Quicktime VR

Introduction and Requirements:

Quicktime VR has been developed by Apple´s Advanced Technology Group under the leadership of Eric Zarakov. First efforts in electronic photography built the base and after six months of developing the work resulted in the first version of this Application Framework. After a programm director got amazed seeing the first parts of QTVR, the development group decided to make commercial effort. To get a feeling for the costs of a Quicktime Movie, they gave all development materials to an outsourced company and let them work on their own. After three months the virtual animation of an Apple Company Store has been completed at the cost of $30.000. QTVR is an HyperCard based development tool for Virtual Reality.

Quicktime VR is released in two different versions:

• an authoring tool for development called Quicktime VR Tools Suite 1.0
• a panorama and object player for displaying virtual spaces and objects
• The requirements for the two options decribed in the last section are as different as the posibilities to work with them.

Quicktime VR Authoring Tools Suite 1.0 (available for PAL and NTSC formats) requires:

• Macintosh PowerPc 9500 family or other Macintosh System near same performance
• 40 MB free RAM
• min. 120 MB free disk space
• further useful: 35mm camera, photography equipment, image processing software

Quicktime VR Panorama and Object Player:

• Macintosh 68020 or higher, IBM compatible PC 80486 DX 2/66 or higher
• 2 MB free RAM
• 5 MB free disk space

The Authoring Tools Suite therefore restricts the access to a small group of developers. Advantages in performance or requirements are currently not planned, neither are portings to other platforms. It uses a do-not-plug-it-in-while-computer-is-running-hardware-dongle. Playing Quicktime Movies is possible for near everyone having access to a PC.

Additional Requirements:

• This section describes requirements not primarly necessary, but recommended for a better development environment:
• Image Processing Software (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) for postprocessing, antialiazing, smoothing, filtering, distorting,...
• Meta Tools (i.e. KPT Bryce, Strata Studio Pro Blitz, Lightscape LVS) for creation of 360° panoramas and photorealistic 3D lighting simulation
• Development Software (MPW Pro) as Shell Programming (C, C++ and MacApp compiler), for authoring and scene composition

• All the components listed increase the price for the whole development to near $10.000 without having done the first shot. Every component makes work more efficient, professional and easy-to-handle, but are not necessary for development. Beginners get also satisfied with the basics at a minimal cost of about $600. Everyone just interested in the topic should first try out a movie using QTVR Player.

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