VRML (known as Virtual Reality Modeling Language or previously Virtual Reality Markup Language before 1995) is a file format and specification created by Mark Pesce & Tony Parisi in 1994 for creating 3D virtual worlds and models on the internet. VRML could be utilized to create complex, interactive virtual environments that people could explore using their web browser.

The language works by defining 3D shapes, objects, and scenes in a text-based code that can be interpreted by a compatible viewer (popular examples incldue Cortona, Cosmo Player) . Viewers were often standalone applications, plugins or built into web browsers. The file syntax described everything from the shape and size of objects to the texture and color of their surfaces. The file format also supported movements and animations to extend its interactive element.

The usage of VRML was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a way to create immersive online experiences. It was often used as a product of virtual chat services such as Traveler, Community Places, etc. It also had a big presence in virtual tours of existing locations, providing a way to explore and interact all on the computer.

The standard was superseded by X3D in 2004, which provided a lot more standard functionality and flexibility with possible environments, as well as compatibility with VRML in the form of X3D ClassicVRML¹⁾.

VRML