbergh, Oki Advanced Products 508-460-8655
http://www.oki.com/people/jch/ =|= 100 Nickerson Rd. Marlborough, MA 01776
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