WebGLStudio

by Javier Agenjo

WebGLStudio, an Open Source platform for 3D on the web

By Javi Agenjo

Who am I?

  1. Javi Agenjo (@tamat)
  2. 3D Graphics programmer (C++, Javascript)
  3. Teacher and Researcher at UPF Barcelona
    • 3D Graphics
    • Game development
  4. Amateur game developer
  5. More info tamats.com

javi.agenjo@gmail.com

What is it WebGLStudio?

An Open Source platform to create and publish interactive 3D content from the web and to the web. It features a 3D Scene Editor with coding features, a 3D modular Engine and an Assets Manager.

What it is NOT WebGLStudio

  1. A 3D Modeling software like Blender or Max (clara.io)
  2. A Mesh visualization tool on the web (sketchfab)
  3. A software for 3D printing
  4. A Game Engine
  5. An editor for Three.JS

The origin of the project

2009, WebGL starts rolling out in browsers. Time to test it.

Can we create profesional editors on the web?

Creating a Proof of concept 3D editor on the web (2011)

Creating a Prototype 3D Editor on the web (2013)

Three.JS and the community

Libraries Vs Platforms.

Good Platforms

What a 3D platform must have

  1. A 3D Scene Editor (WYSIWYG)
  2. An Assets Manager (drag and drop)
  3. A way to create by composition (for basic users)
  4. A way to create by coding (for advanced users)
  5. Pack and publish

A 3D Scene Editor

Most of the creativity comes from playing, not from planning.

An Assets Manager

Creating on the web requires storing, searching and retrieving resources.

Create by composition: Components

Allow users to create by adding and editing existing components

Create by composition: Graphs

Or by using a more approachable system like graphs

Create by development

Allow experienced users to develop new resources and share them

Publish

Make publishing the creations easy

Other features that are important to consider

  1. Prefabs: allow to pack fragments of their creation so they can reuse them or share them.
  2. In-editor tools: Do not force them to use thirth party software (but let them if they want)
  3. Examples and tutorials: Give the users material to play with.

Architecture

The system is made by different independent libraries.

First public release (2015)

Lots of people interested but it also remarked that there were still lots of features missing.

Where to go from here?

Future

  1. Finish documentation
  2. Create guides for every feature
  3. Videotutorials and demo scenes
  4. Create a community (forum, devlog)

Try it! WebGLStudio.org

Gracias :)

javi.agenjo@gmail.com

@tamat