OpenSim is a Virtual World platform (refer to AI 70) and had been selected by 3Di to develop its own own version of the client-based OpenSim last year.
3Di (http://3di.jp/en/index.html)is betting that a Web browser can help expand interest in its vision of universal, open access virtual worlds, the “Interverse.”
Towards that end, 3Di OpenViewer, it is building a browser-based, open-source viewer for 3D virtual worlds, beginning with 3Di OpenSim and OpenSim proper with work already in place to connect to Second Life as well.
The project is still in an early stage of development with an eye toward launching in Q1 2009 with more project information being released as the code matures.
OpenViewer is designed to allow commercial rendering engines to plug in as well as allowing for change at the communications protocol layer to expand to non-Second-Life-based worlds.
“3Di OpenViewer is currently a work in progress,” explained Lin. “It does not recreate exactly the functions of the separate client viewers, but we also don't think it's necessary to exactly reproduce the existing viewers' behavior. Some of the design decisions of existing viewers can be improved (e.g., support for mesh-based avatars, arbitrary 3D model data, or better rendering techniques), so we're moving in that direction. We started by developing the basic framework: an optimized C library for network communications, the necessary architecture for the browser plug-in, and using shader-based rendering techniques.”
OpenViewer runs on a plug-in and is limited right now to Internet Explorer on Windows machines, but Lin believes that’s still an improvement over traditional clients.
“Virtual worlds still have low penetration compared to the 2D WWW and 2D browsing,” Lin explained. “There are currently a lot of efforts from many virtual world providers to develop in-browser viewing solutions, so I think we're on the right track here. I think that in-browser virtual world viewing allows instant gratification and lowers the psychological adoption barrier, especially for casual users; one click and you're in the virtual world. Also our in-browser viewer can collaborate very well with well-known 2D web technology. So 3Di OpenViewer can provide users with one more additional powerful IT business tool.”
