Platform: Unity 3D
It was originally developed as part of the 2019 and 2020 iterations of Artasia, a summer arts program run by CKA (a charity of the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts).
Artspark was created by Daven Bigelow in the context of previous Unity-based macGRID research projects with Dr. David Harris Smith at McMaster University.
Its 2020 iteration had been adapted for CKA to support a community arts workflow. It is built with the Unity game engine and based upon MRLE.
Artspark currently supports Windows (with Oculus Rift/Rift S/Link VR), Mac OSX, and the Oculus Quest.
Artspark Features
Some notable features of Artspark are:
- Loading levels and content from ZIP files online
- Merging or “stacking” levels together in edit and play mode
- Loading textures and sprites from local files and web
- Loading sounds and videos from local files and web
- Loading 3D models in GLTF and Google Poly formats from local files (.glb) and web
- Webcam support*
- In-World Web Browser with HTML5 and WebGL support*
- VR support with options to swap between left and right handedness and change turning modes**
- Dynamic lights and multiple camera support
- Various built-in character control types in 3D*
- LUA based scripting for controlling the movement, position, rotation, scale, texture, materials, and more of each object placed
- In-Editor script testing features*
- Detecting input from keyboard, mouse, gamepad* and Oculus VR controllers**
- Easy copy-and-paste level sharing with others
- Simple waypoint path system built-in with scripts that can execute at each point
- External asset importing via Unity AssetBundle format*
More features are still planned ahead as Artspark evolves into achieving a multiplayer playback mode, and improvements in 3D modeling and generative art features are added
*On PC and Mac OSX
**VR functions on PC for Oculus Rift CV1 / Rift S / Oculus Link, and Oculus Quest standalone only