Re: [www-vrml] Why you _can_ convert VRML97 to X3D

[Don Brutzman <brutzman@nps.edu>]

I think X3D Classic VRML is very close to VRML 97 and that
conversion is easy.  And so, couldn't disagree more with
the original subject line.

We've included Qiming Wang's NIST translator in X3D-Edit and so
it is pretty simple from that environment.  There are also command-line
launchers of the translator included.  If sufficient interest exists
to provide help in further tuning this tool, we could put it under cvs.

http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/help.html#Conversions

I'd estimate that 99% of all VRML97-embedded Javascript will work
if the first line of the script, namely
javascript:
	is changed to
ecmascript:

The ones that still don't work won't have worked consistently beforehand,
i.e. they were buggy anyway.

A further significant assist is that X3D-Edit's X3dToVrml97 translator
provides extensive debugging errors, warnings, hints and info messages.

An untaken project that might interest someone is to make
- VrmlToX3d
- X3dToVrml
- translation debug messages
available via server for direct use via web page.

all the best, Don
--
Don Brutzman  Naval Postgraduate School, Code USW/Br       work +1.831.656.2149
              MOVES Institute, Monterey CA 93943-5000 USA  fax  +1.831.656.7599
Virtual worlds/underwater robots/X3D/XMSF     http://web.nps.navy.mil/~brutzman
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