RE: [www-vrml] VRML still the most popular Web3D format - by far.

[Braden McDaniel <braden@endoframe.com>]

On Sat, 2004-09-04 at 10:20 -0700, Leonard Daly wrote:
> At 09:49 PM 9/1/04, Braden McDaniel wrote:
> > <snip...>
> > 
> > 
> > <http://www.web3d.org/x3d/faq/index.html#technical-2>
> > 
> > The abandonment of EXTERNPROTO as a browser extension mechanism
> > should
> > not be trivialized. The text in the above link says that, "The way
> > to
> > provide browser-specific extensions is through custom components."
> > But
> > how do you refer to one of these "custom components" over the
> > network?
> 
> You do not refer to a "custom component" over the network. Custom
> components are specified in the Component statement at the beginning
> of every X3D file. This statement (along with Profile and X3D version
> number) tell the browser what is expected in the content.

Which, from where I'm sitting, makes "Extensible" 3D less extensible
than VRML97. Because I'm interested in a spec that will enable an
extensible implementation. VRML97 enables an implementation that can be
extended by plugins--written by users--which can be referred to with a
browser-agnostic syntax; thus enabling content that can scale to various
browsers. I do not see how X3D enables that approach; and (consequently)
I also see no mapping for VRML97 content that takes advantage of it.

-- 
Braden McDaniel <braden@endoframe.com>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
for list subscription/unscrubscription,
go to http://www.web3d.org/cgi-bin/public_list_signup/lwgate/listsavail.html