Making Myst-ish worlds on your site (StrataVision 3D)

[Melooon]

This is a semi-guide semi-discussion based on an e-mail I received some weeks ago asking about Myst-like 3D stuff on websites.

The key question was how do you create a space that feels like Myst in 2025? Myst was a point and click exploration game made using HyperCard (an early Web-like program) so websites are actually very well suited for a Myst-like game.

However when it comes to visuals the best thing you can do is use the actual program that Myst was made with, StrataVision 3D (link includes download and serial)! To use it you'll need a PowerPC (G3, G4, G5) Mac with MacOS 8/9 (or a powerful older model); or a modern computer setup with the SheepShaver emulator.

(behold you now have access to StrataVision)


StrataVision is a full 3D modelling and rendering program; so you can make your entire models in it if you like and its actually surprisingly simple and fun to use  However you might also prefer to model things in Blender on your modern computer and then just use StrataVision to light, texture and render them for your final image.

It turns out you can install the "DXF Export" extension in Blender, then export a DXF file, then just copy it to a computer/emulator running StrataVision and it loads it just fine! So its actually a one step solution! If you are using another modelling program or you find your DFX files are not loading, you can use AcuTrans 3D to convert any 3D model to DFX for StrataVision.


The resulting renders are very 90s feeling (because they are 90s renders  )

After that I recommend looking at @brisray 's guide on image maps to make your renders clickable on a webpage, you can then link multiple together for a myst-type exploration space!

This is all pretty rough, but I've found it works well! Let me know if you dig into it more and come up with any good tips! 

[stoutsytail]

Woah this is so cool!! 
I really like how the shadows bend in this program, its similar to, something akin to ROBLOX stencil shadows (2006-2012)

I never knew that Myst was so closely related to normal websites! But also doesn’t that mean someone could port Myst to the web?

[purblepale]

man i love myst's aesthetic 

[Cobra!]

Thanks so much for this guide! I’m definitely going to try and use it for something if not my website!

I might redo my website (again) and make it a Myst style adventure!

I have an actual iBook G3, though transferring files to and from it would be a pain. Anyone know of something I can use to make transferring and using both the iBook and an Ubuntu PC easier? Anything that would treat the former as a VM or something?

[soff moff]

I have an actual iBook G3, though transferring files to and from it would be a pain. Anyone know of something I can use to make transferring and using both the iBook and an Ubuntu PC easier? Anything that would treat the former as a VM or something?

Could look at setting up a file server on the Ubuntu system or file sharing from the Mac. NFS might be one of the easier options, but I would advise against SMB (windows file sharing) due to SMB1 having some major security flaws in it. Could also use SFTP from a terminal on either side.

[Melooon]

though transferring files to and from it would be a pain

would advise against SMB (windows file sharing)

I've done a few tests here and SMB is the only seamless option I got working. You can install DAVE on MacOS9 (Its a simple SMB1 server) - then just run an ethernet from your iBook to your main computer (you can do it over your home network, or just go computer to computer with manually set IPs on each) - then you should be able to mount your OS9 drive on your modern computer!

I've only tested it with Windows 7 and macOS 15 - Windows 7 works flawlessly, for modern macOS you need to use a separate SMB client like muCommander (also available for linux). (Also a tip - it uses your OS9 profile name as the SMB user name)

doesn’t that mean someone could port Myst to the web?

They could definitely port the early versions of it to the web quite easily!