Documents written in two-dimensional markup languages such as HTML
are easy to create with word processor-style editors. Creating
VRML[1] documents, however, is complicated by its three-dimensional
nature. VRML can be generated from existing 3D graphics editors
or new applications can be written specifically for constructing
VRML scenes. In this paper, we briefly introduce a
prototype interpreted language called IVL (originally developed as
a general Open Inventor[15,16] prototyping
language) that allows VRML models and scenes to be interactively
developed and manipulated
with simple English-like descriptions. IVL uses public domain
code and can run on a wide variety of platforms---any platform
supporting C++ and Open Inventor.
As a demonstration of an application of this language, we describe
work on the development of a ``metaverse''[14]---an
interactive, multiuser, networked 3D world.
Parr Research Corporation