XRculture D3.1 - Definition of the XRCulture Middleware protocol

This deliverable describes the requirements and technical design for the protocol behind the XRCulture Middleware. The XRCulture Middleware protocol defines how to bridge storage systems with online user interfaces and 3D viewers. The first thing to define are the requirements. Here two groups of requirements are identified: the requirements from the expected functionality of the actual XRCulture Middleware. the requirements from existing solutions, either existing solutions from partners, but also existing relevant open source solutions in the market and the large players relevant for the protocol. This document defines the roles, processes and messages being exchanged for use within the protocol. The use-cases show the capabilities of the defined protocol. The sample software was essential in developing the protocol itself. It not only shows some of the use cases actually working, it also validates the processes and message content representing the protocol. The current developments in the area of online 3D and (open) standards are changing faster than ever. For example WebGPU and OpenUSD are expected to change the market for online 3D visualization considerably This makes visualizing 3D models online both more powerful and more relevant, however with continuously changing software to enable this. Therefore the XRCulture Middleware is essential for anybody that wants to keep up-to-date but misses the knowledge or resources of constantly updating towards the latest software.