“The purpose of the IIIF Presentation API specification is to provide a model and JSON serialization format of that model for cultural heritage organizations (and anyone else) to present objects in a standardized, interoperable way. This allows compatible software such as viewers and annotation tools to load and present complex digital objects on the web from thousands of different providers.”
During the past years, the IIIF Consortium and the 3D Technical Specifications Group worked on the further developmentof the IIIF Presentation API to strengthen the support for 3D resources in the IIIF framework. The quote on top stems from the preliminary specification document for Version 4 of the Presentation API. The ongoing development of the Presentation API is aimed at improving user experiences by providing sufficient information for software and tools working with the content.
Next to improvements in the context of 3D resources, there will also be adjustments for better A/V material support. Based on this, the Manifest schema v4 introduces the new Container class with three sub-classes: the Timeline (audio), the Canvas (image, AV), and the Scene (3D, image, AV). The first draft Presentation API v4 document also holds some use cases for different digital objects.
The new Version 4 has come a long way since summer 2025 and will be further discussed during the IIIF Annual Conference in June 2026. This will also be the place for feedback from the community on the specifications and tools already created, as well as where to go next. The final goal this year will be a published final release of the specifications.
If you want to learn more about EDM and 3D data, browse through our content on 3D cultural heritage assets.