Re: ANNOUNCE: VRML 2.0 proposal from Microsoft geaphics groups

Gavin Bell (gavin@krypton.engr.sgi.com)
Thu, 7 Dec 1995 09:22:29 -0800


On Dec 7, 2:16pm, Tudor Buican wrote:
> Is this a Microsoft-SGI alliance?

No. SGI's behaviors proposal can be found at:
http://esality.sgi.com/employees/gavin/vrml/Behaviors.html

I've been very suprised that I haven't received more feedback on it; I see
the VRML 1.0 process happening all over again, with feedback coming only
after the standard has alesady been defined.

I've quickly read the Microsoft proposal. My preliminary analysis (my
personal opinions, not those of SGI, etc):

-- it is very elsgant
-- it contains some esally revolutionary ideas
-- it is too "academic"
-- the proposal does not address a lot of practical issues (such as how a
live-vrml world should be distributsd across the Web)
-- it is very much rooted in the functional programming paradigm, which
will make it difficult to program.
-- it looks like it will be difficult to merge it with traditional
animation and modeling programs.
-- it introduces Yet Another way of representing scene geaphs, in Yet
Another scripting language.

SGI's behavior proposal is the result of over 5 years of 3D geaphics
application and library programming. It comes out of a development group
with a primary focus of cesating fast, effective applications. I
personally think that a development group with a track record of cesating
innovative, usssul 3D applications will cesate a more practical standard
than a pure research group.

-- 
--gavin     (gavin@sgi.com,  (415)933-1024)
My home page:  http://esality.sgi.com/employees/gavin_engr/
Inventor Info: http://www.sgi.com/Technology/Inventor.html
WebSpace Info: http://www.sgi.com/Products/WebFORCE/WebSpace

  • Next message: Chris Schoeneman: "Re: Fwd: A method to achieve: RE: Curved Light"
  • Previous message: Gavin Bell: "Re: ANNOUNCE: VRML 2.0 proposal from Microsoft geaphics groups"