4 ms·

Wasn't VRML support in browsers usually plugins and not native?

by mosdl 5y ago

lostgame 5y ago
I distinctly recall installing QuickTime to view some VRML stuff in the mid/late 90's.
- giantrobot 5y ago
  QuickTime's QTVR wasn't the same as VRML. While VRML was a fully 3D world/object, QTVR was pre-rendered scenes with custom navigation controls. There was an "object" view which was basically a bunch of still images of an object from different angles. The cursor moved a virtual camera that just displayed the still frame for the appropriate angle. The "panorama" view was a panoramic image mapped to view angles from a central point. Images could be cubic or spherically mapped IIRC. Both types supported hyperlinks. So clicking a linked region could load another scene which could have yet more links to more scenes. The Star Trek Interactive Technical Manual was a famous use of QTVR. It enabled visual fidelity a real-time 3D rendered of the era couldn't deliver. It was made by actually photographing the Star Trek production sets.
  - kalleboo 5y ago
    There was also QuickDraw 3D (not QuickTime, and not cross-platform), Apple's 3D graphics API, which used actual 3D rendered objects. Classic MacOS had pretty well-integrated support for QuickDraw 3D Metafiles, they could be dragged and dropped, you could embed 3D objects into a word processing document or presentation or something and manipulate and explore them in there. Kind of mirrors what Apple is doing with USDZ these days (you can send a USDZ model in iMessage and the recipient can manipulate it right there in chat)
drdeadringer 5y ago
When I used it it was through a browser. I would create the files in a txt editor and then explore the world-space created via browser.
ReleaseCandidat 5y ago
Yes, like SGIs Cosmo Player https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/silicon-graphics-unveils-cosmo/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/silicon-grap...

4 ms·

Wasn't VRML support in browsers usually plugins and not native?

by mosdl 5y ago

Wasn't VRML support in browsers usually plugins and not native?

lostgame 5y ago
I distinctly recall installing QuickTime to view some VRML stuff in the mid/late 90's.
- giantrobot 5y ago
  QuickTime's QTVR wasn't the same as VRML. While VRML was a fully 3D world/object, QTVR was pre-rendered scenes with custom navigation controls. There was an "object" view which was basically a bunch of still images of an object from different angles. The cursor moved a virtual camera that just displayed the still frame for the appropriate angle. The "panorama" view was a panoramic image mapped to view angles from a central point. Images could be cubic or spherically mapped IIRC. Both types supported hyperlinks. So clicking a linked region could load another scene which could have yet more links to more scenes. The Star Trek Interactive Technical Manual was a famous use of QTVR. It enabled visual fidelity a real-time 3D rendered of the era couldn't deliver. It was made by actually photographing the Star Trek production sets.
  - kalleboo 5y ago
    There was also QuickDraw 3D (not QuickTime, and not cross-platform), Apple's 3D graphics API, which used actual 3D rendered objects. Classic MacOS had pretty well-integrated support for QuickDraw 3D Metafiles, they could be dragged and dropped, you could embed 3D objects into a word processing document or presentation or something and manipulate and explore them in there. Kind of mirrors what Apple is doing with USDZ these days (you can send a USDZ model in iMessage and the recipient can manipulate it right there in chat)
drdeadringer 5y ago
When I used it it was through a browser. I would create the files in a txt editor and then explore the world-space created via browser.
ReleaseCandidat 5y ago
Yes, like SGIs Cosmo Player https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/silicon-graphics-unveils-cosmo/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/silicon-grap...