For Immediate Release
VRML Consortium and Sun Microsystems
to Cooperate on 3D Web Standardization
Sun Microsystems joins VRML Consortium
to promote compatibility between VRML and Java 3D API
Monterey, CA - VRML 98 Symposium - February 18, 1998 - The VRML (Virtual
Reality Modeling Language) Consortium and Sun Microsystems, Inc, (Palo
Alto, CA) today announced that Sun has joined the VRML Consortium as a
voting member to promote the compatibility and interoperability of Sun's
Java 3D(TM) API (Java 3D) technology and the VRML 97 standard.
Sun and the VRML Consortium intend to establish a Consortium working group
to explore closer integration of Java 3D and VRML. Any proposed changes to
the VRML specification will be subject to the VRML Consortium's proven open
review, approval and voting process. Sun is also contemplating future
adaptations of the Java 3D specification to enable closer integration with
VRML.
The Java 3D API can be used to develop programmed applications and applets
that model, animate, simulate and view 3D content. VRML development
programs and VRML viewers can be easily implemented using the Java 3D API.
VRML is ideal for encapsulating 3D content created by sophisticated
modeling and animation authoring tools.
Quotes
"The Java 3D API and VRML are already extremely synergistic," said Neil
Trevett, president of the VRML Consortium. "The deployment of 3D content on
the web will be accelerated by ensuring these two standards evolve by
cooperation rather than competition. This is another example of the VRML
Consortium enabling industry-wide collaboration to further the development
of 3D as a web medium."
"The Java 3D API and VRML can both greatly benefit by leveraging the
strengths of the other," said Henry Sowizral, chief architect of the Java
3D API at Sun Microsystems Computer Company. "Sun will be participating in
the VRML Consortium's open standards process and we look forward to making
the advantages of Java 3D ever more relevant to the VRML community."
VRML 97 and Java 3D API Information
VRML 97 is an open, ubiquitous standard for the encapsulation, delivery and
playback of interactive 3D graphics on the Internet or Intranet, recently
ratified by ISO as an International Standard. Leading companies that
embrace the VRML 97 standard include 3Dlabs, Apple Computer, Cosmo Software
(a Silicon Graphics company), Fujitsu, IBM, Intel, Intervista Software,
Microsoft, Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs, OnLive! Technologies, Oracle,
Platinum Technology, S3, Samsung Electronics, Sony, Superscape, Template
Graphics Software and now, Sun Microsystems.
Java 3D is a powerful, general-purpose, scene-level 3D graphics API
extension to the Java language that supports one of the most complete and
advanced 3D graphics capabilities available today.
As part of its commitment to VRML, Sun will provide developers with a
Java-based VRML 97 "time-zero" geometry loader and a VRML browser tool.
These will be incorporated into the utility library to be released after
the Java 3D API V1.0 Sample Implementation is released. A Beta of this
Sample Implementation, using the Java Development Kit V 1.2 for
Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 95, Windows NT(R) and Solaris(R), is expected to
become publicly available within the next 60 days.
Company Information
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The
Computer(TM)," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUNW) to its
position as a leading provider of hardware, software and services for
establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the
Internet. With more than $9 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in
more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.
The VRML Consortium, Inc. is a rapidly growing nonprofit organization with
a mandate to establish and promote VRML as an open, ubiquitous standard for
3D graphics on the Internet. Comprised of close to 60 leading technology
companies, the VRML Consortium members provide technical and marketing
expertise for the continued evolution of the VRML standard. Supporting an
open enrollment credo, the Consortium provides its members with early
access to new VRML technological and business developments through
participation in technical working groups and promotional and marketing
activities. Membership information on joining the VRML Consortium is
available at http://www.vrml.org.
VRML Press Contact: To Join the VRML Consortium, Contact:
Josephine Mong Deepak Kamlani
Horizon Communications Interprise Ventures
(408) 969-4888 x103 (510) 277-8110
jmong@horizonpr.com dkamlani@inventures.com
http://www.horizonpr.com http://www.vrml.org
Sun Microsystems Press Contact:
Joanne Sperans Hartzell
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
(650) 786-5404
joanne.hartzell@sun.com
http://sun.com
