How to Display Virtual Reality Files

    To see the virtual polyhedra, your browser must be set up to show VRML files. Files of the type *.wrl have VRML content, which stands for Virtual Reality Modeling Language. At present, the technology is not virtual reality so much as a way to describe 3-dimensional objects which you can explore on your screen by moving and rotating them (using your mouse or arrow keys) in a fairly realistic (computer animated) manner. It is a wonderful tool for exploring polyhedra.

    If you don't see the polyhedra as 3D models, your computer is not up-to-date in its software.  In the future, all web browsers are likely to come with the built-in ability to view VRML files. For the present, because it is a new technology, it is usually added in as a separate module. Fortunately, VRML add-on software exists for all popular web browsers and computer platforms. If you are viewing this on your own computer, you can download and install the necessary software yourself for free. If you are using a computer at a school, corporation, or other organization, ask your system administrator to update the web browser you are using. Point him or her to this page if necessary.  To find a VRML plug-in for your machine and software, use this NIST VRML detector page. One to try on a PC is Cortona.  I'm told this works well on a Mac.

    Most of my polyhedra files were written around 1995 according to the VRML 1.0 language specification, but some were written later with VRML 2.0. For some VRML browsers, only VRML 2.0 is installed by default and you have to get a special add on file which automatically converts version 1 files to version 2 when you view them.

    After you get the software installed, you might want to check out these VRML viewing tips.


    Virtual Polyhedra, (c) 1998, George W. Hart