xrfragment/doc/RFC_XR_Macros.md

%%%
Title = "XR Macros"
area = "Internet"
workgroup = "Internet Engineering Task Force"

[seriesInfo]
name = "XR-Macros"
value = "draft-XRMACROS-leonvankammen-00"
stream = "IETF"
status = "informational"

date = 2023-04-12T00:00:00Z

[[author]]
initials="L.R."
surname="van Kammen"
fullname="L.R. van Kammen"

%%%

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<br>
<h1>XR Macros</h1>
<br>

<pre>
stream:    IETF
area:      Internet
status:    informational
author:    Leon van Kammen
date:      2023-04-12T00:00:00Z
workgroup: Internet Engineering Task Force
value:     draft-XRMACROS-leonvankammen-00
</pre>  


}-->

.# Abstract

This draft offers a specification for embedding macros in existing 3D scenes/assets, to offer simple interactions and configure the renderer further.<br>
Together with URI Fragments, it allows for rich immersive experiences without the need of a complicated sandboxed scripting languages.

> Almost every idea in this document is demonstrated at [https://xrfragment.org](https://xrfragment.org), as this spec was created during the [XR Fragments](https://xrfragment.org) spec.

{mainmatter}

# Introduction

How can we add more features to existing text & 3D scenes, without introducing new dataformats?<br>
Historically, there's many attempts to create the ultimate markuplanguage or 3D fileformat.<br>
Their lowest common denominator is: (co)authoring using plain text.<br>
Therefore, XR Macros allows us to enrich/connect existing dataformats, by offering a polyglot notation based on existing notations:<br>

1. getting/setting common used 3D properties using querystring- or JSON-notation 
1. targeting 3D properties using the lightweight query notation present in [XR Fragments](https://xrfragment.org)

> NOTE: The chapters in this document are ordered from highlevel to lowlevel (technical) as much as possible

# Core principle

1. XR Macros use querystrings, but are HTML-agnostic (though pseudo-XR Fragment browsers **can** be implemented on top of HTML/Javascript). 
1. An XR Macro is 3D metadata which starts with '!' (`!clickme: fog=0,10` e.g.)
1. Metadata-values can contain the `|` symbol to 🎲 roundrobin variable values (`!toggleme: fog=0,10|fog=0,1000` e.g.)
1. XR Macros acts as simple eventhandlers for URI Fragments: they are automatically published on the ([XR Fragments](https://xrfragment.org)) hashbus, to act as events (so more serious scripting languages can react to them as well).
1. XR Macros can assign object metadata (`!setlocal: foo=1` writes `foo:1` metadata to the object containing the `!setlocal` metadata)
1. XR Macros can assign global metadata  (`!setfoo: #foo=1` writes `foo:1` metadata to the root scene-node)

> These very simple principles allow for rich interactions and dynamic querying

# Conventions and Definitions

See appendix below in case certain terms are not clear.

# List of XR Macros 

(XR) Macros can be embedded in 3D assets/scenes.<br>
Macros enrich existing spatial content with a lowcode, limited logic-layer, by recursive (economic) use of the querystring syntax (which search engines and [XR Fragments](https://xrfragment.org) already uses.<br>
This is done by allowing string/integer variables, and the `|` symbol to roundrobin variable values.<br>
Macros also act as events, so more serious scripting languages can react to them as well.<br>

## Usecase: click object

| custom property | value                    | trigger when           |
|-----------------|--------------------------|------------------------|
| !clickme        | bg=1,1,1&foo=2           | object clicked         |

## Usecase: conditional click object

| custom property | value                    | trigger when                |
|-----------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------|
| #               | foo=1                    | scene                       |
| !clickme        | q=foo>2&bg=1,1,1         | object clicked and foo > 2  |

> when a user clicks an object with the custom properties above, it should set the backgroundcolor to `1,1,1` when `foo` is greater than `2` (see previous example)

## Usecase: click object (roundrobin)

| custom property | value                    | trigger when           |
|-----------------|--------------------------|------------------------|
| !cycleme        | day&#124;noon&#124;night | object clicked         |
| day             | bg=1,1,1                 | roundrobin             |
| noon            | bg=0.5,0.5,0.5           | roundrobin             |
| night           | bg=0,0,0&foo=2           | roundrobin             |

> when a user clicks an object with the custom properties above, it should trigger either `day` `noon` or `night` in roundrobin fashion.

## Usecase: click object or URI fragment, and scene load trigger

| custom property | value                    | trigger when           |
|-----------------|--------------------------|------------------------|
| #               | random                   | scene loaded           |
| #random         | random                   | URL contains #random   |
| !random         | day&#124;noon&#124;night | #random, # or click    |
| day             | bg=1,1,1                 | roundrobin             |
| noon            | bg=0.5,0.5,0.5           | roundrobin             |
| night           | bg=0,0,0&foo=2           | roundrobin             |

## Usecase: present context menu with options

| custom property | value                    | trigger when           |
|-----------------|--------------------------|------------------------|
| !random         | !day|!noon|!night        | clicked in contextmenu |
| !day            | bg=1,1,1                 | clicked in contextmenu |
| !noon           | bg=0.5,0.5,0.5           | clicked in contextmenu |
| !night          | bg=0,0,0&foo=2           | clicked in contextmenu |

> When interacting with an object with more than one `!`-macro, the XR Browser should offer a contextmenu to execute a macro.

In a similar way, when **any** `!`-macro is present on the sceneroot, the XR Browser should offer a context-menu to execute those macro's.

## Event Bubble-flow

click object with (`!clickme`:`AR` or `!clickme`: `!reset` e.g.)
```
  ◻
  │  
  └── does current object contain this property-key (`AR` or `!reset` e.g.)?
         └── no: is there any (root)object containing property `AR`
           └── yes: evaluate its (roundrobin) XR macro-value(s) (and exit)
           └── no: trigger URL: #AR 
```

click object with (`!clickme`:`#AR|#VR` e.g.)
```
  ◻
  │  
  └── apply the roundrobin (rotate the options, value `#AR` becomes `#VR` upon next click)
      └── is there any object with property-key (`#AR` e.g.)?
         └── no: just update the URL to `#AR`
           └── yes: apply its value to the scene, and update the URL to `#AR`

click object with (`!clickme`:`!foo|!bar|!flop` e.g.)
```
  ◻
  │  
  └── apply the roundrobin (rotate the options, value `!foo` becomes `!bar` upon next click)
      └── is there any object with property-key (`!foo` e.g.)?
         └── no: do nothing 
           └── yes: apply its value to the scene
```

> Note that only macro's can trigger roundrobin values or contextmenu's, as well as roundrobin values never ending up in the toplevel URL.

# Security Considerations


# IANA Considerations

This document has no IANA actions.

# Acknowledgments

* [NLNET](https://nlnet.nl)
* [Future of Text](https://futureoftext.org)
* [visual-meta.info](https://visual-meta.info)

# Appendix: Definitions 

|definition            | explanation                                                                                                                   |
|----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|scene                 | a (local/remote) 3D scene or 3D file (index.gltf e.g.)                                                                        |
|3D object             | an object inside a scene characterized by vertex-, face- and customproperty data.                                             |
|XR fragments          | URI Fragment with spatial hints like `#pos=0,0,0&t=1,100` e.g.                                                                |
|query                 | an URI Fragment-operator which queries object(s) from a scene like `#q=cube`                                                  |
|FPS                   | frames per second in spatial experiences (games,VR,AR e.g.), should be as high as possible                                    |
|`◻`                   | ascii representation of an 3D object/mesh                                                                                     |
|(un)obtrusive         | obtrusive: wrapping human text/thought in XML/HTML/JSON obfuscates human text into a salad of machine-symbols and words       |