I was wondering if anyone could recommend a VRML plug-in for Firefox, in particular for viewing this particular page on polyhedra. I tried Cortona3D and it crashes when I try to view the 3D polyhedra.
First, which OS?
Second, how did you stumble upon one of the few pages to still use VRML? Email them and tell them 1995 is over.
Sorry, I didn’t realize that it was archaic. What is the appropriate technology that has replaced it? I’m using Windows XP.
X3D is apparently the successor to VRML, but the whole 3D web thing sort of died before it lived. The 3D capabilities of computers in 1995 could not make imagination reality, and now that massive multiuser realtime 3D environments are actually possible, the market is dominated by game oriented commercial solutions (World of Warcraft, Second Life et al). Second Life has a pretty open architecture, though, and interoperable models are on the horizon.
Si (who tried to use VRML in '95 and gave up about 2 minutes after starting)
I was joking. You obviously do have a use for it, and some people obviously do still make it. As si_blakely said, the use of 3D on the Web never took off and most VRML online died a quiet death something like a decade ago now.
VRML plugins for all are still available for download from NIST. Some of NIST’s plugins can also handle X3D.