Everything is going 3d

[Tia Carr Williams]

It is clear that internet-ready, real-time 3D softwares are progressively penetrating traditional industries and consumer markets. According to DoItin3d 'Information technology is increasingly enhanced by real-time 3D functionality, due to:
the:trend towards digitization and the growth in software utilization for commercial projects and consumer products,
maturation and adoption of future-proof ISO standards
enhanced visualization on cutting-edge displays
increasing usage of sophisticated graphics in the communication transfer of information
the growing demand for interactive technologies
a rapid dissemination of high-performance consumer hardware and broadband Internet access.'
and there's no doubt this is the case.

What do members feel will be the tipping point for 3d usage and what benefits will consumers enjoy? A greater sense of collaboration and participatory experiences? How will these experiences change the way we interact?

[KatsBits]

It's kind of interesting how discussions like this always separate "3D/experiences" from the hardware required to render it, so the more 'sophisticated' the experience is trying to be the greater the demand on the hardware necessary to render it resulting in lower tolerance level of users.

In other words, you could have the coolest VW/online something-or-other but if a users experience using it was handicapped by their PC hardware they will simply stop using it. So that quote is something of a false positive.

[Tia Carr Williams]

Ken,

Don't you think that is going to drive a requirement for better performing PC's. Clearly at the beginning of any transition cycle there are impediments but they drive consumer demands that accelerate the demand necessities. It may be a 'false positive' today..but not futuristically.

[KatsBits]

Each new phase/cycle drives demand only with a small hardcore user base (probably less than 10%), they're pretty much the only ones that are interested in what 3D truly has to offer and that's not because of experience itself.

In other words, there's no such thing as 'future proofed' technology with regards to 3D (turning that 'false positive' into a 'positive positive') because the wider consumer base is always 1 or 2 generations behind in terms of the hardware required to run it - never mind the understanding required to use it, and I say both backed up by my years of experience as a PC tech support chap; it's only really the 'hard core' that can, and they seem to be in it for the sake of the technologies involved, wanting to be 'bleeding edge'.

Take a look at the gaming fraternity as an example, that actually drives 3D development and yet with regards to PCs the user base is frustrated with the requirements they need to play games they way they should be played and this seems to become 'worse' as engine generations improve; consoles have a better bounce back but they're not really that friendly in terms of 'playing' with things that involve overt communication (they aren't design for it).

VWs should be about a wider and sustained user experience and not about competing graphically with the likes of Unreal Tournament 3 or Crysis, it's a lost cause from the get-go thinking like that, especially when you then add UGC to the equation.

[Ken Rigby (Tele3DWorld/MellaniuM/InterVerzaL)]

We only create VRWs on UE3/CE2 if the customer wants sweat on the brow, etc. Anyway it dumbs down the performance automatically to suit the graphics cards. We use UE2.5 for mainstream VR worlds as most PC/MAC/Linux m/c can easily handle the multi-user and hi poly/textures.
UT3 can do HD video within a VRW.

[Ken Rigby (Tele3DWorld/MellaniuM/InterVerzaL)]

Future of 3D Virtual Real Worlds: prediction.

Social networks with 3D Virtual Real Worlds (VRWs) from Tele3DWorld will increasingly drive and manage our virtual reality world and 3D environment experiences. As the 3D VRW technologies advance, and our social and work related networks become increasingly essential to our lives, we can expect MellaniuM Design VRWs to evolve using specialized design tools, where access, reputation, and interconnectedness occurs via a handful of our favourite participation platforms or launch points. As the number and purposes of virtual real worlds proliferate, busy people will use them for information and goal-specific immersion (for entertainment, socializing, collaboration, education, shopping, exploration, etc.) managed through tomorrow's increasingly intelligent social software and 3D-enhanced engine platforms. We can see social networks being incorporated in tomorrow's 3D engines and VRW sites, so that community will be the foundation of online experiences. Avatars will represent your presence in the VRW and will present your personality footprint characteristics to other users also represented as Avatars.

Head mounted Displays (HMDs) and 3D monitors will boon with the onset of MellaniuM Designs VRW applications for virtual reality. 3D Environments for travel, education, and social networks will benefit enormously from HMDs and Spatially Immersive Displays (SIDs); for 360 deg., vision and sound will become compelling and addictive. Porting from one VRW to another VRW will become a pastime for both user and viewer. However, there are some minor drawbacks to using HMDs while navigating physical space around the home (eating food, interacting with friends in the same room, etc.); but being able to go to your virtual local pub and meet with your friends relations from around the world will certainly compensate. SIDs, 3D Monitors, and HMDs, are likely to gain fast adoption as prices drop in the coming years. A low cost SID that covers three walls of the living room seems an archetypal advance for immersive 3D Experiences and virtual real worlds, one that will achieve market adoption by 2010.

See http://www.mellanium.com or http://skype:joe133952 for a demonstration.

Copyright © Ken Rigby for MellaniuM Design and Tele3DWorld

All Rights Reserved

[Ryker]

I think someting like Flash 3d.. papervision 3d.... is a step in a great direction!
flash.. well...its safe to assume everyone has it.
so...if 3d is displayed within flash..then more people get to see web3d, interact with it,...
without this psychological burden of joining yet another social club etc.

Tipping point is a very interesting term.... I think perhaps that the cup will tip over many times!

However.... one of the first tipping points has ALREady occured: second Life.

Undeniably, second life is a master at marketing.

[KatsBits]

I don't trust Flash anymore. Aside from it's 3D support is very resource/CPU intensive, ever since Adobe bought out Macromedia the quality of the media player seems has gone down.

[Ryker]

I've always liked flash...good for sound and movies and buttons.....The flash 3d I have tried is excellent and allows you to manoouver in a 3d environment, and there are panoramic flash too.
(pano 3d is one of the best and easiest ways to enjoy web3d and also is an easy way
for a newbies brain to realize the 3d effect.)
It works fine on my computer but my computer is pretty current and I also use a broadband connection. I don't think quality of flash has ever gone down. What I have seen is a decline
in the number of sites who use flash as a total interactive web experience that involves
a lot of load time, and very little interactive time, and I don't really miss that.

In addition, the flash files I have seen are very simple to use (very tiny learning curve)... unlike almost
all of the web3d environments.

[Ken Rigby (Tele3DWorld/MellaniuM/InterVerzaL)]

Its not 3D if you cannot 'explore' the environment....its not 3D if the navigation is predetermined... its not 3D if its a 'Movie' its not 3D if its not interactive... its not 3D if its a Panorama... How many meeting have I been to with prospective clients and they tell me that they already have 3D!
SL suffers from having little detail; artifacts aren't realistic, you have to have quite a good imagination. However, the SL hype is creating interest in real 3D environments which has got to be a good thing for the future. We have the technology so why not use it. The future is 3D just like Real Life.

[Ken Rigby (Tele3DWorld/MellaniuM/InterVerzaL)]