From @uga.cc.uga.edu:owner-virtu-l@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU Wed Nov 2 15:36:22 1994 Return-Path: <@uga.cc.uga.edu:owner-virtu-l@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU> Received: from mx5.u.washington.edu by stein2.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.10/UW-NDC Revision: 2.31 ) id AA20649; Wed, 2 Nov 94 15:36:22 -0800 Received: from uga.cc.uga.edu by mx5.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.10/UW-NDC Revision: 2.31 ) id AA09508; Wed, 2 Nov 94 15:36:20 -0800 Message-Id: <9411022336.AA09508@mx5.u.washington.edu> Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU by uga.cc.uga.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 2614; Wed, 02 Nov 94 18:37:00 EST Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@UGA) by UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 2586; Wed, 2 Nov 1994 14:29:22 -0500 Date: Wed, 2 Nov 1994 14:19:22 EST Reply-To: "Rob Slade, Ed. DECrypt & ComNet, VARUG rep, 604-984-4067" Sender: "VR / sci.virtual-worlds" From: "Rob Slade, Ed. DECrypt & ComNet, VARUG rep, 604-984-4067" Subject: "Virtual Reality Construction Kit" by Gradecki Comments: To: rjames@fox.nstn.ns.ca, roswell@fox.nstn.ca, ecbs@sas.ab.ca, gslade@cyberstore.ca, jon@stekt.oulu.fi, michel.bauwens@dm.rs.ch, myles@io.org, kms@northcoast.net, johnl@mukluk.decus.ca, mulholland@psc.org, sanj@wordsworth.com, afinet@books.com, shrike@shell.portal.com, reddj@carleton.edu, ibic@sunsite.unc.edu, jkcohen@uci.edu, susan@cyberstore.ca, robertbl@mukluk.decus.ca, jb@paris7.jussieu.fr, swart@shr.dec.com, decuscope@mukluk.decus.ca, rob.slade@f733.n153.z1.fidonet.org, alt-books-reviews@cs.utexas.edu, misc-books-technical@cs.utexas.edu, alt-books-technical@cs.utexas.edu, biz-books-technical@cs.utexas.edu, oury@technical.powells.portland.or.us, osteele@u.washington.edu, pandres@cln.etc.bc.ca, d.viehland@massey.ac.nz, davidpm@mukluk.decus.ca, jbrown@cyberstore.ca, virtu-l@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu To: Multiple recipients of list VIRTU-L X-Status: Status: OR BKVRCONK.RVW 940824 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 22 Worchester Road Rexdale, Ontario M9W 9Z9 800-263-1590 800-567-4797 fax: 800-565-6802 or 605 Third Avenue New York, NY 10158-0012 USA 800-CALL-WILEY 212-850-6630 Fax: 212-850-6799 Fax: 908-302-2300 jdemarra@jwiley.com aponnamm@jwiley.com "The Virtual Reality Construction Kit", Gradecki, 1994, 0-471-00953-9 pcvr@fullfeed.com Like "Garage Virtual Reality" (cf. BKGARGVR.RVW) this is for those who want to explore VR on a shoestring. "Construction" is very apt in the title: this book is for those willing to get their hands dirty. Concentrating primarily on the PC (MS-DOS) platform, the book gives parts lists, schematics, and construction diagrams for a number of hardware projects. Included are an interface from the Power Glove to the PC, a 3-D mouse, interfacing a StuntMaster head-mounted display to the PC, building a head- mounted display, 3-D sound, building a head-tracker, and a motion sensor circuit for bicycle or treadmill. Software development is not quite as detailed, but is not missed, by any means. Gradecki gives clear and cogent explanations of the mathematics involved in measuring and presenting spacial relationships in sight and sound. The code presented is minimal but important. It presents enough direction that the reader familiar with programming can do development in the language of choice--the whole point for hobbyist VR. While the PC is the platform used for the included software and the examples, there is nothing to stop the technically competent user of other computers from joining in. Mac devotees will not be able to use the parallel port interfaces, but should be able to rig serial interfaces using the instructions herein. A very practical book for the craftsman hobbyist. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKVRCONK.RVW 940824 ====================== DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" (Oct. '94) Springer-Verlag