Re: DOQ

[Volker Coors <coors@igd.fhg.de>]

Crispen, Bob wrote:
> 
> Taking the small question first, a new data type
> seems to me to require an addition to the spec
> (and from here on is personal opinion).
> 
> So what we (geovrml) can do is prepare an email
> letter saying "VRML needs a DoubleCoordinate type"
> and send it off to the VRB.  And we (the VRB) will
> promptly send back a reply "No it doesn't", and
> that takes care of that!
 
Yes.

> Or we (geovrml) can get a couple of us to prepare a
> paper which will be read at VRML 99 supporting
> the new type.  There will be applause from the
> crowd and the authors will have a new notch in
> their CVs, and nothing will happen.

Hmm. I like papers...
> 
> Or, and this might actually work, we can use the
> extensibility of VRML (e.g., EXTERNPROTOs)
> and a couple of conventions about data typing
> (using MFInt32 and assuming network byte
> ordering -- big Endian -- are very popular ways to
> begin) and prepare a package of VRML extensions
> for geoscientists, demonstrating their usefulness
> in principle.
> 
That's a good point. Before presenting a paper, some work should be
done. Not only thinkinng of the problem but also present a solution. In
my opinion, it is important not only to figure out the problems using
Vrml but also find (and implement) some solutions. If we do a good job,
we can define some new VRML-nodes which are useful to everybody in the
"geo"-context, like the DoubleCoordinate. Other useful nodes may be
geo-referenced Texture-nodes, irregular elevation grid and things like
this. These nodes can be implemented using EXTERNPROTOs and Java. But we
should take care that these nodes remain small. The
"Eierlegende-Wollmilchsau"-node that everybody can use for everything is
not very useful.
We can use the (hopefully) new created Vrml-node to build a GeoVrml Node
Library, which can be used by interested people. And, of course, it is a
good start for an Vrml extension. 

Bob, I also think its a good idea to present the work in a paper to
publish the results!  
Of course, some work has to be done before. Let's start with that
DoubleCoordinate. Looks quite important.

Yours,

Volker

> If we (geovrml) begin with an analysis of requirements
> and then turn those requirements into design and
> demonstration of implementation, we might be
> even better off when we (the VRB) look at the
> results.
> 
> I realize this reply was a little smart-alecky, but
> I think we need to scope out a big picture rather
> than proceeding piecemeal if we're going to have
> much success.  In other words, "Here's a
> DoubleCoordinate node and here's a demonstration
> of what you do with it" and so on.  My guess is
> that we'll have some tools we develop or find,
> some Recommended Practice things, and some
> Standard things as parts of the package.
> 
> Just an opinion, obviously.
> 
> Bob Crispen
> bob.crispen@boeing.com

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