Amazon opens Sumerian 3D, AR, and VR creation tool to all developers
Amazon has announced that Sumerian, a web-based tool leveraging Amazon services to create 3D, AR, and VR applications, is generally available as of today. The tool debuted in “limited preview” at AWS re:Invent last November.
Sumerian enables developers to construct “scenes” featuring interactive characters and environments that can be accessed across multiple platforms. Using a URL link to Amazon’s cloud, scenes can be viewed in browsers with WebGL or WebVR support, headsets such as HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift, plus iOS (ARKit) and Android (ARCore) devices.
The key to Sumerian’s developer appeal, Amazon notes, is that it “does not require any specialized programming or 3D graphics expertise,” instead using a web-based editor to create scenes and a visual scripting tool to chart how characters and objects will respond to users. Developers can also draw on Amazon’s Lex, Polly, AWS Lambda, AWS IoT, and Amazon DynamoDB services to power user-character interactions.