VR Scout for Windows 95

VR Scout -- VR Scout is a new entrant into the VRML Browser battle, and although in early release, the Scout definitely shows promise. Like Pioneer and WorldView, VR Scout uses Intel's 3DR and Microsoft's Reality Labs technology to exploit new 3D VRML rendering for increased speed. Scout also supports GIF, JPEG and BMP textures, ASCII text and font displays, point-sets, and texture transformations, as well as examine, fly by, and walk through modes of navigation. VRML 1.0 is implemented in full compliance, and inline WWW support is also offered. VR Scout provides caching for scenes and textures, a 'headlight' for brightness control, and automatic decompression for GZIP and ZIP files. Overall, VR Scout is a promising new browser, but it does lack some of the features found in clients like WebSpace, WebFX, and Pioneer, including wireframe rendering, WebSpace's 'Viewpoints', sound and animation, and VRML authoring. VR Scout is offered in two versions, one for Windows 3.x and one for Windows 95/NT. Both versions offer standalone VRML browser and plug-in modules for Netscape 2.0 Pros: Offers many interesting VRML features, one of the quicker browsers on the market Cons: Lacks some of the better VRML browsers' features, navigation could be improved New: Collision detection, VRML background image support, revised 3D navigation, more Version Reviewed: 1.40 Date of Review: 6/22/96 Reviewer: Forrest Stroud apps conference Main Menu