C

FIT3084: Interactive Virtual Worlds


In the previous lecture:

In this lecture:


References:

Whilst you can probably read about these virtual worlds, there is nothing quite like...


Being There

There is no experience quite like being there and...

Hole in the page
  • Virtual Reality (VR) aims to provide this experience synthetically by fooling a viewer into experiencing a space where there is none.

  • Often digitally synthesized, animated images are presented to a VR inhabitant but...

    Early text and text / still-image based adventure games like Zork, Beyond Zork, The Hobbit & Transylvania were extraordinarily adept at transporting the player to another world for real-world hour after hour. (They worked for reasons similar to those which make (picture) books so effective.)

  • A still image creates a kind of virtual reality and may be used to give the illusion of space.



3 - Dimensional Computer Graphics


Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML)

Unfortunately I can't even find a good VRML browser plugin that works anymore to show you!



Quicktime Virtual Reality (QTVR)

Of course even without these fancy technologies you can reveal a space! Have a look at the Opera National de Paris... just pretend you want to make a booking to the opera and then click on the map of the opera house. (Shame about the scrolling status bar text on the main page huh!)


Now if you're looking for something to do... have a look at Second Life, a place where people who lack real lives spend their time ;-)

 



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©Copyright Alan Dorin 2008