Virtual Reality Modeling Language Models Research Articles

Visualization of folding in marble outcrops, Connemara, western Ireland: An application of virtual outcrop technology

Virtual outcrops have been generated from terrestrial laser scanner data captured at two marble outcrops in the Dalradian rocks of Connemara, western Ireland. Both locations are popular field study sites in the region, where complex fold structures are visible in the outcrops. The development of virtual outcrops for student instruction is discussed, both in communicating the theories of structural geology in the classroom, and in pre- and post-field study instruction. Supplementary VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) models, Google Earth KML (Keyhole Markup Language) files, and movies are used to communicate the associated geological context for each locality. Virtual outcrops and associated three-dimensional (3D) geological visualizations have the potential to supplement traditional educational content and aid in the improvement of students' visual literacy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Geosphere is the property of Geological Society of America and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Location-aware visualization of VRML models in indoor location tracking system

For many applications particularly in navigation system, a three-dimensional representation improves the usability of information. This paper introduces 3D Graphical User Interface (GUI) of indoor location tracking system, 3D Navigation View. The application provides users a 3D visualization of the indoor environments they are exploring, synchronized with the physical world through spatial information obtained from indoor location tracking system. It adopts widely used Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) to construct, represent, distribute and render 3D world of indoor environments over Internet. Java, an all-purpose programming language is integrated to comprehend spatial information received from indoor location tracking system. Both are connected through an interface called External Authoring Interface (EAI) provided by VRML. Via EAI, Java is given the authority to access and manipulate the 3D objects inside the 3D world that facilitates the indication of user`s position and viewpoint in the constructed virtual indoor environments periodically.

3D integrated circuit layout visualization using VRML

This paper introduces the virtual reality modeling language (VRML) as a way to describe the layout of integrated circuits. Using this language, the circuit can be viewed in three dimensions, adding the depth dimension, not present in the regular layout description languages. A conversion tool that parses 2D circuit layout descriptions and converts it into 3D VRML models is presented. A discussion about other applications of VRML on integrated circuits design and on educational tools is also included.

SOIL LANDSCAPE MODELS AT DIFFERENT SCALES PORTRAYED IN VIRTUAL REALITY MODELING LANGUAGE

Most state-of-the-art manipulations and visualizations of soil data use geographic information systems to portray soil landscapes in two dimensions (2-D). Nevertheless, soil attributes are distributed continuously in three dimensions (3-D) across landscapes. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), a 3-D graphics language suitable for stand-alone or browser-based interactive viewing, to create 3-D soil landscape models at different scales. Four different locations in southern Wisconsin were selected to represent pedon, catena, catchment, and soil region scales. Soil data, including texture, cone index, and depth of soil layers, were used in conjunction with topographic attributes to create 3-D soil landscape models. Spatial modeling techniques comprised 2-D and 3-D ordinary kriging. We used Environmental Visualization Software (EVS) to export the geometry of 3-D objects, which were enhanced to include: (i) viewpoints, (ii) Munsell colors, (iii) texture maps, (iv) 3-D cross-section animation, (v) animations such as zooming and rotation, and (vi) primitive shapes to highlight areas of interest. Virtual reality modeling language is capable of describing and visualizing extremely complex shapes, such as complex soil layers or terrain. Visualization of Munsell soil colors was difficult to implement because there is no hardware or software independent color-management system available in VRML. Animation techniques were valuable to high-light specific characteristics of each model. The accessibility of interactive VRML models via the World Wide Web and the portability of these models across platforms facilitate the entry of soil science into the virtual world of cyberspace.

GeoVR: a web-based tool for virtual reality presentation from 2D GIS data

A tool called GeoVR has been designed and developed under a client/server architecture to enable the interactive creation of a 3D scene and virtual reality modeling language (VRML) model from 2D spatial data by integrating Internet geographical information system (GIS) and HTML programming. The client front-end of this tool provides an HTML form to set properties for building 3D scenes, while the server back-end supported by off-the-shelf software: ArcView Internet Map Server and ArcView 3D Analyst through Avenue programming, processes the parameters and generates a 3D scene. This 3D scene is then transformed into a VRML model, which, together with its legend, is sent back to the VRML-enabled WWW browser for display and navigation. It is demonstrated that this tool, not only automates the conversion of the conventional 2D GIS data into VRML, but also adapts the current GIS 3D capabilities to the increasingly popular Web environment. The development of GeoVR offers new opportunities for geoscientists to build applications that benefit from virtual reality presentation based upon the existing GIS spatial databases.

Developing Highway Driving Simulations Using Virtual Reality Modeling Language

Implementation of interactive highway driving scenes that have most of the functional capacities provided by sophisticated simulation software packages by using virtual reality modeling language (VRML) is described. VRML is a relatively simple, cross-platform, file-interchange format for publishing three-dimensional web pages that can be interactively experienced in a browser over an intranet or the Internet. The use of OpenWorlds VRML script nodes to quickly encapsulate preexisting simulation system software code to drive a VRML model in real time is also presented to demonstrate that existing simulation hardware systems can be readily integrated into VRML simulations. A related software package, HumanOpenWorlds, also enables the integration of anthropometrically correct human figure models into the VRML simulations for dynamic ergonomic analysis. Together these software tools deliver a comprehensive, cross-platform system capable of supporting human factors assessment of advanced driver interfaces over local or wide-area networks. These recent developments indicate that with adequate network bandwidth connections, real-time simulation scenes may be “driven” from remote locations controlled by signal input from mouselike devices or an instrumented driving buck. The proof-of-concept demonstration by the Advanced Driver Interface Design/Assessment Project described in this paper establishes the feasibility of producing cost-effective, flexible, and convincing simulations through which to assess human factors in complex operating environments using VRML. The applications should now be further developed and more thoroughly benchmarked against competing technologies.