Paint with friends: Tilt Brush's latest prototype creations
The rules of VR haven’t been written yet and so our team is always experimenting and testing new ideas and concepts. Not only does rapid prototyping help us build, learn and improve — we have a lot of fun while we’re at it! And many times, ideas turn into features that everyone can use. For example, our audio-reactive brushes — the ones that make sketches sway and bounce with music — were a result of our experiments. We haven’t stopped there, so we wanted to share a few of the latest ones from our sketch pad:
Multiplayer mode: Everything gets better with friends. 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. It’s amazing how collaborating in the same space makes the virtual feel real. We think you’ll love this one, so we’re exploring ways to develop this concept further.Custom avatars: Once we tried Tilt Brush with friends, the next thing we thought about was how to make your look your own. So, we also allowed players to customize their virtual headset to show their true colors.
Portal Brush: There are times when having a window to peer outside of VR would come in very handy — like when you want to remember where you set your cup of coffee, or peek at what is going on outside your headset. Our Portal Brush experiment uses the HTC Vive’s front-facing camera to give you a magic window when you need it. Although it only refreshes at 30fps, it’s a playful way to stay connected to the real world.
Posable manikin: Tilt Brush already lets you import 3D objects into your virtual space, but not yet ones you can move. So to explore this, one of our experiments used a virtual "wooden manikin" with articulated joints so you could draw on it and pose it in real time. This could add a new dimension and movement to your work.
Zoetrope: Animation can help bring static artwork to life, whether it’s a flip-book drawn on notebook paper or keyframed assets. One experiment lets you create simple animated scenes using a rotating wheel, similar to how a 3D zoetrope works.
You’ll see some of the ideas and concepts in the experiments above in a future Tilt Brush update, and we’re always on the lookout for new ideas to play with. If you have suggestions, we’re all ears. Show us what you got on social with the #TiltBrush hashtag.
