[X3D-Public] O3D - Google's 3D JavaScript API

[Joe D Williams]

> As Klaatu said, "We don't claim this is perfect, but we have a 
> system and it works."

>>>>> "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."
Charles Caleb Colton, 1820

Of course nobody here needs to imitate anyone.
We are here to imitate and simulate, and of course stimulate, 
ourselves. At least virtually.

In general, paths toward handling the keys for 3D graphics to the kids 
has been blocked by it is just too darn complicated. Ir you wanna play 
with big boys tools then you gotta go to school or make a movie of 
join the service because that is where the big-end tools are at.
Luckily, we are about to see when that channel of thinking will be 
challenged in the same way that text and print publishing is 
challenged by our WWW.

* Khronos
Launches Initiative to
Create Open Royalty Free Standard for
Accelerated 3D on
the Web

What! Well at least they did not say "Create _the_ Open Royalty Free 
Standard for Accelerated 3D on the Web" But they did not say "A" or 
"An" either.

I think I would have edited that to somhow get the idea that the 
effort was to Extend 3D on the web and offer 'guaranteed accleration' 
for the masses.
Another important one is that the title pinpointed "Accelerated" 3D. 
Strangly enough, if you look around it is actually fairly advanced to 
find fully accelerated X3D. I think we need to add that capability to 
X3D Browser feature lists. That is, a box that describes the hardware 
acceleration hooks of the particular X3D tool.

Of course the X3D Browser folks endeavour to keep up with the latest 
DX, OGL, and OCL because X3D applications need and use that stuff as 
much or more than anyone. Hardware acceleration is not rare in X3D 
browsers, niether can it be depended upon in every browser for all 
content. More rare is an X3D browser that also offers user code access 
to guts of OGL and now OCL. We know they do it with special purpose 
scripting interfaces to the metal but that is demonstrated in the 
category of special services for targeted applications with special 
security issues.

"O3D is an open-source JavaScript API for creating interactive 3D 
graphics applications that run in a browser window"

What! Is this part of Khronos or an independent effort? Is it a plugin 
or native?

Who cares.
In both I think the some of the basics are there to get people 
interested and possibly even successful in making some 3D for the WWW. 
And they are also building it deep into fine text/javascript 
engines(s). Great! So this is really Intro to 3D visualization for the 
WWW. For those that wish to create some interactive, accelerated 
parallel computing and especially for those who would create libraries 
for those that wish to create some interactive, accelerated parallel 
computing - until they can learn enough to want to learn a more simple 
and automated way. Like ISO eXtensible3D.

But wait, where is Yahoo? Ooh, reorganizing. Maybe they will join in 
and help produce a javascript library for 3D in a browser. Hey, if 
they do, then maybe some others will see the need.  I still say that 
almost every bit that is exposed in these efforts will help 3D authors 
using X3D, sooner or later. Just suppose they expose some OCL for 
matrix manipulation that could be leveraged into an X3D Script node. I 
won't need a texture to do GPU computing!

"We are terribly sorry but it appears your graphics card is not able 
to run o3d. We are working on a solution"

In general, we have to dig to find out when we actually have 
accelerated 3D in our X3D player. Or, just look at the animation. The 
eternal problem. How to tell the author he can't really play with his 
stuff because he ain't got the hardware. As far as I know, X3D 
browsers always have a software fallback. So, X3D is still the best 
entry point to learn the best practice basics of 3D for the WWW, or 
anywhere.

> Web3D needs a serious web2.0 marketing campaign..

Yes, only made a bit difficult to compare, because Web3D is already 
toward web4.0 plus already. Just like all of us everyone helps by 
showing their stuff. I don't think we need to pick a number, just show 
some good pertinant content.

Thanks and Best Regards,
Joe