Web3D standards development strategy and recent updates

Our strategy for consolidation of all X3D Specifications to version 4.0 is to update all file encodings in 2025, and all programming-language bindings in 2026.  

Draft specification editing to match X3D 4.0

• X3D Scene Authoring Interface (SAI) 4.0 revision 19775-2, advancement to DIS by June 2025
• X3D XML Encoding 4.0 revision 19776-1, implemented widely
• X3D Classic VRML Encoding 4.0 revision 19776-2, implemented widely
• X3D Compressed Binary Encoding (CBE) 4.0 revision 19776-3, implemented
  • Includes Fast Infoset, gzip, zip algorithms
  • Add considerations for glTF binary (.glb)
• X3D Architecture 4.1, revision 19775-1, widely implemented
  • maintenance and ongoing glTF alignment

Expected ongoing work 2025-2026

We are on track to complete all X3D file encodings in 2025, and all X3D programming-language bindings in 2026.

• 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
• X3D Java Programming (current version 3.0)
  • update 19776-2, implemented X3DJSAIL
• X3D Python Programming
  • add 19777-6, implemented X3DPSAIL x3d.py
• X3D C, C++, C# Programming (current version 3.3)
  • update 19777-3, 4, 5
• Humanoid Animation (HAnim)  (current version 2.0 matching X3D 4.0)
  • ​maintenance as multiple implementations continue to advance
  • update 19774 with potential revisions version 2.1