Programming 3D Applications with HTML5 and WebGL

Chapter 1. Introduction

We live in a 3D world. People move, think, and experience in three dimensions.

Much of our media is also 3D—though it is usually presented on flat screens. Animated films are created from computer-generated 3D images. Online map services allow us to explore our destination, virtually, in a 3D environment. Most video games, whether running on dedicated consoles or mobile phones, are rendered in 3D. Even the news has gone 3D: the sight of a CNN analyst meandering through a virtual set, comically awkward a few years ago, has become an accepted part of the broadcast milieu as cable channels vie for increasing attention in a 24-hour news cycle.

3D graphics is nearly as old as the computer itself, tracing its roots back to the 1960s. It has been used in applications spanning engineering, education, training, architecture, finance, sales and marketing, gaming, and entertainment. Historically, 3D applications have relied on high-end computer systems and expensive software. But that has changed in the last decade. 3D processing hardware is now shipped in every computer and mobile device, with the consumer smartphone of today possessing more graphics power than the professional workstation of 15 years ago. More importantly, the software required to render 3D is now not only universally accessible, it’s also free. It’s called a web browser.

Figure 1-1 shows an excerpt from 100,000 Stars, a browser-based 3D flythrough simulation of our stellar neighbors in the Milky Way. ...