Re: [-empyre-] commerce compatability and web 3d

[Auriea Harvey <a@e8z.org>]

petko wrote:
> I've
> >  found the same problems: impossible compatibility for different operating
> >  systems, browsers etc. etc.
> >  However, I am getting more convinced that I have to adapt my projects for
> >  one concrete OS, browser and plug-in and to search alternative ways for
> >  distribution of 3D scenes - broadcasting a video from rendered 3D scenes,
> >  converting 3D in 2D animation etc.

At 15:28 +1100 on 19-03-2002, Melinda Rackham wrote:

> i have exactly the same infuriating xplatform etc probelms petko, and have
> made vidoes a well for accessable delivery (which of course look crappy
> compared to the actual experience) , and ironically find that showing online
> networked art is easier in the museum situation becasue at least you have
> controll of the hard and soft ware!! - once i thought java would solve all
> those problems, but it doesnt either. yes, there is the choosing one option
> and just writing for it - but in the totally shakey world of dotcoms there's
> no security in that either - i imaging a large section of the 3d community
> who gambled on Blaxxun for 3d content delivery are very nervous at the
> moment as to its future, as one section of the company has filed for
> insolvancy according to what i'm reading on the vrml list.
>
> the integration of standards, the competition and the commercial aspects of
> online 3d was something i wanted to ask Nick Polys about  from his opening
> statement, and how the people who work in software development see it
> panning out.. or is it just anyone's guess? it almost feels like waiting for
> an earthquake.. wondering which bit of ground will open up next to swallow
> up years of artwork.

right....
we were using a software called Blender which was in development and 
looked quite promising multiple platfrm, plug-ins etc. and then last 
week the company folded... luckily they are going to let us 
distribute their plug-in from our site so the online work is not lost 
and of course the standalone applications we've made with Blender 
will always work but now we are faced with finding another 
alternative for making and delivering real-time 3d environments. 
Other applications similar to Blender we've found include 
Mindavenue's Axel http://www.mindavenue.com which looks very 
flexible, is cross platform and can integrate elements of Quicktime 
and Flash into 3d scenes but it is Web only technology and seems a 
bit lo-tekk (don't know how the frame rates would be if one had a 
complex scene) but still a very interesting software. Another thing 
we came across is Quest 3d http://www.quest3d.com a bit more game and 
visualizer oriented (which is a good thing) & with a very interesting 
programming paradigm... however it is very+very microsoft direct3d 
oriented and their plug-in is IE PC only etc. but its a beautiful 
engine.

anyway, my point is that we are looking at all this stuff but are 
paranoid about it all because yes any tech we look at today could 
just fold up and disappear tomorrow (this is one of the reasons why 
we find it important that there is some way to save executable 
versions of our 3d environments.) but on the other hand i think of 
all the web design work we've done over the years as well and how 
alot of it is simply not viewable anymore bacause of simple browser 
incompatability etc. and i feel how this is just the way these things 
go with computers.... one day all this will be antique, possibly 
unaccessable... one cannot hold onto any of it too tightly but use 
each project as a stepping stone to something else....

the concepts are what you get to hold onto but not the code, perhaps....


wshiz,
Auriea.

--
+ Auriea Harvey
+ Dept. of Mental Hygiene
+ Entropy8Zuper!
+ http://entropy8zuper.org
>  THE MAKING OF NUMBERS
+ http://e8z.org/godlove/story/themakingofnumbers