New home for 3-D objects eases developer leap into VR/AR environments

New home for 3D objects eases developer leap into VR/AR environments

(Tech Xplore)—For developers creating content tools for virtual and augmented reality content, what a nice start to the month. And you can thank Google. November 1 marked the introduction of Poly, where you go to browse, discover and download 3D objects.

Poly is Google's open library of free VR/AR goodies, namely, a 3D object and scene library that creators can use. Andrea Zvinakis, product manager, did the introductions. As of November 1, the Poly site is available. Zvinakis said, "Search thousands of free models for use in your AR or VR apps." Get started at poly..com.

"If you're building for virtual and augmented reality, you need 3D objects for your apps. With Tilt Brush and Blocks, we've made 3D creation easier. Now, we want to enable creators and developers to build on everyone's work. That's why we created Poly: one place to browse, discover and download 3D objects."

With Poly, you can search through thousands of free objects and you can download to use in an AR or VR application. They are inviting you to start viewing at poly.google.com

This serves a special need too. With the growth of virtual and , more and more 3D objects are needed; these objects are not so easy to come by. Ryan Whitwam in Android Police mentioned realities, as "designing 3D models for apps can still be difficult and time-consuming." With this initiative, he said, Google aims to lessen the hassle.

Co. Design called it "a new kind of clip art, in an attempt from Google "to build the world's most accessible library of shareable 3D objects to use for anything."

That "for anything" is brought home by Abner Li in 9to5Google:

"Besides serving as a library for creators, Poly is open for anyone to look through on mobile and desktop browsers. The website lets users 'Explore' categories like Animals & Creatures, Art, and Nature. Items can also be shared as a GIF or viewed in VR through Cardboard or Daydream View."

So, how generous a choice of objects is there on Poly? Dozens of cat variants, teacups and daisy figures? Fast Company senior writer Mark Wilson said, "Poly is already stuffed with seemingly endless assets. From a room-scale rendition of Starry Night, to a perfect Lego brick, to a cheeseburger that, quite politically, places the cheese both over and under the beef."

A wide choice of objects is not the only advantage. A remix is possible. Poly, said Whitwam, "supports remixing and editing via Google's design tools."

Let' say you want to tweak an image; then remixing then Zvinakis told how: Click "like" to import a remixable into Tilt Brush or Blocks. Make changes. "Poly will automatically credit and link to the original creation when you publish your remix."

In time, we might see the kind of impact Poly will have as describe4d by some tech watchers this week.

Wilson wrote in Co.Design that Google is "building a library of models that speed up and ease the process of using a new digital medium, much like Clip Art made it possible for new computer users to make documents in Word."

Emma Boyle in TechRadar: "If app developers no longer have to spend endless hours crafting 3D models and can take select items from Poly completely free of charge, we're likely to see AR apps hit the app store at a much faster pace."

More information: poly.google.com/
blog.google/products/google-vr … -objects-and-scenes/

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