TECH: non-geometry things and vrml.

Panu Ervamaa (panu@mdata.fi)
Thu, 23 Jun 1994 02:07:53 +0300 (EDT)


> We have only vaguely discussed non-geometrical elements of VR. We should bring
> up ways to incorporate things like audio into VRML. Either through imbedding

These might not be the most important things on the first version of
VRML, but sure these will become part of it sooner or later..

[audio]
Again, some standard sounds like <beep> could be available. Question is,
should the audio-"direction" and "spread" be user definable or should the audio
sources transmit with equal intensity to all directions - all the rest depends
on the wanted physics' laws.

If first, there could be a number of vectors whose lengths are
proportional to the sound intensity at that given direction. The vector endpoints
could be imagined as points where the sound intensity is - say - 1/10 of the
original. (If we aren't in water:) That would make it easy to design audio
"scenes".

The later requires complex audio-tracing calculations. Enuf work with
normal (pseudo) ray-tracing, I'd say. However, both could be supported.

[other]
One very important force is gravity. I don't know if Inventor, for
example, supports this but Real3D v2 has quite nice attributes for objects. One
big mass and Newtons law should do that if all objects have mass. I'd place a
local 'black hole' on my desk to make sure that no decuments fall of the table.
Also, objects sould be able to float - that archimedes stuff. And electic fields
would be nice - mostly same calculations as for the gravity.

And how about something wilder like object temperature? Not too
many people have such equipment, but as soon as it's available, I'd be very cool
guy with some very hot papers in by briefcase.. ;)

Then there could be liquid thikness and viscosity (?hmm). I'd love to do
practical jokes and put honey or glue to someones chair. Imagine her mouth when
chair comes with his ass... Seriously it could be used for adding some
real "touch"..

So what we've got: length (m), mass (kg), time (s), temperature (K),
currency (A), light-intensity (cd) - only that (mol) thing missing..
bar = 10^5 Pa = 10^5 N*m^-2 = 10^5 kg*m*s^-2*m^-2 ...

No kidding!

-Bad Grammar, Panu.

/// Panu Ervamaa / Frantic Presentations (Espoo, Finland)
/// email: panu@mits.mdata.fi - Finger my PGP key.
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