Customer Reviews

VRML Clearly Explained, Second Edition: Bringing Virtual Reality to the Internet

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A lot of money for a book on the back ground of VRML and 3D in general. Doesn't really cover programming in VRML, not even the basics. Only chapter I could find was on VRMLSCRIPT which looks okay but I use JavaScript. Most of the referances are outdated or not available anymore and the CDROM has very little content, mostly URL links to deleted sites. The only programming chapter uses a 3rd party front end language tool which can export to VRML, alas this isn't on the CDROM and is no longer available at the URL. About 60-80% of the book is about what you can use VRML and 3D on the web for, I have an imagination so I can figure most of that out. I guess it's back to the dozen or so downloaded refs that I already have, I really wanted a book I could site down with and get a better understanding of some of the concepts and programming techniques in VRML, this isn't it. (If I had been able to find it in a bookstore to look at first it would have been left there.)

We manufacture VR Systems and we must costantly keep ourselves abrest of what happens in all secors related to our field. All of our SW developers have avidly read the book and preize it as a valuable work tool. I must say that all books written by John Vacca are clear, straight to the point, well documented and can easily turn into reference material for professionals as well as non specialist that want to know about the subjects John Vacca decides to write about

Vacca's 800-page review of a heavyweight subject is broken up into stages to allow the reader to dip in and out. The book cannot be classed as an 'idiot's guide' because it does assume some level of prior knowledge, but most readers with enough interest to read the book will have a grounding in the subject anyway. Vacca's style is accessible with interesting tangents mentioned such as science fiction and the influence of the sex industry. Conclusions and summaries are welcome, as is a guide to computer jargon. Also, one of the most appealing features of the publication is the use of pictures to illustrate the theories discussed. In summary, the possible technological applications and overall introduction to an in-depth subject are well covered and anyone with an interest in learning more about the Internet and how to harness it is advised to take a look.

This book 'talks' about VRML. However, it has very limited scope with regard to "real world" applications and it contains almost no code examples. Almost completely useless for programmers.

I have read parts of this book and from not knowing what VRML is all about, I now have a clear idea of what its uses will be and how it will help companies market their products on the internet. A very good read.

Once again, Mr. Vacca has published another great technical book! VRML Clearly Explained is the standard of excellence in VRML books. As a both a manager and ex-programmer, the content of this valuable book helped me understand high level concepts of the state of the art VRML concepts while giving me lower level programming guidance.

Anyone interested in VRML needs to consider this book as a "gotta have" for their reference library. The use of graphic snapshots is very well done throughout the book. Reference chapters are thorough yet easy to read. RECOMMENDED FOR ALL LEVELS OF TECHNICAL READERS.

VRML Clearly Explained by John Vacca describes complex subject matter in easy-to-understand terms. I especially like the treatment of Virtual Reality as it relates to the Internet because this is the environment that we will all be working with in the future. As a software engineer, I have had little experience with 3-D and Virtual Reality Modeling Languages, but these are areas with which I must become familiar due to the projects in which we are involved. Not only does this book describe what Virtual Reality is all about, it also provides the reader with excellent descriptions of the VRML scripting language and OpenGL (Graphics Language). Vacca's book also explains some of the practical applications of VRML, such as the interactive assembly of products and battlefield simulation. These examples have helped us to visualize other potential application areas that we can begin to explore with our customers.

In summary, VRML Clearly Explained really hits the mark. It is highly informative, and it provides excellent examples of VRML applications, VRML scripting language, Object Inventor, OpenGL Graphic Support, Internet architectures, and Distributed Virtual Environments. This book really enlightened me to the unlimited possibilities of applying Virtual Reality to a wide spectrum of application areas. John Vacca deserves a pat on the back.

I have been looking, waiting, wondering when this book was going to be written. Vacca has done a great job and I intend to use in a class I will be teaching in spring of 1999.

What I like the best is that it is well written, easy to read, and a great starting place for those who want to start down the winding round of VRML!

John Vacca's new edition of VRML Clearly Explained covers the full scope of VRML 2 and its applications in the realms of VR, Telemedicine, Combat training and simulation, Communication, Data visulization, Art and entertainment are all addresed. A well written book on an important topic.