Abstract
The software project IVE is a simulator of large virtual worlds populated with virtual beings. The original purpose of the project was to solve technical issues concerning a representation of virtual worlds and an simulation simplification technique.
During this process a new model called ISMA (Intention-Suitability-Materialisation-Advice) was postulated for virtual world representation. This model is derived from Gibson's affordace theory and Bratman's theory of practical reasoning.
Gradually we realized that some project results also have psychological and philosophical interpretation. Particularly, the ISMA model requires a new definition of the agent-environment interface and brings a novel point of view about what the virtual world is.
This novel approach can open new ways how to model and describe natural world eventually. In this article we first introduce the IVE project and ISMA model and then we describe these 'non-technical' issues of the project.