Unity3D nonplayer application
Hello!
In Unity3D version 5.0 (now in beta status), the developer officially announced the possibility of using his product not only for developing games, but also for something equally enjoyable for business.
A video was released to inspire the audience:
')
The video entirely consists of references to implemented projects (no one has previously prohibited non-game use), but it seems that only now a critical mass of such reference projects has accumulated, and version 5.0 (in combination with other auxiliary products) has reached that solidity hike in the industry justifies and justifies. Here you have a multiplatform development environment with an even more multiplatform publishing and deployment system, support for all mobile platforms, a cloud platform, and a developed asset store for quick sharing of developments, and knowledge sharing tools through forums and knowledge bases. A whole world has been created and the chances for further expansion of the borders of this world are really high.
So, what do they do on Unity3D useful (except for games of course) and what new features of Unity 5.0 will be especially useful in the non-game direction?
On Unity 3D, 2 major well-known projects in Russia have already been implemented (already discussed on Habré Planoplan - on Unity, Planner 5D - not on Unity), there is another interesting project in Belarus ( Beladeco - on Unity), a dozen more projects can be counted in Europe and USA.
These are mainly public projects that are available via the Internet, they are divided into 2 subspecies:
These are relatively simple three-dimensional interior model painters. All you need is a) a floor plan (floor-ceiling-wall-corner-door-window) b) finish (apply decorative materials to all surfaces resulting from the floor plan) c) furnishings (furniture, appliances, accessories - bulky items). Such draftsmen can be with abstract filling of decorative materials and volumetric objects - then it is not much different from a computer game (Sims, perhaps, so far the best that was created from this). Or, in the catalogs for modeling, there can be a real product - then, retaining all common approaches, the project’s goal changes radically - it becomes an instrument for promoting interior products according to the “Try Before You Buy” principle.
Similar products (namely, the Unity video refers to them) are developed mainly in the USA and Canada. The fact is that it is not customary to invent interior or renovation in North America (unlike Russia) - they have enough architects and designers in abundance, and they work conscientiously. Typical finishing options are maximally thought out, calculated and optimized for price due to the centralization of procurement and development of installation technologies (as a result of this, any autonomy is costly for a new inhabitant with hemorrhoids, loss of time and money). Typical options are enough - usually 5-6, + - for every taste and wallet (based on the cost and target audience of the room itself).
It is hard to say how important this is in Russia (there would be a wall to pass). There are still very few qualified designers, every client wants an exclusive. In general, Russia is not America - a fact. But, given that the value of real estate in some cities of the Russian Federation is already giving America a head start, it is quite difficult to move in these cities - investing $ 2-3 thousand in a 3D visualization of an object with a view to selling it may be an acceptable option. Realtor and designer unions can work here - a beautiful model is made from bare walls (this is how it can be in this apartment), the realtor first divides the commission a little while selling, and if the project burns out - the design studio returns its income to the realtor. Such schemes are practiced, and the visualization tool is preferably simple (not to invest heavily in work that may not be sold) and accessible (so that you can quickly open the interior on the Internet and not transfer CDs with 3DS files). Unity platform - the most it.
One more thing from the topic “Try Before You Buy” is applicable, by the way, to interior products (especially furniture) and is part of some products of the previous family.
Unity chips here are applicable in all their glory - twist the product (3D model) as you like, bring it closer, remove it, turn on different light, put surfaces on different materials (leather, fabric, wood in the car - for example). When there are many options for finishing elements, there is a compatibility problem (it can be worked out in advance, that is, compatible finishing complexes are offered).
A set can be attached to the configurator (which often unites) - pick up a mixer to the sink, if a mixer is recommended for $ 500 and a client for 20 pumpkins has found an option for $ 300 - so he paid for his time, and the seller earned as much as he wanted - and all done.
The animation system is also what you need - how the car interior is transformed, or how the sofa unfolds - having a 3D model, in Unity you can visualize it in half an hour or an hour.
These chips ultimately contribute, if not to buying, then to pre-selecting products on the Internet.
For a final decision, a warm customer with an already formed opinion is sent to the seller, the seller remains not to spoil this opinion. And for a cold client, you still have to form an opinion - a completely different job.
And not only for pilots and / or astronauts. Updating technological equipment, special equipment, medical / laboratory equipment, etc. will require preliminary theoretical and practical professional training of personnel - technologists, dispatchers, operators, drivers, service engineers, etc. ... Usually you have to send people to courses to the manufacturer of the equipment, then purchase and create training samples - all this is necessary, but long and expensive for the customer. In addition, there are always risks and stresses from the introduction of innovations - whether it will work, whether it is easy to screw it up, etc.
Developing a simulator can be a very reasonable solution: a) the consumer can reduce the stress of innovation, having mastered the new technique first in a virtual environment b) on the simulator you can select the most capable, which you then send to expensive onsite training. The simulator can be adapted to the conditions and characteristics of each technological process, which is not always achievable with real training samples.
Work may be associated with danger and training, respectively, too. For example, the elimination of abnormal and emergency situations, accidents, prevention of safety measures. In this case, a simulator may be more realistic than a real learning model, since the creation of certain circumstances is impossible in reality, either irrationally expensive, or it puts students and the environment at excessive risk.
Now there are many different peripheral gadgets available - glasses, steering wheels, helmets, joysticks, 3d-scanners. Dashboards and toggle switches are easily drawn in the simulator itself. A good simulator can be done in about half a year by a small working group (1-3 developers + technologist in consultation mode + 1-2 specialists of equipment manufacturer in consultation mode).
Supplementing boring textbooks with inexpressive illustrations with lively interactive three-dimensional models — and many more students would go to their lessons with enthusiasm — not everyone has a well-developed spatial imagination, plugging in with studies often on this basis. And many books could gain a second life and spread far beyond boring academic audiences.
No one will be surprised by the drill-down technology, the inventor of which can rightly be considered the famous Russian enlightener and public figure Koshchey the Immortal (death at the end of a needle, a needle in an egg, an egg in a duck, a duck in a hare, a hare in a chest, a blah blah).
But imagine the Drill-Down management balance to the level of three-dimensional models - especially the Assets section: clicked on the Assets line - first a list with numbers appeared, then clicked on the “milling machine” - a machine model appeared in the workshop - you can turn it on and off, see how It works, assess the degree of wear (rendering can age out the surface textures depending on the depreciation rate shown in the report) - especially finders like it. In general, the topic of Business Intelligence is wide and immense, and there is not enough 3D there yet, Unity is already coming to you, move your Cognos and Business Objects away and tremble, gentlemen of the BIschiki! ..
You can think of other areas of application, but I cannot continue to invent without a banter.
Now it is a little about the new version - Unity 5.0. As already mentioned, it is still at the open beta stage, but the free version of Unity's beta is never available for download, so you can only get to know the current version 4.5 (which is also not bad), or wait for the official release of 5.0.
What is so cool about 5.0? Already there were some reviews, in particular on Habré - “We mix favorite bits in the Unity 5.0 program” . Much has been written and narrated by Unity itself. I will stop only on the most interesting.
Now, Unity applications are launched in browsers through the Unity Web Player plugin (you can still work in Chrome via NaCl — however, due to the obscurity of NaCl itself, this is not at all a popular way of publishing applications), but starting with the five, a compilation will be available in WebGL. This is definitely a big step forward for humanity! Many do not want to install Unity Web Player, which significantly reduces the audience of applications. And if in the gaming world, Unity Web Player is already more or less known, then among non-game users no one knows it at all, and having seen something unknown every second tupit, and every first one is indignant.
The Unity blog has a great article on implementation details for WebGL.
It is also important to say that many browsers (in particular, Chrome) with time plan to significantly reduce the capabilities of plug-ins, thereby stimulating the use of html5. Moving from Web Player to WebGL can be vital. A lot of questions remain with the transition - support features, behavior, performance - but, as always, the victory will be ours!
Built-in shaders change drastically - a universal shader appears in which you can use the rendering capabilities as needed. There are great video demos on YouTube, and great articles on the Unity blog (with a link to the video).
With the introduction of Unity 5, we plan to abandon the libraries of external shaders, such as for example Hard Surface Pro, which has faithfully and faithfully served. Everything will work out.
Thanks to the new Enlighten engine, the processing of light sources is changing, lightmaps (shadows, etc.), probes (light effects) and cubemaps (reflections and skyboxes) are considered in real time. This is cool, the preliminary impressions are very optimistic.
Already discussed in detail in the article "Mix your favorite bits in the program Unity 5.0 . "
We use little animation, so it’s hard to say something specific. But there is a wonderful article on the Unity blog.
May the power of WebGL and Chuck Norris be with you!
For the continuation of the topic and comments thanks in advance.
In Unity3D version 5.0 (now in beta status), the developer officially announced the possibility of using his product not only for developing games, but also for something equally enjoyable for business.
A video was released to inspire the audience:
')
The video entirely consists of references to implemented projects (no one has previously prohibited non-game use), but it seems that only now a critical mass of such reference projects has accumulated, and version 5.0 (in combination with other auxiliary products) has reached that solidity hike in the industry justifies and justifies. Here you have a multiplatform development environment with an even more multiplatform publishing and deployment system, support for all mobile platforms, a cloud platform, and a developed asset store for quick sharing of developments, and knowledge sharing tools through forums and knowledge bases. A whole world has been created and the chances for further expansion of the borders of this world are really high.
So, what do they do on Unity3D useful (except for games of course) and what new features of Unity 5.0 will be especially useful in the non-game direction?
1. Architectural visualization, interior modeling
On Unity 3D, 2 major well-known projects in Russia have already been implemented (already discussed on Habré Planoplan - on Unity, Planner 5D - not on Unity), there is another interesting project in Belarus ( Beladeco - on Unity), a dozen more projects can be counted in Europe and USA.
These are mainly public projects that are available via the Internet, they are divided into 2 subspecies:
1.1. Interior Designers
These are relatively simple three-dimensional interior model painters. All you need is a) a floor plan (floor-ceiling-wall-corner-door-window) b) finish (apply decorative materials to all surfaces resulting from the floor plan) c) furnishings (furniture, appliances, accessories - bulky items). Such draftsmen can be with abstract filling of decorative materials and volumetric objects - then it is not much different from a computer game (Sims, perhaps, so far the best that was created from this). Or, in the catalogs for modeling, there can be a real product - then, retaining all common approaches, the project’s goal changes radically - it becomes an instrument for promoting interior products according to the “Try Before You Buy” principle.
1.2. Demonstration of interiors in objects under construction
Similar products (namely, the Unity video refers to them) are developed mainly in the USA and Canada. The fact is that it is not customary to invent interior or renovation in North America (unlike Russia) - they have enough architects and designers in abundance, and they work conscientiously. Typical finishing options are maximally thought out, calculated and optimized for price due to the centralization of procurement and development of installation technologies (as a result of this, any autonomy is costly for a new inhabitant with hemorrhoids, loss of time and money). Typical options are enough - usually 5-6, + - for every taste and wallet (based on the cost and target audience of the room itself).
It is hard to say how important this is in Russia (there would be a wall to pass). There are still very few qualified designers, every client wants an exclusive. In general, Russia is not America - a fact. But, given that the value of real estate in some cities of the Russian Federation is already giving America a head start, it is quite difficult to move in these cities - investing $ 2-3 thousand in a 3D visualization of an object with a view to selling it may be an acceptable option. Realtor and designer unions can work here - a beautiful model is made from bare walls (this is how it can be in this apartment), the realtor first divides the commission a little while selling, and if the project burns out - the design studio returns its income to the realtor. Such schemes are practiced, and the visualization tool is preferably simple (not to invest heavily in work that may not be sold) and accessible (so that you can quickly open the interior on the Internet and not transfer CDs with 3DS files). Unity platform - the most it.
2. Configurators and product animators
One more thing from the topic “Try Before You Buy” is applicable, by the way, to interior products (especially furniture) and is part of some products of the previous family.
Unity chips here are applicable in all their glory - twist the product (3D model) as you like, bring it closer, remove it, turn on different light, put surfaces on different materials (leather, fabric, wood in the car - for example). When there are many options for finishing elements, there is a compatibility problem (it can be worked out in advance, that is, compatible finishing complexes are offered).
A set can be attached to the configurator (which often unites) - pick up a mixer to the sink, if a mixer is recommended for $ 500 and a client for 20 pumpkins has found an option for $ 300 - so he paid for his time, and the seller earned as much as he wanted - and all done.
The animation system is also what you need - how the car interior is transformed, or how the sofa unfolds - having a 3D model, in Unity you can visualize it in half an hour or an hour.
These chips ultimately contribute, if not to buying, then to pre-selecting products on the Internet.
For a final decision, a warm customer with an already formed opinion is sent to the seller, the seller remains not to spoil this opinion. And for a cold client, you still have to form an opinion - a completely different job.
3. Training simulators
And not only for pilots and / or astronauts. Updating technological equipment, special equipment, medical / laboratory equipment, etc. will require preliminary theoretical and practical professional training of personnel - technologists, dispatchers, operators, drivers, service engineers, etc. ... Usually you have to send people to courses to the manufacturer of the equipment, then purchase and create training samples - all this is necessary, but long and expensive for the customer. In addition, there are always risks and stresses from the introduction of innovations - whether it will work, whether it is easy to screw it up, etc.
Developing a simulator can be a very reasonable solution: a) the consumer can reduce the stress of innovation, having mastered the new technique first in a virtual environment b) on the simulator you can select the most capable, which you then send to expensive onsite training. The simulator can be adapted to the conditions and characteristics of each technological process, which is not always achievable with real training samples.
Work may be associated with danger and training, respectively, too. For example, the elimination of abnormal and emergency situations, accidents, prevention of safety measures. In this case, a simulator may be more realistic than a real learning model, since the creation of certain circumstances is impossible in reality, either irrationally expensive, or it puts students and the environment at excessive risk.
Now there are many different peripheral gadgets available - glasses, steering wheels, helmets, joysticks, 3d-scanners. Dashboards and toggle switches are easily drawn in the simulator itself. A good simulator can be done in about half a year by a small working group (1-3 developers + technologist in consultation mode + 1-2 specialists of equipment manufacturer in consultation mode).
4. Education
Supplementing boring textbooks with inexpressive illustrations with lively interactive three-dimensional models — and many more students would go to their lessons with enthusiasm — not everyone has a well-developed spatial imagination, plugging in with studies often on this basis. And many books could gain a second life and spread far beyond boring academic audiences.
5. Visualization of business data
No one will be surprised by the drill-down technology, the inventor of which can rightly be considered the famous Russian enlightener and public figure Koshchey the Immortal (death at the end of a needle, a needle in an egg, an egg in a duck, a duck in a hare, a hare in a chest, a blah blah).
But imagine the Drill-Down management balance to the level of three-dimensional models - especially the Assets section: clicked on the Assets line - first a list with numbers appeared, then clicked on the “milling machine” - a machine model appeared in the workshop - you can turn it on and off, see how It works, assess the degree of wear (rendering can age out the surface textures depending on the depreciation rate shown in the report) - especially finders like it. In general, the topic of Business Intelligence is wide and immense, and there is not enough 3D there yet, Unity is already coming to you, move your Cognos and Business Objects away and tremble, gentlemen of the BIschiki! ..
You can think of other areas of application, but I cannot continue to invent without a banter.
Now it is a little about the new version - Unity 5.0. As already mentioned, it is still at the open beta stage, but the free version of Unity's beta is never available for download, so you can only get to know the current version 4.5 (which is also not bad), or wait for the official release of 5.0.
What is so cool about 5.0? Already there were some reviews, in particular on Habré - “We mix favorite bits in the Unity 5.0 program” . Much has been written and narrated by Unity itself. I will stop only on the most interesting.
1. WebGL support for online applications
Now, Unity applications are launched in browsers through the Unity Web Player plugin (you can still work in Chrome via NaCl — however, due to the obscurity of NaCl itself, this is not at all a popular way of publishing applications), but starting with the five, a compilation will be available in WebGL. This is definitely a big step forward for humanity! Many do not want to install Unity Web Player, which significantly reduces the audience of applications. And if in the gaming world, Unity Web Player is already more or less known, then among non-game users no one knows it at all, and having seen something unknown every second tupit, and every first one is indignant.
The Unity blog has a great article on implementation details for WebGL.
It is also important to say that many browsers (in particular, Chrome) with time plan to significantly reduce the capabilities of plug-ins, thereby stimulating the use of html5. Moving from Web Player to WebGL can be vital. A lot of questions remain with the transition - support features, behavior, performance - but, as always, the victory will be ours!
2. Rendering Materials
Built-in shaders change drastically - a universal shader appears in which you can use the rendering capabilities as needed. There are great video demos on YouTube, and great articles on the Unity blog (with a link to the video).
With the introduction of Unity 5, we plan to abandon the libraries of external shaders, such as for example Hard Surface Pro, which has faithfully and faithfully served. Everything will work out.
3. Light
Thanks to the new Enlighten engine, the processing of light sources is changing, lightmaps (shadows, etc.), probes (light effects) and cubemaps (reflections and skyboxes) are considered in real time. This is cool, the preliminary impressions are very optimistic.
4. Sound, realtime mixing
Already discussed in detail in the article "Mix your favorite bits in the program Unity 5.0 . "
5. Even better animation
We use little animation, so it’s hard to say something specific. But there is a wonderful article on the Unity blog.
May the power of WebGL and Chuck Norris be with you!
For the continuation of the topic and comments thanks in advance.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/243749/
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