Product brand
UnclaimedA discontinued graphics software suite for viewing and authoring VRML and X3D content.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Flux was a graphics software suite developed and released by Media Machines for working with interactive three-dimensional content based on the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) and its successor ecosystem, X3D. The suite comprised two principal applications: Flux Player, a viewer for displaying VRML and X3D scenes, and Flux Studio, an authoring and editing environment for creating and modifying those scenes. Flux Player was designed for both web-based and standalone use. It could operate as a plug-in in Microsoft Internet Explorer and could also be run as an independent Windows application. Flux Studio provided tools for building and editing 3D scenes and supported importing and exporting several formats associated with the VRML and X3D standards, including WRL, X3DV, and X3D files. The applications supported Windows Me, Windows 2000, and later Windows versions identified by the product documentation. The software was distributed as a free download for any use, but it remained subject to proprietary Flux Player and Flux Studio licenses. This combination of free availability and proprietary licensing positioned Flux as an accessible toolset for developers and enthusiasts interested in browser-based 3D, virtual worlds, and standards-oriented scene authoring during a period when VRML and X3D were being explored as ways to deliver interactive 3D experiences over the web. Flux was associated with Tony Parisi, who developed the software after earlier work on Labyrinth, an experimental VRML prototype created with Mark Pesce. That background connected Flux to the early development of web-based 3D and virtual-world technologies. The initial distribution releases of Flux Player 2.0 and Flux Studio 2.0 appeared on February 21, 2007. Final distribution releases of version 2.1 for both products followed on May 28, 2007. The brand did not continue as an independent product line. In May 2008, Media Machines became Vivaty, and the Flux software was rebranded under the Vivaty name. Vivaty later shut down on April 16, 2010, after which it was acquired by Microsoft. Flux is therefore best understood as a discontinued software brand whose technology and lineage belong to the early commercial development of VRML/X3D tools rather than to a current consumer food or household-goods business.
History
Flux emerged from the early web-3D and virtual-world software community surrounding VRML and X3D. The suite was developed by Media Machines and associated with Tony Parisi, a contributor to the development of interactive 3D technologies who had previously worked with Mark Pesce on Labyrinth, an experimental VRML prototype. This technical background influenced Flux's focus on standards-based 3D scenes rather than conventional two-dimensional graphics production. The product family consisted of Flux Player and Flux Studio. Flux Player was intended to display VRML and X3D content. It could be embedded in Internet Explorer as a browser plug-in or used as a standalone Windows program, giving users two ways to view interactive 3D scenes. Flux Studio served as the authoring component. It allowed users to create and edit VRML/X3D material and could import and export WRL, X3DV, and X3D files, making it useful within workflows based on the relevant open scene-description formats. Both applications were made available as free downloads for any use under proprietary Flux Player and Flux Studio licenses. The distribution model reduced the entry barrier for people experimenting with browser-based 3D while preserving vendor-defined licensing terms. The suite targeted Windows environments, including Windows Me and Windows 2000 and later supported versions. The initial distribution version of Flux Player 2.0 and Flux Studio 2.0 was released on February 21, 2007. A final distribution release, version 2.1 for both applications, followed on May 28, 2007. These releases represent the main documented period of the Flux brand as an independent software suite. Flux's corporate identity changed in May 2008, when Media Machines became Vivaty. At that point, the Flux software was rebranded as Vivaty, transferring the product identity into a broader company and platform strategy. Vivaty ultimately shut down on April 16, 2010, and was subsequently acquired by Microsoft. The closure and rebranding meant that Flux no longer developed as a standalone product brand. Its historical importance rests primarily in its role as a practical viewer-and-authoring toolkit for VRML and X3D during the late 2000s, and in its connection to the development of early web-based immersive graphics.
- 2010
Vivaty shutdown
[1]Vivaty shut down on April 16, after which the company was subsequently acquired by Microsoft.
- 2008
Rebranding under Vivaty
[1]Media Machines became Vivaty, and Flux was rebranded as Vivaty software.
- 2007
Initial Flux 2.0 distribution
[1]Flux Player 2.0 and Flux Studio 2.0 were initially distributed on February 21, introducing the paired viewer and authoring applications.
- 2007
Final Flux 2.1 distribution
[1]Flux Player 2.1 and Flux Studio 2.1 reached final distribution on May 28.
Products and positioning
A freely downloadable, standards-oriented software suite for viewing and authoring browser-based VRML and X3D graphics on Windows.
VRML/X3D viewer · 2007
Flux Player
Flux Player was the viewing component of the Flux suite. It displayed VRML and X3D scenes and could be used either as an Internet Explorer plug-in or as a standalone Windows application. The product was distributed as a free download under a proprietary Flux Player license and formed the runtime side of Media Machines' browser-oriented 3D offering.
VRML/X3D authoring software · 2007
Flux Studio
Flux Studio was the authoring and editing application in the suite. It operated on Windows and supported the import and export of WRL, X3DV, and X3D files. The tool was intended for building and modifying standards-based interactive 3D scenes and was distributed freely under a proprietary Flux Studio license.
Brand decisions
2010
Vivaty shutdown and subsequent Microsoft acquisitionM&ABackground
Vivaty discontinued operations on April 16, ending the operating company associated with the rebranded Flux software.
Action taken
Vivaty shut down and was subsequently acquired by Microsoft.
Aftermath
The Flux product lineage no longer operated as an independent software brand.
2008
Rebrand Flux as VivatyStrategyBackground
Media Machines changed its corporate identity to Vivaty in May 2008, creating a new brand context for its 3D software products.
Action taken
The Flux software line was rebranded under the Vivaty name.
Aftermath
The Flux name ceased to be the active product identity. Vivaty later shut down in 2010 and was subsequently acquired by Microsoft.
Recent events
Reported
Karo Pharma announces acquisition of OTC brand portfolio from Teva[2]
Karo Pharma announced that it would acquire the Flux, Decubal, Lactocare, Apobase, Dailycare and Fludent OTC brand portfolio from Teva Pharmaceuticals for EUR 84 million. The transaction was expected to close on April 1.
Reported
Flux launches Subscribe to Own[3]
Car subscription service Flux launched Subscribe to Own, a feature that lets users purchase their subscribed car at the end of the subscription period.
Sources3 sources
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