Re: VRML and XML

len bullard (cbullard@hiwaay.net)
Thu, 15 Jan 1998 22:24:51 -0600

W. Eliot Kimber wrote:
>
> Mike Dierken wrote:
> >
> > It may be more interesting to generate VRML from XML via XSL and pass
> > it off to a 3D browser component.
> > Some sources of information might be experienced in a 3D space just as
> > well as, or better than, a text & graphic screen. For example: rows
> > and columns of numbers, a network graph (nodes with many to many
> > relationships), etc.
>
> I've been thinking about this (not very deeply) for a couple of years,
> ever since I built my VRML DTD and realized how easy it is to generate
> VRML syntax using SGML transformation tools. I was trying to decide if
> there was an interesting 3-D view of document structure generally.

There is an enormous amount of material on the web under the
topic "visualiz(s)ation concerned with aspects of documents that
benefit from 3D and animation. VRML 1.0 was static and didn't
allow experimentation with the moving characteristics of virtual
reality. It turns out that these can be vital to a useful 3D
representation of document components. Representing the text
in the 3D medium is not difficult, but it turns out not to
be very useful (hard to read). But the visualization for
data mining and browsing by concurrent users is very useful.

I am at home. If the snow doesn't catch up tomorrow, I'll
bring home the papers and post some URLs. El Nino is striking
as I speak. $@%@()&&^@^

Tim Bray did some preliminary experiments in the area of using
VRML for web site representation. Tim?

len