Pioneer -- This is the complete VRML browsing and authoring program. Currently, no other program on the 'net can match the authoring features of Pionner (formerly known as Fountain); creating your own VRML worlds has never been easier. In addition to offer cool browsing features like fly by, walk through, solid render display, a perspective window, inline WWW support, wire frame rendering, and much more, Pioneer gives users a unique perspective and insight into the creation process for VRML worlds. An assortment of 3-Dimensional tools are offered, including 3D sound and shape creation tools, 3D bookmarks, and 3D boolean operations. You can modify existing worlds or create your own with the world building mode, which supports tons of options like animation, URL attach, object manipulation, movement analysis, a material library, and a primitives panel. Additionally, Pioneer features an automatic publishing feature that allows you to quickly distribute your VRML worlds on either your own server or on Caligari's. While creating your own VRML world will likely never be a quick and simple process, Pioneer's multitude of tools and abundant help documentation will help to ease a lot of the pain in creating realistic 3-Dimensional worlds. At the same time, it is also one of the best tools for browsing VRML worlds. Caligari has also released a $495 Professional version of Pioneer. Pioneer Pro includes the same great features found in the regular version, and also adds several key features for the professional VRML web developer. True 3-Dimensional real-time modeling with direct manipulation of 3D texture mapped objects in 3D perspective space; organic deformation for creating realistic looking avatars, automatic generation of Levels of Detail objects and inline textures; point, edge, face, and context editing; dimensions in real-world units; and multiple orthogonal or 3D perspective views highlight the impressive list of features unique to Pioneer Pro. Pioneer Pro is available for download on the 'net but will only run demos until the client is registered (purchased). Depending on the level of your authoring needs, either Pioneer standard or Pioneer Pro is bound to be your best bet for creating your own VRML worlds. Pros: VRML browsing and authoring, tons of tools available for both tasks Cons: Lacks some browsing features found in other VRML browsers New: 3D boolean operations, sound/shape creation tools, bookmarks; transparent publishing; more Version Reviewed: 1.0 Release 2 Date of Review: 5/29/96 Reviewer: Forrest Stroud apps conference Main Menu