Extensible 3D (X3D) Graphicsfor Interactive Engineering Technical Manuals (IETMs)

Don Brutzman

Naval Postgraduate SchoolMonterey California USA

February 2009

ObjectivesSummarize X3D capabilities for engineering

Describe candidate architecture for sustainable generation, update and deployment of Interactive Engineering Tech Manuals (IETMs)

Discuss possible collaborations with NPS and industry partners

What is X3D? Extensible 3D (X3D) Graphics

•3D graphics for the Web•Royalty free•Third-generation ISO international standard •Compatible XML .x3d and compressed encodings•Approved for Navy use•Multiple commercial and open source products

What is 3D?

2½D works for chart-oriented displays3D gives “fly-thru” freedom of viewpoint• View physically based propagation paths• View depth separation• View bottom, surface interactions• View multiple overlapping sensors

Augment (not replace) existing displays

What is Web3D Consortium?Builds support for real-time 3D

communicationOpen non-profit organization for 3D on WebMultiple members

Commercial, organizational, educational, professional

Multiple standards-organization liaisons

http://www.web3D.org

Today’s Web3D home page

Further X3D motivations

Authoring is hard, “Content is King”•X3D is not competing with specialty formats, instead provide common interoperability/interchange• Strong validation checks eliminate most authoring errors before content escapes• Plays well with next-generation Web languages

“3D hardware problem” is already solved

X3D Graphics for Web Authors

Don Brutzman and Leonard Daly, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, May 2007. http://x3dGraphics.com 441 pages.

Building and interacting with 3D graphics is very much a "hands on" experience. Throughout this book there are lots of examples this book to help you learn how X3D works and assist you in building your own projects.

The book presents the essential ideas needed to understand how an X3D world works. The chapters of the book build upon each other progressing from simple ideas to complicated concepts.

X3D: Extensible 3D Graphics for Web Authors assumes that you are interested in learning more about 3D graphics. No prior programming experience is needed.

Free resources include many X3D example scenes, X3D-Edit authoring tool, chapter slidesets and online course videos.

X3D Profiles for ExtensibilityDifferent levels of

content complexityBrowsers can

support increasing levels of capability

Authors can use the proper palette for intended delivery

Candidate architecture of interest

Goal: sustainable generation, update and deployment of

multimedia manuals

Business case for X3DRoyalty free, open standard, extensibleStable, forward and backward compatibility,

suitable for long-term archival useWeb3D Consortium supports active working

groups if further features neededSupport by multiple industry partnersAvoid lock in, licensing costs, or potential

loss of company control over long term

Use casesEngineering referenceTraining and outreachShipboard installation and maintenance supportWatchstander logs, system monitoring, large-

scale emergency coordination

Hypertext, 2D, 3D, video, audio, simulationHandheld device, portable laptop, workstation

You have likely defined use-case details already

Component technologiesExtensible Markup Language (XML) for dataScalable Vector Graphics (SVG) for 2D

diagramsExtensible 3D (X3D) Graphics for 3D scenesIETM schemas for annotated XML metadataAudio and video multimedia is also compatibleAutogeneration of cross-linked documentsVersion control and quality assuranceNPS tactical exemplars already exist

Data-driven architectureData-driven architecture

Creating Creating model model

archivesarchives

JavaHelp systemHelp pages in .html

Help structure in .xml

Proven, stable capability

Excellent viewer support, can be built into each application

Exemplar project

IETM schema work in progress

Led by Mike Grimley NUWC for NAVSEA Integrated Warfare Systems (IWS) 6

Detailed v2.0 XML schema already produced• Exemplar effort that an EB project might follow• Docbook schema judged to be too large in scope

and not a good fit, understandably• Good documentation available

Might provide quick start to this candidate effort• Propose new project for integrated X3D content?

Additional discussion issuesGenerating animated simulated behaviorsArchiving and replaying behaviorsUse of integrated networking and chatSource code and training course availabilityResearch and development supportOther potential partnersLab visits are welcomeYour topics here…

Conclusions and Recommendations

XML, SVG, X3D are suitable for building IETMs, can add significant value to Navy and yards

Multiple X3D scene exemplars show Web-based graphics works, available in open source

NPS is Navy’s University, can partner on work. Further dialog and joint projects welcome.

Don Brutzmanbrutzman@nps.edu

http://web.nps.navy.mil/~brutzman

Code USW/Br, Naval Postgraduate SchoolMonterey California 93943-5000 USA

1.831.656.2149 voice1.831.656.7599 fax

Contact

Backups

What is X3D? 2

X3D is an initiative to leverage 3D as digital media as easily as we do with text and 2D graphics. It provides the technology to enable customers to view, modify, customize and reuse 3D visualizations in Web applications, or on any network device from cell phones to supercomputers.

See slide notes for many details.

X3D Specifications honeycomb diagram

X3D Specification itself is

componentizedand extensible

Example X3D browser architecture

A particular strength of X3D is that it does not tell software implementers exactly how to achieve results• Nor is a single “reference implementation” used

Instead innovation is allowed• Results are similar, improvements are ongoing

Following diagram shows “typical” architecture

Example X3D browser architecture

X3D compressed binary encoding

Two partial implementations now availableFurther compression now under consideration

Web3D Showcase