Publisher's Synopsis
Virtual Reality/Programming A Little Imagination, The Right Tools, and You Can Have a Virtual World at Your Fingertips... This complete. do–it–yourself kit is a great starting point for exploring virtual worlds of your own design. Taking you through the basic principles of virtual reality [VR] technology, full of useful facts on the components you can buy, crammed with original construction projects and easy–to–use software, this all–in–one handbook is an excellent source of information and ideas for building VR systems simply and inexpensively. Whether looking for new ways to build the hardware, a quick introduction to 3D graphics, or tips for creating more sophisticated worlds, it′s all here in one package. You′ll find:
∗ 26 illustrated projects for building the main VR hardware – from head–tracker and head–mounted display to joystick and data glove
∗ an extensive survey of the gear you can buy from low–cost hardware to world–building software
∗ a concise and readable 3D graphics tutorial
∗ tips for enhancing your virtual worlds, covering topics such as terrain mapping and simulation
∗ heaps of free software on CD: three complete toolkits [including RVRIL, successor to REND386] and much more, for C and Turbo Pascal programmers
Projects are easy to build using readily available, standard components. Each gives good insight into how the professional systems work and will inspire you to build with confidence on your own experiments and ideas! Robin Hollands is chairman of the UH Virtual Reality Special Interest Group, and a regular Garage VR magazine columnist. Includes CD packed with demos and toolkits: AVRIL, VR386, VROOM, 3D–Ware, WorldToolkit, Virtus Player, RenderWare and much more... Visit our Web page! http://www/wiley.com
