Web design industry makes new foray into 3-D
mercurycenter.com
Go ahead -- spin them around, turn them over, even zoom in
close enough to see details in the stitching.
The model, rendered with groundbreaking Metastream
technology, takes a minute to load from a Web site. But even from
a 366Mhz computer with a 28.8K connection to the Internet,
starting Monday you can get a new kind of look at the newest line
of Eddie Bauer backpacks.
Dozens of snapshots were woven together to create each digital
model, an example of the Web design industry's latest foray into
3-D -- a concept that would make the Web-surfing experience
less like reading a magazine and more like playing a video game.
A few 3-D models using the same technology are already
available for other products, including some from Nike, and a Sony
laptop.
.......
Metastream has only a few months to capitalize on being the first
one out the gate. Next year, there will be powerful competition.
San Francisco-based Macromedia Inc., makers of the popular
Flash and Shockwave multimedia Web plug-ins, has teamed up
with Intel Corp. to develop a similar 3-D technology that will work
through the Shockwave plug-in. Most important, a number of
high-powered graphics studios, including Discreet, have said
they will support Macromedia's efforts.
Meanwhile, Apple, Microsoft, Real and others are working on
similar 3-D projects, creating an environment where it's as likely
as ever that 3-D will find its place on the Web -- especially
since several companies have been stockpiling 3-D models for
years, waiting for Internet technology to give consumers a way to
access it.
``Every car manufacturer has 3-D models of its cars -- a lot of
manufacturers out there have 3-D models,'' said Miriam Geller,
senior product manager for Macromedia's Shockwave player.
``The problem has been, how do you get that to the Web?''
Tom Watson tosiwmee |
