The next wave for Web 3D. (market outlook).

The use of 3D content in mainstream media is no longer confined to the upper echelon of the professional development community. Given the investment by large companies such as Discreet, Intel, and Macromedia to propagate 3D into the mass markets, it will be only a matter of time before barriers are overcome and adoption is realized. However, while 3D viewers continue to show aggressive penetration into the mainstream, there is still a lack of 3D content that is readily available for viewing.

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One of the major reasons for this absence of 3D content is that the creation of 3D objects is inherently more complex than the creation of other types of digital media, such as video, audio, or 2D. And, even once users are past the 3D model creation stage, there are a number of technological issues that continue to be barriers for the wider adoption of 3D on the Web.

These barriers include file size, level of interactivity, and back-end tracking capabilities. These are all vital but still evolving parts of the development pipeline that have kept many digital media professionals from integrating 3D into their existing workflow.

Most of the technical barriers have been solved in part and separately by individual companies. For example, Arius3D's (www.arius.com) imaging technology helps turn physical objects into 3D objects on the Web. Turbo Squid (www. turbosquid.com) offers a virtual marketplace where artists and others can buy and sell 3D content. MindAvenue (www. mindavenue.com) offers a Web authoring tool specifically lot the creation and delivery of 3D animation. The company i3 Dimensions (www.i3dimensions.com) has developed a Web-based system for interactive visualization/simulation that allows users to view and manipulate 3D objects (such as product designs) over the internet. Anark (www.anark.com) has created a content authoring tool with which users can mix 2D, 3D, and other media. And last, Viewpoint, Macromedia, and others ...