12th International Conference on 3D Web Technology
Sponsored by:
ACM SIGGRAPH
In cooperation with:
Panel: Web 3D and Scientific Visualization
Organizer: Christophe Mouton, EDF R&D
In this panel, we will explore and discuss how Web3D technologies can be used to provide a collaborative environment for visualizing scientific data over Internet. It means working on the whole processing chain from the numerical simulation results datasets to the end user remote visualization tool including scientific data processing, 3D data validation and cleaning, data compression, transmission, decompression and scientific visualization (rendering). We will present you how a powerful open source post-processing engine as VTK can work together with Web3D technologies to provide a tool for processing large 3D data and 3D data delivering. Furthermore a new implementation of the Chisel tool is developed to add its cleaning and validating functionalities in the processing chain. Some others scientific tools like CloudCompare (EDF R&D ©) can be used to visualize and check data validity after cleaning. Then, there is a need for delivering 3D data in an efficient way over Internet; we are studying compression, encoding, message designing as well as streaming for reducing the delay of transmission. Here also, after a lossy compression, there's a need to ensure data validity using a software like CloudCompare. On the end-user side, an adapted Xj3D browser supporting a PointSprite technique and a scientific navigation is used to load 3D data and to visualize the 3D result of the computation on a light weight client using the last improvement for easy deployment over Internet. Through our talks, several demonstrations will point out our work and the enclosed prospects.
Introduction to X3D, Scene Access Interface (SAI)
Don Brutzman, Naval Postgraduate School
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 - prior
knowledge is helpful but not required.
http://x3dgraphics.com/
Don Brutzman is a computer scientist and Associate Professor working in the Modeling Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) Institute and Undersea Warfare Center at the Naval Postgraduate School. His research interests include underwater robotics, real-time 3D computer graphics, artificial intelligence and high-performance networking. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on Graphics (SIGGRAPH) and the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI). He is a board member of non-profit Sea Lab Monterey Bay, which is designing and building a youth-oriented year-round residential science camp. He is a founding member of the non-profit Web3D Consortium Board of Directors. He organized and led the SIGGRAPH Online 2001 team, designing and developing a huge audio/video/Web/XML information architecture. Currently he cochairs the Extensible 3D (X3D) Working Group for the ISO X3D/VRML Specification, and directs development of the Virtual Reality Transfer Protocol (vrtp) and the Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF).
Function-based shape modeling and web visualization: FVRML/FX3D
Alexei Sourin, Nanyang Technological University
FVRML/FX3D is a function-based extensions of Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) and its successor Extensible 3D (X3D). It allows for defining time-dependent geometric shapes, their appearances and operations by analytical parametric, implicit and explicit functions which can be used concurrently. The syntax of the extended nodes is similar to the standards Shape, Appearance and Transform nodes of VRML/X3D except that mathematical formulas can be used in place of numerical parameters of their fields. The functions are typed either as individual formulas or as java-style function scripts. FVRML/FX3D opens VRML and X3D to practically any type of geometry, 3D colors and geometric textures. It also introduces to VRML and X3D set- theoretical operations (union, intersection, difference) as well as allows for defining any other operations (e.g. morphing).
In contrast to the polygon-based models of VRML/X3D, their function-based extension FVRML/FX3D allows for a great reduction of the model size and provides an unlimited level of detail. The defining functions can be functions of time that allows for easy definition of sophisticated animation applied to geometry and appearance of the shapes. The function-defined shapes can be used together with the standard VRML and X3D shapes and appearances, as well as allow for using as their parts the standard VRML/X3D shape and appearance fields. The FVRML/FX3D extension is illustrated by its application to teaching computer graphics and as a part of the projects Virtual Campus of NTU and Collaborative Virtual Shape Modeling Laboratory. Besides defining shapes by typing analytical functions in the VRML/X3D code, it can be done interactively by using a web-based collaborative interactive shape modeling tool.
Tutorial schedule:
1. Classification of web visualization. Image, message and model
transmission.
Importance of function-based visualization as model transmission
based web visualization.
2. Basics of function-based approach to shape modeling.
Using parametric, implicit and explicit functions for defining
curves, surfaces and solid objects.
3. Hybrid function-based approach to shape modeling. Its
implementation in VRML and X3D.
4. FVRML/FX3D nodes and prototypes.
5. Examples of shape modeling with FVRML/FX3D.
6. Application and custom extension of FVRML/FX3D. Case study: point
interpolation.
Web resource: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/assourin/fvrml.htm
FVRML and FX3D were previously reported at Web3D 2005 and Web3D 2006.
Dr. Alexei Sourin is an Associate Professor with the School of Computer
Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. He received
his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from the Moscow Engineering
Physics Institute in 1983 and 1988, respectively. Since 1993 he is an academic
staff of NTU. His research interests are in function-based shape modeling,
shared virtual environments, web visualization and visualization on the
Grid, cybermedicine, and scientific visualization. He is one of the pioneers
of electronic education in Singapore. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and
a member of ACM SIGGRAPH. He has over 100 publications. He wrote a book
"Computer graphics. From a Small Formula to Cyberworlds" (Prentice
Hall) which is adopted for teaching by several universities. He is a coordinator
of the International Conferences on Cyberworlds. He was a Program Chair
of CW2003 and CW2005, International Program Chair of CW2004 and General
Co-Chair of CW2006.
AJAX3D
Tony Parisi, Media Machines Inc.
Ajax – Asynchronous Javascript and XML—has emerged as a preferred method for developing sophisticated web applications. Ajax makes client-server programming available to Javascript developers via Dynamic HTML, resulting in rich, responsive applications hosted in a web browser. While Ajax is being used to deploy some of the industry’s leading applications, such as Google Maps™ and Netflix™, current browsers are limited in their capabilities to render dynamic content, in particular high performance real-time 3D.
Ajax3D combines the power of X3D, the standard for real-time 3D on the web, with the ease of use and ubiquity of Ajax. Ajax3D employs the X3D Scene Access Interface (SAI)—the X3D equivalent of the DOM— to control 3D worlds via Javascript. With the simple addition of an X3D plugin to today’s web browsers, we can bring the awesome power of video game technology to the everyday web experience. The initial development has begun. Media Machines has created the first showcase applications and tutorials, and has launched a web site, www.ajax3d.org, as an open industry forum to explore technologies, techniques and best practices.
Tony Parisi is a technology pioneer and accomplished entrepreneur at the forefront of new media. Tony is co-author of the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), the ISO standard for 3D graphics on the World Wide Web, and is widely recognized as an expert in standards, technologies and emerging markets for interactive rich media. Tony is currently a contributing editor of Extensible 3D Graphics (X3D), the successor to VRML as the ISO standard for 3D graphics.
There are no pre-requisites, anybody that wants to discover or learn more about how to take advantage of COLLADA immediately. The second section will focus on advanced techniques.
· Asset interchange using Maya, 3DS Max and Softimage|XSI
· Photoshop CS3 extended
· Shader authoring using FX Composer 2
· COLLADA and Game Engines
· Google Earth
· COLLADA Refinery
· COLLADA and XNA
Break
· COLLADA Goals and accomplishments
· COLLADA business
· COLLADA and X3D
· COLLADA FX (effects)
· COLLADA Physics
· COLLADA XML Design Philosophy
· COLLADA Road map
The aim of the tutorial is twofold: to discuss methods and technologies designed to achieve intellectual transparency in 3D visualization outcomes (particularly for Multimedia and Internet applications) and to define a working framework based on widely accepted standards. The organisers of the tutorial will present their experiences matured within the frame of the EU-funded EPOCH Network of Excellence (www.epoch-net.org), in particular debates over technological and methodological standards for 3D Cultural Heritage objects (Collada, X3D and 3D scenegraphs), semantic interoperability of 3D outcomes (use of CIDOC-CRM and XML) and the evaluation of their scientific reliability. Consequently, the London Charter, an initiative that aims to define the basic principles for the use of 3d visualization methods in order to ensure intellectual integrity, reliability, transparency, and concerning documentation, standards, sustainability and access, will be presented.
Andrea D‘Andrea is lecturer at the Università degli Studi di Napoli L‘Orientale, Faculty of Arts. Since 1990 he is involved as archaeologist, database manager, and GIS analyst in several archaeological projects at archaeological sites Southern Italy (Pontecagnano, Cuma) and abroad (Ethiopia, Jordan, Yemen). He was Co-organizer and scientific responsible of the 1st National Workshop on Computational Archaeology œ Naples-Florence 1999 and Chair of the International Conference CAA2004 —Beyond the Artifact œ Digital Interpretation of the Past“, held in Prato in April 2004 (session: GIS and Intrasite Spatial Analysis).
Hugh Denard is Associate Director of the King's Visualisation Lab (http://www.kvl.cch.kcl.ac.uk) in the Centre for Computing in the Humanities at King's College, London. He also directs the Secretariat of The London Charter for the Use of 3D Visualisation in the Research and Dissemination of Cultural Heritage (http://www.londoncharter.org) and is Managing Director of the UK's 3D Visualisation in the Arts Network http://www.viznet.ac.uk/3dvisa).
Sven Havemann graduated in computer graphics from Bonn (Germany), PhD at TU Braunschweig, now senior researcher with Prof. D.W. Fellner at TU Graz. His main research interests are generative 3D modeling and shape semantics, i.e., to establish a connection between a shape and its "meaning". Active in cultural heritage informatics since the FP5- project Charismatic, he is sub-area co-ordinator for "visualisation & rendering" in the FP6-NoE EPOCH (Excellence in PrOcessing Cultural Heritage).
Sorin Hermon received in 2003 his PhD in Archaeology from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, where he taught courses related to human evolution, introduction to prehistory, theory and methodology of archaeological research and computer applications to archaeology. Since 1999 he is working as a researcher at VAST-Lab, PIN, University of Florence, a laboratory specializing in ICT applied research to Cultural Heritage. His main fields of interest are theoretical and methodological issues related to visualization and 3D modelling applications to archaeology, fuzzy logic concepts applied to archaeology, socio-economic processes in the prehistory of the Southern Levant and lithic studies.
Franco Nioccolucci is professor at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Florence and the head of the VAST-Lab research laboratory at PIN scrl. With a degree in Mathematics, he started working on Cultural Heritage applications in 1996. He has been the director of the computing sector in several archaeological excavation or survey projects and has directed the participation of PIN in research projects since 2000 (PRISMA, The Labyrinth of Chiusi, ECHO-CAST, EPOCH).
Karina Rodriguez-Echavarria is a research officer at the University of Brighton since 2004. She currently conducts research in the Novel Interfaces Laboratory in the area of real time display of complex 3D virtual environments. She obtained her computer science degree from the ITESM- Mexico in 1999 and completed her PhD at the University of Wolverhampton-UK in the area of knowledge-based engineering systems in 2005. Her research interests include the use of ICT for Cultural Heritage, specially the area of visualisation of interactive 3D virtual environments and their usability.
ACM SIGGRAPH