Rooms.xyz — a new platform for basic 3D-modelling by Things Inc. startup
Things Inc. startup, founded by Google alumni, has launched a public beta test of its new digital art platform, Rooms.xyz. It is a browser-based tool that allows you to design 3D-spaces using code, drag-and-drop technology and editable objects. These interactive spaces can then be used to create simple interactive games and other digital projects.
The startup itself was founded in 2021. In the two years span, it managed to raise $10 million in seed funding from the a16z venture capital fund and various private investors, including Scott Belsky, chief product officer of Adobe and founder of the Behance platform.
The startup’s idea was to create a tool that would be something medium between a simple game constructor like Minecraft and an advanced platform for creating game worlds like Roblox. As the company itself describes it, Rooms.xyz is something like “the digital equivalent of LEGO”.
The startup’s co-founder Jason Toff says he was also inspired to create the platform by a desire to make 3D modeling a little more accessible to everyone. On the platform, the process of creating an interactive space is almost as simple as in Minecraft, where various objects serve as the building unit. The user can find the desired fully formed object, edit it to their liking, and then add it to their space (the so-called “room”). Objects can be pieces of furniture, household appliances, decor items, pets, people and so on. The interface allows you to change both the external and functional features of the object — color, size, position, style and action.
For the platform, the startup ordered the development of 1,000 voxel 3D objects from various designers. Each object can be added to your “room” and customized as you wish, and each room is public by default and can be used as a template to create your own interactive space.
The platform carries not only an entertaining, but also an educational aspect — when you click on an object, its code opens, which you can study. The platform uses the Lua language — it is also used for programming in Roblox. Thus, users interested in 3D design can familiarize themselves with the concepts of writing and editing code for such objects on Rooms before moving on to more advanced tools.
The rooms themselves are interactive and can be linked to each other. Once you’re done, you can share your design with others using a URL. You can also take a picture using “camera mode”.
At the moment, the platform is available in beta version for free. Toff says the startup is considering possible future ways to monetize the tool, such as by introducing paid features, subscription plans, or licensing its software. Now the startup’s goal is to analyze how early adopters will use the platform and what they will create with it.
Things Inc. is also testing the connection of ChatGPT to its tool — there is a virtual character on the platform which answers questions using a chatbot. At the same time, the startup is also developing its own AI assistant, which will allow users to request writing code to edit the object they need (for example, so that the object rotates when clicked), but this function has not yet been launched.
Now the platform is available through browsers on PC; an iOS application is also currently being developed.
