[X3D-Public] Web3D and OGC to build cohesive standards for location-based 3D Web visualization services

[Anita Havele]

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT 

 

For information about this announcement, contact:

Anita Havele

Executive Director 

Web3D Consortium

Phone: +1.248.342.7662 

anita.havele at web3d.org

 

Web3D and OGC to build cohesive standards for location-based 3D Web
visualization services

 

Menlo Park, Feb 2, 2010 - The Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) and the
Web3D Consortium have updated their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to
cooperatively advance their standards to support Web-based 3D visualization,
modeling and simulation. The updated MOU includes membership sharing between
the two organizations with a strong determination to build cohesive, durable
standards that complement each other well. This agreement will enable OGC
and Web3D Consortium members to each collaborate in common Working Group
development activities. The goal is to align the Web3D Consortium's X3D
standard with OGC standards to improve location-based 3D visualization.

 

As 3D becomes more and more accessible to end users, Web3D and OGC envision
the synthesis of 2D maps with 3D immersive worlds. X3D is seen as an
excellent, stable open standard for 3D geospatial data portrayal. The
inclusion of interactive Internet-based 3D graphics will provide geospatial
users with a richer and more compelling experience. Among the many benefits
of this collaboration will be improved location-enabled 3D web portrayal
services to support architecture planning, engineering, climate prediction,
security, defense and intelligence. 

 

Mark Reichardt, President of OGC, stated, "OGC is pleased to renew its
alliance partnership arrangement with the Web3D standards organization.  The
work of the OGC and Web3D Consortium complement each other, each addressing
different problems to meet shared community needs for 3D information
management, fusion, visualization, analysis and modeling." 

 

The two groups met at the 71st OGC TC/PC meeting in Mountain View California
in December 2009 to discuss  the strengths of X3D as a 3D
presentation/portrayal systems for OGC standards. Discussions were also held
on how to integrate X3D with other OGC standards such as City GML.  As a
direct result of these meetings, Web3D member company Planet 9 Studios (
<http://www.planet9.com> www.planet9.com) was invited to develop X3D-based
flight interfaces as part of OGCs' 2010 OWS-7 test bed project. Key sponsors
of this test bed include key agencies such as the FAA, Eurocontrol, NOAA and
NGA. Planet 9 CEO, David Colleen, said "We look forward to adapting X3D to
the demanding needs of flight planning and control including cutting-edge
weather simulation, in-flight information, and high-resolution geographic
depiction."

 

"According to our customers, X3D brings new 3D visualization and
interactivity capabilities into GIS applications in combination with OGC's
CityGML format," according to Peter Schickel, Vice President of Web3D
Consortium and CEO of Bitmanagement Software GmbH (
<http://www.bitmanagement.com> www.bitmanagement.com).  His company's new
whitepaper regarding
<http://www.bitmanagement.com/files/company/whitepaper/20091211_Bitmanagemen
t_GEO_Whitepaper_final_en.pdf> Online Geo Visualization describes multiple
working applications for consumer and GIS use-cases.

 

"This alliance is important to both organizations," noted Alan Hudson,
President of both Web3D Consortium and Yumetech Inc. (
<http://www.yumetech.com> www.yumetech.com) "Industry definitely needs
collaborative open standards for location-based interactive 3D
visualization, benefitting users with a richer and more meaningful
geospatial experience."

 

About the Open Geospatial Consortium:

The OGC is an international industry consortium of more than 385 companies,
government agencies, research organizations, and universities participating
in a consensus process to develop open interface specifications. OpenGISR
Specifications support interoperable solutions that "geo-enable" the Web,
location-based services, and mainstream IT. The specifications empower
technology developers to make complex spatial information and services
accessible and useful with all kinds of applications. Visit the OGC website
at  <http://www.opengeospatial.org> http://www.opengeospatial.org.

 

About the Web3D Consortium:

The Web3D Consortium is a non-profit, international standards organization
that uses its broad-based industry support to continue developing the X3D
specification. X3D is the ISO standard for web based 3D and is widely used
in animation, simulation, navigation, medical and design applications.
Through well-coordinated efforts with ISO, W3C, DICOM, Khronos and OGC, the
Web3D Consortium is expanding its support for these important communities of
users. Visit the Web3D Consortium at  <http://www.web3d.org>
http://www.web3d.org.

 

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