The VRML representation is the same as VRML § Example, except that the version numbers are changed to reflect the latest X3D standard (#X3D V4.0 utf8). An identifying DEF name is also applied as a node identifier (id).
For JSON and binary formats, see Web3D for a list of tools.2
There are several applications, most of which are open-source software,3 which natively parse and interpret X3D files, including the 3D graphics and animation editor Blender4 and the Sun Microsystems virtual world client Project Wonderland.5 An X3D applet is a software program that runs within a web browser and displays content in 3D, using OpenGL 3D graphics technology to display X3D content in several different browsers (IE, Safari, Firefox) across several different operating systems6 (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux). However, X3D has not received as wide acceptance as that of other, more notable software applications.
In the 2000s, many companies such as Bitmanagement improved the quality level of virtual effects in X3D to the quality level of DirectX 9.0c, but at the expense of using proprietary solutions. All main features including game modeling are already complete. They include multi-pass render with low level setting for Z-buffer, BlendOp, AlphaOp, Stencil,7 Multi-texture,8 Shader with HLSL and GLSL support,9 real-time Render To Texture, Multi Render Target (MRT) and post-processing.10 Many demos shows that X3D already supports lightmap, normal mapping, SSAO, CSM and real-time environment reflection along with other virtual effects.11
Striving to become the 3D standard for the Web, X3D is designed to be as integrated into HTML5 pages as other XML standards such as MathML and SVG. X3DOM is a proposed syntax model and its implementation as a script library12 that demonstrates how this integration can be achieved without a browser plugin, using only WebGL and JavaScript.13
X3D defines several profiles (sets of components) for various levels of capability including X3D Core, X3D Interchange, X3D Interactive, X3D CADInterchange, X3D Immersive, and X3D Full. Browser makers can define their own component extensions prior to submitting them for standardisation by the Web3D Consortium. Formal review and approval is then performed by ISO/IEC.
Liaison and cooperation agreements are also in place between the Web3D Consortium and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) and the Khronos Group.
A subset of X3D is XMT-A, a variant of XMT, defined in MPEG-4 Part 11. It was designed to provide a link between X3D and 3D content in MPEG-4 (BIFS).14
The abstract specification for X3D (ISO/IEC 19775) was first approved by the ISO in 2004. The XML and ClassicVRML encodings for X3D (ISO/IEC 19776) were first approved in 2005.15
Paul Festa and John Borland (19 May 2005). "Is a 3D web more than just empty promises?". CNET News.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20091112200449/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39199121,00.htm ↩
"X3D to JSON Stylesheet Converter". www.web3d.org. https://www.web3d.org/x3d/stylesheets/X3dToJson.html#Tools ↩
"X3D Open Source Projects". Web3d.org. Retrieved 2010-02-23. Archived February 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. http://www.web3d.org/x3d/opensource/ ↩
Blender Model Export to X3D https://savage.nps.edu/X3D-Edit/BlenderExportToX3d.html ↩
"Project Wonderland". Research.sun.com. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2010-02-23. Archived July 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. http://research.sun.com/spotlight/2008/2008-08-19_project_wonderland.html ↩
"X3D applet". Members.shaw.ca. Retrieved 2010-02-23. Archived September 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. http://www.web3d.org/message_boards/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2080&start=0 ↩
"BS Contact DrawGroup". www.bitmanagement.com. Retrieved 10 September 2023. https://www.bitmanagement.com/developer/contact/examples/multitexture/drawgroup.html ↩
"Multitexturing". Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100712005624/http://www.web3d.org/x3d/specifications/ISO-IEC-19775-1.2-X3D-AbstractSpecification/Part01/components/texturing.html#Multitexturing ↩
"Programmable shaders component". Archived from the original on 12 July 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100712002450/http://www.web3d.org/x3d/specifications/ISO-IEC-19775-1.2-X3D-AbstractSpecification/Part01/components/shaders.html ↩
"BS Contact - Version 7.2 Release Notes". www.bitmanagement.com. Retrieved 10 September 2023. https://www.bitmanagement.com/developer/contact/relnotes72.html ↩
"m17design - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 10 September 2023. https://www.youtube.com/user/m17design ↩
"- x3dom.org". Retrieved 10 September 2023. https://www.x3dom.org/ ↩
X3D and HTML5: X3DOM proposal, Web3D wiki. Archived October 26, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. http://www.web3d.org/x3d/wiki/index.php/X3D_and_HTML5#X3DOM_proposal ↩
"X3D Interactive, X3D MPEG4 Interactive Profile Comparison" (PDF). web3d.org. Retrieved 10 September 2023. http://www.web3d.org/specifications/X3dNodeInventoryComparison-X3dInteractiveMpeg4Interactive.pdf ↩
X3D FAQ – "What is the status of the X3D specification?" Archived July 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on November 30, 2007. http://www.web3d.org/about/faq/#process-3 ↩