DEMO 08: SceneCaster brings 3D Web to any device

SceneCaster will debut a new feature of its 3D software at the DEMO 08 Conference that allows users to link together 3D scenes and consume them on any device. SceneWeaver strings 3D scenes, and allows objects to be hyperlinked to any Web page.

“It’s an interconnected Web of 3D experiences,” SceneCaster founder Mark Zohar boasted. "We think it's going to accelerate use and adoption of 3D especially as we move into other social networks. The goal is to make 3D a viable form of social media."

SceneCaster currently integrates with Facebook, and it will be using the OpenSocial APIs to integrate with Bebo, Hi5, MySpace and other popular social networks. A localized version for Japan is also in the works. Zohar said that SceneCaster has attracted 250,000 users in the last 45 days and is growing at 2.5 percent per day.

SceneWeaver technology also allows users to embed 3D scenes in any Web page and interact with them on any device, including smartphones lacking 3D capabilities, that supports XHTML. “We are doing real-time rendering via virtual cameras in the scene, and we use our JavaScript library to tie in content and links, as well as a commerce engine with the metadata for doing transactions, captured in a universal viewer that works on any device,” Zohar told me.

Currently, SceneCaster is working with retailers, such as eBay, Amazon and Kohler, to integrate contextual search results with objects in scenes. Zohar said a virtual goods economy would be launched in the next few months. "We are launching a virtual goods catalog, with fees for premium 3D content, such as a Justin Timberlake catalog and other scarcity items not available to the general user base," Zohar said. The company is working with Turbo Squid, which has a marketplace for 3D content. SceneCaster already integrates with the Google 3D Warehouse of 3D models.

In addition, SceneCaster is working with various brands to create commerce opportunities and more immersive marketing environments. For example, any time someone creates a chair, the default link could be defined by Ikea.