VisNet, IncVisNet, Inc
This is a description of an exiting new application being developed on the CyberForum (GO CYBERF) on CompuServe. It represents the next wave of user interfaces, beyond Windows 95, but works today on many computers. The VisCIS project started when the CyberForum area was created on CompuServe. Here is a description of CyberForum:
CyberForum (GO CYBERFORM)Are you excited or just curious about the outlook of computing? Do you have opinions about the direction it is heading? Then enter CyberForum and discuss the future of various topics ranging from virtual reality to "nano-technology." Chat about how computers will affect fields such as science, the arts, literature and society. Join one of the workgroups to share your ideas about interfaces, programs or concepts that could be implemented today or in the near future. CompuServe's Home Page
VisCIS will represents the CompuServe environment as a desktop Virtual Reality environment. The Virtual Reality technology being used (RenderWare by Criterion) allows everyday PC's to function as 'windows' into a Virtual Reality Compuserve 'City'. You will see a view of the CompuServe ‘world’ as a street, with the forums represented by buildings. Common commands and things to do in the on-line environment are modeled as different objects. The What’s New listing, for example, is brought up by double clicking on a ‘blimp’ that rotates overhead. VisCIS is, however, intended to be more than a pretty face. Its virtual views of messages allows you to navigate through message threads, files, etc. much easier than a text based only system. In addition, the use of the 'street' metaphor makes it much easier to navigate the large on-line environment.
VisCIS will be based on several open and proprietary standards. The communications method, for example, is based on a proprietary standard called Host Media Interface (HMI) which adds error corrected, robust data transmission to CompuServe. For those of you who are used to using an ASCII terminal type interface, HMI adds data compression, error checking, and 'transactional based' communications (i.e. instead of sending menu's, the PC controls the menuing structure, and the host caries out actions as presecribed by the protocol, for example 'go cyberforum' or 'download VIS001.ZIP').
The Virtual Reality Modeling Language is becomming the standard for 3D graphics on the InterNet. VisCIS will read and write VRML files; However, note that some VRML file nodes such as the WWW anchor node, which retrieves 3D images and Web pages from the Internet, will probably not work from VisCIS as it will be using CompuServe protcols, not web protocols. This however, is not an insurmoutable problem .. VisCIS could be made to read the Internet (through Winsock programming) as well as CompuServe protocols.
VisCIS will support, upward and downward, the use of "Net'isms" such as >>a quote<< or _italics_ by actually displaying the text on the screen as bold and italic. Thus, VisCIS will comply with existing conventions.
In addition, VisCIS will offer 'Visual Conferencing' at low modem speeds. This feature is not intended to replace video conferencing systems, but will enable a type of video conferencing at a much more affordable level. VisCIS will do this by pre-loading graphics before (or during) connection. When a text based conference attendee types an 'emoticon' such as <G> (a grin), the VisCIS software will substitute the image that you have designated as your '<Grin>' symbol. (in the older demo, if you click on 'my' face (the guy in the red shirt with a beard) you will see me change expresions (including a silly looking , showing that not all common 'emoticon' expersions translate well to 'real life').
Part of the revolutionary concepts behind VisCIS is the automatic viewing of existing information (the structure of CompuServe itself) as 3D user elements; for example, message threads look like 'trees' with the leaves being the individual messages/articles. The branches correspond to the hierarchial structure of the message thread (i.e. a message can have several replies to it, each of which itself could have several replies). Until now, in CompuServe navigation products, and in UseNet Newsgroup viewers, this has been protrayed as a 2D tree. VisCIS will show this as a 3D tree in real time.
However, even given the population of existing objects that are programatically created in the VisCIS 'city', people will want to customize the space. This is what I call the 'call for worlds' concept. Individual forums will have a 'default' representation, but when entering a new forum, a visitor discovers the 'HOME.WRL' file, it will download this file (if the user wishes) to use as a 'custom' representation of that forum. For example, the Sailing Forum might look like a yacht club; the Living History forum may look like a large medieval castle. Users will always be able to switch back to the 'default' view, if it is a faster and more informationally compact viewer (for example, "I just want my waiting messages, and I want them as fast as possible"). I am certain that with the wide variety of skills and creativity, that the worlds and forums created will be astounding.
The 'CyberSpace' concept has always revolved around sometimes rather quirky representations of ourselves in 'CyberSpace' called Avatars. With the new Virtual Reality Modeling Language, people will be able to create their own customized depictions of themselves. However, as CompuServe is both a professional service and a 'home' service, it would be entirely possible for children to be exposed to images which may or may not be suitable. (for example, if a person was on the 'CB Adult' area involved in 'net sex', and left to go grab some waiting messages in the 'Computer Gamers' forum, they might inadvertantly walk into the Gamers forum wearing a risque image!). To control this, VisCIS is being constucted with security and 'Limits' whenever appropriate. In the case of Avatars, certain forums can be marked as 'Only in here' and Avatars anywhere on CompuServe will need to be uploaded before switching to them. This allows (as is the case with all pictures and other files) to be viewed by a presumably responsible system operator (Sysop, generally a volunteer) before being allowed to go 'live'. In addition, this way a person entering into a conference room session in a forum, and running into a new person, can download the custom avatar for that person from the forum libraries.
Future versions of VisCIS will also allow MultiMedia mail as well as the ability to format mail. All of these versions are intended to be fully compatible with ‘text’ only WinCIM. Any extensions to the various file formats will be done similarly to the way Navigator and other programs do .. through a few format lines at the end of a message. In addition, VisCIS will attempt to format messages based on _this_ and >>angle bracket<< text conventions. It’s fairly straight forward to program this kind of textual graphics, but the priority of development for the demo was to get the VR side working (at least in a framework type manner).
Depending on initialtives at CompuServe, VisCIS may include 'the web' on CompuServe itself. VisCIS already has the capability for displaying simple HTML formatted documents (no forms support yet), and it would not be that hard to bring the self-publishing 'web pages' to CompuServe, by integrating with the library files. However, this would depend on building a 'URL' (Uniform Resource Locator) that would allow the HMI protocol to be indicated. For example
"cis://www.compuserve.com/CyberForum+/libraries/Visual CompuServe/vis001.zip"
Note the use of the word 'cis' vs 'http' as in an Internet web page. The HMI protocol is NOT compatible with the http protocol. However, as long as the URL can be agreed upon, VisCIS could easily use the 'anchor' specification with this new URL to retrieve files form the CompuServe forum libraries. This is an absolutely revolutionary concept, in the opinion of the VisCIS developer, but has not gotten much attention (yet). However, by using the concept of a URL, it will be easier to integrate VisCIS into VRML. Many of the concepts behind VRML use a URL, although it's been pointed out that this may be too net specific. "If you can't beat them, join them".
VisCIS started off as a 'stone soup group' on CyberForum. However, at a certain point, the project hadn't gotten very far, except for the efforts of one individual. Therefore, a decision was made to 'go commercial' with the stone soup group project. CompuServe concured, and in April 1995, an agreement was signed between VisNet and CompuServe, to allow VisNet to add significant functionality to VisCIS through Compuserve's HMI protocol.
CompuServe was looking for a full featured browser however, which substantially modified the entire VisCIS project from a Visual Conferencing system to a full featured browser.
There were several demonstrations of VisCIS done; screen shots are forthcomming
As a general priority, VisCIS assumes that connecting people through e-mail, message threads, and conference chatting is vitally important. Do to this effectively, we must be able to read (somtimes vast) textual data. The effective display of this has to be a top priority.
Some Virtual Reality systems can immerse you in the virtual environment by using a ‘head mounted display’ or HMD that you wear over your eyes. The HMD gives you a 360 degree view of the world. VisCIS is not immersive, as most current HMD's are simply not high enough resolution to display text well at all. (20 point text in Windows is 'barely' readable'. Basically, we are back to a 40 column dispaly, like the old Commodore 64). HMD’s that are high enough resolution to allow us to read message threads resonably currently run over $30,000. When the price of these falls to something more reasonable, there is no reason that VisCIS could not be an immersive system.
General design: VisCIS is designed as a 'multiple document interface' (MDI) to permit the effective displaying of the vast amounts of information. The most important part of that MDI document is the VR window. It will have intelligent options for controlling 'frame rate' (speed) such as allowing 'stretching' of output (in effect blowing up the screen image to double), as well as allowing people to specify lower frame rates to permit snappier communication, thereby saving money while online.
The demo has the bones of a complete application in it’s internal code. For example, you can actually browse a 'message tree'; included in it are several ‘threads’ one of which is several hundred messages long, dealing with the look and feel of VisCIS. There is already code in the demo which will read the WinCIM formatted message files and display those threads; but it is ‘bare bones’ code in that the edit windows the threads come up in aren’t very fancy. Again, the priority of development for the demo was to build the VR side of things first .. the other parts will come. The intention was not to show you a polished product, but rather to get something out quickly so that people can comment on its overall ‘look’ on the VR side.
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The What's New is a list, updated often (normally daily or more often) of late breaking news that affects both CompuServe, and the world as a whole. What's New also may involve special promotions, introductions to new areas, and other interesting information. It is part of Basic Services.
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