Web based 3D graphics using Dart : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
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Date
2019
Open Access Location
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Massey University
Abstract
The proportion of the population that has grown up with unlimited access to the
internet and portable digital devices is ever increasing. Accompanying this growth are
advances in web-based and mobile technologies that make platform independent applications
more viable. Graphical applications, in particular, are popular with users but as
of yet have remained relatively underdeveloped for platform independence due to their
complex nature, and device requirements. This research combines web-based technologies
to create a framework for developing scalable graphical environments while ensuring
a suitable level of performance across all device types. The web programming language
Dart provides a method for achieving execution across a range of devices with a single
implementation. Working alongside Dart, WebGL manages the processing needs for the
graphical elements, which are provided by content generative algorithms: the diamond
square algorithm, Perlin noise, and the shallow water simulation. The content algorithms
allow for some
exibility in the scale of the application, which is expanded upon by benchmarking
device performance and the inclusion of the asset controller that manages what
algorithm is used to generate content, and at what quality and size. This allows the application
to achieve optimal performance on a range of devices from low-end mobile devices
to high-end PCs. An input controller further supports platform independence by allowing
for a range of input types and the addition of new input types as technology develops.
The combination of these technologies and functionalities result in a framework that generates
3d scenes on any given device, and can alter automatically for optimal performance,
or according to prede ned developer metrics for emphasis on particular criteria. Input
management functionality and web-based computing mean that as technology advances
and new devices are developed and improved, applications do not need redevelopment, and
compromises in features and functionality are only limited by device processing power and
on an individual basis. This framework serves as an example of how a range of technologies and algorithms can be knitted together to design performant solutions for platform
independent applications.
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Keywords
Dart (Computer program language), Web applications, Programming, Computer graphics, Three-dimensional imaging, Computer programs