My question is this: Where does 3D fit in the RIA space? Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not being negative. The work that people have done is amazing. My question is more along the lines of the application of the technology. 3D is great for games, marketing materials, entertainment sites, sales-stuff, etc..., but what about business applications?

I think we will start to see a lot more complex 3D simulations, 3D modeling, and 3D data visualizations popping up on the web. However, I don't think they are going to be mainstream. The truth is that 3D, no matter how awesome it looks, is just not that easy to use in business or productivity applications, because It does not work for the lowest common denominator.

In the cases where it does make sense, look out! 3D visualizations can be used for complex data analysis, modeling, simulations, etc... Here are a few that have caught my attention:

Matchmine (courtesy of Ben Stucki):

Factory Model (Alternativa Platform):

It's going to be interesting to watch what people come up with. If you are working on something cool, I want to hear about it! I invite your comments!

___________________________________
Andrew Trice
Principal Architect
Cynergy Systems
http://www.cynergysystems.com