From: roberts@mukluk.hq.decus.ca (Rob Slade, the doting grandpa of Ryan Hoff)
Subject: PUB: "The VRML Sourcebook" by Ames/Nadeau/Moreland
Date: 31 Jan 1996 17:48:42 -0500
Message-ID: <0099D38A.70708420.13290@mukluk.hq.decus.ca>
Organization: Yale CS Mail/News Gateway


From: roberts@mukluk.hq.decus.ca (Rob Slade, the doting grandpa of Ryan Hoff)
 
"The VRML Sourcebook", Ames/Nadeau/Moreland, 1996, 0-471-14159-3,
U$29.95/C$39.50
%A   Andrea L. Ames
%A   David R. Nadeau
%A   John L. Moreland
%C   22 Worchester Road, Rexdale, Ontario   M9W 9Z9
%D   1996
%G   0-471-14159-3
%I   Wiley
%O   U$29.95/C$39.50 416-236-4433 fax: 416-236-4448 800-263-1590 800-567-4797
%P   650
%T   "The VRML Sourcebook"
 
The Virtual Reality Modeling Language, or VRML, is a "space description"
language.  It can be used as a standard for creating "3-space" artificial
reality scenes.  VRML also has the hypertext "linking" capability of HTML, the
basis of the World Wide Web, and so, with an appropriate browser, can be used
to create three dimensional extensions to the Web.  This book provides a good
introductory tutorial to the Virtual Reality Modeling Language for basic and
intermediate usage.
 
Within the limits of the printed page, the authors have provided a
clear and solid introduction.  Creating, rotating and moving simple
and even complex shapes is given lucid and step-by-step explanations.
(One suspects that instancing could have been covered earlier.)  One
wishes, though, that the "sourcebook" contained a bit more information
about where to get, and how to use, VRML browsers.  Even the simplest
discussion of shapes and rotations can boggle the mind's eye when
constrained to "dead trees": VRML is definitely a "hands-on" type of
activity.
 
Coverage of advanced topics varies.  The discussion of illumination is
good, whereas use of the Transform Matrix is very strictly limited.
Basically, this book will give you a firm grasp of the essentials and
syntax, but you will have to look to other sources to get beyond
simple objects.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1996   BKVRMLSB.RVW   960117
 
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