[x3d-public] Basic X3D Examples Archive, Points: PointProperties using Archimedes model; normalCulling, pointSizeAttenuation ?

[Brutzman, Donald (Don) (CIV)]

Vince, your latest examples for PointProperties using Archimedes model are now in version control, pass X3Dv4 validation, and are online as follows.

================
X3D Example Archives: Basic, Points
https://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/Basic/Points/

Applications for point rendering are increasing as 3D scanners make the production of points (and the distillation of of point-cloud data into structured meshes) more common. The X3D Graphics Architecture has always provided the PointSet node for presenting individual point values, using the same contained Coordinate or CoordinateDouble node to represent information as IndexedLineSet, IndexedFaceSet and other geometry nodes.

X3D version 4 adds the PointProperties node for point presentation, similar to LineProperties and FillProperties used within a Shape node for other geometry nodes.
================

Interesting comparisons using Xj3D:

https://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/Basic/Points/ArchimedesDefaultPointsScreenshot.png
https://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/Basic/Points/ArchimedesPointPropertiesScreenshot.png

X3D Tooltip for PointProperties:
https://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/X3dTooltips.html#PointProperties

Of note is that perceptual disambiguation of 3D views can still be difficult for sets of points.

- Wondering, if Normal node was applied to the PointSet, shouldn't we be able to cull points that were "facing away" from the viewer?  Something like SFBool normalCulling (or whatever) might be a worthy field in PointProperties that likely would have good value.

- Wondering if guidelines for pointSizeAttenuation factors might be written for authors?  This quadratic ought to be a useful way to emulate perspective scaling with distance from viewer.

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