[x3d-public] X3D minutes 15 JAN 2021: X3D4 ballot, working group charters, spec planning 2021, Chisel
Don Brutzman
brutzman at nps.edu
Fri Jan 15 10:53:37 PST 2021
Attendees: Anita Havele, Vince Marchetti, Nicholas Polys, Dick Puk, Don Brutzman.
X3D Weekly Meeting, 09-1000 Pacific time, Friday 15 JAN 2021.
This week we have a feedback and discussion session regarding multiple topics, looking ahead at 2021 efforts.
[0.1] Web3D Teleconference Information
https://www.web3d.org/member/teleconference-information
> Please use the following link for all Web3D Consortium Meetings.
>
> Join URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81634670698?pwd=a1VPeU5tN01rc21Oa3hScUlHK0Rxdz09
Confirmed that no Web3D Consortium member-only information is in these minutes.
Lots of good activity is occurring. Recent minutes:
[0.2] [x3d-public] X3D minutes 8 JAN 2021: ballot in progress, 2021 specification planning
https://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2021-January/014425.html
Points continued in today's meeting.
[0.3] [x3d-public] X3D Semantic Web minutes 12 JAN 2021: book, Daffodil, field synonyms, simple-type field default values
https://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2021-January/014450.html
Congratulations to Jakub Flotyński on his book publication! 8)
[0.4] [x3d-public] X3D4 Audio minutes 13 JAN 2021: outline for W3C Audio working group outreach
https://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2021-January/014454.html
Note summary outline, announcement forthcoming to W3C Audio Working Group.
[0.5] [x3d-public] X3D Specification Review minutes 14 JAN 2021: EnvironmentLight and Environment nodes, SAI 19775-2
https://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2021-January/014455.html
Note Mantis issues that document current approach.
[0.5a] Mantis 1336: EnvironmentLight - Khronos glTF extension for image based lighting
https://www.web3d.org/member-only/mantis/view.php?id=1336
[0.5b] Mantis 1337: defining gamma correction and Environment node
https://www.web3d.org/member-only/mantis/view.php?id=1337
[0.6] Web3D User Experience (Web3DUX) working group
https://www.web3d.org/working-groups/web3d-user-experience
"The Web3DUX working group develops and demonstrates best practices for X3D support of rich user experiences using a variety of Web3D technologies and content-delivery platforms."
Of broad interest: the Web3DUX Working Group meets every other week on Monday. Always an interesting discussion.
[0.7] Design Printing Scanning (DPS) Working Group
https://www.web3d.org/working-groups/design-printing-and-scanning
"The Design Printing and Scanning Working Group develops and demonstrates best practices for X3D support of Computer-Aided Design, 3D Printing, and 3D Scanning applications."
Meets every Thursday, Vince Marchetti chairs. Web3D member only with multiple liaisons to multiple standards organizations.
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1. Ballot sent to Web3D members, all comments welcome
> X3Dv4 Public Working Draft
>
> [1.0] X3Dv4 Public Working Draft
> https://www.web3d.org/x3dv4-public-working-draft
=====================
* On 16 December 2020, the Web3D Consortium released Working Draft Revision 3 for review and comments prior to ISO submission. This document is available for viewing at X3Dv4Draft/ballot. Consortium members are afforded the opportunity to formally submit comments on this document for consideration by the Board of Directors and the X3D Working Group.
=====================
Last call for comments prior to Board consideration: immediate.
We will be happy to entertain any further comments over the weekend (long holiday weekend in USA).
Also happy to get new members! 8)
Web3D Consortium Board of Directors meeting is next Wednesday 20 JAN 2021.
> Public version of X3D4 Architecture (working draft 3) includes all markup for additions/changes/deletions.
>
> [1.1] X3D4 Public Working Draft Specification third release
> https://www.web3d.org/specifications/X3Dv4Draft/ISO-IEC19775-1v4-WD3/
>
> Private member version is pristine, with editing markup automagically removed from the HTML pages using an XML-based publication stylesheet.
>
> These online documents will remain unchanged during the ballot period.
>
> Specification documents are maintained as part of our member-only github version control. Account permission requests are welcome.
>
> [2.2] Github version control: Web3DConsortium / X3D
> https://github.com/Web3DConsortium/X3D
>
> X3D Specification editors (Dick and yours truly) expect to steadily continue with issue resolution. As ever: technical-tradeoff discussions occur on x3d-public list, with summarized technical details collected in Mantis.
>
> [1.3] Web3D Consortium Mantis Issue Tracker
> https://www.web3d.org/member-only/mantis/
>
> All specific ballot comments will be recorded and resolved (or marked as deferred) shortly after the 30-day ballot period closes.
>
> Decision point: if approved by Web3D Consortium Board of Directors in January 2020, following editors review and application of comments, the X3D4 Architecture Committee Draft (CD) will be submitted to ISO IEC/JTC 1/SC 24 for international review and disposition.
>
> Dick and I will use a new CSS style 'X3D4Resolution' to identify any post-ballot changes to X3D working draft. We also have a category to that effect in Mantis, so if appropriate we'll use it. There are maybe a few dozen that are close to finish and only need final refinements/review, there are others that get deferred to X3D 4.1.
>
> We have some feedback from Khronos already, perhaps more to follow during the ballot period.
>
> In general, post ballot and post decision by Web3D Board:
>
> a. All comments will be considered by working group and editors,
> b. All dispositions and deferrals will be properly noted, in draft spec if appropriate and in Mantis.
>
> Upon submission of pristine corrected, that will reset what is our top version in github. That gives full history of progress (aiding implementers and authors) plus reset us for the New Year.
All good, "steady as she goes" advancement in each demonstrated direction.
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2. X3D Working Group Charter and Goals
All X3D working groups are performing annual review of charter. Please see recent message by Anita Havele, Web3D Consortium Executive Director.
[2.0] Web3D Consortium Working Groups
https://www.web3d.org/working-groups
"The Extensible 3D (X3D) Working Group coordinates all technical development efforts. Working groups are essentially driven by the efforts of participants. They focus on issues and technologies that produce improvements to our open standards, always achieving results that are royalty free for any purpose. All efforts are geared towards improving a coordinated set of steadily evolving ISO standards including X3D Version 4."
[2.1] X3D Graphics Working Group
https://www.web3d.org/working-groups/x3d
"The X3D Graphics Working Group addresses all X3D specification issues and coordinates the technical development of future improvements."
Most wording looks just fine.
> Activities
> a. Top priority is integrating X3D into HTML/DOM web pages for X3D version 4.
insert "and achieving other improvements such as advanced glTF rendering and spatial audio"
> b. Develop the specifications and manage the Web3D/ISO processes for the X3D International Standards.
yes. Updating each specification to X3D4 is our primary task.
> c. The Working Group meets every week to discuss, develop, and approve the current topics. These include reviewing new technologies such as Mixed Augmented Reality (MAR), integration of submitted technologies, and interfacing with external organizations for X3D.
omit MAR; further work is expected in MAR/XR but not worth calling out specifically at this stage.
> d. Continue work to execute Call for Contributions for Compressed Binary Encoding for X3D.
Can omit; correlating multiple compression techniques as a workflow pipeline as part of DPS Working Group.
We will update the History section following Board deliberations next week.
Add:
(new) d. Encourage tool updates and content validation for all forms of X3D4
[2.2] X3D Working Group Charter
https://www.web3d.org/working-groups/x3d/charter
Suggested change "two" to "two or more" in
* "The leadership of the Working Group consists of two co-chairs."
Next week we will apply these changes, pending any comments or feedback.
Suggested review for February: following annual charter review and updates, next review:
[2.3] Web3D Working Group Practices
https://www.web3d.org/working-group/practices
Next week we will review:
* Identify potential goals for X3D WG for 2021.These goals/projects will be prioritized and progress tracked during the year.
* Accomplishments to be summarized at the end of 2021.
* Quarterly reports to be sent to the Web3D Board: April 1, 2021, July 1, 2021, Oct 1, 2021 and Dec 31, 2021!
Convergence with other 3D standards:
- Web3D SDO Liaison, which SDOs and their working groups are relevant to our working groups.
- How to engage: identify a Web3D liaison lead and periodic outreach to the 3D community.
a. Khronos
b. IEEE3DBP
c. DICOM
d. ISO
e. W3C
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3. Spec Editors Planning 2021
Continuing scrutiny from last week, renumbered references:
> [3.1] X3D Graphics Standards Relationships
> https://www.web3d.org/specifications/X3dSpecificationRelationships.png
>
> a. Primary next step: align ISO/IEC 19775-2 Scene Access Interface (SAI) with 19775-1 X3D4 Architecture.
>
> The SAI is the generic interface implemented by all of the corresponding programming languages.
>
> Mostly OK already. Will check for completeness, consistency, correctness.
>
> [3.2] X3D Abstract : Scene Access Interface (SAI) version 3.3
> https://www.web3d.org/documents/specifications/19775-2/V3.3/index.html
>
> Call for comment: what other SAI methods might be needed?
>
> - For example: exposure to view matrix, transformation matrix, utility methods in X3DOM/X_ITE, etc.
More feedback requested. This will be an ongoing issue as we review all of the programming-language bindings.
We will update 19775-2 SAI first, and keep it as a Web3D recommended practice to allow review/revision of all other language bindings to ensure everything gets updated in a synchronized way.
> Already noted: our legacy focus has (obviously) been on client side, it is interesting to note that server side (and cloud computing) can be considered from a compatibility perspective. Can we run SAI headless, hooked up to other things? This is not foreseen as any kind of significant design change, rather simply alignment of what we have already.
Confirmed
> b. Open issue: whether to include X3DUOM as an informative reference. More discussion to follow.
>
> [3.3] X3D Unified Object Model (X3DUOM)
> https://www.web3d.org/specifications/X3DUOM.html
Am thinking that this might best go in [3.2] X3D Abstract : Scene Access Interface (SAI) itself. Might fit as an informative annex.
Reactions welcome. Dick and I will look at this further.
> c. Discussion of file encodings. Straightforward.
The X3D Ontology (i.e. Turtle/RDF) likely is another file encoding... will discuss further.
> d. Discussion of programming-language APIs.
>
> - 19775-3/4/5 for C, C++, C# binding. Document should be straightforward but getting additional champions(s) for implementations is a shared need. Alignment with major existing APIs (e.g. Unity3D) is especially valuable.
> - 19775-6 noted maturity of implementation and multiple uses already, should be straightforward.
>
> Something to think about: sorting numerically in priority order ECMAScript, Java (as is), then python, C#, C++, C
Absent objections, am ready to renumber the proposed programming-language bindings in order of specification maturity.
Suggested sorted list will be provided next week.
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4. Chisel Codebase Again Available
[4.0] X3D Resources, Conversions and Translation Tools: Chisel
https://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/X3dResources.html#Chisel
"15. Chisel VRML Optimisation Tool with autoinstaller and documentation provided by Halden Virtual Reality Centre. Originally built by Trapezium and maintained by NIST."
Thanks to Michael Louka's careful stewardship over many years, am happy to report that this Java codebase - dating to the earliest days of VRML97 and the Web3D Consortium - is *again available and still runs*. Way cool.
[4.1] Sourceforge, Web3D Consortium open source, X3D tools, Chisel
https://sourceforge.net/p/x3d/code/HEAD/tree/www.web3d.org/x3d/tools/chisel
https://sourceforge.net/p/x3d/code/HEAD/tree/www.web3d.org/x3d/tools/chisel/test/HelloWorldScreenshotChisel.png
Subversion checkout:
* https://svn.code.sf.net/p/x3d/code/www.web3d.org/x3d/tools/chisel
Exciting development!
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5. HTML X3D Guidelines feedback
> Thanks to Andreas Plesch for great emails, we will consider his points next week.
>
> [5.1] [x3d-public] L.3.1 Re: Annex L HTML authoring guidelines for X3D4; naming Script versus X3DScript
> http://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2020-December/014276.html
>
> [5.2] http://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2020-December/014328.html
>
> [5.3] http://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2020-December/014327.html
>
> [5.4] http://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2021-January/014345.html
>
> [5.5] http://web3d.org/pipermail/x3d-public_web3d.org/2021-January/014352.html
>
> Continued dialog on email list welcome. We will review next week, all comments and insight are welcome.
Any feedback out there?
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6. Join!
There has been no better time to be a Web3D Consortium Member, much value continues to steadily emerge. No kidding.
[6.0] Join the Web3D Consortium
https://www.web3d.org/join
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Hoping everyone is personally "staying safe" as we progress into a new year.
Have 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
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