VRML and 3D on the Web For Dummies

By David C. Kay and Douglas Muder.
June 1996, 375 pages with way-cool CD and color insert, cheap at US$29.99. C$42.99, £28.99. ISBN 1-56884-611-8.

(For Macintosh and Windows) The World-Wide Web now offers real 3D: not just solid-looking text and graphics, but worlds you can actually walk through and interact with. The language that lets these worlds exist is called VRML, or Virtual Reality Modeling Language. If you would like to view or create these 3D worlds on the Web, but don't want to learn a geeky, arcane language, this is the book you want.

Moving up to 3D graphics

• VRML and 3D on the Web For Dummies contains evaluation copies of 3D browsing and building software, and novice-level instructions for doing useful stuff. VRML is new, so this book also provides tips for working around problems in sometimes flaky software. Unlike other VRML books, the software on the CD does not have a limited shelf-life, and the book provides detailed explanations of how to actually use these software tools!
• Besides containing sample VRML building materials (models and textures) and evaluation copies of 3D development tools that normally sell for many hundreds of dollars, the CD provides Lotus ScreenCam movie tutorials on the two principal development tools on the CD.

Table of Contents

Part I: Cruising 3D Hyperspace
Blasting Off For 3D Worlds: the Browser
Plugging into the action: Live3D and VRML Add-In
Helper Applications: Virtus Voyager , VR Scout
Browsing with an option to build: Caligari's Pioneer
Oh, the Places You'll Go

Part II: Building Tools and Materials
Getting Oriented in Hyperspace
Veni, Vidi, Vici -- Virtus
Caligari -- Virtual Squid and More
Finding Building Materials

Part III: World-Building 101
Basic Shapes: Let's Get Primitive
Making Rooms and Spaces
Decorating and Furnishing Your Rooms

Part IV: Making A Better World
Making Fancier Shapes
Virtual Veneer: Texture Mapping
Making Landscapes
Importing From Alien Worlds

Part V: Worlds on the Web
Making Big Worlds Work
Becoming a Virtual Realtor

Part VI: The Part of Tens
At Least 10 Things to Know about Animation
At Least 10 Things to Know about Sound
Appendix: About the CD

CD Contents

OurStuff
Videos (Lotus ScreenCam movies for PC users only)
Samples (Sample worlds used in the book)
Objects (A few building blocks we've created)
Textures (One or two textures we've created)
Notes (Good stuff that wouldn't fit in the book)

Pc_Stuff (These programs only run on the PC)
Browse (VRML browsers)
Chaco: Plugins (For Netscape only), Helpers (For other Web browsers), Pueblo (A special-purpose 3D browser),
Microsft: Internet Explorer for Windows 95, VRML add-in for Internet Explorer for Windows 95,
Virtus: Voyager

Build (VRML builders)
Caligari: Pioneer, Pioneerp (Pioneer Pro), Truespc2
Virtus: Walkthrough Pro
EOS: Photomodeler LX (For creating 3D models from photos)

MacStuff
Browse: Virtus Voyager
Build: Virtus Walkthrough Pro(builder and libraries) Material
Acuris: Models and textures
Viewpoint: Models