[x3d-public] X3D minutes 11 DEC 2020: X3D4 Annex L, HTML authoring guidelines

[Don Brutzman]

Attendees: Anita Havele, Vince Marchetti, Nicholas Polys, Dick Puk, Don Brutzman.

We now meet at a new time:  09-1000 Pacific Standard Time.

[0.1] Web3D Teleconference Information
       https://www.web3d.org/member/teleconference-information

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Prior minutes:

[0.2] [x3d-public] X3D minutes 4 DEC 2020: resolving X3D4 endgame issues
       http://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2020-December/014197.html

We will work on finalizing topics list and concept details for

[1] X3D4 Architecture, Annex L HTML authoring guidelines (informative)
     https://www.web3d.org/specifications/X3Dv4Draft/ISO-IEC19775-1v4-WD3/Part01/htmlGuidelines.html

"Editors note: this draft Annex gives general guidelines for how X3D scenes can be displayed and interactive as part of HTML5/DOM Web-page presentations. Current focus by X3D practitioners is open-source implementation and evaluation using X3DOM and X_ITE. Further improvements are expected."

Am redrawing Figure L.1 with an illustration too.

All reactions and inputs welcome.

Discussion points:

a. Limiting number of references to SVG.  Hoping to keep it minimalist but note that W3C recommendations for HTML5 and CSS refer to it repeatedly.  It also provides multiple design patterns for integration.  Hoping to keep references limited and definitely _not_ any kind of requirement.

b. References added for Annex L are informative and found in Bibliography, not required.

c. Lots of past references for CSS relevant to X3D, especially outstanding papers by XML3D for Web3D Conferences.

d. How can we collect and share references of interest?  (Specification annex stays pretty terse, even when informative - it is not a tutorial or survey.)

d. L.3.5 Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) considerations" belongs elsewhere?  At a minimum put an editors note to that effect.  Initiate work to document best practices for CORS and X3D, perhaps as Scene Authoring Hints section.

e. Discussed "Design goals for X3D and CSS include achieving a level of functionality similar to that which exists for HTML and CSS."  Agreed that "class" and "style" are reserved, not say much more about that.  Reserving the attributes does not require support in other languages but does allow persistence of that information to travel across encodings/bindings in a lossless manner.

f. Interesting discussion confirming that X3D is in charge of X3D events, and HTML is in charge of HTML events.  This can be basis of L.4.5 User Interaction.

g. Further interesting that L.4.4 User focus has to be sorted out.  Our editing question is how minimalist is minimalist?  Can we point out that issues exist?  For example, if an X3D scene includes transparent Background and user selects/drags across transparent area (with no geometry) where does the event go: X3D player, HTML page or both?

h. L.4.3 JavaScript considerations

"The Script node for X3D scene graph located within HTML page can be renamed X3DScript for disambiguation with HTML Script node."

Might also say "Any Script node contained within a pair of X3D open/close tags is an X3D SCript."

Point out that X3D ECMAScript requirements can likely be met by using proper subset of JavaScript, following requirements of X3D EcmaScript language binding 19777-1.

2. Inline global scope: noted mail thread.

3. Also can discuss any last-minute clarifications that might be before we button up the X3D4 draft for Web3D Consortium member ballot.  Seems good.

4. Goal is to have ballotable copy available Monday to Vince and Anita.

Dick and I had a good followup session this afternoon reviewing latest batch of X3D4 changes and improvements.  We're close.

Hoping everyone has a happy holiday - having fun with X3D!  8)

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