3D is the new 2D
User interfaces (UI) have been traditionally 2D for native desktop environments and then 2D again for the web. Mobile phone apps, while supporting 3D for specific cases like games, have also been 2D. The flat design movement, although incorporating subtle elements of depth, has only reinforced that 2D is the main and optimal interaction mechanism for existing computing devices.
Conversely, full 3D has always occupied niches such as games, movies, or industry-specific applications. A fully 3D UI was never going to replace the simple and familiar 2D interface of your desktop or mobile phone. Other attempts to usher in 3D via the web (such as WebGL) have always failed because the web is natively 2D and is easier to learn and interact with using your finger or a mouse. 3D elements usually add unnecessary complexity and friction without providing a significant improvement in user experience.
This is about to change, however, with the release of virtual reality (VR) devices this year and augmented reality (AR) devices in a few years. VR and AR have the potential to completely transform our computing interface from being primarily 2D to 3D.
VR and AR have the potential to completely transform our computing interface from being primarily 2D to 3D.
VR and AR deliver immersive experiences to users by surrounding them with realistic 3D elements and utilizing their depth perception. Additionally, new input devices like the Oculus Touch controls or hand tracking via a Leap Motion allow for new 3D hand gestures. Almost all of the content currently being developed for VR will incorporate 3D elements.
Content being primarily 3D will have several implications and will open up new opportunities for startups:
Established 3D authoring environments like Unity and Unreal will become increasingly more valuable
The majority of real-time 3D content today runs on either Unity or the Unreal Engine. As VR and AR become more ubiquitous, the desire to create content for those platforms will also grow. These platforms are the default choice for people entering the industry due to their established ecosystems and credibility (the majority of the top-grossing mobile and console games are built on these engines).
It’s also difficult for new players to enter this space because of the time required to not only create the underlying rendering engine but also the comprehensive toolchain that empowers non-engineers, such as artists and game designers, to be productive.
Simpler ways of creating content in 3D have to be developed to enable anyone to create and share content
There isn’t yet a Wordpress or Weebly of 3D content as there hasn’t been a major demand or channel for it. It’s arguable that the simplest 3D authoring tool today is Minecraft. SketchUp is also fairly easy to use and is closer to professional tools like Autodesk’s 3DS Max or Maya.
Professional 3D authoring tools will need to become more cost-efficient
To create a 3D model or character today, an artist must first create the model, then texture it. If the model is a character, an animator would then need to rig and animate it. This process is time consuming and makes creating 3D content a laborious affair relative to 2D. Even then, the content that’s produced is rarely photo-realistic and often falls into the uncanny valley. Software that reduces this burden and can help create more photorealistic content is going to be valuable as the demand for high-quality 3D content increases.
2D UI paradigms we’re accustomed will need to be rethought for 3D
Every new platform has faced similar challenges. When the mouse was added as an input device and when finger-based touch gestures for smartphones were developed, we had to rethink how core applications functioned. VR and AR are also going to require a new set of interactions.
There are going to be a lot of growing pains as we transition from 2D but we experience the real world in 3D and it’ll be exciting to interact with computers in the same way.
