Subject: [MT35101] VRML .wrl BROWSER PROBLEMS?
From: "Aaron E. Walsh" <aaron@gridinstitute.com>
Reply-To: MT35101@yahoogroups.com
Organization: Mantis Development Corp.
To: BC Computer Graphics <MT35101@yahoogroups.com>

VRML files (.wrl) and their compressed renditions (.wrz files, for example) can't be viewed in a Web browser unless you install a VRML plug-in such as blaxxun Contact. If you're having problems with Contact (see my email conversation with Dan below for examples of potential problems, and some solutions) you should first consult the installation documentation described in Class #8, Section 4 "04. CONTACT FAQ and TROUBLESHOOTING".

In a worst case situation you can uninstall Contact, then try to reinstall it. 

If all else fails you can always install a different VRML plug-in, such as the Cortona plug-in created by Parallel Graphics. Parallel Graphics is one of the primary forces behind VRML on the Web, and Cortona is an excellent VRML plug-in:

http://www.parallelgraphics.com/  (homepage)
http://www.parallelgraphics.com/products/  (Cortona homepage)


Following is a bit of the conversation I had with a student, Dan, regarding his VRML situation:

> Dan wrote:
Aaron, I'm still experiencing problems with .wrl. When I went to 
http://www.web3d.org/technicalinfo/specifications/vrml97/part1/exampleD.2.wrl  
I only get a black screen with a crosshairs in it. In the 
bottom right quadrant there is the "w", but no presentation is 
viewed. The exact same black screen came up when I tried completing 
exercise final 3, where I try to view Simple.wrl in my browser. Any 
suggestions. 

> Aaron responds:
It sounds as if the blaxxun Contact VRML browser isn't installed on that
system (you can only view .wrl files using a browser that has a VRML
plug-in such as Contact installed). If you are working at BC with these
exercises you won't be able to install Contact. 

If you were able to do the Contact installation on your home or work
system be sure that you're viewing the .wrl files using the browser for
which you actually installed Contact (you get the option to install for
IE or Navigator). In a worst-case scenario you might have to uninstall
Contact, reboot your computer, then reinstall it (see the very end of
today's class notes for a tip on how to uninstall software).

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Aaron E. Walsh http://www.gridinstitute.com/people/aew/ 
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