Verge3D

Last updated
Verge3D
Developer(s) Soft8Soft
Stable release
4.4.0 / July 27, 2023;3 months ago (2023-07-27) [1]
Preview release
4.4.0 pre4 / July 20, 2023;3 months ago (2023-07-20) [2]
Written in JavaScript, Python, GLSL
Type 3D engine
License Trialware
Website www.soft8soft.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Verge3D is a real-time renderer and a toolkit used for creating interactive 3D experiences running on websites.

Contents

Overview

Verge3D enables users to convert content from 3D modelling tools (Blender, 3ds Max, and Maya are currently supported) to view in a web browser. Verge3D was created by the same core group of software engineers that previously created the Blend4Web framework. [3] [4] [5]

Features

Verge3D uses WebGL for rendering. It incorporates components of the Three.js library and exposes its API to application developers. [6]

Puzzles
Application functionality can be added via JavaScript, either by writing code directly or by using Puzzles, Verge3D’s visual programming environment based on Google Blockly. Puzzles is aimed primarily at non-programmers allowing quick creation of interactive scenarios in a drag-and-drop fashion. [7]
App Manager and web publishing
App Manager is a lightweight web-based tool for creating, managing and publishing Verge3D projects, running on top of the local development server. [8] Verge3D Network service integrated in the App Manager allows for publishing Verge3D applications via Amazon S3 and EC2 cloud services.[ citation needed ]
PBR
For purposes of authoring materials, a glTF 2.0-compliant physically based rendering pipeline is offered alongside the standard shader-based approach. [9] [10] PBR textures can be authored using external texturing software such as Substance Painter for which Verge3D offers the corresponding export preset. [11] Besides the glTF 2.0 model, Verge3D supports physical materials of 3ds Max and Maya (with Autodesk Arnold as reference), and Blender's real-time Eevee materials. [12]
glTF and DCC software integration
Verge3D integrates directly with Blender, 3ds Max, and Maya, enabling users to create 3D geometry, materials, and animations inside the software, then export them in the JSON-based glTF format. The Sneak Peek feature allows for exporting and viewing scenes from the DCC tool environment. [13] [14]
Facebook 3D posts
For Facebook publishing, Verge3D offers a specific GLB export option. [15] [16] [17] The exported GLB files are displayed and can be opened in the App Manager. [18]
Asset compression
Exported files can optionally use LZMA compression, [19] resulting in a reduction in file size of up to 6x.[ citation needed ]
UI and website layouts
Interface layouts, created using external WYSIWYG editors, can be linked with Puzzles to trigger changes to a 3D scene being rendered in the browser and vice versa. [20] [21]
Animation
Verge3D supports skeletal animation, including animation of bipeds and character rigs, and allows for animation of material parameters. Model parts can also be set up to be dragged by the user. [22] [23]
Physics
The physics module can be linked separately to enable collision detection, dynamically moving objects, support for characters and vehicles, springs, ropes and cloth simulation. [24] [25] As of version 2.11, simple physics simulations can be created and controlled without coding via Puzzles, the visual programming system used by Verge3D. [26]
AR/VR
The 2.10 update added support for WebXR, an in-development open technology designed to enable virtual reality and augmented reality experiences to be displayed in web browsers. It works with both headsets with controllers, like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, and those without, like Google Cardboard. AR/VR experiences can enabled via Puzzles or JavaScript. [27]

Workflow

Verge3D's workflow differs substantially from other mainstream WebGL frameworks. Development of a new Verge3D application is usually started from modeling, texturing and animating 3D objects. The models are assembled in the 3D authoring tool. The scene file is then used as a basis for a Verge3D project initialized from the App Manager. An interactive scenario is optionally added using the Puzzles editor. A Verge3D application can be previewed in the web browser at any development stage using the App Manager. The finished web application can be deployed on the Verge3D Network, on Facebook or on the user's website. [28]

Notable uses

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory used Verge3D to create an interactive 3D visualization of the Mars InSight lander. [29] The web application allows for exploring and interacting with the real-time model of the spacecraft, with the possibility to move different parts and unfurl the solar panels.

NASA's older interactive web application Experience Curiosity was ported to Verge3D from Blend4Web. The application makes it possible to operate the rover, control its cameras and the robotic arm and reproduces some of the prominent events of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. [30] [31]

Route 66 Digital's Escape Room used Verge3D and Blender. This interactive short explores how users can navigate 3D spaces and interact with objects without the need for instruction.

See also

Related Research Articles

X3D is a set of royalty-free ISO/IEC standards for declaratively representing 3D computer graphics. X3D includes multiple graphics file formats, programming-language API definitions, and run-time specifications for both delivery and integration of interactive network-capable 3D data. X3D version 4.0 has been approved by Web3D Consortium, and is under final review by ISO/IEC as a revised International Standard (IS).

Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio and 3D Studio Max, is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It has modeling capabilities and a flexible plugin architecture and must be used on the Microsoft Windows platform. It is frequently used by video game developers, many TV commercial studios, and architectural visualization studios. It is also used for movie effects and movie pre-visualization. 3ds Max features shaders, dynamic simulation, particle systems, radiosity, normal map creation and rendering, global illumination, a customizable user interface, and its own scripting language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gmax</span>

Gmax is an application based on Autodesk's 3ds Max application used by professional computer graphics artists. 3ds Max is a comprehensive modeling, animation and rendering package with some secondary post-production and compositing features. Gmax is much more limited due to its singular intended use—game content creation. Infrequently used tools and features, or the ones completely unrelated to creating 3D game models, were removed, leaving the core modeling, texturing, and basic animation rigging and keyframing capabilities. In 2005, the promotional freeware software was discontinued after version 1.2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OpenSceneGraph</span>

OpenSceneGraph is an open-source 3D graphics application programming interface, used by application developers in fields such as visual simulation, computer games, virtual reality, scientific visualization and modeling.

COLLADA is an interchange file format for interactive 3D applications. It is managed by the nonprofit technology consortium, the Khronos Group, and has been adopted by ISO as a publicly available specification, ISO/PAS 17506.

Mudbox is a proprietary computer-based 3D sculpting and painting tool. Currently developed by Autodesk, Mudbox was created by Skymatter, founded by Tibor Madjar, David Cardwell and Andrew Camenisch, former artists of Weta Digital, where the tool was first used to produce the 2005 Peter Jackson remake of King Kong. Mudbox's primary application is high-resolution digital sculpting, texture painting, displacement map creation, and normal map creation, although it is also used as a design tool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital sculpting</span> Use of software to manipulate a digital object

Digital sculpting, also known as sculpt modeling or 3D sculpting, is the use of software that offers tools to push, pull, smooth, grab, pinch or otherwise manipulate a digital object as if it were made of a real-life substance such as clay.

Web3D, also called 3D Web, is a group of technologies to display and navigate websites using 3D computer graphics.

3D computer graphics software refers to programs used to create 3D computer-generated imagery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Away3D</span>

Away3D is an open-source platform for developing interactive 3D graphics for video games and applications, in Adobe Flash or HTML5. The platform consists of a 3D world editor, a 3D graphics engine, a 3D physics engine and a compressed 3D model file format (AWD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sketchfab</span> 3D modeling platform website

Sketchfab is a 3D modeling platform website to publish, share, discover, buy and sell 3D, VR and AR content. It provides a viewer based on the WebGL and WebXR technologies that allows users to display 3D models on the web, to be viewed on any mobile browser, desktop browser or Virtual Reality headset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flare3D</span>

Flare3D is a framework for developing interactive three-dimensional (3D) graphics within Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Substance and Adobe AIR, written in ActionScript 3. Flare3D includes a 3D object editor and a 3D graphics engine for rendering 3D graphics. Flare3D runs on current web browsers utilizing the Adobe Flash Player, and uses Stage3D for GPU-accelerated rendering. Flare3D has not been under active development since late 2014.

Blend4Web is a free and open source framework for creating and displaying interactive 3D computer graphics in web browsers.

Experience Curiosity is an interactive web application developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to celebrate the third anniversary of the Curiosity rover landing on Mars. This 3D serious game makes it possible to operate the rover, control its cameras and the robotic arm and reproduces some of the prominent events of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. The application was presented at the beginning of the WebGL section at SIGGRAPH 2015.

glTF 3D scene and model file format

glTF is a standard file format for three-dimensional scenes and models. A glTF file uses one of two possible file extensions: .gltf (JSON/ASCII) or .glb (binary). Both .gltf and .glb files may reference external binary and texture resources. Alternatively, both formats may be self-contained by directly embedding binary data buffers. An open standard developed and maintained by the Khronos Group, it supports 3D model geometry, appearance, scene graph hierarchy, and animation. It is intended to be a streamlined, interoperable format for the delivery of 3D assets, while minimizing file size and runtime processing by apps. As such, its creators have described it as the "JPEG of 3D."

Facebook 3D Posts was a feature on the social networking website Facebook. It was first enabled on October 11, 2017 by introducing a new native 3D media type in Facebook News Feed. Initially the users could only post 3D objects from Oculus Medium and marker drawings from Spaces directly to Facebook as fully interactive 3D objects. The feature was available for desktops and mobile phones that support the underlying WebGL API.

Universal Scene Description (USD) is a framework for interchange of 3D computer graphics data. The framework focuses on collaboration, non-destructive editing, and enabling multiple views and opinions about graphics data. USD is used in many industries including visual effects, architecture, design, robotics and CAD. It is developed by Pixar and was first published as open source software in 2016, under a modified Apache license. Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, and NVIDIA, together with the Joint Development Foundation (JDF) of the Linux Foundation, announced the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) on August 1, 2023 to "promote the standardization, development, evolution, and growth of Pixar's Universal Scene Description technology."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cryptomatte</span> Open-source software by Psyop

Cryptomatte is an open-source software created by Jonah Friedman and Andy Jones at Psyop, but is also used synonymously for the specific style of image created by the software or other software working alike.

Chaos Corona is a computer-generated imagery 3D rendering software developed by Chaos Czech, a subsidiary of Chaos. It was created by Ondrej Karlík as a student project in 2009 and was developed by a Prague-based company Render Legion under the name Corona Renderer. In 2017, Chaos Group acquired Render Legion, later rebranding the company to Chaos Czech. In 2022, Corona Renderer was rebranded to Chaos Corona.

References

  1. ↑ Kovelenov, Yuri (July 2023). "Verge3D 4.4 for Maya and Ultimate". soft8soft.com. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  2. ↑ Kovelenov, Yuri. "Verge3D 4.4 pre4 available!". soft8soft.com. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Interactive 3D Web Content Comes to 3ds Max". engineering.com. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  4. ↑ "Soft8Soft releases Verge3D". CG Channel. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  5. ↑ "Раскол среди разработчиков проекта Blend4Web привёл к созданию нового WebGL-движка". OpenNews. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  6. ↑ "Verge3D, solution de création d'applications web 3D interactives". 3DVF. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  7. ↑ "Verge3D released". CGPress. 24 November 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  8. ↑ "Verge3D Launches". 3dxmedia. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  9. ↑ "Verge3D 1.0. Il nuovo framework 3D WebGL per Blender". Treddi.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  10. ↑ "VERGE3D 1.0发布！". BlenderCN.org. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  11. ↑ "Verge3D 2.3 Blender版发布". BlenderCN.org. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  12. ↑ "Soft8Soft ships Verge3D 4.0". CG Channel. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  13. ↑ "Verge3D for 3DS Max released". CGPress. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-09.
  14. ↑ "How to make Facebook 3D posts". 3D Print Tech Design. Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  15. ↑ "Verge3D for Blender version 2.2 is Out!". Dreammotion. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  16. ↑ "How to export to GLB file with 3ds Max". Autodesk Knowledge Network. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
  17. ↑ "Verge3D 2.2 for 3DS Max released". CGPress. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
  18. ↑ "verge3d场景数据压缩". zjbcool.com. Retrieved 2018-06-03.
  19. ↑ "Soft8Soft releases Verge3D 2.3 for 3ds Max". CG Channel. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  20. ↑ "Megjelent a Verge3D 2.3 for 3ds Max". MeshMag. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  21. ↑ "Verge3D 2.5 is Out!". 80 Level. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  22. ↑ "Soft8Soft ships Verge3D 2.5 for 3ds Max and Blender". CG Channel. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  23. ↑ "Verge3D 2.4 for 3ds Max is out". Evermotion. Retrieved 2018-06-06.
  24. ↑ "Soft8Soft ships Verge3D 2.4 for 3ds Max and Blender". CG Channel. Retrieved 2018-06-07.
  25. ↑ "Soft8Soft releases Verge3D 2.11 for 3ds Max and Blender". CG Channel. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  26. ↑ "Soft8Soft releases Verge3D 2.10 for 3ds Max and Blender". CG Channel. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  27. ↑ "Soft8Soft Releases Verge3D v2.3 for Blender". Daily CADCAM. Archived from the original on 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  28. ↑ "MARS InSight Mission - InSight Lander". NASA. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  29. ↑ "Prenez le controle de Curiosity avec Blend4Web". Greg G.d.Bénicourt. Retrieved 2015-09-16.
  30. ↑ "Internet 3D: Take the Curiosity Rover for a Spin Right on the NASA Website". Technology.Org. 2015-08-11. Retrieved 2015-08-12.
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