ParaGraph Unveils Industry's First Family of VRML 2.0 Tools; ParaGraph Ships Virtual Home Space Builder 2.0 With VRML 2.0 Publishing as Free Upgrade to VHSB 1.0; Internet3D Space Builder Beta Features Sophisticated VRML 2.0 Authoring Capabilities.CAMPBELL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 1996--ParaGraph International(R) today introduced the first members of a complete family of VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) A 3D graphics language used on the Web. After downloading a VRML page, its contents can be viewed, rotated and manipulated. Simulated rooms can be "walked into." The VRML viewer is launched from within the Web browser. 2.0 products for Microsoft(R) Windows(TM) and Macintosh(R) 3D Space authors. ParaGraph's Internet3D(TM) VRML 2.0 product family will include tools for 3D Space authoring, avatar authoring and behavior authoring as well as multi-user server technology. Today, ParaGraph made available the world's first VRML 2.0 authoring tool for the consumer market: Virtual Home Space Builder(TM) 2.0 (VHSB 2.0). VHSB 2.0 is an upgrade to ParaGraph's award winning VHSB 1.0 product (distributed nationally by Broderbund). VHSB 2.0 is offered as a free download to all VHSB 1.0 customers from ParaGraph's web site (www.paragraph.com). Non-VHSB users can purchase VHSB 2.0 from ParaGraph's web site or by calling (800) 810-0055. VHSB will be available for the Mac in the fourth quarter of this year. ParaGraph also announced today that it will begin distributing a beta version A pre-shipping release of hardware or software that has gone through alpha test. A beta version of software is supposed to be very close to the final product, but, in practice, it is more a way of getting users to test the software in the first place under real conditions. of its next generation VRML 2.0 authoring tool, code named Internet3D Space Builder(TM) (ISB), from its Web site beginning August 5th. ParaGraph will demonstrate ISB at SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics, www.siggraph.org) The arm of the ACM that specializes in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Providing publications, workshops and conferences, it has served technicians and researchers as well as the artist and business community in New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded on August 6-8 (Booth 2630). VRML 2.0, the new standard for publishing 3D Virtual Reality Web Sites on the Internet, was co-authored by Mitra, ParaGraph's Chief Network Technology Officer. VRML 2.0 will receive final ratification The confirmation or adoption of an act that has already been performed. A principal can, for example, ratify something that has been done on his or her behalf by another individual who assumed the authority to act in the capacity of an agent. in August at SIGGRAPH, concurrent with ParaGraph's release of VHSB 2.0 and ISB beta. The new standard adds a full range of multimedia functionality (sound, video, animation, etc.) as well as behaviors -- thus enabling a rich, interactive and immersive experience for web surfers. Spaces built in VRML 2.0 with either VHSB 2.0 or ISB can be viewed with any standard VRML 2.0 browser such as Silicon Graphics' Cosmo(TM) Player and Sony's Cyberpassage. Products Available Now: ParaGraph's Virtual Home Space Builder 2.0 adds VRML 2.0 export and a streamlined user interface to ParaGraph's market leading VHSB 1.0 authoring package. The addition of VRML 2.0 export means that the multimedia 3D Spaces created with the software can be viewed by millions of Internet users Internet user n → internauta m/f Internet user Internet n → internaute m/f using a standard VRML 2.0 browser. VHSB 2.0 for Windows is available immediately from ParaGraph's home page (www.paragraph.com). The Macintosh version will be available in the fourth quarter. Existing VHSB users may upgrade to version 2 at no charge. VHSB 2.0 for the Windows costs $49.95 and is available for purchase from ParaGraph's Web site or by calling (800) 810-0055. ParaGraph's Internet3D Space Builder is the first PC-oriented VRML 2.0 authoring tool for creating highly sophisticated 3D Internet worlds. ISB combines powerful 3D creation, advanced texturing and publishing functions with an intuitive interface that gives Web site developers the ability to quickly publish VRML 2.0 worlds of unlimited complexity. ISB's capabilities include advanced shape modeling (including Boolean operations Noun 1. boolean operation - an operation that follows the rules of Boolean algebra; each operand and the result take one of two values binary arithmetic operation, binary operation ), easy object manipulation and importation of VRML 2.0, .DXF DXF - Drawing Exchange Format and .3DS files in addition to ParaGraph's .MUS and D96 files. Sophisticated texture mapping In computer graphics, the application of a type of surface to a 3D image. A texture can be uniform, such as a brick wall, or irregular, such as wood grain or marble. The common method is to create a 2D bitmapped image of the texture, called a "texture map," which is then "wrapped around" combined with ParaGraph's digital ink technology for drawing and editing give users unrivaled flexibility in decorating their worlds. Digital ink allows the integration of pen/tablet-created artwork for an unmatched artistic 'look' on VRML 2.0 Web sites. Multimedia support includes text, sound, and movies. Shipping 4th Quarter: ParaGraph's Internet3D Avatar Builder(TM) (IAB (1) See Internet Architecture Board. (2) (Interactive Advertising Bureau, New York, www.iab.net) An industry association founded in 1996 to set standards and guidelines for interactive advertising and marketing. ) will allow customers to assemble 3D avatars easily and simply by just dragging and dropping different elements. IAB assigns elementary movements to diverse parts of an avatar's skeleton and exports these produced behaviors as VRML 2.0 files, enabling avatars to demonstrate complex lifelike behaviors in Cyberspace Coined by William Gibson in his 1984 novel "Neuromancer," it is a futuristic computer network that people use by plugging their minds into it! The term now refers to the Internet or to the online or digital world in general. See Internet and virtual reality. Contrast with meatspace. . ParaGraph's Internet3D Behavior Builder(TM) (IBB IBB International Broadcasting Bureau (US government) IBB Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics IBB Islamic Bank of Britain IBB I'll Be Back IBB Intentional Base on Balls ) will allow users to easily add behaviors in a drag and drop A graphical user interface (GUI) capability that lets you perform operations by moving the icon of an object with the mouse into another window or onto another icon. For example, files can be copied or moved by dragging them from one folder to another. manner to VRML 2.0 objects. The IBB product will include a number of generic behaviors as well as the means to add customized behaviors to the behavior library. ParaGraph's Internet3D Multi-User Server(TM) (IMUS) will support multi-user interaction within 3D environments, including motion, shared state and digital ink transmission. The server architecture allows for easy scaling from 2 to 1000 simultaneous users. Quotes: "Paragraph is once again leading the way in VRML, this time bringing the full breadth of their multimedia authoring tools into the hands of everyone on the Web," said Mark Pesce Mark Pesce, (December 8, 1962, in Everett, Massachusetts) (pronounced [ˈpɛʃi]) one of the early pioneers in Virtual Reality is a writer, researcher and teacher. , Chairman of the VRML Architecture Group. "VHSB 2.0 is easy-to-learn and fun to use; anyone from a child to a senior will be able to homestead their own corner of Cyberspace - complete with sound and moving images!" "We are very excited that such a powerful easy-to-use VRML 2.0 authoring package is coming to the Macintosh platform -- VHSB 2.0 will be a great addition to the range of 3D authoring tools currently available for the Macintosh," said John Alfano, Program Manager for VR Technologies at Apple Computer, Inc. "Virtual Home Space Builder, as a PC content creation tool, will enable vast numbers of people to create VRML 2.0 worlds for viewing with Cosmo Player," said David Frerichs, VRML product manager for Silicon Graphics. "We are pleased to see that ParaGraph is committed to the VRML 2.0 standard." "ParaGraph's technological firepower fire·pow·er n. 1. The capacity, as of a weapon, weapons system, military unit, or position, for delivering fire. 2. The ability to deliver fire against an enemy in combat. Noun 1. shows in its products such as VHSB and ISB," said Willy willy Noun pl -lies Brit, Austral & NZ informal a childish or jocular word for penis Chiu, Multimedia Technology Director, IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) Software Solutions Division. "These products facilitate the creation of VRML 2.0 content which is important for the entire industry." "ParaGraph is committed to providing the industry's first integrated suite of powerful, easy to use, VRML-based tools for the PC and Mac platforms," said Gregory Slayton, President of ParaGraph International. "The industry leading products that we are shipping today underscore The underscore character (_) is often used to make file, field and variable names more readable when blank spaces are not allowed. For example, NOVEL_1A.DOC, FIRST_NAME and Start_Routine. (character) underscore - _, ASCII 95. the reality of that commitment. With both Microsoft and Netscape now publicly committed to providing VRML 2.0 viewers in their respective browsers, we believe that the advent of powerful, easy-to-use authoring products like VHSB 2.0 and ISB will help make VRML-3D a very big force in the Internet world." "ParaGraph's VHSB 1.0 was the first consumer VRML 1.0 authoring software, and now ParaGraph is distributing the first duo of VRML 2.0 authoring products," said Mitra, ParaGraph's Chief Network Technology and co-author of VRML 2.0. "ParaGraph has shown an unrivaled commitment to the VRML standard, and backs up this commitment with world class products. VHSB 2.0 and ISB will add unstoppable momentum to VRML 2.0" ParaGraph International Founded in 1989, ParaGraph International, Inc. has long been a leading provider of complex software solutions for the high tech industry. The company's corporate mission is to be the leading provider of Internet VRML authoring/publishing tools by combining technologies in 3D rendering, behavior languages, compression and recognition. These tools enable end-users to build and publish exciting Internet spaces - rooms, buildings, cities, landscapes, worlds and universes - for people around the world to visit, communicate and work with each other quickly and easily. ParaGraph International holds a leadership position in a number of critical Internet technologies that demand preeminence pre·em·i·nent or pre-em·i·nent adj. Superior to or notable above all others; outstanding. See Synonyms at dominant, noted. [Middle English, from Latin prae in algorithmic design, including 3D and VR applications, 2D pen software and compression technologies. For more information on ParaGraph International and its products, contact the company at 1688 Dell Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008. Web sites: www.paragraph.com and vrml.paragraph.com -0- NOTE TO EDITORS: All products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. ParaGraph is the registered trademark of ParaGraph International. Internet3D, Virtual Home Space Builder and Home Space are trademarks of ParaGraph International. Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer. Sony is a registered trademark of Sony. Silicon Graphics is a registered trademark and Cosmo is a trademark of Silicon Graphics. CONTACT: ParaGraph John Poluektov, 408/364-7740 E-MAIL e-mail: see electronic mail. in full electronic mail Messages and other data exchanged between individuals using computers in a network. : john@paragraph.com or Horizon PR Jonathan Hirshon, 408/982-2555 E-MAIL: jh@horizonpr.com WEB: www.horizonpr.com |
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