VISIONS will provide users with a very intuitive 3D interactive authoring system allowing for :

Creation - The creation, casting, direction and management of virtual characters, dialogues, soundtracks, cameras, backgrounds, chosen and adapted from a model library (the 3D Living Model Collection) reflecting the specificity and diversity of the European everyday objects (cars, furniture, buildings, etc.) which will be provided with the final product.

Scenario Authoring - The intuitive authoring of a linear or non-linear scenario that will define the behaviour of characters and objects over the time.

Compatibility - The seamless import of existing data such as text, pictures, sound and MIDI files, 3D objects, etc. to be integrated in the virtual story.

Production Management - The management of the production parameters such as documentation, costs, availability, access rights, etc. through built-in features or interoperability facilities.

Publishing and Communication - VISIONS will enable users to output their work under different formats thus allowing cross-publishing: as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM animation film for fund raising and marketing phase, as paper comments, scripts, storyboards and sketches for the production team as a 3D interactive story for publishing on the WEB.

Extensibility - VISIONS will be modular, thus enabling users to add specific plug-ins for particular needs such as special effects. It will be available on low cost platforms, equipped with a low cost (<200 Euro) 3D accelerator, and will support a desktop Virtual Reality interface (3D controller, voice control system, stereoscopic viewing with head tracked shutter glasses).