[x3d-public] [x3dom-developers] Prototype

[Don Brutzman]

It would be good to discuss strategies for eventually implementing X3D prototypes.

Lots of X3D players have implemented prototypes, so they are a well-proven technology.

Other opportunities for implementation in X3DOM may emerge. For example, if there is a design pattern for mapping an X3D ProtoDeclare into X3DOM source code, then we could write an XSLT stylesheet to provide such a conversion on demand.

Sounds less efficient than simply implementing prototypes in X3DOM, but it is a path.

Incidentally, in case anyone had a mistaken impression, there are no "native XML tags" for prototypes in the .x3d syntax.  Example invocation:

     <ProtoInstance name='TimeDelaySensor' DEF='TimeDelaySensorExample'>
       <fieldValue name='description' value='double click to initiate time-delayed event'/>
       <fieldValue name='delayInterval' value='1'/>
     </ProtoInstance>

Similar syntax using the @name attribute is provided for ProtoDeclare and ExternProtoDeclare.  References:

http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/X3dTooltips.html#ProtoInstance
http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/X3dTooltips.html#ProtoDeclare
http://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/X3dTooltips.html#ExternProtoDeclare

http://x3dgraphics.com/examples/X3dForWebAuthors/Chapter14-Prototypes
http://x3dgraphics.com/slidesets/X3dForWebAuthors/Chapter14-Prototypes.pdf
https://www.movesinstitute.org/Video/Courses/X3dForWebAuthors/X3dForWebAuthorsVideo.html#14

all the best, Don
-- 
Don Brutzman  Naval Postgraduate School, Code USW/Br       brutzman at nps.edu
Watkins 270,  MOVES Institute, Monterey CA 93943-5000 USA   +1.831.656.2149
X3D graphics, virtual worlds, navy robotics http://faculty.nps.edu/brutzman