Re: Do we need a common visual metaphor?

Rick Duffy (duffy@everest.den.mmc.com)
Sun, 12 Jun 1994 17:43:04 -0700


>> Rick Duffy writes:
>>
>>I agree. I think perhaps what we need is a standard taxonomy for things
>>in cyberspace (probably an object-oriented type of hierarchy)...

...

>>I think the breakout of services as defined by the Object Management Group
>>for the CORBA spec might be something useful to look at too. I think this
>>structure might be useful for defining the modes of interaction within a
>>VRML document.

> Sam Gustman writes:
>
>The CORBA specifications will be helpful in deciding on implementation
>decisions, but not in describing VRML itself.

Well, maybe. I think there are ideas in there that it would be good for
us to consider. I don't suggest we adopt the CORBA spec (which would
be an implementation decision), but rather be aware of the approach they
have taken for distributed object management, and for breaking out
services (which might be handy when defined the VRML protocol types,
like FTP and HTTP in HTML).

>What needs to occur if you want to describe the topology in an object-hierarchy
>is to describe the behavior of the objects in question (or the interface
>and types).

Maybe first we need to describe the objects (types). And describing the
behaviors might be done in a services-type fashion. This is what got
me thinking CORBA. (I'm not a hard-line pro-CORBA guy - I'm just posting
some suggestions, btw).

>A "behavioral model" will need to be created. A client would
>just interpret the script and behave according to it's own environment. We
>basically would be creating an SQL for VR.
>
>An example of a work in progress of something like this is the Open Geodata
>Interoperability Specification (OGIS) project. This is creating a
>behavioral model
>for the distributed processing of spatial data. The clients in this case
>are GIS's.
>
>OGIS info:
>Home Page: http://ginko.cecer.army.mil:8000
>Page Of Particular Interest:
>http://ginko.cecer.army.mil:8000/~liberte/OGIS/space.html

Thanks for the reference - I'll check it out.

>> I think the breakout of services as defined by the Object Management Group
>> for the CORBA spec might be something useful to look at too. I think this
>> structure might be useful for defining the modes of interaction within a
>> VRML document.

> tony parisi writes
>Absolutely. Do you-- or does anyone-- have access to CORBA standards
>docs? Does one need to join OMG to get them?

No - but I don't think they're free.

> Adam T. McClure writes:
>Perhaps you could post an html or ftp site to view the CORBA specs to www-vrml?
>Thanks in advance

There's an OMG ftp site, but I believe it is only for use by members (and if
I recall, membership is costly.) I bought a CORBA spec from the OMG. If
there are any OMG members out there, maybe they could give us the real poop.

... Rick
duffy@den.mmc.com
rduffy@nyx.cs.du.edu