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VRML like HTML is a text based set of protocols that integrate different media on the www. HTML is a 2D space description (like the page of a DTP package) while VRML is used to describe 3D spaces, called Worlds (*.WRL). VRML can integrate many of the same features as HTML - text, graphics, animation and audio - all set within a user navigable 3D environment.

VRML stands for Virtual Reality Modeling Language and as a 3D description the VRML specification includes many of the features that make a real world - a way of describing geometry which creates the spaces you can move around in, as well as lighting, gravity, animated objects, sounds and textures which you can approach from any angle.

While it is possible to create VRML worlds entirely in a text based editor it is more common for VRML authors to use a 3D modeling application (we used 3D Studio MAX) in which scenes containing the geometry of a world are exported to a VRML format. Once translated into VRML these files can either be viewed with a standalone VRML Viewer or can be added as plugins as part of HTML based pages on the web.

VRML is, in the words of the VRML Consortium, "an open standard for 3D multimedia and shared virtual worlds on the Internet."

An open standard: VRML was recognized as an international standard (ISO/IEC-14772-1:1997) by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in December, 1997. There isn't space here to discuss the openness of the process, but ISO was so impressed by it that they're now studying it as a model for future standards development.
3D multimedia: Long before its official standardization VRML became the de facto standard for sharing and publishing data between CAD, animation, and 3D modeling programs; virtually every one of those programs now exports VRML or has a utility or plugin to convert its native file format to VRML. VRML is included or referenced in the upcoming MPEG-4 standard, Java3D, and in other developing standards.
Shared virtual worlds: Being able to talk and work in a 3D shared virtual space was one of the earliest motivations of the VRML pioneers. The VRMLworks has a whole section on cyberspace that talks about the work that's being done to realize this vision.
On the Internet: Unlike previous 3D applications, using the Internet to share 3D objects and scenes was built into VRML from the very beginning. The standard is even published in HTML.

2. What kind of language is VRML?

VRML isn't a general purpose programming language like C++, a script language like JavaScript or a page specification language like HTML. It's a scene description language that describes the geometry and behavior of a 3D scene or "world".

3. What can I create using VRML?

Take a look at the virtual library to answer that question http://web3d.vapourtech.com/library

4. What's a VRML world?

VRML "worlds" got their name from an original goal of VRML: shared virtual worlds on the Internet. VRML worlds can be single files or groups of files that load at the same time. They can range from simple objects to very complex scenes, but never include the entire geometry and all the features of the earth, so there's some hope of downloading them in your lifetime.

5. What is the format of a VRML file?

A VRML file is, until a compressed binary format is approved, a plain UTF-8 or ASCII (a subset of the UTF-8 character set) text file. A VRML file may be compressed using gzip, a freely available utility, and may be created, viewed, and edited in any plain text editor.

6. Why should I use VRML?

This language is gaining more and more acceptance as a technology for displaying 3D graphics because it's a simple and accessible way to create interactive worlds. Also an important feature is that VRML is encoded in UTF-8 (Unikey) format, similar to your web page's HTML encoded in ASCII, so you can make very detailed 3D scenes using very small files, that can be downloaded quickly - which is one of the main concerns when putting something on the internet. For example: you can make a 3D animation logo embedded on your homepage that takes much less time to be downloaded than an usual animated gif.

7. How do I get started with VRML?

You can use any text editor to write your VRML code, there are also a great number of programs available in the Web for different platforms, some for free and others pretty expensive. For viewing your work, as I said before, you'll need a browser with a plugin, there's quite a variety that you can choose from for different platforms. If you have some programming knowledge learning VRML will be piece of cake, if not it still pretty easy.

8. Are there many differences between VRML 1.0 and 2.0?

Yes, but no worries, the great majority of VRML 2.0 plugins will read your 1.0 code. Just don't forget to specify in the header which version you used.

9. What do I need to write VRML?

You only need a text editor. This is all explained in the Getting Started VRML97 tutorial. However, if you want to start serious content creation, there are a few tools that I can recommend:

A text editor, for raw content creation. I do 95% of my VRML creation in VrmlPad. There are links to others on the tools page.
A paint program, for textures, such as Paint Shop Pro from JASC.
A VRML validator, such as Chisel from Trapezium This is vital for your content creation, especially if you're using a text editor to do it. Browsers don't give helpful error messages, but this will. If you have a problem in your world, this will find it. It will also optimise your files and make them more efficient. It also does GZIPing of VRML files for you.
A 3D Modeler, for the more complex IndexedFaceSet stuff. For this, you can use Nendo, from Winged Edge Technologies.
A Java compiler, for scripting, such as Sun's own JDK (Java Development Kit), available from java.sun.com. It's free, has everything you need and has plenty of handy features.