Open Blocks VR to Silo

Blocks was really clever and powerful 3d content creation tool in VR made by Google some years ago, but then was abandoned along with tools like Tilt Brush...yet they kept the bones of these tools Open Source for others to tinker with, and so, Open Blocks was born a few months ago. This rekindled my interest in content creation in VR, though I did end of modifying the scene somewhat through Silo 3d from Nevercenter. 

Open Blocks_Karl Wants Orange! by Matt Connors on Sketchfab

Storybook Challenge Sketchfab

I have been kicking around ideas for this concept for a while, but this recent Sketchfab challenge pushed me to evolve the idea further. It also helped to have a few days worth of break from work to sketch out part of the story.

Stuck on You, Chapter One by Matt Connors on Sketchfab

The first draft for the model looked like this:

Schmug4_test_solo by Matt Connors on Sketchfab

Extraction Point

I am really enjoying the newer features in Tiltbrush on my Oculus Touch for painting concepts in VR. The poly tools are very intuitive, though I do wish that you could edit points and faces a bit more. I suppose the result would be more tweaking, and less immediacy. (Tiltbrush content removed as their Poly hosting site has been shut down by Google)

Update on Monday, April 27, 2020 at 8:38AM by Matthew Seydel Connors

After posting the TiltBrush model, I felt that the mood that I was looking for had not really been achieved, though I was pretty impressed at how fast the scene could be realized through TiltBrush. When in doubt, I threw it over the wall into Photoshop for a paintover, partially inspired by the amazing Swedish sunsets that we have been getting in our rown of Gothenburg. 

'Bees' Wisdom', diving back into Kingspray VR

Two years and a few months ago, when I first picked up my Oculus Rift and Touch controllers, there were a few apps that really sold me on the possibilities of creating art in VR, or using VR as an active prototyping platform. Tiltbrush I had already used on a Vive, but the wnads as input method were really holding me back. Quill was the app that changed my mind, even though Medium has a ton of promise. Kingspray Graffiti I stumbled across accidentally, but is a tremendous amount of fun to come back to every once in a while. 

Google Blocks, Back onto Robots

No apologies, but it's been a pretty busy time, with the move to Sweden in the spring, and my computer was in mothballs on a ship for a really long time. Then no internet for a bit except for at work...but I am coming across a bit like Job here. It's kind of the opposite, as I feel like there need to be times that you can rest for a bit, relax and experience life for a bit before diving back into creating again. 

Why not start with a simple bot again, made in my favorite tool, Google Blocks in VR?

This new robot, Gustav, seemed to be in need of a story. He's lost his little pet, Fritz, who is always disappearing to find new and interesting food in the city. Fritz can sense when Gustav is near, though...

Collateral Damage by Matt Connors on Sketchfab

Collateral Damage by Matt Connors on Sketchfab

 Let's make it two of them, for good measure.

(removed the Google Poly link, as they have been shut down by Google mid 2021)