X3D Gains Momentum as Octaga and Demicron Join the Web3D Consortium Demonstrations at SIGGRAPH 2006

The Web3D Consortium is pleased to announce that Octaga AS, a major provider of authoring and viewing tools for X3D and MPEG-4 ISO standards, and Demicron AB, a leading developer of interactive Java-based rich media solutions for the Web, have joined the Web3D Consortium to assist in developing and promoting the X3D specification. The Web3D Consortium will showcase these technologies as well as other commercial and open source X3D projects at the SIGGRAPH 2006 Tech Talks.

X3D is an ISO-ratified open standard 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 applications on the web or on any network device from cell phones to supercomputers. X3D has a rich set of componentized features including geometry, behavioral modeling, interactivity, spatialized audio & video, and networking, that can tailored for use in engineering, CAD, medicine, training, entertainment, education, and more. X3D supports several file format encodings and programming languages, providing unsurpassed interoperability for 3D data and significant flexibility in manipulating, communicating and displaying scenes interactively, with support for 3D, text, images, audio and video.

Octaga offers a line of authoring and viewing solutions for interactive 3D (X3D, VRML and MPEG-4) and is in use by ½ million users world-wide, with strong market penetration in construction, engineering, maritime and offshore sectors. They also recently announced they are developing an X3D plug-in for Adobe Acrobat that will enable 3D visualization and augmented reality embedded in PDF documents.

's8220;We have joined the Web3D Consortium to participate in the development of X3D as an important part of Octaga'ss strategy is to leverage industry standards as key components of our products,'s8221; said Ola Ødegård, CEO, Octaga AS. Our customers have long been in the video presentation world on one side, and in the CAD world on the other. Using Octaga and real-time X3D they can now take control of their own data in an open ISO file format, to integrate CAD models, 2D text overlays, and video into one seamless presentation.

Demicron offers the WireFusion authoring and playback solution which lets developers integrate 3D, 2D, video, audio and Flash into interactive presentations for use on the Web without the need for any plug-ins. It has been used in sales and product marketing by Sony, Motorola, Canon, Casio, Epson, Omega and Mitsubishi.

's8220;Every day, hundreds of programmers, web developers and 3D artists use WireFusion to easily create stunning interactive Web3D presentations and combine them with audio and streaming video. As we work with the Consortium to support the full Interactive Profile for X3D, we expect the projects where developers and artists use WireFusion will expand even further 's8221; said Stefano de Carolis, CEO of Demicron. 's8220;Technologies such as X3D and Java enable exciting new interactive experiences that are becoming an integral part of our everyday life.'s8220;

The Web3D Consortium also announced that they are working closely with the W3C ( World Wide Web Consortium). Both organizations develop interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the Web and Internet to its full potential. Open standards and the focus on communication and collaboration among people and applications are what defines the W3C'ss XML specification and the Web3D Consortium'ss X3D XML encoding. The Web3D Consortium is also highly active in the XML Binary Characterization Working Group.

Open Source X3D projects:
In addition to commercial projects, many Web3D Consortium professional, academic, and company members are developing open source projects using X3D.

- Xj3D is a Java-based toolkit and X3D browser for creating X3D-compliant products. This is the reference implementation used by the consortium for prototyping new extensions and evaluating features. It is highly componetized and can be used as the basis to develop lightweight X3D applications.

- FreeWRL is a VRML/X3D browser for Mac OS X and Linux with support for Javascript interfacing, the External Authoring Interface (EAI), and the X3D Scene Authoring Interface (SAI).

- Rawkee is an X3D plug-in for Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited to export Maya'ss 3D data as an X3D file with scripting as a complete X3D authoring environment through RawKee'ss Interaction, Character, and Animation editors.

- http://www.h3d.org/ [h3D is an X3D and OpenGL-based Haptic (touch sensitive) API for multi-sensory visualization and computer virtual reality environments.

- X3DToolkit is a portable LGPL free C++ toolkit for loading, displaying and processing the X3D scenegraph and models. Included example applications include an X3D viewer and mesh editor.

- libx3d is a set of libraries and tools to work with XML X3D data/files and rendering using OpenGL.

- The Planet Earth Project is a web3D interactive, extensible, full-scale earth map created and annotated by the public (think 3D google + world wiki). It is based on a framework and tools for translating geospatial data to different formats including images and multiresolution models for X3D or VRML web browsing.

- GPAC is a multimedia framework based on the MPEG-4 Systems standard (ISO/IEC 14496-1) that integrates SVG/SMIL, VRML, X3D, SWF, 3GPP(2) tools


X3D Presentations at SIGGRAPH 2006 Tech Talk - Wednesday, 2 August, 3:30 - 5:30 pm:
Working with the X3D open standard technologies, industry leading companies and open source developers alike, are defining new ways to incorporate interactive 3D in many kinds of applications. Several of these developers will showcase their work at the SIGGRAPH 2006 Tech Talks .
Presenters will include Bitmanagement, Demicron, Digital Archive Network for Anthropology and World Heritage, EDF (Electricite De France) R&D, L-3, Media Machines, Octaga, Planet 9, Planet-earth.org SenseGraphics H3D, vcom3D, and Yumetech.

About Octaga AS:
Octaga AS is based in Oslo, Norway and was established 2001 as a spin-off company from Telenor. Octaga is today a major manufacturer of 3D viewing software products for industries such as oil and gas, construction, engineering and maritime. Octaga Player/Professional viewers for interactive 3D (X3D, VRML and MPEG-4) are in use by ½ million users world-wide. Octaga focuses on providing visualization solutions for industrial customers including: FMC Technologies; Statoil; Hydro; Vetco; IKEA and Rambøll Group. More information at: http://www.octaga.com

About Demicron AB:
Demicron develops easy-to-use and high quality Java software solutions for Web graphics. Founded in 1996, Demicron is a leading developer of advanced product simulation tools for the Web. Demicron distributes its products to more than 40 countries around the world, with customers including Motorola, Sony, AT&T, NASA, Lockheed Martin, Siemens, Casio, Epson, OMEGA, Swatch, Bang&Olufsen, Mitsubishi and Matsushita Electric Works. The company is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. More information at: http://www.demicron.com

About the Web3D Consortium:
The Web3D Consortium is a member-funded industry consortium committed to the creation and deployment of open, royalty-free standards that enable the communication of real-time 3D across applications, networks, and XML web services. The Consortium works closely with the ISO, MPEG and W3C standardization bodies to maximize market opportunities for its membership. All Consortium members are empowered to participate and vote in Consortium working groups and are able to accelerate the delivery of their cutting-edge 3D platforms and applications through access to specification drafts and conformance tests before public deployment. More information on the Consortium and Consortium membership is available at http://www.web3d.org




X3D Gains Momentum as Octaga and Demicron Join the Web3D Consortium Demonstrations at SIGGRAPH 2006



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