Southwest Florida VR AR Meetup

Posted on:July 7, 2023

Thanks to everyone who came out for the meetup! We had a nice discussion and great questions. Here are my slides:

Notes

Lisa asked if this was webAR or could be done with web:

#5d

#billboard

#crazy

in

#china

♬ Two Minutes in Hell - Julian Lee

While we weren’t sure what technologies they were using (or if it’s just a great optical illusion), something similar could be done on the web and Ian Curtis is a great person to follow for examples:

Leonardo and Eveginya have had great questions about using USD on the web and interoperability.

I had asked ChatGpt to help explain the differences between gltf and USD and why we might favor one for web projects.

If I want an open, extensible 3d social platform on the web, is USD or gltf a better format to embrace? What are the arguments for each and why might one be better than the other?

Both USD (Universal Scene Description) and glTF (GL Transmission Format) are widely used 3D file formats, each with its own set of advantages and trade-offs. When choosing between them for an open, extensible 3D social platform on the web, it’s essential to consider their respective strengths and weaknesses.


USD:

Developed by Pixar, USD is designed for high-end production pipelines and large-scale scenes. This means it can handle complex projects with many assets and varying levels of detail. USD is highly extensible, allowing for the integration of custom data types and attributes. USD supports advanced features like scene composition, layering, and non-destructive editing, which makes it a powerful choice for collaborative work. USD is well-suited for offline rendering and film-quality projects. Drawbacks: USD is not specifically optimized for real-time rendering and web use, which might lead to performance issues in some cases. The complexity and advanced features of USD can make it harder to learn and implement compared to glTF.


glTF: glTF is designed specifically for efficient real-time rendering on the web and other platforms, making it a more suitable choice for web-based 3D social platforms. glTF has a smaller file size compared to USD, which is beneficial for faster load times and better performance on the web. glTF is widely supported by many 3D engines and tools, ensuring broad compatibility across various platforms. glTF is simpler to learn and implement compared to USD, which can be helpful for rapid development. Drawbacks:

glTF lacks some of the advanced features found in USD, such as scene composition, layering, and non-destructive editing. glTF may not be as extensible as USD, which can limit its potential for complex projects or unique customizations. Conclusion:


For an open, extensible 3D social platform on the web, glTF is likely the better choice due to its optimization for real-time rendering, smaller file sizes, and broad compatibility. However, if advanced features, scene composition, and extensibility are crucial to your project, USD may be a more suitable option.

Ultimately, the choice between USD and glTF depends on the specific requirements of your 3D social platform and the balance between performance, complexity, and extensibility.

The whole thread is available here if you have joined the development channels in the Hubs discord.

Thanks again to the Southwest Florida VR AR meetup for having me.

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