[x3d-public] [x3dom-users] gitlab x3d resources group

Tue Jul 30 02:45:21 PDT 2024

Thanks for sharing such great thinking below, Andreas.  Gitlab is super for DevSecOps.

  *   https://about.gitlab.com

NPS has a gitlab server at gitlab.nps.edu that we have used to good effect.  Agreed that it appears to have numerous features, we have only used a few but with excellent results.

The Savage model library is both public, maintained in gitlab for version control, and published separately on a different server.  Essentially it is an active archive for a bunch of models produced by NPS students and partners over the years.  It is separate, but maintained identically, as all of the Web3D Consortiums model libraries found in X3D Examples Archives on SourceForge.  All of the X3D QA validation and production tests are comprehensively applied for offline regression checking.

  *
Savage X3D Examples Archive
  *
The NPS Scenario Authoring and Visualization for Advanced Graphical Environments (SAVAGE) Research Group maintains a large archive of dynamic 3D military models and authoring tools, all open source and built using Extensible 3D (X3D) graphics.
  *
https://savage.nps.edu/Savage
  *
https://gitlab.nps.edu/Savage/Savage
  *
https://gitlab.nps.edu/Savage/Savage/-/blob/master/README.md

  *
X3D Resources: Examples: Scene Archives for X3D
  *
https://www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples/X3dResources.html#Examples
  *
https://sourceforge.net/p/x3d/code/HEAD/tree/www.web3d.org/x3d/content/examples

Suggested important functionality for addition to gitlab:  ability to render .x3d/.x3dv/.wrl models directly when inspecting them on the server.  Such capability already exists for .stl files, for example

  *   https://gitlab.nps.edu/Savage/Savage/-/blob/master/ShipsMilitary/CorvetteMinutemenClassUnitedStates/MinutemenHull.STL

Here at NPS, our team will be happy to match and second-check and test whatever rendering or CI/CD or other functionality you might want to pursue.  We will configure our gitlab.nps.edu server accordingly, for Savage models archive, as such best practices emerge.

Regarding long-term activity, what you describe below seems appropriate and likely interesting for Web3D Consortium to support.  Nicholas and Anita are working hard at SIGGRAPH this week and doubtless will be available for further discussion.  Engaging Casey Gomez and the new X3D Ecosystem group is also important.  Each are copied in this message.

  *
X3D Ecosystem
  *
The X3D Ecosystem Special Interest Group (SIG) brings together industry and 3D graphics expertise to improve the deployment X3D in real-time interactive 3D worlds.
  *   https://www.web3d.org/new/new/new/new/working-groups/x3d-ecosystem

When planning a new project, it is always worthwhile to consider "assume success, then what?"   Will X3D integration with gitlab scale up?  Hmmm.

Looking forward to continued progress for everyone together.  Have fun with X3D! 🙂

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

________________________________
From: Andreas Plesch <andreasplesch at gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, July 29, 2024 8:26 PM
To: X3D Graphics public mailing list <x3d-public at web3d.org>
Cc: x3dom mlist <x3dom-users at lists.sourceforge.net>
Subject: [x3dom-users] gitlab x3d resources group

I would like to get input and feedback on creating a x3d-related group
under a personal gitlab account (perhaps mine).

The background is that I am contemplating using gitlab for static site
hosting, for x3dom related material such as development releases,
documentation, an x3d viewer/in browser editor or a gltf viewer. These
materials are currently hosted under my personal github account at
andreasplesch.github.io but I would like to move away from using that.
Unfortunately, github only allows one account per user or organization
so I cannot in good faith just create another github account (say
x3dom-unoffiicial).

Gitlab is similar to github but has more powerful project management
features even for the free tier. Gitlab also only allows one user per
account (I believe) but each account can have multiple roots or
"groups" which themselves then can contain multiple repos. For
example, I may create an x3dom-unofficial group under my account. If
used for static website hosting, a  corresponding url would be
x3dom-unofficial.gitlab.io from which then x3dom related materials
could be served. "x3dom-resources" could become another group. Gitlab
groups are collaborative with assigned owner, maintainer, developer,
user and other roles for invited collaborators.

It is therefore natural to expand on this idea and think about a
larger "x3d-resources" or similar gitlab group, used as an option for
hosting of any x3d related resource. The main benefit would perhaps be
to have the option to share a common url for diverse resources. I
think this could be seen as complementary to web3d hosted material, so
maybe a "web3d-aux" group may be more appropriate. A
x3d-resources.gitlab.io site could then host x3dom related materials
under x3d-resources.gitlab.io/x3dom, for example. Other materials
could be served from similar urls. gitlab also supports forwarding
from a gitlab url to any other url. All gitlab repos can be automated
using ci runners (on gitlab servers). This is crucial since all
maintenance would need to be largely automatic.

What are your thoughts on "x3d-*" groups on gitlab ? A potential
headache due to a potential for x3d confusion or a valuable option to
perhaps allow for larger participation ?

Thanks for reading and apologies for the longer than anticipated message.

-Andreas

--
Andreas Plesch
Waltham, MA 02453

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