Google brings 3D to web browsers

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Google’s developers have created a plug-in to bring 3D graphics to web browsers – and this time, it’s no joke.

On April Fools’ Day, Google posted a spoof version of 3D for its Chrome browser, complete with printable glasses.

In a blog on the newly-created O3D blog, software engineers Matt Papakipos and Vangelis Kokkevis wrote: “We'd like to see the web offering the same type of 3D experiences that can be found on the desktop.”

Last month, Google announced it was looking to achieve this by working with open source group Khronos. Today, they’ve released a “shader-based, low-level graphics API” which brings 3D to major web browsers running on Mac, Windows or Linux operating systems.

“We wanted to build an API that runs on multiple operating systems and browsers, performs well in JavaScript, and offers the capabilities developers need to create a diverse set of rich applications,” the developers wrote on the blog. “O3D is still in an early stage, but we're making it available now to help inform the public discussion about 3D graphics in the browser.”

Check out the 3D API in action in the Google video below, or visit the O3D site here.

Click here to read about the coolest technology we were promised and still haven't got our hands on yet.

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