[x3d-public] A "new" basis for systems programming...shapes

[John Carlson]

So what if we could reprogram blender, unreal engine, and unity, among 
other tools, in a "new" shape systems language?

Beyond the "shape" primitive and it's delegates, we would obviously need 
a visual way to represent primitives:  null, booleans, numbers and 
strings.    Assume there is a  delegate of shape called Text, and 
sub-classes and instances of Text for primitive classes and instances.   
For data structures, we would use instances and sub-classes of Group and 
Switch.  We could have data structures for expressions, predicates and 
operations. Operators would become as sub-classes and instances of the 
Text shape.

It seems like we have the foundation of such a shape systems language 
with X3D.   We probably wouldn't have pointers at first, but aren't 
pointers essentially implemented as variables (DEFs/USEs), and operators 
(Text)?  Just how many changes to X3D are required to make this shape 
systems language in X3D?

Could someone estimate the effort to convert C/C++ to a shape systems 
language and write a compiler for the shape systems language?   How hard 
would it be to convert a popular OS to a shape systems language?

How would one incorporate other holistic (non-systemic, impactful) 
features into the shape systems language, such as motion capture, video 
production, video capture, etc.?

Beyond duplicating the text environment, how can we leverage animation 
in the systems language?

Just thinking aloud about X3Dv5.

Classic: http://www.charlespetzold.com/etc/CSAML.html

Remember, all textual programming languages *are* shape programming 
languages.    We're just trying to bring other things beside text into 
the programming language (think of those stories that have little icons 
instead of words at first, after that, animations).

Can we make SignWriting (think emojis as expressive as English) a 
systems language?

:)

John