Rapid Prototyping for Virtual Environments

Development of Virtual Environment (VE) applications is challenging where application developers are required to have expertise in the target VE technologies along with the problem domain expertise. New VE technologies impose a significant learning curve to even the most experienced VE developer. The proposed solution relies on synthesis to automate the migration of a VE application to a new unfamiliar VE platform/technology. To solve the problem, the Common Scene Definition Framework (CSDF) is developed, that serves as a superset/model representation of the target virtual world. Input modules are developed to populate the framework with the capabilities of the virtual world imported from VRML 2.0 and X3D formats. The synthesis capability is built into the framework to synthesize the virtual world into a subset of VRML 2.0, VRML 1.0, X3D, Java3D, JavaFX, JavaME, and OpenGL technologies, which may reside on different platforms. Interfaces are designed to keep the framework extensible to different and new VE formats/technologies. The framework demonstrated the ability to quickly synthesize a working prototype of the input virtual environment in different VE formats

Ubiquitous volume rendering in the web platform

176 p.The main thesis hypothesis is that ubiquitous volume rendering can be achieved using WebGL. The thesis enumerates the challenges that should be met to achieve that goal. The results allow web content developers the integration of interactive volume rendering within standard HTML5 web pages. Content developers only need to declare the X3D nodes that provide the rendering characteristics they desire. In contrast to the systems that provide specific GPU programs, the presented architecture creates automatically the GPU code required by the WebGL graphics pipeline. This code is generated directly from the X3D nodes declared in the virtual scene. Therefore, content developers do not need to know about the GPU.The thesis extends previous research on web compatible volume data structures for WebGL, ray-casting hybrid surface and volumetric rendering, progressive volume rendering and some specific problems related to the visualization of medical datasets. Finally, the thesis contributes to the X3D standard with some proposals to extend and improve the volume rendering component. The proposals are in an advance stage towards their acceptance by the Web3D Consortium

COLLADA + MPEG-4 or X3D + MPEG-4

The paper is an overview of 3D graphics assets and applications standards.The authors analyzed the three main open standards dealing with three-dimensional (3-D) graphics content and applications, X3D, COLLADA, and MPEG4, to clarify the role of each with respect to the following criteria: ability to describe only the graphics assets in a synthetic 3-D scene or also its behavior as an application, compression capacities, and appropriateness for authoring, transmission, and publishing. COLLADA could become the interchange format for authoring tools; MPEG4 on top of it (as specified in MPEG-4 Part 25), the publishing format for graphics assets; and X3D, the standard for interactive applications, enriched by MPEG-4 compression in the case of online ones. The authors also mentioned that in order to build a mobile application, a developer has to consider different hardware configurations and performances, different operating systems, different screen sizes, and input controls

Ubiquitous volume rendering in the web platform

176 p.The main thesis hypothesis is that ubiquitous volume rendering can be achieved using WebGL. The thesis enumerates the challenges that should be met to achieve that goal. The results allow web content developers the integration of interactive volume rendering within standard HTML5 web pages. Content developers only need to declare the X3D nodes that provide the rendering characteristics they desire. In contrast to the systems that provide specific GPU programs, the presented architecture creates automatically the GPU code required by the WebGL graphics pipeline. This code is generated directly from the X3D nodes declared in the virtual scene. Therefore, content developers do not need to know about the GPU.The thesis extends previous research on web compatible volume data structures for WebGL, ray-casting hybrid surface and volumetric rendering, progressive volume rendering and some specific problems related to the visualization of medical datasets. Finally, the thesis contributes to the X3D standard with some proposals to extend and improve the volume rendering component. The proposals are in an advance stage towards their acceptance by the Web3D Consortium

Analysis of Visualisation and Interaction Tools Authors

This document provides an in-depth analysis of visualization and interaction tools employed in the context of Virtual Museum. This analysis is required to identify and design the tools and the different components that will be part of the Common Implementation Framework (CIF). The CIF will be the base of the web-based services and tools to support the development of Virtual Museums with particular attention to online Virtual Museum.The main goal is to provide to the stakeholders and developers an useful platform to support and help them in the development of their projects, despite the nature of the project itself. The design of the Common Implementation Framework (CIF) is based on an analysis of the typical workflow ofthe V-MUST partners and their perceived limitations of current technologies. This document is based also on the results of the V-MUST technical questionnaire (presented in the Deliverable 4.1). Based on these two source of information, we have selected some important tools (mainly visualization tools) and services and we elaborate some first guidelines and ideas for the design and development of the CIF, that shall provide a technological foundation for the V-MUST Platform, together with the V-MUST repository/repositories and the additional services defined in the WP4. Two state of the art reports, one about user interface design and another one about visualization technologies have been also provided in this document

A WebGL application based on BIM IFC

Dissertação apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como partes dos requisitos para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática, ramo de Computação MóvelThe possibility of displaying high performance 3D accelerated graphics in the browser is seen as an obstacle to the conversion of applications to the web. The release of WebGL made Web3D gain new strength to overcome that obstacle. Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) tools are a type of applications that could benefit with this advance. In the AEC industry, there is a standard candidate for Building Information Modelling (BIM), called Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). This data model promotes interoperability between AEC tools, giving a common format to the applications. This work comes from the need of redesigning a legacy application that allows the user to design, display and calculate building structures. Focusing on the displaying of building structures, this work merges IFC and WebGL into an application, to replicate in a modern way the legacy application capabilities. This is done by developing a server module that processes the IFC data model and a client module that displays that model in a WebGL environment. The result is a prototype web application capable of displaying 3D IFC building models in the browser without plug-ins. A possibilidade de visualização de gráficos acelerados 3D de alto desempenho no navegador ainda é visto como um obstáculo na migração de aplicações para a web. O lançamento do WebGL fez o Web3D ganhar uma nova força para superar esse obstáculo. As ferramentas de Arquitetura, Engenharia e Construção (AEC) são um tipo de aplicações que podem beneficiar com este avanço. Na indústria AEC, há um candidato a padrão para Building Information Modelling (BIM), chamado de Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). Este modelo de dados promove a interoperabilidade entre as ferramentas de AEC, fornecendo um formato comum às aplicações. Este trabalho surge da necessidade de redesenhar uma aplicação legada que permite ao o utilizador projetar, visualizar e calcular estruturas de edifícios. Focando na visualização de estruturas de edifícios, este trabalho funde o IFC e o WebGL numa aplicação, para replicar de forma moderna as capacidades da aplicação legada. Isto é feito através do desenvolvimento de um módulo de servidor que processa o modelo de dados IFC e um módulo de cliente que mostra esse modelo num ambiente WebGL. O resultado é um protótipo duma aplicação web capaz de visualizar modelos 3D de edifícios em formato IFC no browser sem plug-ins

Mobile three-dimensional city maps

Maps are visual representations of environments and the objects within, depicting their spatial relations. They are mainly used in navigation, where they act as external information sources, supporting observation and decision making processes. Map design, or the art-science of cartography, has led to simplification of the environment, where the naturally three-dimensional environment has been abstracted to a two-dimensional representation, populated with simple geometrical shapes and symbols. However, abstract representation requires a map reading ability. Modern technology has reached the level where maps can be expressed in digital form, having selectable, scalable, browsable and updatable content. Maps may no longer even be limited to two dimensions, nor to an abstract form. When a real world based virtual environment is created, a 3D map is born. Given a realistic representation, would the user no longer need to interpret the map, and be able to navigate in an inherently intuitive manner? To answer this question, one needs a mobile test platform. But can a 3D map, a resource hungry real virtual environment, exist on such resource limited devices? This dissertation approaches the technical challenges posed by mobile 3D maps in a constructive manner, identifying the problems, developing solutions and providing answers by creating a functional system. The case focuses on urban environments. First, optimization methods for rendering large, static 3D city models are researched and a solution provided by combining visibility culling, level-of-detail management and out-of-core rendering, suited for mobile 3D maps. Then, the potential of mobile networking is addressed, developing efficient and scalable methods for progressive content downloading and dynamic entity management. Finally, a 3D navigation interface is developed for mobile devices, and the research validated with measurements and field experiments. It is found that near realistic mobile 3D city maps can exist in current mobile phones, and the rendering rates are excellent in 3D hardware enabled devices. Such 3D maps can also be transferred and rendered on-the-fly sufficiently fast for navigation use over cellular networks. Real world entities such as pedestrians or public transportation can be tracked and presented in a scalable manner. Mobile 3D maps are useful for navigation, but their usability depends highly on interaction methods - the potentially intuitive representation does not imply, for example, faster navigation than with a professional 2D street map. In addition, the physical interface limits the usability

Distribución y uso de modelos 3D en la web: ¿estamos listos?

[EN] Digital technologies are now mature for producing high quality digital replicas of Cultural Heritage (CH) assets. The research results produced in the last decade ignitedan impressive evolution and consolidation of the technologies for acquiring high-quality digital three-dimensional (3D)models, encompassing both geometry and color. What remains still an open problem is how to deliver those data and related knowledge to our society. The web is nowadays the main channel for the dissemination of knowledge. Emerging commercial solutions for web-publishing of 3D data are consolidating and becoming a de-facto standard for many applications(e-commerce, industrial products, education, etc.).In this framework, CH is a very specific domain, requiring highly flexible solutions. Some recent experiences arepresented, aimed at providing a support to the archival of archaeological3Ddata, supporting web-based publishing of very high-resolution digitization results and finally enabling the documentation of complex restoration actions. All those examples have been recently implemented on the open-source 3D Heritage Online Presenter (3DHOP)platform, developed at CNR-ISTI[ES] Las tecnologías digitales estánahora maduraspara producir réplicas digitales de alta calidad de valores activos del patrimonio cultural (CH). Los resultados de la investigación producidos en la última década han mostrado una evolución impresionante y una consolidación de las tecnologías para la capturade modelos digitales tridimensionales (3D)de alta calidad, que abarcanla geometríay el color.Lo que queda aún por resolver estárelacionado con la forma de distribuirlos datos y el conocimiento relacionado conla sociedad. La web es hoy en día el principal canal utilizado para divulgarel conocimiento. Las soluciones comerciales nuevas relacionadas con la publicación en la red de datos en 3D se están consolidando y convirtiendo en un estándar de facto para muchas aplicaciones(comercio electrónico, productos industriales, educación, etc.). En este escenario, el patrimonio culturales un dominio muy específico, que requiere soluciones muyflexibles.Se presentan algunas experiencias recientes, destinadasa proporcionar un apoyo al archivo de los datos arqueológicos3D, la publicaciónwebde los resultados de digitalización de muy alta resoluciónque permitenfinalmente la documentación de trabajos de restauracióncomplejos. Todos estos ejemplos se han implementado recientemente en la plataforma 3D Heritage Online Presenter(3DHOP)de código abierto, desarrolladaen el CNR-ISTI.The research leading to these results has received funding from the EU 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 654119 (EC "PARTHENOS" project) and EU H2020 Programme (“EMOTIVE: EMOTIve Virtual cultural Experiences through personalized storytelling”, H2020-SC6-CULT-COOP-08-2016) under grant agreement no. 727188.Scopigno, R.; Callieri, M.; Dellepiane, M.; Ponchio, F.; Potenziani, M. (2017). Delivering and using 3D models on the web: are we ready?. Virtual Archaeology Review. 8(17):1-9. https://doi.org/10.4995/var.2017.6405SWORD1981