Overview
ISO/IEC 21145:2023 - "Information technology - Computer graphics, image processing and environmental data representation - Style representation for mixed and augmented reality" defines an information model for representing and applying visual augmentation styles in mixed and augmented reality (MAR). Published in 2023, it specifies constructs to describe how virtual content is stylized and a mechanism to associate those style constructs with augmentation objects by extending the MAR behavior model from ISO/IEC 3721. The standard focuses on the visual modality (not aural or haptic) and provides a device‑ and format‑neutral model intended for extensible implementation.
Key topics and requirements
- Stylization constructs: Declarative building blocks to express presentation styles (color, transparency, highlighting, animation and visibility behaviors) for virtual augmentations.
- Behavior-based association: Stylization is modeled as MAR behavior components (e.g., MARSNode, Behavior::MARSNode, BehaviorStyleVisual) so styles can be attached to scene objects and triggered by events.
- Scene-graph target model: Stylization applies to MAR content organized in hierarchical scene graphs where virtual and real-world placeholders are spatially and logically related.
- Principles and constraints:
- Independent of particular sensors, devices, file formats, algorithms or implementations.
- Able to handle diverse media types (text, images, video, animation, HTML elements).
- Component-based, extendible, and designed to minimize manual scripting.
- Conformance and extensibility: Defines conformance guidance and leaves language/file format choices to implementers while encouraging reuse of existing constructs.
Applications and practical value
ISO/IEC 21145:2023 is practical for anyone needing a standardized way to control how AR/MR content looks and behaves:
- AR/VR platform architects and engine developers - to design scene models and behavior systems that support reusable style definitions.
- Content authors and UX designers - to separate visual styling from core content, enabling consistent presentation (naturalness, conspicuousness, readability).
- Application developers (industrial, medical, gaming, training) - to implement predictable highlighting, activation/deactivation, transparency, or animation effects across devices.
- Standards teams and integrators - to align MAR content pipelines with ISO/IEC 18039 reference architecture and ISO/IEC 3721 content models.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 3721 - Information model for MAR content - core objects and attributes (extended by 21145).
- ISO/IEC 18039 - MAR reference model and system architecture (context for rendering and behavior execution).
ISO/IEC 21145:2023 provides a foundational, extensible style model for mixed and augmented reality content, enabling interoperable and maintainable visual stylization across platforms and use cases.