Supporting creative 3D computing in the art and design community

This paper follows the experiences of the Networked Virtual Reality Resource Centres for Art and Design (NVRCADs) project funded by the JISC Technologies Applications Programme (JTAP) to introduce the VRML and Java into art and design education in Britain. It considers the difficulties that the project encountered not only in teaching VRML but also, somewhat unexpectedly, with 3D computing in general. These problems range from institutional problems through to problems with using 3D software not specifically written for art and design - specifically, students perceived problems with the language and concepts within the software. The paper considers the approach that the project has taken to attempt to solve these problems. In particular, the paper discusses the CDROM that the NVRCADs have written which attempts to reconcile the students' conception of three dimensionality with the engineering and programming based concepts of VRML thereby providing students with knowledge they can easily map onto their own. The paper asks whether this approach could not be more widely used in 3D computer teaching within art and design.