Re: A few notes on text
Robert A Schmitt (rgi@world.std.com)
Tue, 6 Jun 1995 17:48:25 -0400 (EDT)
>
> Regarding the idea of using HTML for text: is there a general mechanism
> trying to break out here?
>
> Food for thought: howzabout a node that defines a "window" (a plane
> that is sited in 3-D space), plus a URL that accompanies it? The URL
> gets loaded and shipped off to the appropriate application (based on
> MIME types); the output of that application is then displayed via the
> window. A simple mechanism for allowing arbitrary 2-D programs to
> display their output within VRML worlds. That way, VRML doesn't get
> caught up in the details of this stuff at all -- we can let a program
> *tuned* to displaying text deal with it.
>
Opens up the issue of how/whether to implement 2D widgets in the 3D space
if the HTML contains any forms type interfaces, scroll bars, etc. Another
way to do it is to allow "brushing" of the URL node which could read
the text and display it as a semi-transparent 2D projected overlay on
top of the scene. Need to handle scrolling again though. And it needs
to be fast so users don't move the pointer off the node before the text
appears.
I think it would be more interesting to allow CORBA/OLE/OpenDoc/DSOM/etc.
type interfaces to be embedded in the scene. Probably a little ambitious
for the near term, but necessary for the long haul, IMO.
Bob