Building virtual worlds with VRML

VRML makes it easy to create virtual worlds. The article reviews VRML's syntax and features as well as its world construction and animation abilities. In 1995, VRML 1.0 began primarily as a shape description language. The following year, VRML 2.0 redefined the language, extending it to support sound, fog, backgrounds, animation, and user interaction. Today, the designers of VRML are in the midst of designing the next generation of VRML, code-named "VRML NG". A first draft specification should be ready in early 1999, with a final specification and VRML browser implementations by the end of the year.