3D WEB MAPPING - 3D GEOSCIENCE INFORMATION ONLINE

Scientists within Geoscience Australia (GA) create complex models of 3D geological structures. These models are built using specialised 3D modelling software to which very few people outside of GA have access. To overcome this access problem, GA has developed 3D VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language) models, to display interactive 3D data using a web browser plug-in – hence ‘3D web mapping’. VRML is an open source standard for 3D graphics on the web. GA’s 3D web mapping development is unique and has proved to be a very effective method for communicating large amounts of complex 3D geoscientific and geospatial information to a wide audience. GA has produced nearly 40 unique 3D VRML models during the last five years, some of which are available for online interaction on the GA web site. The next challenge for GA’s visualisers is to move from VRML to X3D - the XML successor to VRML. This paper outlines the motivations for developing 3D VRML models, explains the technologies used, and takes a brief look at possible future developments.