Just a bit of musing (VRML)

[claw at null.net]

On 12/03/97 at 12:29 PM, Dmitri Kondratiev <dima at paragraph.com> said: >>
From: coder at ibm.net

>> Problem: Given a reasonably active player, pretty soion the client would
>> end up with a full copy of the server's image DB.  This could get *really*
>> expensive *really* quickly.  Even doing the Meridian 59 deal and dropping
>> the local cache on CD still leaves you with a remarkably small world once
>> the detail rate is fairly high.

>That's all true if player builds any VRML he wants. In case you provide
>players with world constructor modules, which can be parameterized to
>great extent, the situation is different. The player won't "end up with a
>full copy of the server's image DB". Objects built by him will present
>small VRML files which will INCLUDE (as in C) parameterized world
>constructor modules by means of "extern proto" mechanism. These
>constructor modules adhere to local cache rules.

This doesn't affect the argument, all it has done is to compress the
problem by changing the representation.  Now instead of the user ending up
with a simplistic sprawling copy of the server's flat DB, he ends up with
an internally self-referencing copy of the server's DB.  It saves a little
transmission time at the (possibly minor) expense of having the client
resolve the internal references (includes etc).  The end result is still
the same: He ends up with a copy of the server's DB -- just the
representation has changed.

--
J C Lawrence                              Internet: coder at null.net
----------(*)                              Internet: coder at ibm.net
...Honourary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...