Editing X3D (section)

{{Short description|XML-based file format for 3D computer graphics}}
{{For|the language's predecessor|VRML}}
{{Hatnote|X3D should not be confused with [[3DXML]], which is a proprietary 3D file format.}}
{{pp|small=yes}}
{{Infobox file format
|name=X3D — Extensible 3D Graphics
|icon = 
|logo = 
|screenshot = 
|caption =
|extension = {{plainlist|1=
* <code>.x3d</code>&nbsp;(XML)<code>, .x3dv</code>&nbsp;(plain text; v = VRML),<code>.x3db, .x3dz, .x3dbz, .x3dvz</code>&nbsp;(compressed; b = binary, z = gzip)
}}
|_noextcode = yes
|mime = {{plainlist|
* <code>model/x3d+xml</code>
* <code>model/x3d+vrml</code>
* <code>model/x3d+binary</code>}}
|_nomimecode = yes
|type code = 
|uniform type = 
|magic = 
|owner = 
|released = {{start date and age|1997}}
|latest release version = 4.0
|latest release date = {{start date and age|2023}}
|genre = [[3D computer graphics]]
|container for = 
|contained by = 
|extended from = [[VRML]], [[XML]], [[Gzip]]
|extended to = 
|standard = [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]]/[[International Electrotechnical Commission|IEC]] 19775/19776/19777
|url = {{URL|http://www.web3d.org/x3d/what-x3d/}}
}}

'''X3D''' ('''Extensible 3D''') is a set of [[royalty-free]] [[ISO/IEC JTC 1|ISO/IEC standards]] for declaratively representing [[3D computer graphics]]. X3D includes multiple graphics file formats, programming-language [[API]] definitions, and run-time specifications for both delivery and integration of interactive network-capable 3D data. X3D version 4.0 has been approved by [[Web3D Consortium]], and is under final review by ISO/IEC as a revised International Standard (IS).

X3D is specifically designed to work across diverse devices by using the Web Architecture. X3D provides a range of 3D functionality through Profiles, from basic asset Interchange and CADInterchange to Interactive, MPEG-4 Interactive, Medical, Immersive, and Full Profiles. Anatomically thorough support is also available for Humanoid Animation (HAnim) body structure and motion. The ‘X’ in X3D means Extensible: custom vendor and research component extensions can be added to standard functionality.

X3D [[file format]] support includes [[XML]], ClassicVRML, Compressed Binary Encoding (CBE) and a draft [[JSON]] encoding. [[Semantic Web]] support has also been demonstrated by a [[Turtle (syntax)|Turtle]] encoding. X3D became the successor to the [[VRML|Virtual Reality Modeling Language]] (VRML) in 2001.<ref>{{cite news |title=Is a 3D web more than just empty promises? |author= Paul Festa and John Borland |work=CNET News.com |date=19 May 2005 |url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39199121,00.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112200449/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39199121,00.htm |archive-date=12 November 2009}}</ref> X3D provides multiple [[Software extension|extension]]s to VRML (e.g. [[Computer-aided design|CAD]], [[geospatial]], [[humanoid animation]], [[NURBS]], etc.), the ability to encode the scene using an XML [[syntax]] as well as the [[Open Inventor]]-like syntax of VRML97, or [[binary file|binary]] compression, with strongly typed [[application programming interface|API]]s including [[ECMAScript]], [[Java (programming language)|Java]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]] and other programming languages.
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The X3D extension supports multi-stage and multi-texture rendering; it also supports shading with [[lightmap]] and normalmap. Starting in 2010, X3D has supported deferred rendering architecture. Now X3D can import [[Screen space ambient occlusion|SSAO]], CSM and Realtime Environment Reflection/Lighting. The user can also use optimizations including BSP/QuadTree/OctTree or culling in the X3D scene.
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X3D rendering includes both classic (e.g. [[Blinn–Phong reflection model|Blinn-Phong]]) and modern [[Physically based rendering| physically based rendering (PBR)]] methods matching [[GlTF#glTF 2.0|glTF 2.0]] capabilities. Use of custom [[shader]]s using three platform-specific shader languages is also defined. Authors can employ rich multimedia capabilities including various image and movie formats. Fully spatialized aural rendering applies W3C [[HTML audio#Web Audio API and MediaStream Processing API|Web Audio API]] capabilities, plus audio inputs digitized using [[MIDI]] 2.0 or other sound formats.

All X3D file encodings and programming-language APIs have equivalent expressive power, matching functional definitions in the X3D Architecture standard. Thus X3D can work with open standards including [[XML]], [[Document Object Model|Document Object Model (DOM)]], [[XPath]] and others.