| The World Wide Web's unexpected emergence | | | | It is a conceptual system that might ultimately |
| and hectic growth have been one of the | | | | enable you to navigate the Web as one |
| phenomena near the turn of the millennium. | | | | continuous 3D space, in the same way that HTML |
| Although exact figures are not available, it is | | | | enables you to navigate the Web as one giant |
| generally believed that the number of people | | | | hypertext document. This is the real potential of |
| accessing the Web will grow from about 60 million | | | | "cyberspace." |
| today to about 200 million by the turn of the | | | | In the future, Web addresses will map to the |
| century. During this same time period, computer | | | | interiors of personal or corporate 3D spaces |
| processing power is expected to continue to | | | | within the context of a borderless virtual world. |
| double every 18 months, coupled with an | | | | This world continuously will be extended but will |
| enormous expansion of line bandwidth and | | | | always be coherent and consistently navigable |
| modem speed. Barring some disaster, the future | | | | because it is implemented in a common |
| of the Web is very bright indeed. It is no wonder, | | | | language-VRML. |
| therefore, that so much creative talent-and | | | | This language covers the following topics: |
| money-is being invested in it. | | | | Modeling tools and techniques |
| Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML, usually | | | | A summary of what is and is not exported by |
| pronounced vermal) is one of the best ways that | | | | this feature |
| 3D artists and animators can take advantage of | | | | Creating a virtual world with 3D Studio MAX and |
| the tremendous opportunity presented by the | | | | the this kind of Exporter |
| Web's growth. This aspect of 3D world, as | | | | The best of the Web Virtual Reality is an "open" |
| conceived by its creators, is much more than a | | | | standard-a specification openly published that does |
| method of displaying 3D models. | | | | not contain code owned by any corporation. |