Web-based conformance testing for VRML

Abstract

m Testing the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) for conformance can determine whether an implementation satisfies the requirements and specifications of the standard. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is developing a VRML Test Suite (VTS) to systematically address some of the problems posed by the nature of testing 3D-graphics. The VTS is being developed in parallel with the standard and in cooperation with the VRML community. This approach, combined with using the World Wide Web as part of the VTS design and delivery mechanism, enables us to provide timely tests for promoting quality development and accelerating implementation and use. This article covers the test development strategy and design issues in developing the VTS. he Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML, pronounced “vermal”) is the file format standard for 3D-multimedia and shared virtual worlds on the Internet. The VRML standard, like all standards, is not an end in itself but a means to an end. The goal is to obtain implementations of the standard that correctly perform the functionality specified in the standard. Conformance tests measure whether an implementation satisfies the requirements and specifications of the standard. As our reliance on electronic information grows, it is imperative that the information is received and that it is correct. Without compliant implementations, products from different vendors may not interoperate, thwarting the successful exchange of information. Conformance testing is a way to solve this problem, and is necessary to achieve interoperability. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is developing a VRML test suite (VTS) to systematically address the problems posed by the nature of testing 3D-graphics. Standards for graphics and the World Wide Web present a special challenge for conformance testing. A testing methodology must tackle VRML’s ability to represent and properly render or capture multimedia-based content, network accessible links to reusable contents and to static or dynamic scenes. The VTS focuses on testing VRML browsers (i.e., ensuring that a VRML file is interpreted and rendered correctly). The VTS incorporates a new paradigm for developing conformance tests as well as several innovative design features, including parallel development of the tests and the standard; cooperation, rather than separation, from vendors; incorporation of the Web as an integral part of the design and as a vehicle for delivering the system; test cases made available as soon as they are built; and the integration of the test requirements and the ISO standard into the online test suite. The test development strategy and design issues in developing and delivering the VTS are covered in this article.