A good overview of the niche AEC model formats

Everyone unfortunately knows DWG (or OpenDWG), DXF and DWF formats from AutoDesk but there are numerous niche model formats developed for specific AEC contexts and the Web. Whilst not household names, formats like CIS/2, IFC, VRML and X3D are interesting formats in their own right. The chances of any of these formats gaining industry acceptance is pretty low but this page from the National Institute of Standards and Technology provides a good rundown on each standard with referring links.