Re: request for guidance: centralized extensibility for HTML5 using X3D graphics

Chris;

Thank you for your response via email and via the bug reporting  
mechanism.

I hope it is apparent that we actively support Khronos and WebGL;  
certainly Dr. Behr's team at Fraunhofer has shown that it is possible  
to layer an abstracted 3D modeling language on top of WebGL via the  
X3DOM project. So, I hope it is thus understood that we like the  
technology, and think that it brings interesting features to the table.

However, the Web3D Consortium also wishes to address the millions (or  
tens/hundreds of millions) of graphics capable devices out there that  
currently do not, or will not support WebGL.

We view X3D as the "Java" or "C++" of graphics markup languages; maybe  
not ideal all the time, but something that is cross platform, and will  
stand the test of time.  Using the same metaphor, we view WebGL,  
OpenGL (all versions), Direct-X , O3D and all other lower layer  
graphics APIs as an "assembly language" in which one can do great  
things, but is not generally selected as the API of choice by the  
average user.

Thanks to you, and others with the same foresight as you, we have X3D.  
We have backwards compatibility (eg, NASA VRML1 models can and do  
still run) and we have the ability to greatly increase the rendering  
speed thanks to the advances of OpenGL and DirectX.

We would like to work with the W3C to ensure that the provenance of  
HTML continues, by ensuring that 3D graphics remains platform-agnostic  
and open to all.

You may not be aware of the X3D Profile scheme; whereby standardized  
subsets of X3D are provided, which reduces the burden of supporting  
the whole of X3D. Dr Behr's group are generating an "HTML-Profile", as  
can be seen here:
http://www.x3dom.org/?page_id=158

You can also see how we plan to implement X3D on top of 3D rendering  
technologies, such as WebGL and O3D here: http://www.x3dom.org/?page_id=7

Whether the solution is X3D, or some subset of X3D, or even another  
graphics language is of relatively little consequence; we just wish to  
work with the W3C and produce an open standard for platform-agnostic  
3D models.

Sincerely,

-----------------------------------------------------------
John A. Stewart
Team Leader: Networked Virtual and Augmented Reality
alex.stewart@crc.ca

Network Systems and Technologies -
         Systemes et technologies des reseaux
Communications Research Centre Canada  |
          Centre de recherches sur les communications Canada

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Received on Thursday, 18 February 2010 14:47:59 UTC