X3D
Real-time 3D with X3D
Is X3D a viable alternative to commercial real-time 3D software?
By Mike de la Flor
Real-time 3D applications, one of the most in-demand genres in 3D, deliver innovative solutions for games, scientific research and visualization, education and training, and business. Unlike rendered movies real-time 3D applications allow the user to interact with rich 3D environments, providing immediate feedback and unique experiences each time the application is run. Currently there is no shortage of commercial products for developing real-time 3D applications. However, X3D has emerged as a possibly less-expensive, if not free, alternative. We will explore X3D from the 3D artist’s point of view, compare it to commercial solutions, and find out if it is a practical option for creating real-time 3D applications.
3D artists have many commercial options for developing real-time 3D applications, including Anark Studio, WireFusion, and Quest3D. Each of these applications provides the artist with a straightforward 3D scene similar to that of a standard 3D application like 3ds max. Animation is orchestrated via timelines and keys and behaviors can be developed from canned scripts or using node based scripting. So far so good, no messy programming to contend with and the development environments would make any 3D artist feel right at home.
X3D includes standards for creating and managing primitives, imported 3D models, textures, shaders, lights, atmospheres, animation and interactivity. © Yumetech, Inc.
However, there is a catch. Commercial real-time 3D development software is expensive, typically costing $5000 to $15,000 (for pro versions), with additional distribution licensing fees possible. Though real-time 3D development software is simple compared to programs like 3ds max and Maya, the sheer demand for real-time 3D applications has driven the cost of these programs sky high. This is the point at which X3D may offer an alternate solution.
X3D is an open source ISO standard for displaying 3D graphics via XML. Another way to look at X3D is simply as the next version of the VRML file format repackaged to work with XML and renamed (X3D sounds sexier than VRML). With X3D it is possible to build an entire 3D scene, including 3D objects (X3D primitives or imported models), materials, textures, lights, scene elements like atmosphere, interactivity, and animation.
With X3D it is possible to build rich, interactive, real-time 3D applications for entertainment, visualizations, education, and business. © BitManagement Software.
Clearly X3D can do just about anything that an expensive commercial real-time 3D development tool can do, but there is an important difference between X3D and commercial solutions. Programs like Anark Studio use proprietary technologies to build and deploy real-time 3D content. In other words, like 3ds max or Photoshop, the average user never has to think about how Anark Studio works. On the other hand, X3D is not a program, it is a language that describes a 3D scene - consequently programming experience is required to develop anything substantive.
So what can a 3D artists realistically do with X3D? A 3D artist with basic scripting knowledge (as most 3D artists have) could build a very simple real-time 3D application using a free X3D editor and deploy the application via a free X3D viewer - but regrettably that is it. X3D applications requiring complex behaviors and animations such as in games, simulations, and visualizations would require considerable knowledge in C++ or Java programming (XJ3D). Unfortunately for the average 3D artist this makes X3D impractical, and for now programs like Quest3D and WireFusion still offer the best solutions for the non-programmer.
However, companies like Yumetech, Pinecoast Software, and Vivaty in America or Octaga and BitManagement in Europe that offer fee-based X3D development services and could be contracted to do all or some of development the work. One benefit to partnering with an X3D developer is that while they do all the programming the 3D artist still can control of some aspects of application.
While X3D is an open source standard, it is not analogous to open source programs like Gimp or Blender. With any luck an open source, real-time 3D development application that uses X3D as its standard will makes it debut soon, then 3D artists could have a realistic alternative to expensive commercial software.