Announced today, Open 3D Foundation (O3DF) has launched all-new updates to its open-source 3D engine, as well as debuting an exciting digital event scheduled for May 5 to May 7.
Coined O3DE Jam, the event is set to highlight many of the astounding enhancements the engine has made and showcase the ingenuity found within the world of 3D applications.
Since 2021, O3DF has been in the process of developing and upgrading its modular, cross-platform three-dimensional engine that is tailored for high-class games and multimedia entertainment.
Given its open-source nature, everyone can leverage the platform in its entirety, and those interested can find all of the code on GitHub.
O3DE has seen some major strides, but the updates today prove how far the engine can go when put to the test. Several of the more front-facing enhancements made in the 23.05 update include a highly versatile new scripting interface called Material Canvas and an exciting multiplayer experience titled Multiplayer Simple Game (MPS), which leverages O3DE systems with server reference implementations and more to help game developers streamline their creations.
In addition to these updates, O3DE has also seen performance boosts on a wide range of different features, including its terrain system, animations, physics, and even VR/XR support.
The new PhysX 5.1 support will aid O3DE users with a 15% increase in simulation performance. At the same time, the Terrain Developer Guide can help relative newcomers expand their digital worlds without stressing about the small stuff.
For those looking to enhance their robotics simulation process, get excited as the O3DE update also integrates ROS2 Gem, or Robot Operating System version 2, a toolset dedicated to streamlining such sims. This includes a full importer, multi-camera sensors, and physics enhancements for even better code.
"With O3DE, you can actually write ROS 2 code inside your simulation project. We made use of the fact that O3DE is C++ based, so it is quite easy to have a direct integration with ROS 2, explains the VP of Robotics and Simulation at Robotec.ai.
Most exciting, however, is the firm's forthcoming digital event, O3DE Jam, which is scheduled to kick off tomorrow, May 5, taking on the theme of "Navigating the Wasteland." Users will need to have downloaded the newest update and register online here.
The O3DE Jam is set to involve a "hackathon-style competition" dedicated to the most creative open-source developers as they show their digital creations to the masses. As the theme implies, these creations will be focused on the post-apocalyptic future, where the wasteland has taken hold.
Join the O3DE Discord and get ready to jam as the digital event nears.
