The
Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) and the
Web3D Consortium have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to cooperatively advance standards to support web-based 3D visualization, modeling and simulation.
In a prepared statement, Mark Reichardt, President of the OGC explains, “The OGC membership, working with ISO TC/211 and other standards groups, has helped to make standards-based interoperable geospatial services a reality on the Web. This agreement will enable OGC and Web3D to work more cooperatively on the development and promotion of standards for improved application of web-based, location enabled 3D visualization, modeling and simulation.”
Among the benefits that the two consortia say will derive from this collaboration will be improved standards-based, location enabled 3D web services to support urban planning; architecture, engineering and construction; climate prediction, homeland security, emergency management, defense and intelligence, and other capabilities.
Alan Hudson, President of Web 3D, notes, “The OGC and the Web3D Consortium envision the synthesis of 2D maps with content-rich 3D immersive worlds. To that end, we believe the incorporation of interactive, Internet-based 3D graphics is the next logical step that will benefit users with a richer, more meaningful geospatial experience.”
The OGC is an international industry consortium of more than 335 companies, government agencies, research organizations, and universities participating in a consensus process to develop open interface specifications. OpenGIS Specifications support interoperable solutions that “geo-enable” the Web, location-based services, and mainstream IT. The specifications empower technology developers to make complex spatial information and services accessible and useful with all kinds of applications.
The Web3D Consortium is a non-profit, international standards organization that originally spearheaded the development of the VRML 1.0 and 2.0 specifications. Today it drives the development of the X3D specification, for communicating 3D on the Web, between applications and across distributed networks and web services.
--RSN