X3D version 4.0 Development

X3D version 4.0 Development efforts are considering potentially major additions to the baseline X3D architecture.

• Summary slides here (Oct 2013) summarize this steadily continuing effort
• Major technology under consideration: HTML5, Declarative 3D, X3DOM, and possibly CSS
• Major technology under consideration: Augmented Reality Continuum (ARC) (being renamed as Mixed Augmented Reality MAR)
• Relaxing prior design constraints can enable a broader new basis for X3D integration
• Normalizing interaction semantics with HTML5 - now a stable W3C Recommendation - can further open up X3D for the vast majority of Web authors

Please contact us if you think additional technologies need to be considered. X3D Futures planning is currently a Web3D Consortium member-only activity.

Backwards and forwards compatibility

• A major benefit of using the X3D standard is full backwards compatibility with prior VRML97 and X3D content
• X3D version 3.4 Development is proceeding in parallel to enable continued evolution of the current X3D architecture
• Our goal is to maximize, but not necessarily require, backwards compatibility in version 4.0 with the version 3.x specifications
  • A great majority of X3D nodes and features are likely achievable without change
  • Some X3D features may require import/export conversion for compatibility (event model reconciliation, ROUTEs and sensors perhaps)
  • A few features might be refactored, deprecated or obsoleted (none yet identified)
• ECMAscript (JavaScript) support in X3D needs to be upgraded to new standard
  • ISO/IEC 16262:2011 Information technology — ECMAScript language specification (.zip download)
  • Downloadable from ISO Publicly Available Standards site without charge
  • This relates to 19777-1 Part 2, X3D Scene Access Interface (SAI) language bindings for EcmaScript

The comprehensive forward compatibility of VRML97 and X3D with later-developed X3D versions shows that careful anticipatory design is achievable.

Open questions

• Are ARC abstract design and X3D AR proposals sufficiently mature to enable integration with HTML5/Declarative 3D/X3DOM issues?
• Are the previously X3D Layer/Layering components compatible with HTML5 overlay model? Are they still needed, perhaps for multiscreen or CAVE support?
• Mashup and interoperability support: is anything else needed for broader use with the Web? YouTube etc.

Schedule

• Active development of X3D and X3DOM content is tracking HTML 5 capabilities now
• We participate and contribute to the W3C Community Group for Declarative 3D