Native VRML97 / X3D browser · since 1998v6.7.0-macos-beta.2 · 2026-09-27
FreeWRL

History & credits

Since 1998.

FreeWRL was written by many people over more than twenty-five years. This page is built from the project’s own pages, as archived in 2026. Every line links to the page it came from. Dates and names are as the sources give them.

§01

Who led it

Tuomas J. Lukka

1998

Original author of FreeWRL, wrote the license intent.

Source: CREDITS.html

John A. Stewart

circa 1999 - April 2010

Managed the FreeWRL project (CRC Canada), released 0.18 onward, later FreeX3D Android developer contact.

Source: contact.html

“From circa 1999 to April 2010, the FreeWRL project was managed by John A. Stewart.”

§02

Pictures

Captions in italics come from the old pages. Where no caption survives, we say what the picture shows.

Blue CRC poster for FreeWRL with photos of a data glove, a head-mounted display, a space station and a jet.

H1FreeWRL — VRML 3D and Beyond

Poster from the Communications Research Centre Canada.

FreeWRL_poster.jpg800×520recovered via Wayback Machine

A Mac OS X 10.2 desktop with a FreeWRL window showing the grey space station and an About This Mac box.

H2On Mac OS X

FreeWRL on Mac OS X 10.2, on a PowerPC G4.

OSX-screen.gif1280×854recovered via Wayback Machine

Firefox's installed plug-ins page, listing the FreeWRL X3D/VRML plugin npfreewrl.so.

H3The browser plugin

Firefox lists the FreeWRL plugin: “V3.1 VRML/X3D with FreeWRL. from http://www.crc.ca/FreeWRL”.

aboutPlugins.png562×609recovered via Wayback Machine

A Linux desktop with CNC test-monitor panels and a small FreeWRL window showing a machine model.

H4In a machine-control lab

A FreeWRL window beside “MARS2 CNC Testmonitor” panels. No caption survives.

NCK.jpg1279×1023recovered via Wayback Machine

An iPhone screen running FreeWRL with Quit, Vp, Wk and Ex buttons.

H5On the iPhone, 2011

The iPhone app, demonstrated at SIGGRAPH 2011 in Vancouver.

images/iPhone-running2.png640×960live capture 2026-09-30

A dense tangle of coloured rings built from many IndexedFaceSets.

H6Ring tangle

Many IndexedFaceSets made through PROTOs. Model by Adrian Rossiter.

images/ring_tangle.jpg1024×780live capture 2026-09-30

A 3D music-synthesizer scene of cylinders and spheres in FreeWRL.

H7Music synthesizer

The same scene appears on the poster as “Music Synthesizer”. No caption survives.

synth.gif800×600recovered via Wayback Machine

§03

Timeline

1990s 82000s 162010s 202020s 6

1990s 8 entries

  1. 1998Tuomas J. Lukka writes the original FreeWRL VRML browser. Early files carry 'Copyright (C) 1998 Tuomas J. Lukka'.CREDITS.html · Wayback
  2. 7 Jul 1998Tuomas Lukka sets out FreeWRL's license intent on the www-vrml mailing list: GPL applies to changes to FreeWRL modules, not across published APIs.intent.html · Wayback
  3. Dec 1998Tuomas Lukka's article 'An introduction to VRML' appears in 'LJ #12/98'. Its example app.pl ships with release 0.19.README.html · Wayback
  4. 15 Jan 1999FreeWRL 0.18 is released, the first version released by John Stewart (CRC Canada).news.html · Wayback
  5. circa 1999 - Apr 2010John A. Stewart manages the FreeWRL project.contact.html
  6. 23 Mar 1999Release 0.19: large gains in EAI (External Authoring Interface) support.news.html · Wayback
  7. 13 Aug 1999Release 0.20: EXTERNPROTO support, better JavaScript, EAI working with Netscape for local files, and shared virtual worlds.news.html · Wayback
  8. 17 Dec 1999Release 0.21 with Red Hat 6.1 install notes; Polhemus Fastrak tracker integration works.news.html · Wayback

2000s 16 entries

  1. 5 Jan 2000Release 0.22, which builds on a stock Red Hat 6.1 distribution.news.html · Wayback
  2. 26 Jan 2000The Shared Multicast virtual-worlds paper is posted to the site.news.html · Wayback
  3. 7 Apr 2000Shared Multicast Virtual World code v1.0 is released.news.html · Wayback
  4. July 2000John Stewart presents FreeWRL at the Ottawa Linux Symposium. Release 0.25 adds PixelTexture and better backgrounds.news.html · Wayback
  5. 1 Aug 2000FreeWRL project registered on SourceForge (per the saved SourceForge project page, archived as index.htm).index.htm
  6. 4 Aug 2000Development moves to SourceForge (freewrl.sourceforge.net). Web pages stay with CRC.news.html · Wayback
  7. 4 Aug 2000First commit in the upstream repository history ('Initial revision', SourceForge user rcoscali).engine repository
  8. Sep - Nov 2000Releases 0.26 and 0.27: texture fixes, EAI and Java bindings work, first SAI work.news.html · Wayback
  9. 27 Mar 2001Release 0.28: bug fixes, speed, better rendering and EAI, more test worlds.news.html · Wayback
  10. 4 Jan 2007Version 1.18.10; Daniel Kraft's new VRML parser is in place, with X3D (FDIS 19775-1:2004) component tracking.currentstatus.html · Wayback
  11. circa 2007The 'Townsquare' model shows real-time navigation through an large, image-heavy virtual scene is possible.examples.html
  12. 27 May 2008CRC Canada contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense (Contract N00244-08-P-1769) to add high-resolution geospatial 3D rendering to FreeWRL.examples.html
  13. May 2008Wolztyn, Poland panorama (4096x823) displayed on the inside of a Cylinder. It led in 2009 to a 360-degree imaging sub-project around Ottawa.examples.html
  14. July 2009FreeWRL-MIDI/Reason interface released for OS X; FreeWRL 1.19.2 or later is MIDI/Reason enabled.midi.html · Wayback
  15. 28 Jul 2009'Using the EAI C interface' document, version 1.01.Using_the_EAI_C_interface.html · Wayback
  16. 23 Sep 2009Canada's Parliament buildings photographed for the 360-degree image sub-project.examples.html

2010s 20 entries

  1. 31 Mar 2010John Stewart (CRC Canada) writes 'FreeWRL EAI Interface Design and Function', with notes from Dave Joubert.FreeWRL_EAI_internal_design_and_functionality.html · Wayback
  2. 22 May 2011Windows build notes: Doug Sanden and Michel Briand port FreeWRL to Windows.windowsBuild.html
  3. 21 Jul 2011iPhone/iPod/iPad build of FreeWRL/FreeX3D in progress.build_iPhone.html · Wayback
  4. Aug 2011FreeWRL iPhone app demonstrated at SIGGRAPH 2011 in Vancouver. The port moved from fixed-function OpenGL to OpenGL ES with load-time shaders.examples.html
  5. 8 Dec 2012FreeX3D Android app: tablet layouts, ISO 8859-1 text, user-set texture sizes.FreeX3D/index.html
  6. 9 Feb 2013FreeX3D: first SpotLight/PointLight/DirectionalLight work. Choice of fast or best (Phong/Gouraud) rendering.FreeX3D/index.html
  7. 6 Apr 2013FreeX3D release 14 on Google Play: FillProperties shape manipulations.FreeX3D/index.html
  8. 21 Apr 2013FreeX3D release 15 on Google Play: STL manifold and watertight tests.FreeX3D/index.html
  9. 21 Jul 2013FreeX3D adds the X3D CAD component (CADAssembly, CADFace, CADLayer, CADPart, IndexedQuadSet, QuadSet).FreeX3D/index.html
  10. 10 Aug 2013Work continues on the library, cross-platform support and the FreeX3D Android app. CAD and Programmable Shaders components are added, and rendering moves to current OpenGL.index.html
  11. 31 Oct 2013Ubuntu build and install revisited toward a V2.0 release; OSX build used for testing shader-based rendering.index.html
  12. Apr 2014TURNTABLE navigation and a non-standard LineSensor node added.index.html
  13. May 2014Stereo up-down viewports added for interlaced shutter glasses, alongside side-by-side, quad-buffer and anaglyph.index.html
  14. Aug 2014Duktape JavaScript engine option added for platforms without SpiderMonkey.index.html
  15. Oct 2014Navigation, PROTOs, sound, Inline IMPORT/EXPORT and the JavaScript interface improved.index.html
  16. Aug 2015Version 3.0: server-side rendering toy, frame-rate target, pinnable menubar, statusbar options.index.html
  17. Sep 2015Version 3.1: --want option for statusbar/menubar, touch toggling, improved help.index.html
  18. 2016iOS and OSX builds no longer supported; Apple once distributed FreeWRL, but support lapsed when CRC stopped VR and 3D visualization research.examples.html
  19. Aug 2016No recent binary release. Users directed to the git 'develop' branch.index.html
  20. Jan 2017Version 4.0 ('Kelp Forest'): 101 more node types, plus non-spec Teapot and Effect nodes.index.html

2020s 6 entries

  1. July 2023Version 6.0 ('web3dv4'): most of the Web3D X3D 4.0 specification working.index.html
  2. Aug 2023Version 6.1: MIDI 2.0 UMP (Universal MIDI Packet) support. Example scenes in tests/43_MIDI.index.html
  3. Jan 2024Version 6.5: GPU-accelerated humanoid skinning, with --skin F to fall back to CPU.index.html
  4. 20 Apr 2024Upstream 'Version 6.7' commit on SourceForge develop (b3254b11e); SourceForge project page 'Last Update: 2024-04-20'.engine repository
  5. Sep 2026Ascendance Open Worlds fork (maintained by Ryan Bundy) promotes its FreeWRL 6.7 line, with native Apple Silicon macOS support, to master.engine repository
  6. 29-30 Sep 2026Full local archive of freewrl.sourceforge.io captured (4,059 live files plus 64 recovered from the Wayback Machine).archive report
§04

Credits

Everyone the old pages credit for work on FreeWRL. If a name is missing, tell us.

  • Remi Cohen-ScaliMany node additions and fixes, EXTERNPROTO work, PixelTexture implementationCREDITS.html
  • Etienne GrossmannPerl scripting, serial slide code, image-sequence saving and screen dump, many additionsCREDITS.html
  • Bob KozdembaNon-convex polygon tessellation codeCREDITS.html
  • Dan RattaPolhemus help (of Polhemus)CREDITS.html
  • Nadav CohenAuthor of the terminal-emulator program from which the serial interface code was takenCREDITS.html
  • John BreenNew WALK viewer, plus fixes to NavigationInfo and viewpointsCREDITS.html
  • Robin WilliamsNumerical improvements to rendering (2nd-degree equations and trig)CREDITS.html
  • Bernhard ReiterExtrusion genpolyrep code, general tessellation code, code cleanupCREDITS.html
  • EdDocumentation and install changes (credited by first name only)CREDITS.html
  • Marijn RosWork on EXTERNPROTOs and comment handlingCREDITS.html
  • James A. SoerliegenJS.pm portability fix (v0.17)README.html
  • Eric BohmFix to get JavaScript working on Alpha (v0.17)README.html
  • Herbert RosmanithJava classpath documentation (v0.15)README.html
  • William R. WardWindow colormap creation fixREADME.html
  • cattyRemoved reliance on libwww (v0.23, credited by handle)README.html
  • fbaHelped resolve /tmp texture file ownership (v0.23, credited by handle)README.html
  • Daniel KraftWrote the VRML parser integrated by version 1.18.10 (2007)currentstatus.html
  • Dave JoubertNotes on EAI design, original author of the Ubuntu build notes (2010)FreeWRL_EAI_internal_design_and_functionality.html
  • Doug SandenWindows port, MSVC library bundle, FreeWRL_Launcher, text code for the navigation UI, Ubuntu 14.04 build notes (2011)windowsBuild.html
  • Michel BriandWindows port, Debian packaging, URL-resolving code and notes (2011)windowsBuild.html
  • Ian StakenviciusPackages FreeWRL for Gentooinstall_LinuxRelease.html
  • Chris WillingContributor to Ubuntu 14.04/14.10, Mint 17.1 and Debian 7.8 build notesubuntu_src.html
  • Roy KyrillosFeedback on the Ubuntu build notesubuntu_src.html
  • Jiangxin HuFeedback on the Ubuntu build notesubuntu_src.html

Also named in the pages

  • Mike FletcherCorrespondent in the 1998 www-vrml thread quoted in the license intentintent.html
  • Sarah DumoulinListed as document author in the metadata of 'Using the EAI C interface'Using_the_EAI_C_interface.html
  • Adrian RossiterAuthor of the ring-tangle IndexedFaceSet model shown in screenshots (antiprism.com)examples.html
  • Tom SmithWrote 'Mechanical Drawing in 3D Using Perl and VRML', with a Fedora Core 13 FreeWRL install log, copied to the siteTomSmithCore13.html
  • Larry EwingCreator of the Linux Penguin logo on which the FreeWRL logo was basedlinks.html
  • BrutzmanCited (with 'Daily') as source of the SpotLight test model from X3dGraphics.com X3D for Web Authors examplesFreeX3D/examples.html
  • DailyCited (with 'Brutzman') as source of the SpotLight test model, spelled as on the pageFreeX3D/examples.html
  • DraydeAuthor of the LOVE STL model (Thingiverse) used in FreeX3D FillProperties examplesFreeX3D/examples.html

In the upstream Git history, the SourceForge user crc_canada made most commits up to 2012, and dug9 made most commits from 2013 to 2024, including the last one. The archived pages do not say who these accounts belong to.

§05

Organizations

Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC)
John Stewart's employer, FreeWRL 'partly produced by employees of CRC' and released as open source, hosted the early home page (www.crc.ca/FreeWRL), source headers read 'Copyright 2009 CRC Canada'
SourceForge
Project host from Aug 2000 (registered 2000-08-01): CVS, later Git, file releases and project web
Web3D Consortium
Maintains the VRML/X3D specifications, appears on the FreeWRL poster, FreeX3D key-fob model courtesy Web3D
U.S. Department of Defense (FISC San Diego)
Contracted CRC Canada (N00244-08-P-1769, 27 May 2008) for high-resolution geospatial rendering additions
X3D Earth
Source of the '7 Layers Plus' geospatial model
Apple
At one time distributed FreeWRL for its desktop systems
Polhemus
Tracker vendor, Dan Ratta of Polhemus credited, Fastrak integration in 0.21
Mozilla
Mozilla JS (SpiderMonkey) bundled, some files under the Mozilla Public License
Propellerhead Software (Reason)
Reason software used in the FreeWRL MIDI interactivity work
Ottawa Linux Symposium
John Stewart presented FreeWRL there in July 2000
SIGGRAPH 2011 (Vancouver)
Venue where the FreeWRL iPhone app was demonstrated
Google Play
Distribution channel for the FreeX3D Android app
§06

Licence

  • 1998: Tuomas Lukka's intent - GPL applies to modifications of FreeWRL modules and does not cross published APIs; proprietary extensions possible through agreed APIs. (intent.html)
  • 1998-2001 docs: distributed under the GNU Library General Public License, except files under the Mozilla Public License. (CREDITS.html)
  • Footer on current live pages: GNU Library General Public License version 2 or any later version; 'Copyright (C) 1998, 1999...2009 Tuomas J. Lukka, John Stewart and others'. (index.html)
  • FreeWRL described as 'released under the LGPL License', linking to the GNU LGPL version 3 text (page captured 2009). (newnodes.html)
  • SourceForge project page lists the license as LGPLv2. (index.htm)
  • Current source headers: GNU LGPL version 3 or later; most files 'Copyright 2009 CRC Canada'; bundled third-party code keeps its own licenses. The Ascendance fork uses the same license. (engine repository)
  • The FreeWRL logo was based on the Linux Penguin logo by Larry Ewing. (links.html)
§07

Today

The history above belongs to the people who made it. This part is about the present.

In September 2026, the FreeWRL 6.7 code line was taken up on GitHub as the Ascendance Open Worlds modernization fork, maintained by Ryan Bundy. Its first results are a native Apple Silicon build for macOS and a Linux build from source. It is a fork. It is not the upstream project, and it did not create FreeWRL.

The original project is still on SourceForge. The fork’s README says that bugs in FreeWRL itself belong upstream.

This website replaces the old one at freewrl.sourceforge.io as the project’s home on the web. The old site is kept, unchanged, at /legacy/. It was captured on 29–30 September 2026: 4,059 files from the live site, plus 64 pages and images recovered from the Wayback Machine. One file could not be saved: the full-size supine.nrrd volume (213 MB).