WEP 2012: Bill Baxter – WebGL and Google Maps
Wednesday January 18, 2012
"Before WebGL (Web-based Graphics Library) applications such as Google Streetview required a separate plug-in for users to download in order to use it, but now with WebGL you can render almost anything you want in a browser," explains Dr Bill Baxter, Software Engineer at Google Maps and keynote speaker at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) 2012 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP).
"When viewed in WebGL, Streetview is now seamless and can produce effects like 3D swoops into panoramas and render 3D buildings. It makes for a much more lively and interactive, smooth, integrated experience."
During his seminar, WebGL and Google Maps, gave an overview of WebGL, how and why the technology is being implemented by Google Maps and he also discussed the basics of how to create a web application using WebGL.
Browser-based computer graphics
WebGL is a graphics technology that runs graphics hardware from a web browser, rather than via a desktop software plug-in from your computer. OpenGL is a graphics technology that has been around since 1991 and is used to create 2D and 3D visuals in videogames, flight simulations and other computer programs.
"WebGL allows the web browser the power of the graphics hardware for the first time, without any kind of a plug-in," said Dr. Baxter. "WebGL is all built into the browser so that applications can access it directly."
Dr. Baxter also paid tribute to KAUST Faculty member and WEP Committee Chair, Professor Alyn Rockwood for his work on Open GL. Dr. Rockwood, involved with computer graphics research for more than 30 years, developed a method for rendering curved surfaces in real time while working at Silicon Graphics Inc. This method is integral to modern computer graphics software.
Enabling dynamic HTML5 content
Dr. Baxter discussed how Google has shifted its mapping software to WebGL and the advantages they had discovered during this process. "It allows much more flexibility than the previous version of maps. We do all the rendering of maps, all the drawing of the content on a server and the client is only sent just images ¬– small squares you put together on a map, said Dr. Baxter.
"But if all you have is an image, there is not much you can to do change the style or modify the content dynamically. Since we began using WebGL anything can be potentially changed on the map interactively, and this allows for many exciting possibilities."
Dr. Baxter said that in addition to maps, web-browser based videogames will be the "primary market" for WebGL, but remarked there was even further potential. "All kinds of scientific visualizations are done in Open GL. And now, because of WebGL, they can be deployed very easily on the web. So if you want to have research or university collaborators sharing 3D Data instead of having to ship the files back and forth, you can just make them available to view on a web page. And, all your colleagues and collaborators have to do is click the link to view the data."
Currently the latest versions of Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari all support WebGL. Internet Explorer users can visit Google Chrome Frame for access.
Dr. Baxter is a Software Engineer at Google Maps in Seattle. Previously he worked as a researcher at both Microsoft and Japanese animation company OLM Digital. He graduated in 2004 with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
For more information on week one visit here and check out the official WEP 2012 website for all the latest program information. Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook. If you are tweeting about the event please use the hashtag, #wep2012.