3D graphics on the web
3D graphics on the web
With the development of the Internet, more and more Internet resources introduce three-dimensional technologies onto web pages. From online stores to online games, 3D graphics are being successfully implemented due to the development of technology, baud rate and device capacity.
Flash 360
The first attempts to imitate 3D graphics were made using 360 shooting of objects; during the period of development of flash technologies, online stores actively introduced it to demonstrate their products, although it was simply frame-by-frame shooting of an object using a rotating stand, though even now you can occasionally see similar technology, for example on Automaker websites, usually already running on HTML5, polygonal modeling technologies are still significantly predominate.
WebGL
The library built on OpenGL JavaScript began its full existence in 2011 and over the years has already had its third version. Almost all 3D graphics that we see on the Internet work on this technology and provide great opportunities for experimentation, from creating full-fledged 3D games to configurators and full-fledged libraries of 3D models. Users can program their own applications, for example, using the Three.js library or use game engines created specifically for WebGL, as well as export from popular platforms like Unity or Unreal Engine.
WebGPU
WebGPU is a new web standard and JavaScript API for hardware-accelerated graphics and computing, aiming to provide “the latest 3D graphics and computing capabilities.” Developed by the W3C GPU for the Web group with engineers from Apple, Mozilla, Microsoft, Google and others.
Unlike WebGL, WebGPU isn’t a direct port of any existing native API. It’s based on the API, provided by Vulkan, Metal, and Direct3D 12, and is intended to provide high capacity across mobile and desktop platforms.
The future of 3D web graphics is on the web, which will provide the best capacity and optimization for web platforms on all devices. It’s currently being actively implemented by most libraries already working with WebGL, which ensures a smooth transition for developers and users.
3D streaming
A quite new technology, but one that shows great promise and already has a number of perfect examples of realization. The point of the technology is that the 3D application itself is located not on the user’s device, but on an external high-capacity GPU server, and the image is streamed from it to the device as a regular video in HD or even 4K format.
This technology was made possible due to the WebRTC standard and allows to transmit high-quality images with minimal latency, sending back commands to control applications, providing a latency speed of 60 FPS. Game streaming services like Google Stadia, Nvidia’s GeForce NOW and PlayStation Now are gaining popularity. Epic Games makes a big contribution to the technology by allowing to stream your own applications due to its own Pixel Streaming technology in the Unreal Engine. Despite all the prospects and benefits of streaming technology, it also has disadvantages, for example, the high cost of renting a GPU server, the complexity of setup and the need to locate the server in close proximity to the playback device to reduce latency.
Increasing demand for GPUs and the development of 5G networks are driving the development of the Internet of the future to third-party computing, such as big data processing and visualization. With high probability we’ll see further development of technology in exactly this direction, as well as the popularization of 3D streaming services.
Possibility of use
- Website design
Visual elements made using 3D attract attention and have a perfect effect on retaining users. - Configurators
3D Configurators, be it an apartment or a car, perfectly demonstrate the capabilities of a product, allowing to clearly show its features and assemble the desired configuration for further purchase. - The shops
Product demonstration in 3D is a perfect visualization and conversion improvement tool to motivate the user to purchase. - Games
Browser-based 3D games provide a perfect opportunity to reach a large audience with the possibility of global distribution with support for all available devices, as they allow the use of low-capacity devices, and also facilitate the entry process; they allow to launch the game without the possibility of downloading and installing on the device. - AR
Augmented reality applications running in a web browser without the need to download the application have perfect opportunities for attracting the attention of the audience and marketing promotion of products using AR technologies, be it recognition and overlay of objects by label, geolocation or surface determination, as well as AR masks, which are popular today.
Our company has extensive experience in implementing three-dimensional technologies, both in the creation of WebGL graphics and our own unique developments in the field of 3D streaming. We have implemented many configurators, event applications and multi-user conferences on the web. We will gladly tell you in more detail about all the possibilities for implementing the project and select the best solution for your goal.
