Superscape Launches World's Fastest 3-D Viewer for Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.O; Viscape for ActiveX Showcased on Microsoft Web Site and Developer's CD

Business Wire, July 16, 1996

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 16, 1996--Superscape Inc, in conjunction with the Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) ActiveX World Wide Live: Activating the Internet Web creator and designer conference, today announced Viscape for ActiveX, an ActiveX control that extends the capabilities of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 to allow users on standard personal computers to experience the fastest real-time, interactive 3-D virtual reality worlds on the World Wide Web.

Using Viscape for ActiveX with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, Web surfers can seamlessly enter and explore virtual worlds created by Web designers using Superscape's suite of virtual reality authoring products. Virtual worlds created with Superscape's VRT 4.0 offer the highest levels of interaction, object behavior and real-time image rendering found anywhere on the Web.

"3-D virtual reality on the Web is taking both Web site design and interaction to new levels," said Scott Henson, Executive Producer of World Wide Live. "New ActiveX controls such as Viscape for ActiveX are empowering designers to create powerful and exciting virtual reality Web sites that seemed out of reach on standard PCs only a short time ago."

As part of the Microsoft World Wide Live developer's event, Viscape for ActiveX and three custom Superscape virtual worlds are being featured on the Microsoft Site Builder Workshop CD being distributed to thousands of Web developers around the world.

Viscape for ActiveX is also available for free download from the Microsoft Web site (http://www.microsoft.com) and the Superscape Web site (http://www.superscape.com). Once users download Viscape for ActiveX, they can explore Superscape's SuperCity (http://www.superscape.com), a rich 3-D version of the company's World Wide Web site that also features interactive virtual worlds from such companies as Intel, Northern Telecom, HotWired and Tandem Computers.

SuperCity is the definitive 3-D virtual reality site on the World Wide Web because it demonstrates the advanced use of "intelligent" objects and behaviors -- motion, rotation, gravity, weight and sound -- and highlights actual virtual reality applications that show how the technology is transforming business, training, communications, data analysis and entertainment on the Web.

In addition to SuperCity, the Superscape Web site also contains links to over 20 Web sites around the world that are hosting virtual reality worlds created with VRT 4.0 and explorable with Viscape for ActiveX.

"With Viscape for ActiveX, Web developers and content creators can now showcase the most realistic and interactive 3-D worlds in Microsoft Internet Explorer," said Andy Tait, Vice President of Business Development, Superscape Inc. "And Web users will have a better virtual experience because 3-D worlds and associated text are presented faster in Microsoft Internet Explorer than any other browser."

Fastest 3-D Visualization on Web

Leveraging its experience of 10 years as the oldest company worldwide focused exclusively on products and technologies for PC-based virtual reality, Superscape was able to make Viscape for ActiveX work faster than other 3-D Internet technology. The speed of 3-D viewers or browsers is determined by the rate at which virtual "scenes" change on screen based on the actions or changes in the viewpoint of the user.

Superscape's Viscape for ActiveX offers an easy point and click control panel for consistent navigation through virtual worlds and for controlling the behavior of intelligent objects such as calculators, clocks and cars. The interface also allows for easy hyperlinking to virtual worlds located on the Internet sites of Superscape partners, customers and other developers.

Viscape currently works with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 operating on Intel-based personal computers with a minimum 486 processor running Windows platforms including Windows 95 and Windows NT. Superscape plans to support emerging Internet 3-D standards, including VRML 2.0.

The Superscape Family of Virtual Reality Products

The Superscape product portfolio includes VRT 4.0, the company's third-generation suite of virtual reality authoring products; Viscape, a Netscape compatible plug-in for viewing virtual worlds on the Internet; Networks, which enables up to 25 users to be in the same virtual world at the same time; Superscape Developers Kit, an application programming interface (API) to specific hardware, device drivers and transfer of real time data; Visualiser, a powerful platform for desktop virtual reality viewing on standard PCs; and Visualiser for SGI, a platform for advanced virtual reality world viewing on Silicon Graphics workstations.

All products run on i486 microprocessor, Pentium processor, or Pentium Pro processor-based computers with 8MB of RAM running DOS and 12MB running Windows. An SVGA monitor, keyboard and a mouse complete the virtual reality system. Superscape tools work with a wide variety of head-mounted displays (HMDs) for immersive applications.