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From: petecasso@aol.com (PeteCasso)
Subject: ascii Virtual Reality
Date: 1997/03/18
Message-ID: <19970318044600.XAA01376@ladder01.news.aol.com>#1/1
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There were a couple of inquiries, since quotes from my article appeared on
some news servers, whereas my original did not. Strange, but apparently
true. Anyway, I think this topic deserves its own subject line in any
case.

Responding to a "how to" question, one could conceivably start with the
basic 360 degrees panoramic view, and gradually add the bells and whistles
to arrive at true "ascii Virtual Reality", see below.
************
One could utilize the ability to scroll sideways on a webpage to deliver
360 degrees panoramic views, which would be the ascii equivalent of
Virtual Reality, I think it would be perfectly justified to call creations
of this nature "ascii Virtual Reality". 

Of course, one could also utilize the ability to scroll vertically "to
look up and down". Utilizing both scroll funtions, i.e. sideways and
vertically, would allow you to depict an entire hemisphere, e.g. the stars
in the Northern or Southern hemisphere. 

Of course, one could add Java animation on top of it to depict the passage
of the stars in the course of the night, etc, etc.

Compared to ANSI/VT animation techniques, Java alone adds nothing new in
terms of visual effects, and although I am not aware of an ANSI/VT
animation of the Northern and/or Southern hemisphere, I would not be
surprised if someone has already done it (It is an obvious topic to pick,
isn't it?). 

However, the above "ascii Virtual Reality" in conjunction with the web
does allow you "to turn your head sideways and up and down", something
that ANSI/VT animation techniques do *not* offer.

I myself am not interested in pursuing these ideas further, but others
might.

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