From coarse-grained components to DVE applications: a service- and component-based framework

ABSTRACT

Distributed Virtual Environments (DVEs) are distributed, simulated virtual worlds where users gather and interact within a shared space. Web-based DVE applications are attracting more and more attention. However, building DVE applications requires a significant effort, even with the modern development tools. In this paper we propose a component-based and a service-based framework for constructing DVE applications from coarse-grained components. This component-based and service-oriented architecture provides a great flexibility for building complex DVE applications. Based on the developed terminology and profile, the framework provides a high level description language for specifying user interaction tasks. The DVE developers can concentrate on the application design rather than worrying about the programming details. The framework also provides a runtime platform for coarse-grained components integration and a shared scene graph for coordinating the presentation for individual users.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.4 Distributed Systems
          Subjects: Distributed applications

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
        D.2.11 Software Architectures
            Subjects: Domain-specific architectures

  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems
          Subjects: Artificial, augmented, and virtual realities

Keywords:
coarse-grained component, distributed virtual environment, framework, interaction tasks, web 3D, web services