Press Releases
X3D Open Web3D Standard Accepted by MPEG
Press Contact: Rita Turkowski
+1 650-722-0659
Aaron E. Walsh,
Web3D Consortium
+1 (617) 350-7119
X3D adopted by Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) for MPEG-4 standard
Orinda, CA - February 28, 2002 - The Web3D Consortium today announced the acceptance of its X3D Interactive Profile by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) as the basis for lightweight, interactive 3D graphics in the MPEG-4 multimedia standard.
The next-generation successor to the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), X3D ("Extensible 3D") brings rich and compelling 3D graphics to the Internet and World Wide Web for a wide variety of applications and devices. X3D is an extensible standard that has been developed by the Web3D Consortium with the strong backing of a number of leading 3D browser companies including blaxxun, Nexternet, OpenWorlds and ParallelGraphics.
Based in part on standards developed by the Web3D Consortium, MPEG-4 ushers in a new multimedia standard for fixed and mobile devices. MPEG-4 builds on the proven success of digital television, interactive graphics applications, and interactive multimedia systems such as the Web. As a toolkit for developing networked multimedia applications based on any combination of audio, video, 2D, and 3D content the MPEG-4 standard was designed for delivering both static and interactive multimedia content to any platform over any network.
The X3D Interactive Profile for MPEG-4 defines a meaningful but lean subset of X3D that enables baseline interactive 3D functionality for MPEG-4 Systems. By enabling interactive 3D for devices having limited processing power, the X3D Interactive Profile defines a standard for 3D destined for low-power computers, set-top boxes, mobile phones, and personal digital assistants as well as more capable devices such a desktop devices and gaming consoles. This profile was specifically designed to provide the baseline 3D feature set required by numerous application areas, including (but not limited to) electronic commerce, product visualization, entertainment, distance learning and interactive instructional manuals.
“The X3D Interactive Profile for MPEG-4 is the direct result of close collaboration between the Web3D Consortium and MPEG over the past year. In late 2000 we set out to establish a standard profile for interactive 3D content that would not only scale across a wide range of networks and playback devices, but across our respective standards as well. Having succeeded, we now look forward to helping Web3D and MPEG-4 vendors add support for the X3D Interactive Profile to their products, delivering on X3D’s promise of ‘3D Anywhere’”, says Aaron E. Walsh, Chair of the Web3D-MPEG Working Group and Web3D Consortium liaison to MPEG.
In addition to its collaborative relationship with MPEG, the Web3D Consortium is also working with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to tightly integrate X3D with other XML languages for the Web. The X3D standardization work includes an extension registry to be maintained by the Web3D Consortium that will enable any company to rapidly innovate within a standards framework and ship extensions to X3D at any time - but also to encourage and enable multiple companies to agree on common extensions to guarantee widespread content interoperability. Further details on X3D and how interested companies may get involved can be found at http://www.web3d.org/x3d/
Web3D Consortium The Web3D Consortium is the only non-profit organization with a mandate to develop and promote open standards to enable 3D Web and broadcast applications. The Consortium is comprised of many leading corporations and educational institutions including 3Dlabs, ATI Technologies, blaxxun, Naval Postgraduate School, Nexternet, OpenWorlds, ParallelGraphics, US Army STRICOM, and SGDL Systems. There are also over 75 individual Professional Members contributing their expertise to Consortium activities. Web3D Consortium members provide technical and marketing expertise for the continued evolution of open 3D standards while gaining early access to ongoing technology and commercial opportunities. More information on X3D and Consortium membership is available at www.web3d.org.