VRML/X3D?


  • The first reason is the \textit{compatibility conflict between different VRML viewers}. According to the list from the Web 3D consortium[7], there are more than ten VRML players exists and about four of them are widely used. The truth is that most of the players can't view others' VRML world well, especially when involving special non-standard features. We think such dilemma is more than a technical problem and will not be discussed in the rest of the paper.
  • The other reason is the \textit{lack of communication interface}. Current VRML/X3D standards[8] don't have the facility to support multi-users or network connections except simple URL indication. One solution, provided by the Blaxxun company in their communication server product[1], is expensive and not general enough to expand. The other solution named Distributed Logic Programming(DLP)[6], which supports sockets connections, focuses on intelligence research with less care on the performance. The internal Java support is also another option but it gives too much workload on the client.