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Comment by sanswork | Hacker News Reader

Remember when VRML was going to be the next big thing and we were all going to be moving through 3d websites?

I worked on a VRML retail store that had 3D products on 3D shelves and 3D customer service reps you could chat with. It was just like shopping in a real world retail store, except you're tripping on LSD flying uncontrollably upside down through a bright colored world of blocks and pyramids while wearing binoculars until you punch a hole in the sky and your browser crashes. The world just wasn't ready to shop in 3D.

That's it. I'm creating a VMRL magento implementation where even the admin panel is in 3d.

I'll fund you on this.

I remember when SGI came by to demo their VRML viewer with an animated character. During Q&A I commented that the web made it easy to learn by 'view source'; "how do you do that with VRML?" I remember being dissatisfied with their response. (I think you were supposed to use one of their authoring tools for it?)

Was it Floops?

Whoa! Totally!

Ahh, and I see now why it would have been so hard to author - it was based on motion capture.

Yeah, I was working at a VRML startup at the time and we used Floops to test our code. I probably watched those animations thousands of times...

It was gonna be just like in Neuromancer. Cyberspace.

I read "cyberspace" as a whisper.

One of the best things about reading Bleeding Edge this year was reminiscing about VRML.

VRML? Bah, back then I was still hoping GopherVR would restore gopher as the primary protocol for the Internet.

(This must be what it feels like to realize you're old...)

Who needs gopher when you can just ftp to places and download lists of what they have? And lists of what they know that other people have.

Hmm, right. That got tiresome after a bit, so "telnet archie.mcgill.ca" and do an archie search.

I remember that by 1992 the index overflowed signed 32 bit int and started giving "-45%" complete.

Of course we're not old. Those were the ones who could replace a VAX disk pack, and who had to log in via dedicated terminals instead of dial-up via a PC. :)

I remember the Cosmo VRML Viewer.

Now, I think WebGL is the new VRML.

Heh. Dorkbot-SF is having a 20-year anniversary party for VRML, and they just requested VRML files for projection on the walls.

Yes. :(

Hard to believe it was 20 years ago.

And that we're finally coming full circle back to it.

Shit, I'm getting old.

Fuuuuuuck man, anyone remember ActiveWorlds?

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