Introductory slidesets for Getting Started and X3D-Edit Update describe good ways to begin learning and authoring X3D. The supporting Chapter 1 slideset, course videos (NPS, YouTube) and the complete Chapter 1 Technical Overview for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com. All of these examples were created using the X3D-Edit authoring tool.

A published paper "Computer Graphics Teaching Support using X3D" describes how X3D is used to teach introductory 3D in university courses. Together these assets can be used to learn X3D.

• Empty Scene
• Empty Scene Core Profile
• Header Profile Component Unit Meta Example
• Hello Scene Graph Structure
• Hello Triangle
• Hello World
• new Scene

• Box Example
• Cone Example
• Cylinder Example
• Geometry Primitive Nodes
• Geometry Primitive Nodes White Background
• Geometry Primitive Substitute Meshes
• Sphere Example
• Text Have Fun With X3D
• Text Length Max Extent
• Text Special Characters

Grouping nodes help to organize the scene graph, can establish relative coordinate systems, and can contain most other kinds of X3D nodes.

Grouping nodes include the Anchor, Billboard, Collision, Group, StaticGroup, Switch and Transform nodes. The Inline node is also similar since it adds nodes into the current scene that loaded from another X3D scene, retrieved via a local or online url address.

The supporting Chapter 3 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

Also available: X3D Scene Authoring Hints for Coordinate Systems, Inline Scenes, Scale Factors and URL Links.

• Bounding Box Illustration
• Coordinate Axes
• Coordinate Axes Inline Example
• Coordinate Axes Lines
• Coordinate Axes NSEW
• Group Animated
• Group Example
• Inline Kelp Forest
• LODExample
• Lod With Different Shapes
• Order Of Operations 1
• Order Of Operations 2
• Static Group Example
• Switch Example
• Transform Center Offset For Rotation
• Transform Example

Authors can design scenes to help users navigate to Viewpoints of interest, and also create user-selectable geometry links using an Anchor (just like HTML).

Viewpoint nodes are the primary means for users to explore a scene. NavigationInfo nodes enable different user-interaction styles (FLY, WALK, EXAMINE etc.) as appropriate. Only one Viewpoint and one NavigationInfo node can each be active a time, with order of selection controlled via a binding stack.

The supporting Chapter 4 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

Also available: X3D Scene Authoring Hints: Viewpoints and Navigation.

• Aliasing Example
• Anchor Comparison
• Anchor Example
• Billboard Example
• Binding Operations
• Collision Example
• Navigation Info Example
• Viewpoint Example

Appearance defines how color, material and texture images are applied as the visual characteristics of a shape.

Appearance is individually associated with specific geometry within a shared Shape node. Each Appearance is a container node that can include Material, TwoSidedMaterial, ImageTexture, MovieTexture, PixelTexture and MultiTexture nodes.

Appearance can also contain property nodes for controlling rendering and texture: FillProperties, LineProperties, TextureProperties, TextureTransform and MultiTextureTransform nodes.

The supporting Chapter 5 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

Also available: X3D Scene Authoring Hints for Images and Videos and URL Links.

• Ambient Intensity
• Circle Fish Prototype
• Circle Fish PTPrototype
• Diffuse Color
• Emissive Color
• Fill Properties Example
• Garibaldi
• Garibaldi Local Texture
• Garibaldi Remote
• Garibaldi Remote No Texture
• Geometry Primitive Nodes Image Texture
• Line Properties Example
• Movie Texture Authoring Options
• Pixel Texture BW
• Pixel Texture Component Examples
• Pixel Texture Example
• Pixel Texture Garibaldi
• Pixel Texture Snowman
• Pixel Texture Transform Scale
• Specular Color
• Table 5 18 Pixel Texture
• Texture Local Garibaldi
• Texture Remote Garibaldi
• Texture Transform Example
• Texture Transform Full
• Texture Transform Scale
• Texture Transform Translation
• Transparency
• Two Sided Material Example

• Color Example
• Color Per Vertex Examples
• Elevation Grid Non Planar Quadrilaterals
• Extrusion Cross Section ITSSPrototype
• Extrusion Cross Section Prototype
• Extrusion Pentagon
• Extrusion Pentagon Cross Section Itss
• Extrusion Pentagon Cross Section Itss Texture
• Extrusion Room Walls
• Indexed Face Set Example
• Indexed Line Set Example
• Line Set Comparison
• Line Set Example
• Point Set Example
• X3D Book Website Logo

• Circle Fish Position Interpolator
• Circle Fish Prototype
• Circle Fish PTPrototype
• Color Interpolator Example
• Color Interpolator Fish Prototype
• Coordinate Interpolator 2D Example
• Dolphin Morpher
• Dolphin Pose 01
• Dolphin Pose 02
• Dolphin Pose 03
• Dolphin Switcher
• Garibaldi
• Hello X3D Authors Animation Chain
• Motion Interpolator Fish Prototype
• Normal Interpolator Example
• Orientation Interpolator Fish Example
• Orientation Interpolator Fish Prototype
• Position Interpolator 2D Example
• Position Interpolator Prototype
• Position Orientation Interpolators Example
• Position Orientation Interpolators Example Traced
• Scalar Interpolator Example
• Scalar Interpolator Fish Example
• Scalar Interpolator Fish Prototype
• Time Sensor Chaining

A variety of sensors detect user interactivity with a scene, allowing authors to define animation responses in a device-independent, display-independent way.

User interactivity is accomplished by sensing user actions, which create events that are sent via ROUTE connections.

Sensor output values are produced by CylinderSensor, KeySensor, PlaneSensor, StringSensor and TouchSensor nodes.

The supporting Chapter 8 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

Authors can use a 10-step algorithm checklist (with example diagram) as an event-animation design pattern that helps build consistent event-routing chains. The supporting Chapter 7 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

The quick-reference sheet X3D Event Utility Nodes: Field Event Diagrams illustrates the functionality of the event utility nodes. These nodes receive and pass values that are sent via ROUTE connections.

• Cylinder Sensor Pump House
• Doors
• Key Sensor Lefty
• Plane Sensor Pump House
• Sphere Sensor Lefty
• String Sensor Example
• Touch Sensor Pump House
• User Interactivity Sensor Nodes

Event-utility nodes allow conversion and connection of different data types via ROUTEs, while Script nodes allow authors to write their own event-handling code for special scene capabilities.

Event utility nodes simplify data-type conversion of events when producing animation chains between nodes. These include BooleanFilter, BooleanSequencer, BooleanToggle, IntegerSequencer, IntegerTrigger, and TimeTrigger nodes.

The Script node allows authors to define new functionality produced by JavaScript (ECMAscript) or Java code. Authors can add field declarations that define accessType (inputOnly, outputOnly, initializeOnly and inputOutput) and type for each field.

The supporting Chapter 9 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

Also available: X3D Scene Authoring Hints for Scripts and URL Links.

Authors can use a 10-step algorithm checklist (with example diagram) as an event-animation design pattern that helps build consistent event-routing chains. The supporting Chapter 7 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

The quick-reference sheet X3D Event Utility Nodes: Field Event Diagrams illustrates the functionality of the event utility nodes. These nodes receive and pass values that are sent via ROUTE connections.

• Background Color Array Animation
• Boolean Filter Pump House
• Boolean Sequencer Integer Sequencer
• Boolean Sequencer Pump House
• Boolean Toggle Example
• Boolean Toggle Pump House
• Boolean Trigger Pump House
• Circle Lines Example
• Circle Lines Example 60
• Circle Lines Sphere Latitude
• Circle Lines Sphere Longitude
• Elevation Grid Simple Wave Animation
• Integer Sequencer Pump House
• Integer Sequencer Road Sign Switcher
• Integer Trigger Example
• Integer Trigger Pump House
• Mood Selector
• new ECMAscript Test
• Script Complex State Events
• Script Control Events
• Script Events
• Script Events Pump House
• Script Node Event Out Control Ecma Script
• Script Node Field Control Ecma Script
• Script Simple State Events
• Test Script Initialization
• Time Trigger Pump House
• Time Trigger Test

Geometry2D nodes simplify creation of simple planar shapes, which can be helpful for billboards and user interfaces.

Geometry2D nodes simplify creation of simple planar shapes. Planar geometry includes the Arc2D, ArcClose2D, Circle2D, Disk2D, Polyline2D, Polypoint2D, Rectangle2D and TriangleSet2D nodes. Each Geometry2D node is placed individually inside a Shape node.

The supporting Chapter 10 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

• Arc 2D Example
• Arc Close 2D Example
• Circle 2D Example
• Disk 2D Example
• Polyline 2D Example
• Polypoint 2D Example
• Rectangle 2D Example
• Summary 2D
• Triangle Set 2D Example

Light nodes make the appearance of geometry visible and viewable in a scene.

Lights illuminate geometry in a scene relative to the user's view. Lighting nodes include DirectionalLight, PointLight, SpotLight, and the active NavigationInfo headlight (which points along the user's viewing direction).

Environmental effects include Background, TextureBackground, Fog and LocalFog. Each set of light nodes, NavigationInfo nodes, background nodes and fog nodes are bound on a separate binding stack, meaning that only one of each can be active at a time.

The supporting Chapter 11 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

• Background Colors Only
• Background Images Only
• Background Kelp Forest Main
• Background Selector
• Background Sequencer
• Background Time Of Day
• Directional Light Example
• Fog Kelp Forest Main
• Point Light Color
• Point Light Example
• Spot Light Color
• Spot Light Example
• Spot Light Visualization
• Texture Background Example
• Texture Background Kelp Forest Main

Environmental sensors detect user visibility proximity and collision, while 3D spatial sound sources can greatly improve user engagement in a scene.

Event-producing environmental sensor nodes include LoadSensor, ProximitySensor, and VisibilitySensor. Audio nodes include Sound for aural spatialization and AudioClip for identifying sound files. MovieTexture nodes can also be used as an audio soundtrack source.

Relevant X3D Specification resources include the Environmental sensor component, Sound component and Texturing component.

The supporting Chapter 12 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

Also available: X3D Scene Authoring Hints for Audio and URL Links.

• Collision Kelp Forest Main
• Load Sensor Example
• Load Sensor Kelp Forest Main
• Load Sensor Kelp Forest Main time Out
• Proximity Sensor Example
• Proximity Sensor Kelp Forest Main
• Proximity Sensor Multiple
• Proximity Sensor No Overlap
• Proximity Sensor Overlap
• Proximity Sensor Single
• Sound Audio Clip
• Sound File Formats
• Sound Load Sensor Test
• Sound Visualization
• Visibility Sensor Kelp Forest Main

Triangles and quadrilaterals are fundamental geometry representations that are typically created by authoring tools to build complex polygonal meshes and shapes.

Low-level high-performance nodes for geometry definition and fast rendering include TriangleSet, TriangleFanSet, TriangleStripSet, IndexedTriangleSet, IndexedTriangleFanSet, IndexedTriangleStripSet, QuadSet and IndexedQuadSet. Special definition rules apply to each node in order to best match underlying graphics hardware requirements. Each is placed individually inside a Shape node.

The supporting Chapter 13 slideset and course videos (NPS, YouTube) for X3D for Web Authors are available online via X3dGraphics.com.

Also available: X3D Scene Authoring Hints: Meshes.

• Indexed Quad Set Example
• Indexed Triangle Fan Set Example
• Indexed Triangle Set Example
• Indexed Triangle Strip Set Example
• Morphing Triangle Set
• Nonplanar Polygons
• Normal Example
• Quad Set Example
• Summary Indexed Triangle Sets
• Triangle Fan Set Example
• Triangle Set Example
• Triangle Strip Set Example

• Art Deco Examples Excerpt
• Art Deco Prototypes Excerpt
• Heads Up Display Example
• Heads Up Display Prototype
• Hud Kelp Forest
• Material Modulator
• Material Modulator Examples
• Material Modulator Prototype Expanded
• Text String Prototype
• View Frustum Example
• View Frustum Prototype
• Where Am IExample
• Where Am IPrototype
• X3D Architecture Concepts Prototype Body Validation Example

Metadata is used to identify the data relevant to X3D scenes and shapes, enabling the possibility of further correlation, discovery and Web-based mashups to occur.

Metadata is about forms of data relating to other data. For example, metadata can provide a variety of information regarding a document such as author, date revised, relevant key words, etc. As another example, metadata might annotate X3D CAD geometry to provide key references such as part numbers, documentation references, inventory links, etc.

Simple name=value paired information can be provided in document <head> and <meta> tags, just like in HTML. Furthermore, typed metadata information can annotate any X3D node, either for use offline or for queries within an active scene graph at run time. X3D metadata nodes include MetadataBoolean, MetadataDouble, MetadataFloat, MetadataInteger, MetadataString, and MetadataSet (a set holder which contains a collection of other X3D Metadata nodes).

The supporting Chapter 15 Metadata Information from X3D for Web Authors is available online via X3dGraphics.com. Also available:

• X3D Scene Authoring Hints: meta Tags
• Savage Modeling and Analysis Language (SMAL) Resources reference website, plus Savage/Tools/SMAL example-archive template scenes showing matching X3D/XML metadata.
• Rauch, Travis M., Savage Modeling and Analysis Language (SMAL) metadata for tactical simulations and X3D visualizations, Masters Thesis, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, 2006.

• Metadata Node Examples X3D 3
• Metadata Node Examples X3D 4
• World Info Example
• World Info Example Metadata Set X3D 3
• World Info Example Metadata Set X3D 4
• Xmp Metadata Embedded

The Kelp Forest Exhibit from the Monterey Bay Aquarium demonstrates what students can accomplish together using VRML and X3D.

The Kelp Forest Exhibit is a large student-produced project that illustrates how X3D can build and integrate a large collection of individual Web-based models. The overall scene that integrates all these individual X3D models is Kelp Forest Main.

The paper Teaching 3D Modeling and Simulation: Virtual Kelp Forest Case Study describes how this group effort was accomplished. Comprehensive modeling efforts such as the Kelp Forest Exhibit provide an excellent way to organize course work and student projects.

• Black Surf Perch
• Blue Rock Fish
• Changing Fog
• Circle Fish Example
• Circle Fish Lod Example
• Circle Fish Lod Prototype
• Circle Fish Prototype
• Copper Rock Fish Placard Viewer
• Fish
• Fish Examples
• Fish Model Comparison
• Fish Prototype
• Fish School
• Garibaldi
• Half Moon Group
• Half Moon Prototype
• Introduction Message
• Kelp Bass
• Kelp Bulb
• Kelp Examples No Base
• Kelp Flexible Stipe
• Kelp Forest Main
• Kelp Forest No Nancy
• Kelp Prototype
• Kelp Surf Perch
• Kelp Tank
• Kelp Tank External Light
• Kelp Tank External Lights
• Kelp Tank Water Surface
• Pump House
• Rock Floor
• Rubber Lip Group
• Sardine
• Sardine School
• Sardine School Double
• Sardine School Final
• Sardine School Midterm
• Sardine School Original
• Sardine School Triple
• Sardine Shape
• Sardine Wagging
• Sardine X
• Sea Star Group
• Sea Star High Resolution Example
• Sea Star High Resolution Prototype
• Sea Star Prototype
• Sea Star Simple
• Shark Lefty
• Shark Lefty Locale
• Shark Lucy
• Shark Lucy Locale
• Striped Surf Perch
• Striped Surf Perch Plaque
• Tree Fish Plaque