Google Brings 3D To Web With Open Source Plugin

maxheadroom writes "Google has released an open source browser plugin that provides a JavaScript API for displaying 3D graphics in web content. Google hopes that the project will promote experimentation and help advance a collaborative effort with the Khronos Group and Mozilla to create open standards for 3D on the web. Google's plugin offers its own retained-mode graphics API, called O3D, which takes a different approach from a similar browser plugin created by Mozilla. Google's plugin is cross-platform compatible and works with several browsers. In an interview with Ars Technica, Google product manager Henry Bridge and engineering director Matt Papakipos say that Google's API will eventually converge with Mozilla's as the technology matures. The search giant hopes to bring programs like SketchUp and Google Earth to the browser space."

Comments

vrml

[colmore]

So was there ever a single useful thing done in vrml?

I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm really curious.

Re:VRML

[daemonburrito]

Man... I thought we covered this with the last story related to the proposed Khronos 3d api. This is nothing like VRML. It is a javascript api to use graphics hardware.

Nothing to do with markup of any kind (aside from the xml in Collada, which is not necessarily part of the standard). Ugh.

Re:vrml

[Unending]

There are things I would like to see in 3D and I do think the capability to embed 3D objects is a useful step.
Off the top of my head:
-google earth in a browser.
-games are always a target for tech like this.
-any sort of 3d visualization of data that would benefit from non static viewing.

That said I disagree with how they made this, conceptually I prefer the 3D context for the canvas tag.

Re:vrml

[lahvak]

So that I don't have to make my multivariable calculus students download and install new applications on their computers, so that I don't have to convince the IT folks at our school to install bunch of new applications that only a handful of students will use in the labs and classrooms, and I don't have to find an application that would run on all of my students' computers, whichever OS they use, the labs that mostly run windows, and my linux laptop.

Re:vrml

[dunng808]

There is no shortage of boobs posting on /.

Re:vrml

[SanityInAnarchy]

Compare Youtube videos to a native video player, the native option is much better.

Mostly because YouTube is based on Flash, and there currently aren't any major video sites using the video tag. I'd suggest that the video tag would be much better.

That's what self extracting installers are for, and you should be able to install to your home directory. If not, that's a packaging issue that's easy to deal with.

Unless they've also locked it down with something like noexec.

there's nothing stopping an app from being self updating.

True, but autoupdate is one of many things a browser / web-based application gives you "for free".

Another one is navigation. No reason a native app can't have hyperlinks back/forward buttons, and history, but why reinvent the wheel?

Another is extensibility. Without really doing much, you're probably still allowing people to write Greasemonkey scripts for your app.

Another is the refresh button. Complete reboot + autoupdate all in one.

Another is extreme portability -- native players may be better than YouTube, but it's difficult finding a machine that won't play YouTube out of the box. VLC isn't a terribly big download, but it's still an inconvenience, especially on machines where such things aren't allowed.

Another is security. Trusting one plugin to add 3D support is considerably safer than trusting every single application you might want to download that might want to render 3D. The browser is necessarily a sandbox, which means you don't have to set up a more complex one (like a chroot or a virtual machine).

The list goes on. You may not like the platform, but there are advantages to having an open standard portable platform. In fact, the browser is fulfilling the promise of Java so many years ago -- compile once, run anywhere.

I would say, if you don't like doing everything in the browser, and there's a specific reason you don't like it, improve it. That's what happened here, I'm sure -- Google doesn't like doing Google Earth in the browser, because the browser has no 3D. So they've improved the browser.

Re:vrml

[drinkypoo]

OK, why would any of those be better in the browser instead of as a native application?

No install, cross-platform.

Finally

[geekoid]

goatse will be worth looking at~

Re:Finally

[Locke2005]

"When you stare into the abyss the abyss stares back at you." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

For some reason, goatse.cx always reminds me of that quote...

Re:Ugh. Again.

[aristotle-dude]

The 3d web doesn't work. What "problem" are they trying to fix? That's the main reason it keeps failing.

-- incubus

I know that this is slashdot but did you not read the summary? This could allow for Google Earth to function in a similar way to how Microsoft virtual earth 3D does within IE without need for a fat client on the desktop. The main difference would be that it would be more open and cross platform/browser compatible.

Show some respect

[Anonymous Coward]

I give Google credit for creating open source software, but I'm personally getting tired of the half implementation for Linux. I mean here is a company who has used Linux as the foundation for their internal use and they can't even muster up a deb or rpm package for their product, let alone 64 bit Linux support. Wtf Google.

Show some respect to the community.

VRML and X3D

[DragonWriter]

It's been done...

...And done again. The problem isn't having a way to communicate 3D content with the browser in a form which supports interaction, the problem is coming up with something worth using it for.

Re:VRML and X3D

[hack slash]

the problem is coming up with something worth using it for.

Google StreetView 3D.

Or as it will probably (hopefully) be eventually known as: Grand Theft Auto: Streets of Google

SVG

[SpaceToast]

Speaking as an animator and web developer, I'd rather see this effort on the part of Google and Mozilla put into 3D SVG. It would eliminate the need for yet another plugin, allow direct DOM access, and facilitate the mixing of 3d with other page elements.

Or maybe I just want Lain's web experience...

Seems like people are missing the point.

[slimjim8094]

This, and the canvas/video tag (if implemented widely) and fast Javascript (V8/Spidermonkey) will kill flash.

Flat out kill it. It might take a little while, but before long it will die out as soon as comparable dev tools pop up (and they will, because it's open).

I have a feeling this will be big - not XMLHttpRequest big, but not too far off. Need proof that this will succeed? Look at the hacky ways this has been done - Javascript raytracers, animated GIFs, writing software renderers in Flash - and tell me that people won't utilize a proper alternative when it arises.