Web-Enhanced Information Virtualization

1
Web-EnhancedInformation Virtualization
WHIM S2008

• An Overview of Web-Based
• 3D Computer Graphics Standards

2
Why do we need it

• Encapsulate computing resources from the user
• Provide a simplified interface to enhance
  usability

3
2D vs. 3D

• Decade-long debate
• 2D Takes less power to compute, easier to
  encode and transmit
• But generally less expressive and
  compelling, viewer perspective limited by
  the dimension to the creators own
• 3D More difficult to model
• But easier to manipulate from multiple
  perspectives and animate more realistic
  motions.

4
Standard Artifact VRML

• Virtual Reality Modeling Language, originally
  named as VR Markup Language
• A standard for presenting 3D interactive vector
  graphics
• Designed for WWW context

5
Format of VRML

• Uses text to describe vertices and edges of 3D
  polygons, along with the texture information
  (mapping, surface color, shininess, etc).
• URL can be associated with any graphical
  component
• Aspects of the virtual world (lighting, sounds,
  etc) can be included in the world file (.wrl) to
  interact with the user or external events
• Support embedded Java or JavaScript code for
  event-handling.

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Code Segment of a VRML file

• VRML V2.0 utf8
• WorldInfo
• title Just a sample
• info for Apr.29 WHIM presentation"
  ks2555_at_columbia.com"
• Transform
• translation 0 2.25 0
• children
• Shape
• appearance Appearance
• texture ImageTexture url "me.jpg"
• geometry Sphere radius 0.75

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History of VRML

• Birth First proposed in a paper submitted to the
  First International Conference on World Wide Web
• Popularization Revamped as VRML 97 established
  as an ISO standard became widely used,
  particularly for education and research area.

CyberTown.coms 3D chat application developped by
Blaxxun Software in VRML97 standard
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History of VRML

• Criticism
• VRML was born dead. It never solved any real
  problems. Good riddance.
• --Clay Shirky, on the WWW Artist Consortium
  mailing list
• No integration with HTML, They were too busy
  getting the 3D to work.
• --Chris Phillips, director of business
  development and multimedia at Microsoft
• Central idea of these criticism is VRML gets
  the job done on 3D part, but its spec is locked,
  thus there is no easy way to integrate or extend
  it.

9
X3D

• The successor of VRML, from Web3D Consortium
• XML-Based
• First approved by ISO in 2004
• Defines several sets of extensions for different
  purposes
• Core set
• Interchange
• CAD
• Geospatial
• Immersive
• Browser makers can define their own extensions
  and submit to Web3DC for standardization

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X3Ds Improvement over VRML
Multiple data encodings
New graphics features
New networking features
Improved APIs, more language/object model bindings
Modularity
MPEG-4 has streaming interactive 3D using VRML
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Interaction Model
Add Your Text
Text
Text
Cycle name
Text
Text
Text
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Data Encoded in X3D

• Sample Java Applet 3D Model Viewer embedded in
  the html page

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Development Enviorment

• Xj3D a Java based developer X3D Toolkit and
  browser for data modelled in X3D

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Conclusion

• X3D is a relative junior standard
• There are some other competing standards (e.g.
  COLLADA) alternative to X3D
• X3Ds promising for 3D Web Publishing, durability
  and full potential yet to be seen