Testing the X3DOM framework for the development of Web3D applications

This paper summarizes the results of a teaching experience held at the Universita Ca' Foscari in Venice where 50 students of the Computer Science undergraduate degree program were involved in the design of complex web applications for improving the environmental awareness of teachers and students. The implementation of the web applications required to mix different technologies, including HTML5, CSS, Javascript and asynchronous communication with a back-end for retrieving dynamic data to display. The X3DOM framework was chosen for implementing the 3D component of the applications, because of its capability of integration with the other web technologies and of delivering 3D content on a web browser without requiring a dedicated plugin, maximizing the number of the potential users. The design and the implementation of the web applications were an interesting occasion for experimenting production workflows and for measuring the points of strengths and the drawbacks of the framework. After the conclusion of the project the groups of students filled in a questionnaire where they expressed their opinions, derived from the implementation experience. The results confirmed the usefulness of X3DOM but evidenced also a number of drawbacks that should be considered for the evolution of the framework and the related tools.