X3D Community Blog 
October 28, 2007
Virtual Worlds Today: A reality distortion field in the making?
Need I say more… See the blogs and websites below. Draw your own conclusions, talk to us!
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August 20, 2007
We would like to thank all visitors to the Web3D booth at Siggraph!
The August 2007 Siggraph exhibition gathered Web3D consortium members from around the world together to show their latest ISO standard X3D based application for social networking, 3D Medical imaging, scientific visualization and 3D education. This year Web3D had an exhibition booth twice the size as last year with half a dozen web3D company exhibitors. Read on:
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August 17, 2007
Is Siggraph now Hollywood’s version of E3?
It seems to me that the past two or three Siggraph’s were all about cool content and media entertainment. I mostly only saw tools for creating and managing (and converting) content. For one, just how many motion capture tools does the industry need?! I also saw the usual huge batch of competing modeling tools, training on how to make content, and many cute 3D animations. However, even though I talked to at least three other trade association involved in 3D one way or another, I did not see much in the way of “serious” 3D application tools or development. IBM and AvarSYS had one very cool demo on oil exploration and testing, but beyond that, I did not see any new CAD tools nor did I see much in the way of medical imaging, beyond Sense Graphics haptics tools in our booth, although I know they exist. It’s worth noting however that games and casual online entertainment are carrying the flag in the new digital content parade and that is something we should all be aware of and use to get X3D products some attention in the 3D markets. Even if only for marketing purposes, much of what Web3D members do can be shown and explored in a casual game for new clients to get a feel for what they will be buying or licensing. I for one, at least think it’s worth considering. Read on to see what I mean about how popular games are online…
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August 03, 2007
Web3D Executive Director’s Summer and Siggraph 2007 Update
With August here already, the one thing on everyone’s minds (and monitors and keyboards...) around here is Siggraph, starting on August 5th in San Diego.
See us, meet us, visit with us at SIGGRAPH 2007 - booth number 029 - on the exhibition floor. Don’t forget to ask for our newest 2007 SDK, debuting at Siggraph!
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August 03, 2007
Some tips for getting around on Web3D.org and getting your questions on X3D answered
I often get questions on how to navigate thru Web3D.org and on such topics as to where to discuss X3D development and ask techy questions, where to post new software releases, how to get on the Web3D email lists and forums, etc. Well, most of your questions can be answered online directly on Web3D.org. Here’s how:
May 18, 2007
Web3D Consortium Executive Director’s Update - Spring 2007
Today, bloggers are much more apt to blog on VRML rather than X3D, and all too frequently, they bash VRML, usually the VRML of our history, not the X3D work we have going on today. Knash and bash away. VRML is a part of our history, for better or worse. VRML taught Web3D and it’s members lessons about 3D language and formats, archivability, and even basic presentation of 3D rendering techniques. It STILL exists today as probably the most popular (and maybe most reviled?) 3D file format for the web. From the glass half full perspective, we learned a lot, everyone involved contributed, and a consortium was born out of it that promised development of a royalty-free IP unencumbered ISO standard. That is the X3D of Web3D today.
Today the consortium focuses on corporate members needs and the development of seven (and growing!) ISO specs for X3D. From the glass half empty side, well, VRML does seem to be the kicked-down dog of the media, a media leash-led by VC funding in case you haven’t yet connected those dots. Now you may ask why is it fine? Because they are speaking of the VRML of 2000 and…
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May 01, 2007
Web3D Symposium Wrap-up
I’ve been back from Italy for over a week now already, and I am still combing thru the presentations and papers, emailing with attendees, sorting thru some awesome photos of Perugia and nearby locales, debating when/where future symposiums should be held, so much so that I’d have to say I feel as if I have not yet left Italy! At least not mentally. The body is in California, but my brain and soul are still in Italy…
The symposium was inspiring to me in that it has grown (doubled in fact) since last year and we had a record number of papers submissions for the recent years. We had a total of 113 registrants in total, and a good sprinkling of interested students and spouses (and even a few babies!) in tow. I would think a good time was had by all attending the very beautiful hilltop city of Perugia. We are very grateful to the University of Perugia, and Dr. Osvaldo Gervasi, for hosting us in the lovely Hotel Gio which was splendidly renovated just it time for our symposium!
The conference got under way with some X3D tutorials followed by Nokia’s Kari Pulli’s…
April 01, 2007
Len Bullard says: There is a discontinuity between investors and consortia standards?
I like to read where people are integrating content across the viewers. The more of that kind of thing people do, the faster we get a real web 3D universe with options apart from the narrow if necessary concerns of investors. There is a bit of a discontinuity in situations where the investors are asking for barriers to competition while the standards folks and the consortia are trying to eliminate them. It becomes very confusing with one group preaching POTS and the other preaching open source. Straight down the middle is better.
I was reading a book on Dreamweaver yesterday and in a chapter on a topic where it was a complete surprise was yet another slag on VRML. I was surprised but that is the power of a bad meme that keeps being repeated so it becomes lore and not data (no ST-NG jokes). I counter with what I’ve said here: to understand the investment value of VRML/X3D content, note that worlds built with new tools ten years ago still work with tools being released this year and with the exception of the syntax variants and new nodes, new content is working with the…
March 15, 2007
Web3D Exhibits at Games Development Conference 2007
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