Google this afternoon took the covers from an early version of O3D, a new standard for controllable 3D on the web. The format is intended to be a truly browser- and OS-independent format that supports truly modern 3D graphics and which runs well when interacting with the modern web. It takes advantage of the shader (visual programming) effects of current graphics chipsets to produce visuals such as rippling water, reflections and fire, all while properly supporting JavaScript for elements such as real-time changes to the 3D world.

Test versions already work for Linux 2.6, Mac OS X 10.5 and Windows XP/Vista systems using a common browser such as Google's own Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari. It also needs a video chipset with support for a unified shader rendering model, such as NVIDIA's GeForce 8 series or AMD's ATI Radeon HD line.

Google doesn't say when it believes a finished version will be ready but is actively speaking with the Khronos Group, which manages the OpenGL graphics standard, to relay its own experiences.