Microsoft launched Remix3D with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and as a web app. It allows users to download and use 3D objects. With Poly, Google is not copying but rather playing “anything you can do I can do better”. The company is differentiating its service from Remix 3D by adding in integration with phone-based VR development. By leveraging Google VR, the 3D objects can be used in a virtual space through a headset. “Poly lets you quickly find 3D objects and scenes for use in your apps, and it was built from the ground up with AR and VR development in mind,” Google says in a blog post. “It’s fully integrated with Tilt Brush and Blocks, and it also allows direct OBJ file upload, so there’s lots to discover and use. Whether you’re creating an intense space walk in VR or a serene garden of AR flowers, you’ll find the ingredients you need in Poly.”
Apps like Blocks and Tilt Brush are supported, as well as Wavefront OBJ. It is expected there will be expansions to FBX, STL, PLY, and 3MF in the future. All those 3D printing platforms are already available on Remix 3D.
Remix 3D Support
While Poly is in some ways a Remix 3D clone, Google is looking to create a true interoperable community. With that in mind, Poly works with Remix 3D to allow users to download from an open library of OBJ objects. Moreover, users can craft 3D objects and port them to Remix 3D. This allows them to be 3D printed through Windows 10’s native support. This is evidence of open standards bringing companies closer together, even if Microsoft and Google are not directly collaborating.
