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Plate 1: Screenshot of SmallView - our prototype of a multi-user capable VRML browser<br />

2 Our VRML extensions<br />

In this part of the paper we want to <strong>in</strong>troduce some new nodes, we added to VRML <strong>in</strong> order to support multiple users<br />

and shared applications. The general structure of a VRML file is a tree of nodes. Each node consists of an identifier<br />

followed by a pair of brackets. With<strong>in</strong> these brackets node specific fields are specified. Group<strong>in</strong>g nodes allow to build<br />

up hierarchies of nodes by nest<strong>in</strong>g them. Nodes are used to specify shapes (such as cubes, spheres, etc.), properties (such<br />

as material, position, orientation, etc.), etc. For a detailed discussion on the <strong>in</strong>dividual nodes types provided by the<br />

VRML specification please see [Bell et al. 95] [Ames et al. 96].<br />

Avatars<br />

To achieve a realistic impression of participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a shared virtual world, other users as well as their current actions<br />

have to be represented <strong>in</strong> an adequate way. These user representations are called avatars or embodiments. Avatars may<br />

differ <strong>in</strong> shape and size. [Plate 2] shows three different avatars populat<strong>in</strong>g a s<strong>in</strong>gle virtual world: two humanoid figures<br />

and an airplane.

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