A hybrid visual environment for models and objects

Models and objects that are modeled are usually kept in different places when we consider most modern simulation software packages. Software that permits the user to view 3D objects may also permit a viewing of the dynamic models for the objects, but these views are usually separate. The object can be rotated, translated and navigated while the model is represented in a 2D fashion using text or 2D iconic graphics. We present an approached based on the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), where the object and model reside in the same space. A browsing capability is built to allow the user to search for models “within” objects. Aside from the visual benefits derived from this integrated approach, this methodology also suggests that models are really not very different from objects. Any object can serve to model another object, and when these objects are made “Web-friendly”, it becomes feasible to use VRML to create distributed models whose components can reside anywhere over the World Wide Web