1) Introduction

Computer Graphic designing is a demanding job. Although nurses are often considered to be the hardest workers, in fact computer graphic designers work harder.
A Union should be desirable, but they are yet to be organized that much with only 10 years since their occupation was born.

A system for easier CG designing is presented.
One reason for CG designing being so demanding is: CG objects made with hours of labor and enthusiasm usually fell dormant in each designer's computers, or in his/her MO (Magneto-Optical Disk) or floppy disks once they are used.

Can't there be a way to recycle and activate this enormous resources each designer should have piled for years?
This is possible, if existing techniques on Internet and VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) effectively combine.

2) Proposal for MORS (Modeling Objects Recycling System)

With ever increasing markets of VRML, games, real computer graphics, and animation, there would be an increasing demand for data that meet the needs of growing virtual world.
Computers with advanced performance will start sending out more complicated, more increased, or more real data. Producing data from scratch meeting these demands would make a CG designer's job even harder.

In movie production, we borrow stage properties and settings; can't we do the same in MO production?
Companies such as View Point now sell MOs as their products. However, rather than letting a system or an organization control MO distribution in a centralizing approach, MOs should remain at each user's site and be exchanged at each user's discretion in a decentralized system more fit to the Internet age.
This report proposes to create such a system called MORS (Modeling Objects Recycling System).

MORS may be based upon current procedures we use to exchange HTML or VRML data on the net. There are two possibilities; an open market where MOs are sold for a price, or a closed membership in which MOs are exchanged at free of charge.

Suppose your work involves some handy data on Cars; instead of just asking your fellow-workers "Who has good data on cars?," you would prefer to make the inquiry to the world. Clients will not question the source of MOs as long as they are legally obtained and look good.

3) MORS Related Business

1. Creating a powerful site that offers MO search and management, a 'YAHOO' specialized in MOs.

Entering 'Car' in its window may cause listing names or images of MO cars produced and domained by designers worldwide.

2. Distributing programs to be used in MORS.

a.1. Programs used for publishing MOs
a.2. Programs to convert various modeling data (SOFTIMAGE, LightWave, etc.) into VRML, a universal data type and therefore suitable for MOs. A few programs of this type are already available.

b.1. Programs to produce desired scenes, using the acquired MOs.
b.2. Programs to convert VRML data into various 3-DCG scene/modeling data

3.2) MORS Scene Composite Tool

MORS Scene Composite Tool window is open on the same screen, allowing users to move selected MOs from the VRML browser by a simple combination of click, hold, and drop.
This tool also allows users to process dragged MOs, to change their sizes and layouts in the rough. Users may then want to convert the MOs into their favorite 3-DCG data types for further editing.

The types of MO displayed at each store in the VRML/ HTML browser will be:

a. Information in text
b. Still pictures
c. Demonstrations of objects making a turn
d. Demonstrations in VRML

3.3)VRML Browser to Do Search in MORS

However a three-dimensional VRML browser is a challenging possibility.

Let us consider the case of a 2-D browser- how it shows objects in listing - in order to work out proper specifications for a 3-D browser.

When a term is entered for search in YAHOO, typical NetScape browser, it lists relevant URLs on its first page. Sometimes the listing may be longer than a page. The listing is automatically produced by the CGI (Common Gateway Interface) script program of the server in HTML, responding to individual user's needs.

In a 3-D counterpart, the server's expert system will collect eligible MOs that fit users' requirements. On finishing basic VRML structural data caluculation, these MOs will be automatically made into a list.
Each entry of the list, which may be a VRML demonstration of a MO, or a link to a VRML site, will be positioned in a virtual shelf on the screen divided into rows and columns.

Should the listing scrolls off the current HTML page and the user wants to move, the inline function will read in new VRML data filling the shelf with fresh MO entries as the user's view moves.
If present techniques don't allow sending information about the user's view or the view of a VRML camera to the server, we may simply add icons named NEXT SHELF on each sides of screen.
The user can move into another shelf of his concern just by clicking these icons.

4) The CG designer's Job in the Future

(2) Converting data into various CG systems used by individual user, revising and shaping them in details to meet their needs. He/she will also create data unavailable at MORS .

(3) Publishing revised or newly-created MOs for distribution in MORS.

MORS will allow cyberspace to be used as a global data-bank from where the designer can obtain data as he desires. He/she may also contribute to the cyberspace by adding new MOs.

Internet at present is no better than a chaos where sites are created in disorder. The present status will not improve by adding a three-dimensional cyberspace using VRML.

What will serve us the best? Dynamic transfer of data may be the prior function we have sought through the use of Internet, and MORS will meet this need.

5) Problem

(2) Some users may promptly put back downloaded MOs for sale to gain profit: This is the universal dilemma of secondhand booksellers.

Solution:

<1> Always keep the selling prices of a MO lower than the purchase prices.
<2> Employ a registration system for MOs.
<3> Build a system for mutual cooperation, where MOs are exchanged at free of charge.
Or introduce a closed membership; typically MOs are distributed at free of charge among user/members of a software house. - "You can use MORS, once you belong!"
<4> Apply techniques of data hiding adding a credit item in geometry data.

(3) A possible result of MORS: MOs may end in losing originality. An answer to this question may be: MORS is only a tool that is available.

Designers who respect originality, must be able to originate his/her own world of art.

Another interesting possibility is the appearance of Retoroviruses: a cyberspace version of gene operations, such as transplanting genes of a fly to a monkey. This could bring about a great evolution of MOs.

Isn't it exciting to imagine that the tiny MO that you have sent to the cyberspace now will someday be back to your place in all kinds of transformation acquired while it changes places hand to hand.