From: snoswell@ucs.adelaide.edu.au (Michael Snoswell)
Subject: Re: TECH: My standard is better than your standard!
Date: 1 Jul 92 01:43:56 GMT
Organization: Information Technology Division, The University of Adelaide, AUSTRALIA



broehl@sunee.waterloo.edu (Bernie Roehl) writes:
>In article <1992Jun27.041149.23307@u.washington.edu> vanderwerkend@LONEX.RL.AF.M
>IL (Dan Vanderwerken) writes:
>>
>>How about a multi-processing environment where each object gets its own
>>processor and follows it's own rules.

>Yes!  This is the way things should work.  I'd quibble a bit by saying
>"process" instead of "processor", but the idea is the same.

[much by Bernie & Jeremy deleted]

[then Bernie says]
>Agreed.  Of course, the entire discussion of "what language do you implement
>your objects in" is sort of peculiar, unless we're seriously looking at
>timesharing on a Cray.  If the virtual universe is distributed across a
>number of machines, and objects communicate with each other by sending
>messages, then everyone can implement their objects in whatever language they
>feel like.  The rest of the virtual universe doesn't need to know what
>you code in, as long as the objects you create respond in a reasonable way to
>the messages that get sent to you.

I reckon this is the crux of the matter really. It doesn't matter what
machine you have or what language it uses to implement the connection to
the other machines is. The final communication layer will be based on
the protocol for the communication between all these different machines
and programming can be done in *that*. Ie a sort of macro language
that uses the protocol to build objects, move them etc.

[much very good stuff by Bernie on standards]

I can't agree more with Bernie on the standards issue. I would love
it if we could all take a week out for a coffee table conference to
drum out the details once and for all and to set this standard for
all to use.
In fact discussions like this would be handled well in VR conferencing
:-)

cheers
	Michael Snoswell

PS Actually, I've just had an idea......

-- 

  Michael Snoswell                         snoswell@sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au  
  Vision Systems Limited                   08 343 0462                          
  South Australia                          "Profound quote"