[MUD-Dev] Open Source 3D Interactive World Server

[Ian Macintosh]

This might be of interest to the list.

>From www.qubesoft.com


About QServer
-------------

3D Interactive Worlds
The QServer supports the hosting of online interactive worlds. Any world can
support interactive animation authored in the same way as would be used for
3D broadcast. The main difference here is that the animation can be far more
interactive (eg. play a 3D animation clip when a viewer walks up to a
window).

Key features:

· Large Scale Worlds
The QServer is built on top of a high performance distributed media
database. There are no size limits to a Q world; it can be distributed
across the Internet like multiple web sites. When users walk around the
world they are transparently moved from one server to another. It is
possible for one world to have links to other sites, in Q terminology these
are called portals. These are doorways that can be viewed through to see the
linked site. The server deals with all the cross-portal caching requirements
to maintain consistent views across portals between various 3D world web
sites.

· Persistent Editable Worlds
The world in Q is editable. This allows server code to generate new world
data on the fly or to modify existing data; this is similar to dynamically
generated html pages. This feature allows for privileged clients to edit a
world or for servers to dynamically generate worlds either from
pre-generated component parts or purely algorithmically.
Regards,

----------------


About their business model
--------------------------

Qube is committed to developing the component technologies required to
realise the 3D potential of the Internet. As each of these components reach
completion Qube will make them available on the Internet at no charge for
the development or sale of any product that uses them. The Qube business
model is based on the ongoing support of these technologies for customers
who wish to have access to the Qube Developer Network.

As each Qube technology reaches maturity it will be released on the Internet
in Open Source form. All technology products at Qube follow the following
development cycle.

1.  Alpha and Beta source available to the Qube Developer Network community.
2.  Release Binary. Freely available in binary form.
3.  Open Source. Freely available in source code form.


--------------------------


Would want to watch this space I think.  They have an interesting list of
staff on their 'people' page too.

The concept is slightly different from the normal client/server where the
server distributes world space updates and the client then displays the
information graphically.  They would appear to want to do all that on their
server and then stream the 3D to the client.  Interesting alternative.
Definately quicker to download <grin>.  Long term functionality?  Hmmm...
Dunno.  Jury still out on that I think.


Regards,

Ian.




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