X3DV

Draft

Definition

The X3D ISO standard defines a runtime system and delivery mechanism for real time 3D content and applications running on a network. It supports several file format encodings and programming languages, providing unsurpassed interoperability for 3D data and significant flexibility in manipulating, communicating and displaying scenes interactively. X3D incorporates the latest advances in graphics hardware, compression and data security to provide the best performance and visual impact in an extensible architecture that supports ongoing evolution. X3D's XML-encoded scene graph enables 3D to be incorporated into web services architectures and distributed environments, facilitating the movement of 3D data between applications.

See also: AJAX3D, VRML

Software

X3D Clients

Major clients (tested by Daniel K. Schneider)

• Flux from MediaMachines. Free player X3D player for Windows (IE/Firefox). Also avaible from the same folks, the good free for private use Flux Studio authoring tool.

• Octaga Player. Full free X3D player for Window and Linux.

• BS Contact VRML X3D VRML/X3D. Commercial software, but 60 days of trial. A free version that includes a crawling banner is available

Other clients

• Free WRL an open-source (GPL) X3D and VRML browser for Unix/Linux/OS X. Perl/C based. Not completely feature complete, but getting there.

• Xj3D - Java based X3D Toolkit and X3D Browser. Cross-platform, but not as fast as others.

Specialized clients

• Alpharis, a collective knowledge organization tool that uses X3D

• ManyOne is Digital Universe. Features a modified Mozilla with a flux plugin for 3D contents.

Servers

X3D files

• Any web-server can serve X3D contents for stand-alone usage. You only have to make sure to configure the following mime-types:

 .x3dv  model/x3d vrml
 .x3d   model/x3d xml
 .x3db  model/x3d binary

Multi user (virtual 3D interactive environments)

• Blaxxun. One of the first VRML-based systems. The company at some went broke, but seems to be alive again (12:48, 1 April 2007 (MEST)).
  • Blaxxun technologies (info about servers)
  • community.blaxxun.com
  • Cybertown one of the blaxxun-based worlds.
• Flux World (announcement March 2007).

Authoring tools

Check the web3d.org website. It has a good list of tools for X3D Development.

Combined Modeling / behaviors and scripting tools with a GUI

• Flux Studio. FREE for personal use on 14:03, 6 February 2007 (MET) ! Authoring means model, animate, and script. Imports from other applications such as Sketchup, 3ds, Maya, Blender, and Unreal.

• SwirlX3D, 129 CAN$. This is a successor of popular Spazz3D

Structure editors

• X3D-Edit X3D-Edit is a graphics file editor for Extensible 3D (X3D) that enables simple error-free editing, authoring and validation of X3D or VRML scene-graph files. Context-sensitive tooltips provide concise summaries of each VRML node and attribute. These tooltips simplify authoring and improve understanding for novice and expert users alike.
• To handcode X3D you also can use any XML editor that supports DTD or XSD, e.g. Xemacs.

Links

General / Indexes

• web3D Consortium Home Page
• X3D Page from DR
• VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) and X3D (Cover page)

Specification

• X3D and Related Specifications Page at web3d.org
• X3D Wiki at web3D. A nice alternative to the specification ! Hopefully this will evolve [1/2006]

Tutorials

• Extensible 3D: XML Meets VRML xml.com tutorial by Len Bullard, Aug 2003
• The public X3D wiki contains tutorials for X3D Nodes and concepts.

Examples

• On-A-Slant Virtual Village. Interactive X3d

A Social Science Education Project.

References

• Chittaro, L. and R. Rano (editors) (2007). Web3D Technologies in Learning, Education and Training, Computers & Education Volume 49, Issue 1, Pages 1-130 (August 2007).

Table of Contents. The introductory article is availabe as preprint from [HCI Lab].