Hybrid client-server and P2P network for web-based collaborative 3D design

Caroline Desprat (1) , Hervé Luga (1, 2) , Jean Pierre Jessel (1)

1 IRIT-REVA - Real Expression Artificial Life
2 UT2J - Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès

Our proposed research project is to enable 3D distributed visualization and manipulation involving collaborative effort through the use of web-based technologies. Our project resulted from a wide collaborative application research fields: Computer Aided Design (CAD), Building Information Modeling (BIM) or Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) where design tasks are often performed in teams and need a fluent communication system. The system allows distributed remote assembling in 3D scenes with real-time updates for the users. This paper covers this feature using hybrid networking solution: a client-server architecture (REST) for 3D rendering (WebGL) and data persistence (NoSQL) associated to an automatically built peer-to-peer (P2P) mesh for real-time communication between the clients (WebRTC). The approach is demonstrated through the development of a web-platform prototype focusing on the easy manipulation, fine rendering and light update messages for all participating users. We provide an architecture and a prototype to enable users to design in 3D together in real time with the benefits of web based online collaboration.

Mots clés: Collaborative; Peer-to-peer; Applications; WebGL; WebRTC; Web

Domaines: Synthèse d'image et réalité virtuelle [cs.GR]; Traitement du signal et de l'image [eess.SP]; Traitement des images [eess.IV]; Vision par ordinateur et reconnaissance de formes [cs.CV]; Intelligence artificielle [cs.AI]

Caroline Desprat, Hervé Luga, Jean Pierre Jessel. Hybrid client-server and P2P network for web-based collaborative 3D design. 23rd International Conference in Central Europe on Computer Graphics, Visualization and Computer Vision (WSCG 2015), Jun 2015, Pilsen, Czech Republic. pp.229-238. ⟨hal-01303837⟩