New out of Google Labs is O3D – an open-source web API for creating rich, interactive 3D applications in the browser. The API is in it early stages aimed at being part of a conversation with the broader developer community about establishing an open web standard for 3D graphics.
The video below provides some insights:
Having Google do ‘Web 3D’ is intriguing, we have been down the embedded path before with VRML, Metacreations, X3D etc all sadly well before their time. Perhaps Google is well placed to push Web 3D, that said we got excited about the Google multiuser world as well and that was pulled.
See http://code.google.com/apis/o3d/ for full details.
Aras Pranckevicius made an interesting post comparing O3D and Unity here:
http://aras-p.info/blog/2009/05/05/google-o3d-its-going-to-be-interesting/
Unity is being used for lots of stuff, right now. Cartoon Networks made their fullblown MMO FusionFall as a 3D in-browser game with Unity ( http://www.fusionfall.com ), and many indie game developers use it too, to create games such as Off-Road Velociraptor Safari and RC Laser Warrior. It’s also interesting how Google’s Beach Demo looks similar to Unity’s vast Tropical Paradise Demo (except this one is a huge island and has collision physics):
http://unity3d.com/gallery/live-demos/tropical-paradise
VRML and X3D have been there for 15 years and are widely use.
Google should rather contrinute to these open standards rather than waste lots of time and money on their own (like they did with Lively) rather than build on what has already proven reliable.
vrml and x3d are NOT widely “use”… sorry.
Why Google use Firefox instead of Chrome?