[x3d-public] Immersive Web Device API Specification

Wed Feb 6 05:53:11 PST 2019

Thanks, Leonard. Well, the Chrome and Mozilla WebXR coverage did seem to
emphasize AR with AR sdks now being available for ios and android, a bit
prematurely as it seems.

The API has a mode to switch between VR, AR and Magic Window (mono on the
screen but following head movement). There is an Anchor extension spec.
effort which has just started but would seem critical for AR.

WebXR has made the decision to not include any computer vision
requirements. Should X3D do the same ?

>From what I understand the Anchor spec. will provide a way to link vision
of the real world with a virtual world. Should there be a similar link for
X3D ?

Is hololens the only remaining AR headset ?

Perhaps there are too many questions yet to really start diving into AR,
even in a speculative manner.

Andreas

---on the phone---

On Tue, Feb 5, 2019, 11:43 PM Leonard Daly <Leonard.Daly at realism.com wrote:

> Andreas,
>
> This version (V1.0) of the device API does not attempt to address
> augmented reality (where a portion of the displayed scene is provided by
> the "real world"). That will be address in V1.1 (planned for Summer 2020).
> This version is strictly for virtual reality where the entire scene is
> computer generated. It is difficult to use at the moment because it
> requires support from the browser environment. It might be possible to
> extend the WebVR polyfill to support this API for much (but probably not
> all) features.
>
> There is an issue in the Immersive Web Community Group to address
> declarative languages. The issue was recently opened and is accepting
> comments.
>
> This may be a time for X3D to really clarify how it is going to fit into
> the web eco-system by answering the questions:
>
>    - Does X3D handle AR content/scenes?
>    - If not, where in XR spectrum does X3D apply?
>    - Will X3D be compliant with the Immersive Web specification?
>       - If so, what has to change in X3D?
>       - What will happen when X3D is used in a non-browser environment?
>          - If not, in what environments will X3D operate?
>       - How does the SAI need to change? (If X3D is not going to be IW
>       spec compliant, there may be no changes necessary.)
>       - What happens to non-ECMAScript/JavaScript language bindings?
>
> This article that Andreas links below describes what is necessary to test
> WebXR in Chrome. You will need to sign up.
>
> Leonard Daly
>
>
> Thanks, good to see. I found this summary helpful as well.
> https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2018/05/welcome-to-immersive
>
> WebXR is actually available now, but web developers have to request a
> revocable permission token to use the API with Chrome.
>
> Easiest to use for experimentation is a polyfill using the now
> superceded WebVR API. I feel only actually trying to use it will be
> able to discover issues.
>
> I see Layers are still there. In WebVR they were never supported, I think.
>
> X3D was not designed for AR (or perhaps it was ?) but the SAI would
> provides a way to feed in the real world into a Scene, using a
> backend.
>
> There just does not seem be to a declarative interface to the real
> world, if that even would make sense.
>
> How do you best/declaratively provide a floor or a tracked table as
> recognized by a smart camera to a X3D scene which then lets you
> interact (see how a new couch would fit) ?
>
> -Andreas
>
> On Tue, Feb 5, 2019 at 3:25 PM <x3d-public-request at web3d.org> <x3d-public-request at web3d.org> wrote:
>
> Send x3d-public mailing list submissions to
>         x3d-public at web3d.org
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>         http://web3d.org/mailman/listinfo/x3d-public_web3d.org
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>         x3d-public-request at web3d.org
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
>         x3d-public-owner at web3d.org
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of x3d-public digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. Immersive Web Device API Specification (Leonard Daly)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2019 08:49:38 -0800
> From: Leonard Daly <Leonard.Daly at realism.com> <Leonard.Daly at realism.com>
> To: X3D Public <x3d-public at web3d.org> <x3d-public at web3d.org>
> Subject: [x3d-public] Immersive Web Device API Specification
> Message-ID: <6f0e735b-21f6-748f-9bf6-14f3ebee247f at realism.com> <6f0e735b-21f6-748f-9bf6-14f3ebee247f at realism.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; Format="flowed"
>
> The W3C has just published the first public WORKING DRAFT of the WebXR
> Device API (https://www.w3.org/TR/2019/WD-webxr-20190205/). This is not
> intended to be a fully fleshed out specification, but an early draft to
> elicit comments from the public.
>
> The API is the interface expressed in JavaScript between the user code
> and the browser that controls much of the WebXR device functionality or
> information. This includes things like setting up the session, handling
> device orientation data, etc. It does not include the rendering
> pipeline, and you still must call window.requestAnimationFrame for each
> change to the display.
>
> A very useful document is the WebXR Device API Explainer
> (https://github.com/w3c/webvr/blob/master/explainer.md). This document
> describes in non-spec language the philosophy behind the spec document
> and may include more information than the spec WD in areas that are not
> fully written.
>
> If you find an issue (or more than one) with the spec document you can
> report to the public-immersive-web at w3.org list (you need to be a member
> of the list (seehttps://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-immersive-web/) or to any
> Immersive Web WG member
> (https://www.w3.org/2000/09/dbwg/details?group=109735&order=org&public=1).
> Of particular interest are
>
>  1. items that differ from the Explainer
>  2. items that cannot be done in JavaScript
>  3. items that are inconsistent within the WD specification
>  4. items that conflict with other W3C standards.
>
> --
> *Leonard Daly*
> 3D Systems & Cloud Consultant
> LA ACM SIGGRAPH Past Chair
> President, Daly Realism - /Creating the Future/
> -------------- next part --------------
> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL: <http://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/attachments/20190205/149f5437/attachment-0001.html> <http://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/attachments/20190205/149f5437/attachment-0001.html>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
> _______________________________________________
> x3d-public mailing listx3d-public at web3d.orghttp://web3d.org/mailman/listinfo/x3d-public_web3d.org
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of x3d-public Digest, Vol 119, Issue 23
> *******************************************
>
> --
> Andreas Plesch
> Waltham, MA 02453
>
> _______________________________________________
> x3d-public mailing listx3d-public at web3d.orghttp://web3d.org/mailman/listinfo/x3d-public_web3d.org
>
>
> --
> *Leonard Daly*
> 3D Systems & Cloud Consultant
> LA ACM SIGGRAPH Past Chair
> President, Daly Realism - *Creating the Futureto*
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/attachments/20190206/78bdeaad/attachment.html>