Approved: Web3D Board of Directors: 15 April 2007
Revised: 12 February 2007

Vision and Mission

• Vision. Make it easier to create and use 3D spatial data.
• Mission. Promote spatial data use within X3D via open architectures.

Motivation

The Extensible 3D (X3D) Earth project will create a standards-based 3D visualization infrastructure for visualizing all manner of real-world objects and information constructs in a geospatial context. Archivability of models using stable commercial tools and noncommercial international standards will ensure that 3D work can remain accessible and repeatable for many years to come.

• Public and government assets need to be openly available over long term, indefinitely
• Huge investment in data preparation, future rework/rewrite may not be possible
• Archiving and availability are essential prerequisites for many groups
• New spatial capabilities become possible, including Semantic Web and search-based applications

Goals

The X3D Earth Working Group will use the Web architecture, XML languages, and open protocols to build a standards-based X3D Earth specification usable by governments, industry, scientists, academia, and the general public. X3D-Earth efforts encompass client-side, server-side, authoring, and conversion technologies. Specific technical objectives include:

• Build a backdrop X3D model of planet Earth
• Use publicly and privately available terrain datasets
• Use publicly and privately available imagery and cartography
• X3D technologies will be applied to maximize interoperability among spatially aware implementations
• Provide linkable locations for any place
• Provide hooks for physical models
• Use open standards, extensions and process
• Define functionality in a platform-independent manner

Results

• Determining technical requirements and overall scope of metadata requirements.
• Scoping group deliverables, products, and specifications, also identifying complementary standards.
• Enable and provide for compliant applications, converters and (especially) server-side implementations.
  • Candidate server-side requirements include preparation of content,
  • interlocking/addressable URL schemes, ability to add new X3D Earth content, ability to efficiently mirror resources, streaming of relevant X3D Earth data, etc.
  • Coordinate the establishment of multiple interoperable implementations, including at least one open-source implementation
  • Multiple example datasets for each capability, including at least one publicly-available dataset
  • Provide technical support for both distributed and local operation
• Coordinate with X3D Working Group and User Interface Working Group to ensure compatibiliy and coherent extensibility of X3D specifications
• Provide detailed goals for a phased rollout of X3D Earth products, with twice-yearly release milestones and demonstrations
• Execute a broad strategy for deployment, dissemination and outreach, diffusion of innovation, and widespread adoption.
• Produce formal specifications for Consortium and partner-organization review, followed by formal ISO standardization.

Participation

Primary X3D Earth efforts are coordinated and performed within the "safe haven" of a Web3D Consortium working group. This is the follow-on effort to the Web3D Geospatial Working Group. Working Group Cochairs

• Don Brutzman, Naval Postgraduate School MOVES Institute
• Mike McCann, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)

Web3D Consortium members include commercial companies, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, academic institutions and individual professionals. Liaisons Liaison efforts are very important to ensure that successful results are interoperable with existing and future infrastructures for the Web and the international geospatial community.

• Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)
• World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
• The Synthetic Environment Data Representation & Interchange Standards (SEDRIS) Organization
• International Standards Organization (ISO) JTC1/SC24

Group Decision-Making Process

Consensus or voting? There are important reasons for each. Past experience in Web3D working groups has shown that the best products result from determining requirements, proposing technical solutions, building consensus through results and ultimately standardization of results. Implementation and evaluation of multiple compatible solutions is essential. Participants have agreed to follow the usual consensus-based approach that has succeeded so well for X3D. Voting remains a helpful technique for assessing whether consensus has been achieved.

Intellectual Property Considerations

Primary X3D Earth efforts will be coordinated and performed within the "safe haven" of a Web3D Consortium working group. Working group members agree to follow the Web3D Consortium Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy.

• All patent encumbrances must be predeclared prior to working group scrutiny.
• There is a strong preference for only including royalty Free (RF) technology.
• Patented submissions used in a final specification typically fall under a reciprocal license.