Who we are:  Web3D Consortium is a non-profit Standards Development Organization (SDO) that produces Open Standards for Real-Time 3D Communication.  Web3D participates as a Class A Liaison in ISO/IEC JTC 1/ SC 24 to produce International Standards.

Motivation:  Stable repeatable progress for users, modelers, and software developers requires the long-term steady evolution of the X3D Graphics and Humanoid Animation (HAnim) International Standards.  Web3D Consortium members work in tandem with the X3D community to produce well-written, well-tested specification documents that define, demonstrate, and refine all X3D and HAnim standards as they continue to improve.

Our current strategy is actually quite simple: update all X3D Specifications to match the full capabilities of the X3D 4.0 Architecture.

• update all X3D file encodings in 2025, and
• update all X3D programming-language bindings in 2026.

Future focus:  implementation, evaluation, and evolutionary refinement of both central architectures, X3D and HAnim, continues throughout thanks to persistent efforts by working groups and communithy participants.

Due diligence:  X3D Standards Working Group editors meet several times weekly to review public comments, edit draft standards documents, and build upon continuing progress.  Onward we go!

Current specification reviews

The following specification is fully updated and submitted to ISO/IEC SC24 for publication review.  

• X3D Scene Access Interface (SAI) 4.0 draft revision 19775-2, ready to advance from CD to DIS, following legacy SC24 procedures for ISO.

Next standards under review in order to follow new procedures ISO/IEC JTC 1 Publicly Available Specification (PAS) submission:

• X3D XML Encoding 4.0 draft revision 19776-1, implemented widely
• X3D Classic VRML Encoding 4.0 draft revision 19776-2, implemented widely
• X3D Compressed Binary Encoding (CBE) 4.0 draft revision 19776-3, implemented with legacy value
  • Describes use of Fast Infoset, gzip, zip algorithms
  • Notes considerations for glTF binary (.glb)

Assets for Continuing Progress

Multiple assets support the careful, deliberate, and consensus-based advancement of the X3D and HAnim specifications.

• X3D Architecture 4.0 International Standard (IS) 19775-1 is the common functional baseline for all other X3D standards, enabling consistent X3D and HAnim capabilities across multiple file encodings and multiple programming-language API bindings.
• X3D Graphics Standards Relationships diagram provides "big picture" showing coordinated alignment for all of these many standards.
• Mantis Issue Tracker (Web3D member access) tracks community dialog, resolution of technical issues, and eventual disposition of formal review comments for all Web3D standards.
• Github specifications archive (requires Web3D member access) provides inspectable version control for every specification document.
• ISO/IEC SC24 Computer Graphics, image processing and environmental data representation is our parent ISO standardization group.  X3D and HAnim standardization efforts take place as part of Working Group 6, Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality.
• INCITS H3 Graphics and Imaging is our parent National Standards Body (NSB) in the USA.

Expected ongoing work 2025-2026

We are on track to update all X3D file encodings in 2025, and all X3D programming-language bindings in 2026.  These specification revisions will follow the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) process, including SC 24 review of milestone progress.  We expect to advance multiple standards in groups at 6-month intervals.

• X3D Efficient XML Interchange (EXI) Encoding
  • add 19776-4, implemented, applies W3C EXI in concert with XML Security
• X3D JSON Encoding
  • add 19776-5, implemented, needs JSON Schema autogenerated by X3DUOM
• X3D Semantic Web Turtle Encoding
  • ​add 19776-6, implemented
• X3D ECMAScript (JavaScript) (current version 3.1)
  • ​update 19777-1 to X3D version 4.0
• X3D Java Programming (current version 3.0)
  • update 19776-2, implemented as X3DJSAIL
• X3D Python Programming
  • add 19777-6, implemented as X3DPSAIL x3d.py
• X3D C, C++, C# Programming (current version 3.3)
  • update 19777-3, 4, 5 to X3D version 4.0

Meanwhile, incremental evolution of our primary capabilities continues.

• X3D Architecture 4.1, draft revision 19775-1, refinements are evaluated in multiple implementations
  • Small and incremental improvements to the X3D Architecture are being shared as the ongoing update efforts continue.  
  • Select improvements under consideration include EnvironmentLight and Tangent nodes for ongoing glTF rendering alignment, FontLibrary, ImageTextureAtlas, and possible Volume rendering component additions.  Editorial clarifications when needed.
• Humanoid Animation (HAnim) Architecture 2.1, draft revision 19774-1 and 2, affects X3D 4.1
  • ​Current HAnim version 2.0 (matches X3D 4.0)
  • ​maintenance as multiple implementations continue to advance
  • potential new nodes:  Pose, Coveroid/Clothing
  • potential new parts: facial animation including FACS, internal organs

Prior standard:

• Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) 1997, 
  • We are responsible for long-term standards maintenance
  • We have preserved all functionality with backwards compatibility in X3D Architecture and X3D ClassicVRML Encoding

Feedback is valued and important  

All inputs are always welcome. 

Questions and issues can be discussed on Web3D mailing lists, posted on Contact Us page, or submitted via Mantis issue tracker.

Have fun with X3D standards stability and versatility!