From: David Palermo, palermo@apple.com

Finally!

QuickTime VR 2.0/Macintosh is GM! It will be available in about 10 days
to customers.

Please keep in mind that QTVR v2.0 is NOT cross-platform yet! We expect
to ship QTVR v2.0/Windows later. This release is out now to give
developers a chance to start working with it until we have the Windows
pieces ready.

If you have any questions please call me at 4-2621.

Here is a letter that went out to developers:

Many thanks for your patience. QuickTime VR 2.0 is GM! You can expect
your orders for the QuickTime VR 2.0 Authoring Tools Suite and the
book/CD-ROM package, Virtual Reality Programming with QuickTime VR 2.0,
to ship in about two weeks.

If you have not yet ordered these products, get ordering info on the Web
at http://devworld.apple.com; click on “Ordering Development Products.”
If you bought the QTVR 1.0 Authoring Tools Suite since July 1, 1996, you
will automatically receive a free upgrade. (Note that we did this so 1.0
sales would continue, not to reward our new customers at the expense of
our valued long-time customers.) If you bought the QTVR 1.0 Authoring
Tools Suite before July 1, 1996, the cost of the upgrade is only $49. The
cost of the book/CD-ROM API package is $49 for everyone.

QuickTime VR 2.0 includes:
– A system extension for QuickTime VR on Macintosh.
– An API for QuickTime VR 1.0 or 2.0 content when played back using the
QTVR 2.0 system extension. The API includes support for compositing video
and 3D sprites and sounds into QuickTime VR panoramas and objects.
– Many new object features, notably zooming on objects; panning on
zoomed-in objects; hot spots on objects; and improved support for object
animation.
– An improved user interface; movies are played back in QuickTime Movie
Player and include a control strip with buttons for zooming, hot spot
identification, and moving “back” in a scene.
– Improvements in the stability, error messages, and memory usage of the
Authoring Tools Suite.

Additional pieces for a complete QuickTime VR 2.0 solution will ship over
the coming months:
– Apple is expected to ship QuickTime 2.5 for 32-bit Windows in the
second quarter. Shortly after that, expect to see a QTVR 2.0 extension
for 32-bit Windows, a new QuickTime plug-in to support QTVR 2.0 playback
and features, and an Asset XTRA to support QTVR 2.0 authoring in
Director.
– No date has been set for 16-bit support for QT2.5 or QTVR 2.0.

We are shipping QuickTime VR 2.0 for Macintosh now to allow long-leadtime
projects involving the creation of new tools, programming, and/or
extensive production work to begin. For projects that need Windows
support before 32-bit Windows support is available, or for projects that
need 16-bit Windows support, continue to use QuickTime VR 1.0. (You can
use the 2.0 stitcher, then dice your movie using 1.0.) For your
convenience, the QTVR 1.0 tools and PDF documentation are included on the
QTVR 2.0 Authoring Tools Suite CD-ROM.

We are encouraging tool developers to add QuickTime VR 2.0 support
to their 3D and multimedia authoring tools, and to create new QuickTime
VR content creation tools. We want to see more 3D tools offer “Save as
QTVR” support and more authoring options, such as hot spots. We want more
multimedia authoring tools to support the integration of QuickTime VR 2.0
into multimedia content (Director and mTropolis are already in progress,
but we want more!) And we want new tools for creating rendered and
photographic QuickTime VR content to be created. If you are interested in
any of these areas, please contact me at palermo@apple.com. If
you are interested in marketing support for breakthrough uses of
QuickTime VR, especially uses of new features in QuickTime VR 2.0, please
contact Bud Smith at smith.bud@apple.com.