|
3D
Streaming Technologies
MetaCreations
MetaStream,
is a streaming 3D format. A plug-in is available
for Windows browsers, and a Macintosh plug-in is
"in development."
There are some example files as well as
background
information
about MetaStream.
For developers, there's a section that documents
the EMBED tag, as well as Logo's for the plug-in,
an FAQ and plug-in exporters for Ray Dream
Studio 5.
Microsoft
has licensed the MetaStream 3-D graphics
file format and related run-time engine for
incorporation into future versions of its operating
systems (press release "Microsoft
Corp. Announces License Of MetaStream 3-D
Technology From
MetaCreations".)
MetaStream technology will be integrated into the
Microsoft DirectX APIs, Microsoft multimedia
services found in the Windows operating system, and
as a file format in DirectX (.X files) that will be
supported by Advanced Streaming Format (ASF), a
feature in the Microsoft NetShow server.
DirectX is a group of API technologies designed by
Microsoft to make Windows operating system-based
computers more efficiently handle multimedia
elements such as full-color graphics, video, 3-D
animation and surround sound.
In addition to a plug-in for creating MetaStream
files using Ray Dream, MetaCreations is offering a
the MetaStream Game Toolkit (MGT) to the game
development community. The MGT tools permit control
of the process by which MetaStream-compatible
objects will scale during game play, adjusting the
processing power of a given machine.
A Microsoft Internet Explorer version of the
MetaStream browser plug-in is at the MetaStream web
site (www.metastream.com)
A Macintosh-compatible version of the plug-in is in
development.
last
updated: 11/20/98
|
|
