Standards for hardware accelerated 3D on the Internet are starting to become established. This is the first step towards immersive virtual worlds accessible through a browser window and for now, a nice way to display your models.
The following tutorial (in four parts) shows how to embed Blender models in web pages using software from x3dom.org, the video tutorial runs through a Blender tutorial from their site.
Here are the files created in the tutorial – greenMonkey.zip (not needed, easy to make your own).
Here are the files created in the final part of the tutorial, models with textures – nes.zip
Blender 2.5 Displaying 3D Models in Web Pages Using Webgl Exporting X3D Files and using X3DOM Part1
This part of the tutorial shows how to embed x3d code in a web page e.g. greenMonkey2.html (sky colour modified).
Blender 2.5 Displaying 3D Models in Web Pages Using Webgl Exporting X3D Files and using X3DOM Part 2
This part of the tutorial shows how to link from a web page to an x3d file e.g. greenMonkeyInline.html
Blender 2.5 Displaying 3D Models in Web Pages Using Webgl and X3D Part 3 Making the Model Spin
If you do not want your models to be static, this part shows how to make the models spin e.g. spinningGreenMonkey.html and spinningMonkeyMan.html
Blender 2.5 Displaying 3D Models in Web Pages Using Webgl and the X3D Format Part 4 Texture Files
This part shows how to display models with textures and how to overcome some bugs e.g. nes.html
Animation in the x3d Format
The following tutorial (in two parts) is not directly related to Blender, it shows how animation ‘rules’ can be set up in x3d files. It compliments the tutorial above in explaining how the animation rule works that makes models spin.
Webgl Tutorial – How to Animate 3D Models In Web Pages Using the X3D Format Part 1 Position
Webgl Tutorial – How to Animate 3D Models In Web Pages Using the X3D Format Part 2 Rotation
Files used in tutorial – animationExamples.zip
Bouncing balls example – twoSpheres1.html
Related Links
Webgl Wiki at the Khronos website – http://www.khronos.org/webgl/wiki/Main_Page
Information about x3d from the web3D consortium – http://www.web3d.org/about/overview
x3dom developing software supporting the x3d format – http://x3dom.org