%20(7)%20(1).png){kind=logo}
.png)
Decentraland’s new SDK is put to the test
- NEWS
- Mar 11, 2019
- 5 min read
Decentraland released a new version of the SDK (software development kit) in January that completely changes how 3D content for the metaverse is developed, building upon paradigms that are more familiar to most game developers and that scale better for more robust experiences.
To put this new SDK to the test, a hackathon was organized, including both employees of Decentraland.org and enthusiasts from the Decentraland community. The hackathon aimed to create compelling 3D experiences that leveraged the features of this new SDK to the fullest
What is Decentraland?
Decentraland is a platform that makes it possible for anyone to create, experience, and monetize immersive 3D content.
● Decentraland is owned by the community of people who use it, thanks to blockchain technology.
● Decentraland is built by its users, who can tap into the robust SDK and documentation to make their visions a reality.
● Decentraland is a virtual world for everyone: there’s a place for gamers, artists, professional developers, tinkerers, and more.
You can learn more about Decentraland on our new website, at decentraland.org
What is the SDK?
The decentralland SDK is a set of tools that developers use to create the 3D content that will populate the virtual world of Decentraland. Developers can use this to create any kind of 3D experience, ranging from games to virtual shops, artistic experiences, or simply meeting places for users to interact with each other.
The SDK is meant for developers, using it requires familiarity with command line tools and with writing code in TypeScript (which is very similar to JavaScript).
Decentraland will soon be releasing the Builder, a tool that’s meant for less technical content creators. The Builder will be a visual way to use a simple drag and drop UI to generate the same TypeScript code that the SDK generates, but this will happen in the background while the user only deals with a graphical UI. This tool will be easier to use, but the SDK will keep offering a much wider set of features and creative possibilities for those that can dig into the code.
What changes in version 5.0 of the SDK
Version 5.0 is rebuilt from the ground up to be based on an Entity Component System (ECS) architecture. Under this paradigm, everything is an entity. Entities can have components to acquire characteristics, like a position in space, a shape, a color, or a remaining amount of health. You can think of the sum of all components as the game state. Systems run periodic functions that update the information stored in the entity’s components, for example gradually changing the position of an entity to move it around the room. You can think of the sum of all systems as the game loop.
An ECS is a well known and proven game development pattern for writing code that’s high-performance by default. This helps developers create better and more robust content for Decentraland, eliminating unnecessary complications and making the learning curve much smoother.
Moving to an ECS was also a necessary step to be able to build graphical development tools, since an ECS architecture is a great foundation on which to build an editor.
About the hackathon
A couple of weeks after the release of this new SDK, Decentraland organized a hackathon to gather feedback and increase the awareness about the new tools.
The projects that were submitted by the participants were very diverse, and included games, data visualizations, casino machines and explorable environments.
Based on feedback gathered during the hackathon, Decentraland is now working on releasing version 5.1 of the SDK. This new version will add many improvements including better support for audio and 3D model animations, tools to build a 2D overlaid UI, several bug fixes and significant performance improvements.
Winning Hackathon Projects
Winners were picked by a panel of judges from the senior staff of the Decentraland organization. Another “people’s choice” award was voted upon by all those participating in the hackathon.
Below are details about the winning projects.
1st place (tied) 1 LAND + 10000 MANA
(there was a tie between the top two projects, so both were awarded 1st place prize)
GimMeMANA
A provably fair casino slot machine that uses data from the blockchain to generate truly random results. Created by HPrivakos from the community
1st place (tied) + people’s choice award: 1 LAND + 10000 MANA + 1 LAND
Mika's Kitchen Simulator
A game inspired in Overcooked and Job Simulator. Players follow food recipes in a ramen fast-food post with a cyberpunk aesthetic. Anxious customers order a dish, and you must deliver them before the customer's patience runs out. Be careful not to burn the soup or chop the sushi too much... unless they ask for it. Created by Pravus, Mauricio and Nico from Decentraland’s staff.
2nd Place - 1 LAND + 5000 MANA
Click a Mole
A game based on the classic whack-a-mole, but played at a larger scale over 10 x 10 meters. The goal of the game is to click on as many moles as you can over a 60 second period. Created by Tak from the community.
Note: In order to open the `explore the scene` links below, you must have Metamask installed in your browser and be logged into your account. Metamask will notify you to give your approval to open this dapp before the page loads.
Other notable projects
Office Building for Decentraland
An office building with several stories and a collection of interactive modules. Amongst other things, it integrates a real world business allowing users to order a beer.
Created by Chris (aclcrypto) from the community
MANA Altar
Burn MANA collected by fees charged by the marketplace. While doing this, you light a flame that lasts in proportion to how much MANA was burnt. Created by Shibu and Juanca from Decentraland’s staff.
The Outpost
An experiment in building some adventure-game-style features. Not a game yet, by any means. Terrain was generated from the Unity3d terrain system and low-polyfied. There is a cat, and some bunnies. There is a note you can pick up and carry around. There's a mountain with something on it. Created by Rob Dixon from the community.
Explore the scene
Look at the code
Decentraland Metaverse Directory
Interactive map of Decentraland with real time Cheapest & Latest, Parcels & Estates for sale shown on the map with 3D buildings. The map also allows you to search parcels by genre, using real-time land parcel title and descriptions. This will help with content discovery. Created by Spidy monkey and Decentralizer from the community. Explore the scene
Learn more Decentraland blog.
To get started, see:
To find more general information about the Decentraland platform, the Creator Contest, or the Builder, please visit our website, blog, and other social media channels:
● Homepage
● Discord
Comments