Startup Sketchfab is bridging the gap between today’s web and tomorrow’s virtual reality
Sketchfab, a platform for publishing, discovering, and sharing three-dimensional renderings of objects...
"Every big brand in tech is figuring out how to get into this area," says Denoyel. "We are ideally positioned for this, because we have been working on optimizing 3D files so you can embed them anywhere." The company’s big vision is to enable seamless sharing across VR, AR, and the web, a bridge between today's computing and the platforms of the future.
Sketchfab has pivoted not just its focus, but its business model as well. "We’ve pretty recently shifted to be a content platform, not a tool. Originally it was going to be a software as a service business where we charged users to upload files. But as we grew, it became clear there was more value in helping to distribute this content than charging people to host it." The company removed the barriers to upload and no longer charges for storage, except on its pro version for private files. "We have doctors using Sketchfab to share scans of teeth and stuff like that, they want to keep confidential, and we can monetize a little."
Microsoft imagines people will sculpt and shape objects and then share them with fellow designers.
In the last few months, big name brands like HTC and Activision Blizzard have begun using Sketchfab to share 3D models of their new phones and game characters on Facebook. In the future, AR is expected to be a hotbed for commerce, with people browsing through holographic items in their own living room instead of heading for the mall.
Sketchfab has a big dream, this technology that can bridge the gap between the web we use today and the various realities that are in the near future. "It’s not going to be as easy as they make it sound," says Taussig. "But the long-term vision makes a lot of sense."
See the full story here: http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/4/8727497/sketchfab-hololens-virtual-augmented-reality-3d