Google has just introduced a multiplayer mode to its painting app called Tilt Brush. It has been causing quite a stir in the tech world, considering that it is almost similar to the Windows Paint program.
For the uninitiated, Tilt Brush is made for the virtual reality (VR), specifically for HTC Vive, so while it functions like Paint, the experience is entirely different to the point that many classify it as a form of game. Every detail is in 3D, which makes drawing activities not only interactive but also quite spectacular and immersive. As one enters the VR space, he could simply create a seemingly real thing out of nothing or create a whole new world from scratch.
According to The Verge, it empowers the player to experience what it must be like to be a god.
The new multiplayer mode introduces a capability to draw with friends. In the released trailer of the app, for example, a player is shown adding lava to a volcano and is helped in the process by several other players. It is, of course, fun but it also indicates a high level of collaborative potential, especially in the creative field.
"We've been experimenting with a multiplayer feature that lets you share ideas, draw and create with others — in the same place in real time," Google said in a blog post. "It's amazing how collaborating in the same space makes the virtual feel real."
The new feature works through the use of neon headsets to identify other users. The experience transpires in a room where the players have access to painting tools. For example, using a brush, a player could proceed on decorating other player's headsets or their own by drawing doodles around it or a mustache. Google called this headsets custom avatars. There are also tools that allow players to animate painted images or existing elements such as a "posable manikin," which is a 3D virtual object imported into the VR space. This last will reportedly come in the next update.
Other planned updates include the Portal Brush, a tool that uses the HTC Vive's camera to peer into the real world. It creates a "magic window" so that the user can check reality for situations like checking a cup of coffee or checking one's headset. There is also Zoetrope, which will enable players to animate static artworks using a rotating wheel.
Google has not confirmed any release date for the Tilt Brush except to say that it is continuously refining the app. Its developers are also asking for some feedback and ideas from the public on what features to include. Suggestions will reach Google when posted at Twitter using #TiltBrush.
