OpenWorlds Merchant is a suite of Import libraries for reading in VRML 97 and X3D into various rendering libraries.  Currently, Merchant versions exist for both SGI's OpenGL Optimizer and OpenGL Performer.  These dynamic libraries (DSO's on Unix, DLL's on Windows) enable any Performer or Optimizer application to read in VRML geometry (including geometry defined in PROTOs and Inlines). Merchant only supports loading of geometry; animations are not supported because every application controls timing and event processing differently. For support of the entire VRML 97 or X3D feature set in your application (including sound, animation, sensors, Javascript, and more), use our OpenWorlds AppKit.

OpenWorlds now has new versions of Merchant-SP which support animation, sounds, movies, and Javascript!

A demonstration version of our Merchant-SP is shipped by Silicon Graphics with Iris Performer and with Irix.

OpenWorlds Merchant has different versions built on top of different rendering and hardware platforms.  Our naming scheme has a two-character extension on the name to let you know what version it is.  The first character is the hardware and OS platform and can be either W (Windows 95/NT) or S (SGI's Irix) or L (Linux), and the second character is the graphics library and can be Z (OptimiZer) or P (Performer).

The Standard Edition only imports geometry from local files.  The Web Option adds the ability to download files directly across the World Wide Web.