Zoom and pan functions provide an improvement over our 3-D structured practice environment. The interactive user can quickly zoom to investigate areas of interest. The disadvantages we have found are The VRML scenes that use 3-D CAD objects are very large. The VRML browsers take a long time to load the scenes and browser navigation can be sluggish. Other programming languages, such as Java and JavaScript, must be used to implement the user interactions and sophisticated dynamic behaviors.
Spatial orientation is difficult with the browser user interface.
It is very difficult for an interactive user to select and accurately place objects in 3-D scenes using VRML sensors and interpolators. Java must be used to implement the behaviors required for realistic spatial orientation activities. VRML seems to provide a natural path for implementing an affordable, realistic virtual 3-D practice environment. Although we have encountered disadvantages with the current technology, we believe that VRML technology will improve dramatically in the next few years. We are going to integrate our isolated VRML objects and scenes into a practice environment with problems and feedback.