REAL TIME 3D ENVIRONMENTS
Virtual worlds are three-dimensional environments that can provide compelling shared experiences for their users. These media-rich immersive spaces can connect to social networks, web-services, and data to bridge into an entire universe of external content. The IDIA has developed scores of projects in virtual worlds and game environments including Blue Mars, Unity 3D, Second Life, Open Simulator, and Quest 3D.
The IDIA built and animated Odie’s character using Maya 3D; an industry standard animation software package used in the feature film and visualization industries. This game that IDIA designed with Paws characters, was developed in Unity 3D.
Paws characters Odie, Garfield and the neighborhood were then brought into the Unity game engine where the lighting, real-time shadows, and physics simulations were designed. Unity’s scripting capability was also utilized to control the Odie character’s animation and movement, trigger collision sounds, and animate Garfield as Odie moves by. There are a selection of objects for Odie to interact with, each with its own physical properties including weight, friction, and bounciness.
http://unity3d.com
MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT
Mobile devices are increasingly used to help us navigate, communicate, stay informed and be entertained. Devices such as the Apple iPhone are capable of supporting rich and complex 3D experiences such as augmented reality and games. The IDIA has been developing numerous projects for PDA enabled mobile phones including applications for social networking, conference systems, augmented reality walking tours, live musical performance and games.
The prototype 3D game, IDIA built with Paws content, has also been re-purposed here as an iPhone game – exhibiting the range and scalability of these authoring environments. The same content from any game can also be realized as a Nintendo Wii game using this production workflow.
This authoring environment supports two and three-dimensional game spaces, interacting through clicks, tilts and touch. Users can walk Odie through his neighborhood, encountering trashcans, balls and Garfield himself!
http://unity3d.com/iPhone