[x3d-public] GeoMetadata /data/ field: delete, deprecate or retain?

Don Brutzman brutzman at nps.edu
Tue Dec 15 09:55:54 PST 2020


Dick and I are reviewing some legacy Mantis issues.

* 802: 25.3.5 GeoMetadata - Append type restriction
   https://www.web3d.org/member-only/mantis/view.php?id=802

==================
25.3.5 GeoMetadata
GeoMetadata : X3DInfoNode, X3DUrlObject {
   SFTime   [in,out] autoRefresh          0.0  [0,∞)
   SFTime   [in,out] autoRefreshTimeLimit 3600.0  [0,∞)
   MFNode   [in,out] data                 []
   SFString [in,out] description          ""
   SFBool   [in,out] load                 TRUE
   SFNode   [in,out] metadata             NULL [X3DMetadataObject]
   SFTime   [in,out] refresh              0.0  [0,∞)
   MFString [in,out] summary              []
   MFString [in,out] url                  []   [URI]
}
The GeoMetadata node supports the specification of metadata describing any number of geospatial nodes. This is similar to a WorldInfo node, but specifically for describing geospatial information.

[...]
The data field is used to list all of the other nodes in a scene by DEF name that reference the data described in the GeoMetadata node. For example, if the GeoMetadata node is describing a height field grid, the appropriate GeoElevationGrid node could might be included inside the data field. The nodes in the data field are not rendered, so DEF/USE can be used in order to first describe them and then to use them in the scene graph. This approach allows associating multiple data nodes with a single GeoMetadata node, specifying multiple GeoMetadata nodes within a single scene, and also provides a mechanism to easily locate all of the data that pertain to any particular metadata entry. If the data field is not specified, it is assumed that the GeoMetadata node pertains to the entire scene.
==================

We are looking closely at this and do not recognize a need for the GeoMetadata /data/ field. Certainly the information is duplicative; if another geospatial node uses a given GeoMetadata node, that occurs elsewhere and is definitive.  Any time there is duplication (such as this /data/ field) that is an opportunity for error and inconsistency that we do not want.

Wondering: can we simply delete (or at least deprecate as nonfunctional) this field?

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



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