Patience is a virtue, but the truth of the matter is that virtually nobody likes to spend their time waiting. So why should XR consumers incur a long start-up delay, waiting for the XR content to be downloaded from a content server, before they can immerse themselves in the XR environment of their choice?

Hasselt University is therefore developing a network streaming solution for 3D scenes composed of textured meshes expressed in the glTF 2.0 format. Our solution allows for partial network delivery and client-side processing of glTF scenes, hereby taking into account run-time parameters like the perceptual volume of individual scene objects and the distance between scene objects and the virtual camera. As such, our solution facilitates the progressive client-side rendering of 3D scenes, meaning that a gradually more complete version of the scene is rendered while the glTF file is being downloaded.

Our methodology is conceptually compliant with the HTTP Adaptive Streaming (HAS) paradigm that dominates the contemporary market of over-the-top video streaming. In all, our work represents an important step towards making 3D content faster accessible to consuming clients, akin to the way platforms like YouTube have brought universal accessibility for video content.