Three-dimensional Beans—creating Web content using 3D components in a 3D authoring environment

Abstract

This paper deals with the question how the component idea can be transferred to the authoring of 3D content for the WWW. The concept of 3D Beans and their according authoring environment is presented. In addition, an implementation of this concept using Java3D and Java Beans is described. Advantages of the concept are discussed and illustrated with an application example from the area of computer-based training. Major advantages of the 3D Beans concept are on the one hand that 3D content can be created in a virtual environment more directly and efficiently using prefabricated components that fit together. Especially, as the author is supported by a Bean authoring environment that itself uses information from the 3D Beans. On the other hand, a 3D authoring environment offers more degrees of freedom for authoring component-based applications.