Introduction

This page is a collection of resources that I hope will be useful for Macintosh users that are interested in Virtual Reality software. The primary focus is on VRML and 3D tools that can be useful for developing interactive virtual worlds.

Most of the information here has now been contributed to the MacWeb3D site (where it is better organised), however there are a few of pieces of software that are distributed only from this site so this page won't be disappearing any time soon.

VRML on the Macintosh Tips contains some more information about working with VRML on the Mac.

Please read the VRML on the Macintosh FAQ for answers to frequently asked questions.

Interested in X3D? Here are some experimental X3D tools for the Mac OS.

The list below is not exhaustive. I will add to it when I have time. At the moment it only includes the tools that I use most frequently or consider to be particularly relevant. Please mail me any tips for additional tools. I do not intend to include VRML 1.0 browsers for the Mac and, since Mac users are spoilt for choice when it comes to image processing tools, I have only included a couple of tools for working with textures.

I also have a collection of general Virtual Reality Resources that provide links to a number of other useful information sources.

Browsers

• Cosmo Player is currently the most compliant VRML97 viewer for the Mac. However if you are using a machine with less than 64Mb of physical memory then you will need to search for a copy of the old Intervista WorldView plug-in, which has more modest memory requirements but is no longer available. Cosmo Player 2.1 works well for me on a PowerBook G3 Series with ATI Rage 3D acceleration. Although it's a 'beta' it is fairly stable once set up correctly.
  For a smooth ride, read the troubleshooting section of the VRML on the Macintosh FAQ.
• Cortona from ParallelGraphics is the latest VRML97 plugin for the Mac. It is currently at beta level, lacking support for Java. Finally, a modern, supported, VRML97 plugin for the Mac! It even runs on Mac OS X.
• MacLookat is a standalone VRML97 viewer built using the OpenVRML source code. There are currently OpenVRML viewers available for the Mac, Unix and Windows. MacLookat is open source (source available from the OpenVRML web site).
• Shout3D and Blaxxun3D enable you to do lots of cool stufff using VRML and Java applets (no plugins required!).

VRML Development Tools

• Chisel
  This is an essential commercial Java-based VRML validation and optimisation tool from Trapezium. There is a Mac download page with instructions for installing Chisel.
• Vorlon
  This is a Java-based VRML syntax checking tool from Trapezium. Use JBindery (a tool in Apple's Java SDK distribution) to pass command-line input (the file name) to this Java application. The result is written to the Java console. This tool is built into Chisel, but if you cannot afford Chisel (c'mon it's only $50) then Vorlon is a free alternative.
• Meshwork by Joe Strout is a quite possibly the best low-polygon-count (mesh) modeller available on the Mac and it only costs $30 shareware. It is designed especially for making compact, efficient, textured, 3D objects and avatars. Exports VRML97.
• DXF to VRML97
  A "VRML on the Macintosh" exclusive! This is a PowerPC native DXF to VRML97 converter. Just drop your DXF files onto the program icon to convert them to VRML97.
  
• Pellucid
  This is a Java-based tool that simulates the VRML illumination model. It is primarily intended for browser developers to check conformance but it is an interesting tool for the rest of us too. Use JBindery to run it (drag the Jar file onto JBindery and then type in the class name, as described in the Pellucid instructions).
• Abacus VRML Tools 98
  Gary Ennis of the ABACUS project group at Strathclyde University has put two online tools onto this Web page. You simply enter the URL to your virtual world and then choose whether you want to create viewpoints or animations, and then click on the 'Continue...' button. Very useful.
• Rotor
  This is a Java applet that can be used to interactively create VRML source for extrusion shapes by drawing 2D cross-sections, which are then rotated around the Z-axis.
• VRML97 Extrusion Cross-section Creator
  This is an EAI-based tool that can be used to interactively create VRML source for extrusion shapes by drawing 2D cross-sections, which are extruded along the Z-axis.
• Prism Builder
  This is an online prism building tool by Carl West. Requires Shockwave.
• Panorama Tools
  Helmut Dersch has written a useful set of tools for Photoshop and GraphicConverter that can be used to generate, edit and transform many kinds of panoramic images. For VRML developers, these are useful for working with Background node images, and they are freeware.
• VRML Java Script Template Generator
  This is an applet by Arno Schaefer that generates Java code templates for VRML Script nodes. It takes as input a Script node from a VRML file and outputs one or two ready-to-compile Java classes that can then be filled with code. This is a really useful utility for Java Script programmers.
• JVerge
  JVerge by Justin Couch is a Java class library that many VRML developers swear by. However, the library is no longer being developed.
• VNet
  If you are interested in mult-user VRML then VNet is the only solution that works well enough to be usable on the Macintosh. It is implemented in Java. It is a bit unstable but fun enough to be worth suffering the odd crash.
• Sanbaso: Humanoid keyframe animation system
  This is a Java-based online keyframe animation system for h-anim compliant humanoids that uses the VRML EAI. You can move body parts, set keyframes, and generate VRML code containing the resulting animation (which is output as VRML 2.0 to the Java console). Seems pretty stable for an EAI-based tool too.
• VRML Perl Modules
  These VRML Perl Modules by Hartmut Palm are useful for generating VRML on-the-fly from a Web-site, as well as for building offline code generators and converters. They work fine under MacPerl. Just copy 'VRML.pm' and the files in the 'VRML' folder (after you've unpacked the distribution archive) to MacPerl:lib and the files in the 't' folder to MacPerl:t and then you can test the examples to make sure that you have installed everything correctly.
• JavaDome
  A "VRML on the Macintosh" exclusive! JavaDome is a tool for creating a geodesic dome or sphere. This is a port to Java of Dome (see above). Unlike the original, this version has a graphical user interface and exports VRML 2.0. See the gallery for examples of generated models.
• Dome
  Dome is a tool for creating a geodesic dome or sphere. The Mac version is a straight port from DOS, and therefore has a primitive interface, but it works. Unfortunately it generates VRML 1.0 code, but it can also generate code in other formats such as DXF. See the gallery for examples of generated models.
• MacRock
  This is a tool that can be used to generate models of rocks, producing a DXF file. See the gallery for examples of generated models.
• vrml2pov
  A "VRML on the Macintosh" exclusive! I have done a quick and simple port of Paul Thiessen's nifty VRML to POV scene converter. You can use it to create beautiful ray-traced images of your VRML worlds. It cannot cope with everything that you throw at it, but it is fun to experiment with and it can produce very nice results. See the gallery for examples of rendered models.
• MapMagical online terrain editor
  MapMagical online terrain editor is an interesting Java applet by Irony Games.
• Bryce 3D
  This is a commercial tool from MetaCreations that can be useful to render interesting background nodes. I occasionally use a copy of Bryce 2 that came free with a magazine when Bryce 3D was released.
• LandSculptor 3D
  This is a great piece of freeware for making terrain models by painting them. It exports DXF.
• BSmooth 3
  This is a shareware terrain-modelling tool that exports DXF and Bryce files. Amongst other formats, it imports GTOPO30 and 1 degree ASCII formatted Digital Elevation Maps. GTOPO30 DEMs are available for free on the Net from the EROS Data Center: GTOPO30 via FTP
• Adobe Photoshop
  Photoshop is great for working with textures. Incidentally, Illustrator, Canvas, or FreeHand can be useful too, for creating 2D drawings that can be imported into a 3D modelling tool for extrusion and export to VRML. Tip: If you cannot afford Photoshop then use the demo version, and use screen capture to save the results!
• GraphicConverter
  This is a shareware alternative to Photoshop. It also converts to/from just about every image format on the planet, with powerful support for batch conversion and processing of image files. An interesting feature of GraphicConverter is its image browser, which is excellent for browsing collections of textures. There are several dedicated image-browsing tools available for the Mac. They are great for browsing and cataloguing textures.
• Easy-GZ
  There are a number of tools for gzipping and gunzipping text files. Easy-GZ is my favourite because it is fast and very easy to use (simply drag and drop files to compress or decompress them), and it's freeware.

3D Modelling and Animation Tools

For a comprehensive list of CAD and 3D tools for the Macintosh, have a look at the list on the Architosh web site:

• Mac OS CADD Applications for Architects and Designers

You could also try looking in Apple's Macintosh Products Guide, where the most relevant starting points are:

• Publishing and New Media (for 3D design and animation)
• Science and Engineering (for CAD)

Text Editors

A good text-editor is a must for serious scripting and Java work. These are some of the best text editors for the Mac:

• BBEdit
  This is a powerful commercial text editor that is very popular with Mac software developers.
• BBEdit Lite
  This is a simpler freeware version of BBEdit
• Alpha
  Alpha is an alternative to BBEedit. It is a shareware editor that can be extended using Tcl. Emacs fans will appreciate Alpha's support for most Emacs shortcuts. It also has a Tcl shell that supports most common Unix commands, including 'grep'.
• Emacs
  The Mac port of Emacs is rather old (18.59), but it works OK and Unix Emacs users will appreciate it. Unfortunately, it is necessary to turn off virtual memory on the Mac to use it.

Linux

Finally, if you are running LinuxPPC on your Mac (I am!), then visit Gerall Kahla's VRML 4 Linux site, where you will find lots of information about VRML on Linux. Most of the software available for Linux is available in source code form, so just compile and run:

• VRML 4 Linux

Mailing List

Please consider joining the VRML mailing list for Mac users and developers:

Go to Michael's Virtual Reality Page or Michael's Home Page