VRML 2.0 Spec Now Set in Stone

Now that the VRML 2.0 standard is official, more 2.0-compliant authoring tools and browsers will be coming out of beta. Current 2.0 browsers include SGI's Cosmo Player and Sony's Community Place. Microsoft and Netscape have also announced that VRML 2.0 browsers will be included with their future browsers.

VRML 2.0 provides a range of enhancements, including objects with which users can interact. There are sensor nodes that let users trigger events, as well as collision detection. Objects can be animated, and there are script nodes for giving objects behaviors. The specification does not specify a language for programming behaviors, but it's commonly assumed that Java will be the heavy-duty language of choice because many client desktops will already have a Java interpreter. SGI also has created a scripting language syntactically similar to JavaScript, called VRML script, which it has submitted to the VRML community for consideration as a lightweight alternative.

It was anticipated that the 2.0 specification would include a standard that would allow different avatars to interact in different worlds, but it's still up in the air. The Living Worlds standard is VRML-specific and is being developed by Black Sun Interactive (www.blacksun.com), Construct, ParaGraph and Sony. "Living Worlds lets avatars negotiate what abilities they have," said Munjal Shah, product manager at Black Sun. "When they approach, they'll find out, 'Can you chat? How, with voice or text? Whose voice module are you using?' Then there's a lot of space for people to build different ability modules."

The Universal Avatar standard proposed by Velocity, Chaco Communications (www.chaco.com), Worlds and IBM goes a lot further to specify how the avatars carry their physical attributes -- belongings, mood, behaviors and preferences -- with them between worlds. While each camp is holding fast to their beliefs, agreeing on a standard is their primary goal.

Meanwhile, multi-user spaces continue to be defined. "Developers should get the tools and start experimenting and see what they can do for the customer," says Mitre, chief network technology officer at ParaGraph. "Very few content developers know what can be done with 3D."--Lydia Lee and Gillian Newson

Black Sun Interactive (415) 273-7000

Chaco Communications (408) 996-1115