[x3d-public] X3D Working Group meeting 8 DEC 2023: proposed charter improvements

Mon Dec 11 08:41:48 PST 2023

Attendees Anita Havele, Vince Marchetti, Dick Puk, Don Brutzman.

The X3D Working Group meets each Friday 09-1000 pacific (12-1300 eastern).

*
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81634670698?pwd=a1VPeU5tN01rc21Oa3hScUlHK0Rxdz09 
*	https://zoom.us/j/148206572  Password 483805 
*	https://www.web3d.org/member/teleconference-information 

We again looked at updating the X3D Working Group Charter for 2024.  Current
charter is online at

*	https://www.web3d.org/working-groups/x3d

First section with suggested edits follows.  None of the current charter
words are incorrect, am looking to simplify and make clearer:

Overview:

The Extensible 3D (X3D) Graphics Working Group forms the core of the
provides the core technical foundation for all working groups within the
Web3D Consortium. It is responsible for the development of specification of
core technologies for the X3D suite of Specifications, and the integration
of the maximum interoperability with related specifications for non-core
technologies, and coordinating the technical aspects of all Web3D working
group efforts broad deployment of interactive X3D models. The
<https://www.web3d.org/specifications/X3dGraphicsStandardsRelationships.png>
X3D Graphics Standards: Specification Relationships graphic nicely diagram
illustrates these capabilities the interaction and relationships between the
various X3D specifications.

Interest in metaverse and augmented reality, improvements in high-quality
audio and visual fidelity on any computer platform, and new support for
multiple file encodings and programming languages including JSON and
streaming binary are driving the broad deployment of interactive X3D4 models
across the Web into new domains of real-time 3D human interaction
development of the next revision of the standard. The Working Group is
looking for people to help with these and other technical fields in creating
the X3D V4.0 standard.

The wide-spread adoption of WebGL in all browsers is driving X3D into the
future. The next generation of X3D (V4.0) will be embedded in the browser
and support full interaction with the web page. It will include all of the
features of X3D that are currently available plus new rendering,
interaction, and device support all running in your browser, whether it is
on your desktop or your phone. In addition to X3D continuing to work in
non-browser environments.

Condensed:

The Extensible 3D (X3D) Graphics Working Group provides the core technical
foundation for all working groups within the Web3D Consortium. It is
responsible for development of the X3D suite of specifications, maximum
interoperability with related technologies, and coordinating the broad
deployment of interactive X3D models. The
<https://www.web3d.org/specifications/X3dGraphicsStandardsRelationships.png>
X3D Graphics Standards: Specification Relationships diagram illustrates
these capabilities.

Interest in metaverse and augmented reality, improvements in high-quality
audio and visual fidelity on any computer platform, and new support for
multiple file encodings and programming languages including JSON and
streaming binary are driving the broad deployment of interactive X3D4 models
across the Web into new domains of real-time 3D human interaction.

[The next proposed sections are updates from last week's meeting and email
discussion.]

X3D Working Group priorities for 2024 follow.

a.	Specifications Synchronization.  Update, review, implement and
advance all corresponding X3D specifications for file encodings and language
encodings, continuing rigorous attention to detail through Web3D Consortium,
W3C, US INCITS H3, and ISO/IEC standards development organizations (SDOs).
b.	Implementations.  Provide a technical forum that encourages the
greatest possible development for functionally complete X3D4 applications,
authoring tools, and model converters such as Blender and MeshLab.  Pay
special attention to implementations using Humanoid Animation (HAnim), glTF
model import, Web Audio API and MIDI 2.0 capabilities for integrated spatial
auralization, projective texture mapping, HTML5 integration, XML,
JSON/JavaScript, Java, Python, C/C++/C#, compressed binary formats, and
additional new X3D 4.0 features.  
c.	Publications.  Demonstrate how X3D can make 3D Graphics part of the
modern Web by integrating with key infrastructure such as Web3D Conference
series, Wikipedia, and other major publication resources.
d.	Innovation Foundation.  Show how Extensibility mechanisms for X3D
can implement new capabilities in a standards-compatible way.  Much is
possible, model correctness is validatable, and few barriers to exploration
exist.
e.	Metaverse.  Support 3D Web Interoperability and Metaverse Standards
Register groups in the Metaverse Standards Forum (MSF), implementing shared
use cases to provide helpful feedback on successes and next-step goals.

These renewed priorities fit well as next steps in a quarter century of
stable evolution using Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) and X3D.

*	Past as Prologue.  The X3D Working Group carefully follows Web3D
policies and procedures, integrating much public/private comment that is
well documented in X3D email archives and Mantis issue tracker.  Both
backwards compatibility and forwards extensibility have been carefully
preserved throughout, enabling effective reuse of every VRML97 and X3D model
for the past quarter century. Seventh in a specification series starting
with VRML97, successful completion of the X3D 4.0 Architecture once again
proves that this collaborative process is effective.

*	Present, 2024.  There is much capability in X3D 4.0 already that
deserves broader implementation and exposure in high-capability models.
Consequently we are deliberately not pursuing X3D 4.1 specification
improvements with ISO/IEC in 2024.  Meanwhile we do encourage Innovation by
emphasizing X3D extensibility mechanisms:  Inline, Script, Prototype,
software libraries supporting source-code implementations that generate X3D,
etc. etc.  New candidate nodes (such as Image Atlas) that rise to the level
of broad usefulness can be formally considered as contributions to Web3D
Recommended Practice.

*	Future, 2025+.  Once all of the corresponding X3D specifications
have been updated to match X3D 4.0 architecture, development of a future X3D
4.1 specification revision will be possible.

What's missing?  What's unclear and might be better expressed?  What else do
you need?

All improvements are welcome, a big year awaits us.

Thanks for considering the possibilities.  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 https://faculty.nps.edu/brutzman

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