From: "Raghu Kolli" <IOVORAG@HDETUD2.TUDELFT.NL>
Subject: Re: sci.virtual-worlds
Date:    Mon, 13 Jan 92 11:00 MET



Marjory Blumenthal of the National Academy of Sciences writers:

> I would welcome any ideas from the readership of the list as
> to issues for such a project (or even issues for other
> projects in the area, assuming they have some national
> relevance and would benefit from a high-level committee
> endeavor), but PLEASE send them to me directly--the volume
> of traffic on this list is already rather high.


I am writing in response to your posting in sci.virtual-worlds.
.
One of main areas of research is the design of virtual-environments
and tools for designing these environments. Design of the worlds
depends to a large extent on the kinds of tools available and the kind
of training designers get. The tools currently available are CAD
programs and some low-end programs like WorldToolKit, SuperScape,
etc. And there is no education available today in designing virtual
worlds. Since the virtual imagery deals with many senses the semantics
of objects play an important role and designers need to understand
these. Perhaps design and art schools can develop a curriculum to
include skills for designing virtual worlds. And interdisciplinary
teams of industrial designers, graphic designers, animators, computer
programmers, psychologists can develop tools for making virtual
worlds.
.
Raghu Kolli
Faculty of Industrial Design Engg
Delft University of Technology
The Netherlands