Template Graphics Software and Silicon Graphics Inc. join to deliver 3-D and Virtual Reality to the Internet; TGS to offer WebSpace™ browser and VRML extensions for Open Inventor SDK

Business Wire, April 3, 1995

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 1995--Silicon Graphics Inc. and Template Graphics Software Inc. Monday announced a long-term development relationship and first-ever commercial products which deliver 3-D graphics and virtual reality to users of the Internet.

Based upon the emerging Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) standard and the established 3-D graphics standards OpenGL and Open Inventor, the new products integrate 3-D viewing, browsing and navigation into Internet World-Wide Web browsers.

The companies have jointly developed WebSpace(TM), a VRML viewer that can be used with Web browsers available from Netscape Communications, Spyglass and other vendors. Template Graphics will be providing WebSpace for all platforms, including all UNIX workstations, Windows and Apple systems.

"TGS has been a key partner with Silicon Graphics in moving the VRML standard from specification toward commercial reality," said Way Ting, general manager for the Visual Magic Division at Silicon Graphics.

"The widespread endorsement of VRML is a direct result of Template's reputation as a standards-based graphics tools vendor. We've been very impressed with the cooperation within the community as well as the level of expertise that TGS has brought to the effort."

"3-D graphics is the last great media type to come to the Internet," said Terry Baker, president of Template Graphics Software. "3-D will have a greater impact than video, audio or even text on the net, since it enables user interaction along with a realistic representation of objects and scenes.

"By adding 3-D navigation via VRML, we see the Web as an even more powerful platform for multimedia, commerce and entertainment on the Internet. By supporting VRML from within the Open Inventor SDK, we deliver to Open Inventor developers the ability to add Internet capabilities to existing applications."

More than 20 Internet hardware and software vendors participated in active endorsement of the efforts by Silicon Graphics and Template Graphics, including Netscape Communications, Spyglass, Digital Equipment Corp., Intergraph, NCD, NEC, 3Dlabs, Accel Graphics, Oki Advanced Systems, the San Diego Supercomputer Center, CERN and Viewpoint Datalabs.

Both Netscape Communications and Spyglass have signed initial agreements to license WebSpace from Template Graphics Software.

Template Graphics has been a leading independent graphics software tools vendor since 1982, specializing in standards-based cross-platform solutions. TGS is the leading supplier of PHIGS , an ANSI/ISO standard, and a key vendor for products based upon the industry graphics standards OpenGL and Open Inventor. TGS also announced that they will integrate VRML extensions into its ports of the Open Inventor SDK.

Web Space

The WebSpace 3-D browser/navigator is a complete Internet graphics utility, supporting 3-D navigation of the World-Wide Web, viewing of 3-D MIME attachments to email products, and content viewing for file management and FTP utilities. WebSpace 1.0 is compatible with Netscape 1.1 from Netscape Communications Inc., and with Enhanced Mosaic from Spyglass.

When a user of these products encounters VRML content on the Web, WebSpace automatically processes the 3-D graphics content into a navigational window. The user can then fly or walk through the 3-D scene. If objects within the scene are linked to other Internet resources, such as other scenes, text, video, audio or image data, WebSpace will "remote control" the Web browser and deliver the linked content.

VRML Internet Extensions for Open Inventor

While the VRML specification is publicly available, Silicon Graphics and TGS are the first vendors to integrate the functionality into a graphics development system and will offer support through extensions to the Open Inventor toolkit.

TGS has released versions of Open Inventor for Sun Solaris, IBM AIX and Windows NT systems, and is scheduled to support other platforms by summer. Though there are other Open Inventor licensee's, TGS is unique in its involvement with the VRML effort and in the implementation of VRML within the Open Inventor framework.

Developers can use the Open Inventor toolkit, with VRML extension support, to add Internet access support to existing applications, create VRML content or to develop WebSpace-type viewers.

Product Availability

WebSpace will be available from TGS within 30 days for SGI, Sun, IBM, Windows 3.1 and Windows NT 3.5 systems. WebSpace for HP 9000/7xx and Apple Power Mac will be available by summer. Individual use, non supported versions will be posted on various ftp locations, with supported versions priced at $49.00, available direct from Template Graphics Software.

TGS will offer quantity discounts as well as OEM licensing of the WebSpace viewer.

TGS will bundle support for VRML Internet Extensions into the Open Inventor developer toolkit product on all supported platforms. Contact TGS for pricing and availability.

Silicon Graphics is a leading manufacturer of high-performance visual computing systems. The company delivers interactive 3-D graphics, digital media and multiprocessing supercomputing technologies to technical, scientific and creative professionals.