WIRL Interactive VR Browser

A Plug-in for Netscape Navigator 2.X -- 3.X, and Internet Explorer 3.0

WIRL 1.21 Release

from

VREAM, Inc.

November 15, 1996

About this Document

This document will provide you with the most up to date information about the WIRL Interactive VR Browser, along with instructions for installing and using WIRL. More information will be added to this document with each new release of WIRL. Keep watching this space for the latest hot information.

Welcome to WIRL!

Welcome to the WIRL Interactive VR Browser. WIRL is the world's first true virtual reality browser for the Web. WIRL brings you the future of virtual reality on the Web NOW! The Web will truly never be the same again!

WIRL has been awarded the prestigious PC Magazine Editor's Choice award. PC Magazine evaluated eleven VRML browsers in its November 5, 1996 issue and selected WIRL as the very best. In their words: "If you're looking for the next-generation VRML browser, look no further. WIRL is here."

WIRL works as a plug-in for Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, so that you can experience interactive virtual reality seamlessly within your browser window.

Known Issues

Hardware acceleration cannot be used in 256 color video modes. VREAM advises users to use 16-bit high-color modes with WIRL.

The status bar in Microsoft Internet Explorer does not update when your VRML world is contained in a HTML frame. This is due to lack of support for this display within Microsoft Internet Explorer.

File Formats Supported by WIRL

WIRL supports standard 3D Files in the VRML 1.0 format (file extension .WRL), and supports fully interactive virtual reality worlds in VREAM's Virtual Reality World format (file extension .VRW).

In addition, the WIRL Browser allows standard 3D VRML Files to be given true virtual reality capabilities by creating a Virtual Reality Extensions file (file extension .VRE) that contains VREAM's scripting language commands.

Authoring Capabilities

WIRL provides the user with a variety of authoring capabilities that can be used to create new 3D virtual reality worlds, and update existing virtual worlds. These authoring tools are on the pop-up menu which is displayed when the right mouse button is clicked.

Advanced Features

WIRL contains many advanced features which allow true virtual reality to be experienced across the World Wide Web. Some of these advanced features include:

Full Object Interactivity (Pick up objects, throw them around in 3D Space)

Object Dynamics (Objects can move, rotate, resize, etc.)

Object Physics (Gravity, Elasticity, Weight, Throwability)

Custom Object Behaviors and Logic definable as VREAMScript Extensions

Automatic Object and Viewer Paths

Full texturing

Texture Animation (For Playing Videos within the virtual World)

Play sound files from within a virtual world

Launch External Applications from within a virtual world

Authoring Capabilities (Alter content of world while within the Browser)

Supports GZip compression

...And there are many more awesome things to come!!

System Requirements

You will need at least the following system configuration to run the WIRL Interactive VR Browser:

Hardware Requirements

IBM Compatible PC with at least a 486DX 33Mhz CPU (But a Pentium is much nicer)

(Note: If you have a 486SX, you will need a math coprocessor)

256 Color Display (But worlds look even better if you use 64K colors)

8 MB RAM

Mouse

Software Requirements

Windows 95

Netscape Navigator 32-bit Version 2.0 Beta 4 or higher

Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or higher

Experiencing Virtual Worlds Within WIRL

WIRL provides two modes in which to experience virtual worlds, Viewer Navigation mode and Object Manipulation mode. The desired mode may be selected by clicking the Left Mouse Button within the WIRL Control Panel on the Viewer Navigation Button (contains an image of a person running), or the Object Manipulation Button (contains an image of a hand).

Within each mode, the user may interact with the world by clicking on the arrow buttons within the WIRL Control Panel, or by clicking the mouse buttons directly within the virtual world area. The various ways to interact with the virtual worlds are detailed below:

Viewer Navigation Mode

Control Panel Button Controls

VREAM WIRL Logo Display About WIRL Message

Moving Person Button Viewer Navigation Mode

Hand Button Switch to Object Manipulation Mode

First Button with Direction Arrows Viewer Move forward/backward and Yaw left/right

Second Button with Direction Arrows Viewer Move up/down and Move left/right

Third Button with Direction Arrows Viewer Pitch up/down and Roll left/right

Reset Button Reset the Viewer to Original Position

Camera Button Set a new Viewer Position

Mouse Button Controls

Mouse Left Click on an Object with a URL Jump to the URL Site

Mouse Left Click on an Object with Logic Execute the Logic associated with the Object

Ctrl + Mouse Left Click on an Object Automatically Move to the Object

Mouse Right Click Display the WIRL Authoring Menu

Mouse Left Drag Viewer Move forward/backward and Yaw left/right

Ctrl + Mouse Left Drag Viewer Move up/down and Move left/right

Shift + Mouse Left Drag Viewer Pitch up/down and Roll left/right

Mouse Right Drag on an Object Object Move forward/backward and Yaw left/right

Ctrl + Mouse Right Drag Object Move up/down and Move left/right

Shift + Mouse Right Drag Object Pitch up/down and Roll left/right

Object Manipulation Mode

Control Panel Button Controls

VREAM WIRL Logo Display About WIRL Message

Moving Person Button Viewer Navigation Mode

Hand Button Switch to Object Manipulation Mode

First Button with Direction Arrows Object Move forward/backward and Yaw left/right

Second Button with Direction Arrows Object Move up/down and Move left/right

Third Button with Direction Arrows Object Pitch up/down and Roll left/right

Reset Button Reset the Viewer to Original Position

Camera Button Set a new Viewer Position

Mouse Button Controls

Mouse Right Click Display the WIRL Authoring Menu

Mouse Left Drag on an Object Object Move forward/backward and Yaw left/right

Ctrl + Mouse Left Drag Object Move up/down and Move left/right

Shift + Mouse Left Drag Object Pitch up/down and Roll left/right

Mouse Right Drag on an Object Object Move forward/backward and Yaw left/right

Ctrl + Mouse Right Drag Object Move up/down and Move left/right

Shift + Mouse Right Drag Object Pitch up/down and Roll left/right

VRML Support

This Version of WIRL has support for most of the VRML 1.0 specification, but there are still a few items that are not yet supported. The following VRML nodes are not yet supported, but will be soon:

Ascii Text

Indexed Line Set

points

LOD

Orthographic Camera

Lights

Texture2Transform

Revision History

Version Date Modifications

Alpha 5b 1-23-96 All textures except png can be wrapped onto the background now.

Fixed Zoom Button problem while loading WWW Inlines. Can now use Zoom Buttons to navigate while Inlines are loading.

Netscape Version Checking during Installation added.

Alpha 6 2-2-96 Added custom VRML camera views to the Viewer Position menu item.

Added standard Windows Online Help, accessed through the Help menu item.

Implemented Weight on Object Physical Properties Sheet. Weight effects how far an object can be thrown.

Worlds can now download .wav sound files from the web.

WIRL will now render the highest resolution model for the LOD node.

Implemented File Version Control for VREAMScript vrw files. You will now be warned if a file was made with a later version of WIRL than you are currently using. You will be asked to download the latest version but may continue loading the file with your current version of WIRL. The VRC_WIRL_VERSION,S command defines the version of WIRL used to create the VREAMScript file.

Fixed various palette and screen focus problems. WIRL window no longer grabs focus from other Netscape windows.

Implemented Registry Values to save options between WIRL instances. Saved values are Tool Tips, WWWInlines, Load Textures, and Hyperlinks Active.

Eliminated message window which notified the user that a sound file could not be played.

Beta 1 2-24-96 Extended VRML 1.0 support implemented. ASCII Text nodes

supported.

Fixed problem loading multiple GZipped inline files.

Fixed problem loading VREAM extension files into VRML Worlds.

Note: If you resize the screen by dragging the lower Netscape bar down, Netscape does not resize the plug-in window. Hence WIRL will not resize. Resizing with the right Netscape bar or the diagonal resize control will resize the WIRL window.

Fixed install for Netscape 2.01.

Beta 1.1 9-1-96 Added support for Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Added support for Microsoft Direct 3D.

Added support for Microsoft Direct Draw.

Added support for hardware accelerated 3D video boards.

Added frame counter in Netscape plugin (press F key to enable).

Release 1.20 9-15-96 Enhanced performance.

Release 1.21 11-15-96 Added frame counter in Microsoft Internet Explorer plugin

VREAM, Inc.
223 West Erie Street, Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 337-5164
Fax: (312) 337-5264
info@vream.com