System requirements (minimum and recommended hardware and software requirements) should follow: Internet/Web/MultiMedia capable computer.
The Institute for the Exploration of Virtual Realities, hereafter referred to as i.e.V.R., is a newly formed institute within the University Theatre and the Department of Theatre & Film at the University of Kansas. Its goal is to explore the uses of virtual reality and related technologies. While the primary application currently under study is theatre production and performance, the possibility of exploring VR applications in other fields is also being actively pursued.
The opening page for this site loads fairly well. The background graphic of the opening page is a bit annoying in that it provides too much visual information. The opening graphic of two masks with virtual reality headsets is appropriate and somewhat telling of what is to come. The overall feel of this opening page is that the colors could be coordinated more. For instance, the background graphic is a sort of faded peach lettering on a white background, the title is a blood red, the text is black, the hyperlinks are blue, and the icon buttons are red with blue hyperlink bordering. This arrangement of color and text is good for communicating the appropriate information; but the site arrangement is more true to its purpose of promoting the technology of VR at the University of Kansas than it is to becoming a universal information source. When a site is more concerned with being than looking you can most assuredly say that it is the technology that is driving the site not the content. All of these things are O.K. as long as the user understands the multiple levels of information production on the web site.
The i.e.V.R. web site serves as an informative public relations vehicle for the institute. The site discusses past projects and various software packages that were used to produce these various projects. The opening page has a caption located just below the institute description that informs the users that this site is “A Work in Progress. This and related pages will be updated frequently to include up‐to‐date information about the progress of our projects.” The last date that the page has been updated is listed as January 8, 1997. The site contains seven major sections.
The first section, “WINGS,” is their most recent VR/Theatre production. It is an experimental production in which the entire audience was outfitted with I‐glasses! from the Virtual I‐O! company. The “WING” section of the page contains the credits for the production, some descriptive text of different graphic photos for the performance and production of the project.
The second section, “Software reviews,” contains various recommendations and shared experiences that the institute and stage designers have found useful. The first recommendation is TurboCAD 2D/3D from IMSI which is a great software suite for designers on a tight budget. The site contains a nice review of TurboCAD 2D/3D 3.0 that is approximately a page and a half. At the time of writing this was the only product review available.
The third section, “3D Video in Theatre Production,” shows recent work in using 3‐D video to create, record, and transmit new theatre productions. The section includes some graphic files (photographs) of the use and application of 3D Video. There is a small section devoted to Stereo Video Circuit; and the last section of this page entitled “Other Information on 3‐D video production and equipment” lists four more information sites.
The fourth section, “Scenic Designs in VRML,” shares the results of the work at the institute through the new web medium, virtual reality modeling language or VRML. This section, developed by Virtus WalkThrough VRML, is intended for use by a computer or browser with VRML capabilities. At the end of the page, there is a section that lists the various productions that have been done in a VRML format and their respective downloadable files.
The fifth section is the site of the author and designer behind the site and much of its production work, Mr. Mark Reaney. Mr. Reaney is a scenographer/virtual world builder and has a copy of his vita linked to this page, while the rest of the page is a list of examples of his work with graphics and hotlinks to VRML files.
The sixth and last section, “Other Information on New Technology and the Performing Arts,” lists twelve pages including the United States Institute for Theatre Technology and the Banff Center for the Virtual Arts.
This site could do more to explore the theory behind the usage of VR as a theatrical vehicle. The thought process required to do this work might be interesting to more diverse audiences of people in the areas of virtual reality, multimedia, and computer environment design. The melding of technology and art is the fascinating arena that institutes of this nature need to explore and report. Without this consideration the site merely exists for those who are just involved in the application of VR technology to the theatre or scene design.
The user interface could use some attention to create a more effective presentation of the issues as they pertain to web pages and interactive media. A possible investigation into the use of tables, smaller text fonts and columns for better organization of information would be a useful venture in making the site more useable. The links to other sites are excellent and extremely appropriate to the topic of technology, theatre and the arts. The quality of documentation at this site is helpful. The various technologies employed in their productions are appropriately given credit through virtual links and informative sections.
As previously mentioned, this site is most useful for those working in theatre and scene design. If there could be more academic thought pieces or papers included, the site could be useful to those interested in computer environment design and human computer interface issues as well. Because of the site’s need to incorporate graphics files essential to its purpose, it loads slowly at times. The site does have some sections that require a computer/browser capable of VRML. It also has some QuickTime files that require some sort of movie player software as well. This is a suitable site to include in an academic library or departmental web page that may pertain to virtual reality, virtual reality applications, theatre, scene design, or art technology. I would highly recommend the site for the reasons and subject areas that I have elaborated in the above paragraphs. The web site also received NetGuide’s “Gold Site” award. NetGuide comments that “VR enthusiasts will find detailed technical information in addition to photographs of the latest productions.”
