Platform: Unity 3D
It was originally developed as part of the 2019 and 2020 iterations of Artasia, a summer arts program run by CKA (now Arts For All) (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. (NOTE: Quest 2 and Quest Pro are not supported above firmware V50, as the jump to Android 12 breaks storage! )
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 files 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*
*On PC and Mac OSX
**VR functions on PC for Oculus Rift CV1 / Rift S / Oculus Link, and Oculus Quest standalone only