A VRML world consists of a bunch of objects. Where you can use a tool, called a world builder or modeler, to generate and position the objects in your world.

There are three basic kinds of modelers you can use to build VRML worlds:

1)      Integrated VRML modeling environments that let you build, place, light, color, and animate your objects. These modelers try to see to most of your world building needs.

2)      Programs designed for other purposes, such as CAD, raytracing, game development, or 3D film animation that you can use to do most of your world-building jobs.

3)      Programs that do only one thing, but try to do it very, very well. You can use these programs for part of your world building in combination with other tools, or to supplement the features of another modeler.

Integrated modelers

An integrated modeler will do some of the following:

a)      Import VRML objects and objects in other 3D file formats

b)      Position those objects anywhere in the scene

c)      Scale the objects (including stretching and squashing on various axes)

d)      Delete, copy, and paste objects or parts of objects

e)      Group objects together and ungroup them

f)        Color the object, a part of the object, or an individual face or vertex

g)      Set transparency and shininess for an object

h)      Put an image texture on an object

i)        Change the position of individual faces and vertices

j)        Create new objects, either from primitives or from 2D objects you can extrude, loft, or lathe

k)      Perform Boolean operations, like cutting a window out of a wall.

l)        Create and position lights and viewpoints

m)    Animate objects and debug your animations

n)      Develop, debug, and attach scripts

o)      Create and texture terrain

p)      Syntax check your world and help you improve its download and rendering time

Although many CAD program exports VRML, some only export VRML 1.0. That can be solved easily with a VRML 1 to 2 converters.