Unity3D: Where the Metaverse is Going?
A year ago I posted my belief that OpenSim is the future of the Metaverse, because there were no really good competitors. Well there is a competitor that could quickly take over and replace OpenSim, OR it could enhance OpenSim and give it what it needs to become the 3D web. I’m not sure which, and a good case could be made for either.
Unity3D is a gaming graphics platform that does not need a powerful computer to run on, can be run as an embed on a web page, or can run on many smart phones. It efficiently handles complex shadows, water reflections, transparencies, atmospheric effects, and complex mesh objects. Scripting can be done with javascript, and needed assets can be loaded on the fly, so no need for huge downloads. 3D objects can be imported from practically any source. While it can’t compete with the latest graphic engines, it looks really good. Unity3D is NOT an MMO or Virtual World platform, but one can be built to fit in, and some already have.
Currently, I know of at least 6 3D Virtual Worlds that use unity3D graphics: Friendshangout, Frenzoo, Gojiyo, NuVera, RealLifePlus, and ResLive. All are in the early development stage, and none generating a lot of traffic. Two of those were developed by The Sine Wave Company which will set up commercial Unity3D virtual worlds for anyone for a price. Reaction Grid, which runs an OpenSim grid for businesses and educators, has created a Unity3D based grid called Jibe which is still experimental, but offers a place to host your own Unity world.
At least 3 companies are providing avatars for Unity3D based worlds. Evolver, N-Sided, and DigiMi (Daz3D).
So you would think with all of this activity going on with Unity3D that this would mark the beginning of the end for OpenSim/Second Life as a platform for the 3D web wouldn’t you? While it could be the case, OpenSim has some major advantages of Unity. First, its free. Second, it scales well in that you can (usually) have a hundred avatars in a location at the same time without having issues. Third, it is a lot easier for players to develop and build stuff in OpenSim. It seems that if we could combine Unity3D’s low overhead graphics and mesh support with OpenSim’s multiplayer infrastructure, that we would have something really awesome.
Turns out, this is already being done. For starters, Tipodean Technologies has developed a web based client for SL and OpenSim allowing you to visit Second Life or an OpenSim based location in a web browser, without a client. It works by converting SL/OS objects at a location to be viewable in a Unity3D web embed. It is still very experimental, but showing a lot of promise. Secondly, we have the Rezzable people who have figured out how to take whole OpenSim regions and turn them into unity3D regions, and they can do this on the fly, so if something changes on the OpenSim region, it changes in the Unity3D view too. Here is a demo of this at Heritage-Key (you will need a Heritage-Key login to try it). The bottom line is that Unity3D and OpenSim are very much compatible.
The ultimate OS/U3D integration would have the graphical virtual world built in Unity3D, and have OpenSim handle the MMO/Assets/Inventory/Communication back end. That way both would service their strengths.
If you are interested in becoming a 3D Virtual World developer of some sort. learning Unity3D is going to be an important step. Here is a good overview of Unity3D development from an SL perspective, and here is what I have been told is an excellent book for beginners.
I could get more excited about Unity3D and all the buzz around it this quarter, if it wasn’t closed-source/proprietary and if it supported Linux platforms.
Part of what makes OpenSimulator more attractive than SecondLife server platform *is* that open-ness.
So, while everyone is excited by Unity3D because they hope to get 3D virtual worlds on their iPhones and iPads, those of us who escaped SL’s walled garden aren’t ready to jump into Apple’s or Unity’s.
We’ve been building in unity creating virtual worlds for the past 3 years.
See:
http://www.azivia.com
and
http://www.3dvirtualcampustours.com
Thanks,
Andrew Hughes
Designing Digitally, Inc.
http://www.designgingdigitally.com
Thanks for the info. I’m checking it out. Looks like more stuff to add to my 3D Virtual Worlds page.
Unity 3D is simply a graphics platform for the Web — it can be used to build an OpenSim or Second Life viewer (as Tipodean and Rezzable have done), or used to build a stand-alone virtual world, like Jibe, or stand-alone video games or marketing environments — anything that has a 3d component.
But it still requires a plugin download — specifically, the Unity 3D plugin — on top of the actual OpenSim/SL stuff you’ve got to load (like the textures).
HTML 5 and Web GL, currently still in experimental stages, promise to offer 3D support in the browser without any plugins at all.
One company has already built a viewer running on HTML 5 — no downloads required of any kind. You can see a demo of it here: http://kataspace.sirikata.com/
The server platform isn’t OpenSim but one of its opensource competitors, Sirikata. Kataspace is more of a proof-of-concept than anything else – you can’t do that much with it yet.
Personally, I think HTML 5/Web GL would be a perfect match for OpenSim. It would allow people to continue to make stuff without having to learn how to use 3D design software, and still access the worlds with a Web browser — so that friends and co-workers and employees and customers could come visit the world without having to download or install or learn anything.
– Maria
And just to show how experimental WebGL still is, the kataspace website will ONLY load on google chrome. If Unity gets popular enough, everyone will have the plugin, like everyone has the flash plugin now.
I agree with you that an open 3D display protocol like WebGL would be very good. And yet considering that VRML/X3D has been around for almost two decades now, its surprising we don’t have a universally adopted well utilized one, yet.
I’ve been toying with the idea of having a section of my website be in 3D, but still have not found the best way to do it yet.
I like how the Unity platform runs. It’s very smooth and looks really good, especially at high res. The problem is it’s very…McDonalds like. No matter what kind of game you play, they all look the same. It reminds me of the Quake engine. Part of the fun in playing 1st person shooters was the different uses of sprites. Doom didn’t look like Duke Nukem 3D and neither of them looked like Quake. With the release of the Quake engine suddenly everything was the same. Enemies moved the same and looked similar. The AI behaved the same and the weapons acted the same. Quake became the “Big Mac” of FPS. On the plus side, two people with a server and a dream can build a virtual world. On the down side, so can two other people down the street.
Hi, your blog is very informatible and enjoyable, thanks!
Our company Fantastec ltd use Unity 3D to develop online 3D virtual world & gaming portal for children. We have used also other solutions, but Unity is very effective. The MMO game world PolarHeroes will be launched during autumn 2011. Test version is already available at http://www.polarheroes.com. You can find PolarHeroes trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PolarHeroes#p/u
This Ice raging game will also be available for iPhone and Android devices:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PolarHeroes#p/u/2/a8DtkPWKiko
Thanks,
Juha Vaisanen
Fantastec ltd
http://www.fantastec.fi/
Yes, Unity3D looks promising as part of the mix with OpenSim and 3D content creation and import tools. I too have been experimenting with Unity3D and SmartFox Server worlds with a view to creating a demonstration of our I-Room – virtual space for intelligent interaction… http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~ai/unity/
A tutorial on how to set up a multi-user world with custom 3D avatars and a simple name label for each user would be useful if anyone knows of such a thing?
FYI, Jibe is out of beta now. Current version as I type this is 1.3.1. It’s definitely stable enough for production environments, and you can check out my own personal Jibe world here: http://jibemicro.reactiongrid.com/pathfinderlester
As for scaling, Jibe can easily scale to 100+ avatars in a single Jibe world. We’ve got voice working, too.
Jibe competes directly with VenueGen, Web.alive, Assemblive and 3DXplorer — proprietary platforms used for setting up easy-to-access Web-based worlds. Good for marketing and meetings, and other public-facing projects. All of these environments require 3d design skills, however. Except for Venuegen, which doesn’t allow any editing of the environment at all (you have to choose from their pre-built environments)
You can buy individual 3d models and import them, but then you’d have to get them to fit into your environment, create your own scripts, etc… You can’t teleport somewhere with in-world stores and just pick up what you need, or download ready-to-go regions or user inventories.
None have independent hosting options or ecosystems of third-party content developers.
OpenSim has a very large number of independent hosting options, in-world commerce, and Websites offering ready-to-go regions and inventory items.
One of the Web-based proprietary systems is a good choice for companies looking for an environment that’s easy for users to use, that has the technical skills (or budgets) for 3D designers, and doesn’t mind vendor lock-in. So if you’re building a corporate training platform, for example, or a place for your team to meet virtually, or if you’re creating a marketing game to promote your company. You want something that runs in the browser and doesn’t require your end users to learn how to use a complex viewer.
OpenSim is better for projects were cost is an issue, or where end users need to be able to modify the environment around them, and is the only platform right now for interconnected social grids.
I believe, over time, the two different approaches will converge. The proprietary, Web-based platforms will roll out more in-world editing tools, and allow third-parties to create and distribute content, and — later on — allow teleports to other environments.
And OpenSim will have an easy Web-based viewer (Tipodean and Rezzable are both working on projects) that doesn’t allow building but does make it really easy for new users to attend meetings, get training, or tour a virtual facility, or play a marketing game.
– Maria
A few clarifications:
1) Jibe has an independent hosting option. You can either have a Jibe world hosted by ReactionGrid, or you can install everything on your own server. More info here: http://bit.ly/lSOBqJ
2) You can use any Unity scene you like in a Jibe world. You can find many pre-made Unity scenes online for free or for sale. Here’s an example: http://bit.ly/mACGvX
3) While most people use Jibe in a web-browser, you can also build a Jibe world to run as a standalone PC or Mac application. We’re also currently working on an iOS and Android version of Jibe. And since Jibe uses Unity as the development environment, you could also build a Jibe world to run on game consoles (XBox, Wii, Playstation).
I have experienced Unity and cannot imagine going back to SL, except to socialize.
I believe Winston is incorrect when he says that everything made in Unity looks the same. In SecondLife and derivative worlds, this is the case. But not with the Unity design engine.
Perhaps, Winston, this is your sense because there are so few accomplished Unity designers (although many new people are now learning the tool), and much of what we see out of Unity is coming from them. But Unity environments can look like ANYTHING AT ALL. It is this absolute flexibility of graphic style that first captured me. I am excited that everything does not HAVE to look like a cartoon! Granted, you have to design in other 3D and image applications, but once you do, everything imports into Unity. I am working on my first design using about six other design applications to do so, and it looks like a watercolor painting.
I have also quickly become a fan of the Jibe platform for delivering one’s world online, and cannot wait until I have something ready to launch onto the web! The Jibe development team is so fast and fluid–within a very short period of time after someone in their discussion group wishes outloud for a feature, their community manager, John “Pathfinder” Lester, or their CTO, Chris Hart, create the feature and put up a tutorial! It is very impressive.
The only drawback of Unity that I see is that with truly endless possibilities, there is simply so much one has to learn in order to be able to take advantage of all those options!
But the time invested will be worthwhile, I believe.
thank you for this article. I am also learning Unity3d to make some games and your article has helped me get some insights and ideas. Thanks again.