New asset browser, project templates interface, offline support for experiences, VPS and more! Mattercraft's November 2024 Update 🎉

Hello Mattercraft community!

We’re excited to share a major update packed with new features, tools, and quality-of-life improvements that make Mattercraft even more powerful and accessible for all creators. Here’s a quick look at what’s new:

New Asset Browser

Say goodbye to endless asset searches! Our new Asset Browser lets you explore and import a wide variety of assets directly within Mattercraft. With integrations from providers such as PolyHaven, TheBaseMesh and Pixabay, you now have quick and easy access to 3D models, textures, avatars, images, videos, and audio clips—all without leaving the platform.

Redesigned Interface for Project Templates

We’ve given the initial Mattercraft project templates screen a fresh design that makes it easier to get started with the right project. Now, when you launch Mattercraft, you’ll see a redesigned interface that separates Templates and Examples—allowing you to quickly find the perfect starting point for your project.

• Templates: Ready-to-go setups that provide a solid foundation for your projects.

• Examples: In-depth projects ideal for breaking down, learning, and exploring more advanced functionality.

This new interface not only looks great but also improves your workflow by helping you quickly filter and locate the resources you need.

Offline Support for Experiences

No internet? No problem! With the new Offline Mode, Mattercraft experiences can now be launched and cached for later use without a network connection, allowing end users to access experiences anytime, anywhere. Perfect for conferences, remote areas, or anywhere with limited connectivity, this feature is a game-changer for reliable access and faster load times.

Here’s how it works:

1. Seamless Offline Access: When a project is launched for the first time with an internet connection, it’s downloaded into the browser’s storage, allowing your end user to re-access it without the need for connectivity. For those in the know, Mattercraft’s using the ‘ServiceWorker’ feature of web browsers to enable this functionality.

2. Improved Loading Speed: On subsequent launches, offline-enabled projects load much faster, as assets are already cached.

A few things to note:

• Initial Launch Requires Internet: The first load requires an internet connection, after which it will run offline.

• Automatic Update Prompts: If an internet connection is detected later and there’s an updated version of the project, users will be prompted to reload with the latest updates.

Customizing the offline experience UI is also straightforward in Mattercraft with CSS in the index.html file, allowing you to tailor the look and feel of this prompt to fit your brand. This update ensures your content is always accessible, even in places where internet connectivity is uncertain!

Checkout the new Custom Offline Mode UI project template in the Learn & Explore section to see it in action.

Enhanced File Handling

We’ve streamlined file management to make your development process smoother. If you move or delete a file, a window will now prompt you to update references across your project automatically. This improvement prevents broken reference links and errors, making development in Mattercraft more reliable and efficient.

Immersal Visual Positioning System (VPS)

Mattercraft now includes support for VPS, enabling highly accurate visual-based location tracking within your immersive experiences (learn more about the Immersal integration here).

Zcomponent Properties 

In the past, working with multiple zcomponents would start to fill up the top of the right-click “add new” menu in the Hierarchy. It’s now easier than ever to update and manage zcomponent properties. You can set the group, icon and tags to set how zcomponents will appear in the right-click menu.

Editor Improvements

• Fork Components: You can now 'Fork' components from the Hierarchy. This allows you to clone and edit existing components' source code to add functionality.

• New Editor Options: Control your 3D viewport with new options for easier development, including: Material, Wireframe, Normals and UV.

• Editor Stats: View real-time performance stats in your editor, including an FPS counter and draw call count.

• Icon for Animated Objects: There is now an icon next to all components that are being updated by a state or a timeline. This makes it easier at a glance of the Hierarchy to see what has an animation assigned. 

• Enhanced Drag-and-Drop: You can now drag assets directly into the Hierarchy from your local folders. These will import into your project files and populate the Hierarchy.

• IDE Update: The script editor has been updated for better coding support. 

• Publish local projects to Zapworks: It’s now super easy to publish a locally made project to Zapworks, simply click on the publish tab, choose a workspace and publish. 

• Favicon Update: A little touch to make Mattercraft more recognizable in your browser tabs!

  
  

New Templates and Examples

Our template and examples library has expanded, giving you even more tools to jumpstart your projects. The latest include:

• Trails 

• Masking and Portals 

• Shaders

• Immersal VPS 

• Custom Offline Mode UI 

Get Started Today!

Whether you’re a newcomer or a Mattercraft pro, this update opens up new possibilities. Head to Mattercraft.io to start building today. Our "What's New" section will keep you posted on even more upcoming features—stay tuned for more exciting updates!

Thank you for being part of the Mattercraft journey! Your feedback continues to inspire us, and we can’t wait to see the incredible immersive creations you bring to life with these new features.