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SDK7 Unity Editor Toolkit

EnactedGrant Request

Proposal Details

Author0x4e8b…ce5f
PublishedSep 04, 2023 15:31
Voting beginsSep 04, 2023 15:31
Voting endsSep 18, 2023 15:31
Snapshot#8841eb1

Grant size

170,000 DAI

Tier

Higher Tier

Beneficiary

0x4e54…88AB

Description

**Empowering Creativity in Decentraland: Changing How We Create Content** Decentraland aims to support 3D artists and unlock the platform's potential through SDK distribution. However, a significant challenge lies in the differences between tools and creation languages. While GLTF is gaining traction, it's not as widely supported as established formats like FBX. GLTF's incompatibility with popular engines like Unity, along with its technical complexity, presents a steep learning curve. This makes it hard for new users to begin, as they must learn a new format and workflow. While tools like Blender are useful for initial visual work, they have limitations when it comes to scene organization. **Creating a Smooth Path Ahead** Our project tackles this challenge directly, putting artists in the spotlight. Our goal is to remove obstacles and empower creators with a tool that follows industry standards used in gaming and film. This tool makes scene creation exceptionally easy from the start **Solving Development Challenges with Ease** We utilize Unity, a powerful 3D engine. Our tool simplifies design and seamlessly integrates with Decentraland SDK7, making it effortless to create Decentraland projects with 3D objects, materials, textures, and animations. ![](https://silver-like-hummingbird-931.mypinata.cloud/ipfs/QmeqTaids6S7CFeTawJrYU863UZdg9uvRz6GZkZpvB9U5u/PolygonalMind_Proposal_01.png "") ![](https://silver-like-hummingbird-931.mypinata.cloud/ipfs/QmeqTaids6S7CFeTawJrYU863UZdg9uvRz6GZkZpvB9U5u/PolygonalMind_Proposal_02.png "") **Enhancing Developmental Value** To simplify the process, our scene translator creates reusable code fragments. These code pieces enable interactions like links, animations, and the addition of sounds, videos, and NFTs. As development continues, the code adapts to include new SDK features, providing a dynamic platform for innovation. **An Oasis of Expertise** With over three years of experience in Decentraland, [Polygonal Mind](https://studios.decentraland.org/profile/polygonal-mind) has gained deep technical knowledge. Our portfolio includes projects like **Doritos**, **Megacube**, **MtnDew**, Boson Protocol, **MOMUS Park**, and **Automatic Slims**, among others. These projects show our ability to create immersive Metaverse experiences by blending art and code. We built them using a tool we developed for SDK6, showing our confidence in our work. ![](https://silver-like-hummingbird-931.mypinata.cloud/ipfs/QmeqTaids6S7CFeTawJrYU863UZdg9uvRz6GZkZpvB9U5u/PolygonalMind_Proposal_05.png ) ![](https://silver-like-hummingbird-931.mypinata.cloud/ipfs/QmeqTaids6S7CFeTawJrYU863UZdg9uvRz6GZkZpvB9U5u/PolygonalMind_Proposal_06.jpg ) **Embracing Collaboration** As supporters of open-source principles, we aim to provide clear documentation and easy access to our project. Our goal is to encourage participation, making sure this tool remains a shared resource that can grow through both our efforts and community contributions. We aim to ensure the tool stays valuable as the platform evolves with new features. **A Vision for the Future** This grant is a big step in our journey to build a better editor. We hope the community likes our work as much as our team does. In simple terms, we want to make it easier to be creative in Decentraland. We're working to remove obstacles, boost creativity, and change how virtual worlds are made. With your support, we're opening the door to a future where imagination has no limits.

Voting Rationale

0xEae2…b50AAbstain5

The Editor is needed but it $ requested seems high, more details and/or comparison with other $ request, might help to have a clearer view.

30 Comments

OGContraBandJan 16, 2024

Hi, will there be documentation on this? Is it for everyone? I saw dclonboarding.dcl.eth is now the jumping in point for new users - the scene you're showing here. Does it mean this is almost ready? I've been learning unity and would definitely prefer to transition into using the most powerful tool available to make content going forward. This will be huge if unity developers can deploy to DCL as they would to steam and other webgl based game platforms.

daoSep 20, 2023

SDK7 Unity Editor Toolkit This proposal has been ENACTED by a DAO Committee Member (0x88013d7ed946dd8292268a6ff69165a97a89a639) Vesting Contract Addresses: 0xe426b284b61f6bacee5efe355f186625045142ee

sebSep 18, 2023

There was a lot of last minute vote changes happening on this one. Initially thought the proposal was not controversial given early results but now i understand it was controversial given competing budget with the Godot proposal. Is that a normal-frequent dynamic? Some kind of time-based vote lock would be good to avoid bad dynamics like this. Also agree with @Morph that it's a shame that we need to pick one over the other in this specific case. We do need both development efforts and while the treasury isn't unlimited - now is a perfect time to invest in building platforms/toolkits/clients etc.

daoSep 18, 2023

SDK7 Unity Editor Toolkit This proposal is now in status: PASSED. Voting Results: * Yes 53% 7,736,798 VP (103 votes) * No 12% 1,931,444 VP (22 votes) * Abstain 35% 5,426,024 VP (19 votes)

MorphSep 18, 2023

Hi all, I've switched to abstain as this and the Godot client are directly in competition for the remaining funds from this quarter - I do believe that the Godot client is a must, and we cannot afford to lag development there, so I have moved this vote. This does not reflect on this proposal nor the team, but is simply a logistical decision that must be made based on our platform grant limits - please ensure this gets re-requested as the new quarter limits open and I will happily vote yes immediately for the same reasons above. It is a shame that the platform grants are more limited versus some of the larger community building grants being given out - it seems clear that while both these platform grants are requesting large amounts - it is definitively worthy of our funds to contribute to the actual development environment for creators.

mazafakaSep 14, 2023

What about the new pay per install rule? Let me point you to this blogpost - [https://garry.net/posts/unity-can-get-fucked](https://garry.net/posts/unity-can-get-fucked) What I personally think? - I'm more aligned with Garry, instead of the self-proclaimed experts on this forum ;) Don't know whos Garry Newman? - Google is your best friend :)

MalloySep 14, 2023

This proposal is a huge win for bringing external talent to building inside DCL, one of the major kickbacks i've experienced trying to bring devs in is having to learn a unique toolkit/adapt to the dev environment. The amount of Unity devs far outnumber the current SDK7 builder pool so it would be great to bring them in. I see this is a far greater benefit for onboarding content creators and expanding the pond to an ocean. No point being a big fish in a small pond etc... More creators, more content, more experiences, more marketing, more users. I'm not sure if I missed it in the proposal though but alongside the development process will you be ensuring to keep the tools up to date with potential updates to SDK7 that won't be an automatic parse to your toolkit? Cheers!

szjankoSep 14, 2023

Voting no, but only because I think that the Mobile Godot Client proposal should get priority for this quarters budget. Would be awesome to have DCL fully functional on mobile asap! I would support this proposal for next quarters budget. (I still think platform category should have a way bigger budget so when two good platform proposals like this happen, they can both be funded right away. Reduce all other categories, and increase the platform budget. These are the types of grants that will prepare DCL for mainstream users and make it easier for us developers to create better content also. Funding the platform category at this stage of DCL is the most important one for the long term success of this space.)

kourtinSep 13, 2023

Hello, @Billyteacoin , @james , @SugarClub , @Morph , @CarlFravel ! Thank you for taking the time to visit and share your thoughts. I'd like to address each of your concerns individually: * @Billyteacoin : DCL-Edit v3 and the toolkit we're proposing serve different purposes. DCL-Edit focuses on Decentraland-specific development after it's already started and introduces a new editor standard. Our toolkit, on the other hand, emphasizes scene layout, aligning more closely with the familiar Unity workflow. In essence, our tool facilitates Unity-based creation that can later be adapted for Decentraland. DCL-Edit, in contrast, is confined to the Decentraland ecosystem, making cross-compatibility with other Metaverse platforms challenging. * @james : Thank you for recognizing the value of our toolkit in helping experienced developers transition into Decentraland's development framework. It indeed provides a fast pipeline for exporting content to Decentraland while ensuring that your work remains compatible with established development practices. * @Morph : Absolutely! Our toolkit includes a GLTF export pipeline, allowing you to choose between packaged GLB+textures or GLTF+.bin+Textures file models. Integration updates for OMI standards (or any additional components) are in the works to convert Unity instructions into SDK7 elements seamlessly. * @CarlFravel : Great questions! 1. Yes, this tool will be freely available, open for contributions, and developed transparently on GitHub as part of our grants initiative. We're also exploring the possibility of distributing it through the Unity Asset Store to increase its visibility. 2. Our marketing budget will be allocated to create tutorials, documentation, and social media posts to highlight the simplicity, accessibility, and scalability of building for Decentraland via Unity. * In response to @SugarClub 's concerns about recent changes in the Unity Engine's business model, I'd like to clarify that these changes do not impact SDKs, tools, or any editor functionality, as @james has pointed out. Our toolkit remains unaffected by these changes. However, it's worth noting that dcl-edit may face challenges if these changes are implemented, given its reliance on Unity runtime. I hope this clarifies the key points for each of you. If you have any further questions or need additional information, please feel free to ask. kourtin

jamesSep 13, 2023

My understanding is that it is only those needing to distribute a Unity Runtime will have to pay a fee. So what is proposed in this post could still be utilised without any charge by those running the free/personal versions of Unity. Would be good to have @kourtin comment on this and in relation to point 1. of @CarlFravel's questions.

CarlFravelSep 12, 2023

1) Will the tool be free for anyone to use? 2) How will the Unity community be informed, so that we realize the benefit of many seasoned Unity develpers becoming involved in DCL building?

MorphSep 12, 2023

Unity is an incredibly important source for high quality scene development, having a good SDK7 library for Unity is a must. On top of this, our entire metaverse runs on .gltf extensions and is a roadblock to development for every single Unity developer if it is not supported natively. While I have not seen or used Polygonal Minds sdk6 version, I do have faith based on the quality of the projects they create both inside and outside of DCL that these tools would eliminate this stepping stone to create fully extended model solutions. Voting yes. P.s. it would be really cool if the system also supported OMI standards for a potential future vehicle/seating implementation: https://forum.decentraland.org/t/dao-c7d1bf9-should-dcl-work-with-and-adopt-omi-standards-for-vehicles-seats/20575

jamesSep 12, 2023

I think this is an important project. If Decentraland wants to attract the best talent from the world of game development then professionals need to be able to use their preferred tool set. It is a risk for a seasoned Unity developer to jump out of the world in which they have based their career to work with a fringe set of tools that are less powerful. Whereas if they do not need to change their tool chain then Decentraland poses less of a risk to their own career development and as a result working in Decentraland can be an attractive chapter in any game development career. One of the biggest talents I think the Decentraland community has ever seen left this eco system because he wanted to work entirely with Unity as his career choice.

BillyteacoinSep 12, 2023

There are already enacted grants with improved SDK editor functionality such as "DCL-Edit V3- A No Code Editor for the Decentraland SDK 7" https://governance.decentraland.org/proposal/?id=bdd44150-1c11-11ee-9bcb-ff4f8c446533 I'm not too sure if we need another one at this point. How does yours differ enough to be valuable to DCL?

KatSep 07, 2023

I think my feedback has been misinterpreted to some degree. My comment was that there aren't many seasoned *Unity* developers in Decentraland, as most builders rely on other tools. Unity is a widely used game engine, but it has just a high a learning curve as the tools you are trying to improve. So I can see the benefit for it, but it currently applies to a very small number of people. If the goal is to make building in DCL easier for existing metaverse creators, as you mention, then an AI tool such as the one already being developed would likely be more efficient for everyone.

ToxSamSep 07, 2023

I hear your point Kat, there are many other tools that allows you to build on Decentraland, yet all of those force you to become familiar with DCL development from scratch, making the learning curve quite slow for newcomers. Or they allow you build very limited experiences in DCL. None of those tools allow you to manage, iterate and update efficiently when developing larger complex scenes. Unity is the one of the most used game engines in the world and a large range of metaverse platforms already have Unity tools to develop scenes. This tool will help to onboard already existing metaverse creators to transfer their know how without having to invest a huge a amount of time into learning a whole new development environment as they might be already familiar with Unity. I believe this based on our own experience, this tool has definitely helped new artist and developers in our studio to become familiar with DCL way faster. It is indeed a professional tool for people looking to do more complex things and an alternative to all the user-friendly tools. DCL has been around for over 3 years now and there is already a good base of seasoned creators who might need something more.

KatSep 07, 2023

This tool seems to cater to a very niche audience within the community, seasoned Unity developers. Most DCL builders may not be familiar with using Unity or be looking to learn a new software at this time. The current builder tools (existing and in development) are designed to be more user-friendly for a broader audience. I think those tools are more relevant to our current user base. As Unknower mentioned, there's the legacy builder, the new builder, DCL-Edit, DCL-Connect, VLM, the In-World Builder and the AI SDK7 builder. As the community continues to grow and we see more unity developers face the challenges outlined in this proposal, it could be a good idea to integrate this tool with the AI builder. Given the size of the target user base and the existence of similar and more user-friendly tools, I don't think the cost is justified or a good expenditure of DAO funds. While it's clearly an excellent tool and the proposal has vision, it may not be what the majority of the community needs at this time.

MetaDogeismeSep 07, 2023

thanks for the clarification, these interactions i think is the most attractive things for creators. If the visual graph is too hard, then maybe putting it into the next stage.

TudamoonSep 06, 2023

Thank you! My main concern is the price tag. I know you guys do good work, but it seems like a lot.

JeinSep 06, 2023

Hey there Tudamoon, thanks a lot for passing by this proposal and taking your time to comment and raise questions that are on our side to reply in a proper way. **Project Timeline and Budget**: Our project spans 16 weeks, organized into four core sprints. The budget primarily focuses on development, covering team compensation and software licenses. We've assigned our most senior team members to ensure a flawless UX/UI design. **Sprint-Based Approach**: We follow a sprint-based workweek, with Mondays to Thursdays for work and Fridays for reviews and progress evaluations. We're committed to transparency and will provide a public page to track weekly progress and solutions. **Documentation and Marketing**: We place great emphasis on documentation, not only to meet grant requirements but also for transparency. Marketing efforts are vital to expand beyond our current community. This budget also includes creating tutorials and learning materials. **Project Value**: Our toolkit is the result of over three years of investment and involvement from 30+ experienced team members. It has been instrumental in Polygonal Mind's growth alongside Decentraland releases so we clearly see the investment return it can have to the community.

JeinSep 06, 2023

Thank you for your support, seeing opportunity for improving the process that we are able to implement is another way to continue contribution to the platform development and the community.

kourtinSep 06, 2023

It would be able to get to that stage as what we are creating are the foundations for a Unity Toolkit under SDK7. On the SDK6 inhouse tool we managed to create simple interactions based on player entering areas or interacting with specific objectives. This, combined with the upcoming quest features by Decentraland could lead to very interesting gamifications around the space. It would be interesting though to create a translator between Unity’s Visual Graph and Decentraland SDK7, which, despite the promising progress, makes more difficult the value translation as it abandons a lot of similarities it’s wording had with Unity C#.

kourtinSep 06, 2023

Hey there HPrivakos, thanks a lot for taking the time to review and provide feedback on our proposal. Over the past three years, we've had the pleasure of collaborating with you, and your insights have been invaluable. We acknowledge that our SDK6 in-house tool may not have been made widely available to the public, but it has received extensive dedication and support during this time. Basically all the cost we have put on the team to understand the Decentraland code and development of the tool has lead us to a high level of expertise that now we want to use to bring creators to the SDK7 via a similar but more product-packaged toolkit. During these years, we have been refining our pipeline, making significant strides in streamlining our processes so developments of projects like MVMF, Oktoberfest or MVFW could reach their release state in 2 months with no hassle. However, we have encountered a challenge with SDK7, which we believe may hinder its adoption. The shift in data structure and coding conventions within SDK7 has posed a learning curve for developers like myself that struggle with code that is not oriented to objects. It's essential to clarify that transitioning from SDK6 to SDK7 isn't as straightforward as a simple find-and-replace operation, such as changing 'value_v1' to 'value_v2.' There is a hidden workload associated with transforming the entire toolkit into a comprehensive solution comparable to other platforms like Spatial, Needle, or VRChat, which I have been mentioned in previous discussions. In addition to the coding aspect, there's a need to enhance the user experience, improve the distribution process, and provide comprehensive documentation. These efforts are crucial to promote our toolkit as a user-friendly and accessible tool for content creation, eliminating the necessity for users to delve into complex coding, terminals, or server setup just to test their work.

HPrivakosSep 06, 2023

That's a lot of money for something that already exist for SDK6 (I believe from you to?). Isn't it possible to edit the SDK6 version to output SDK7 code?

MetaDogeismeSep 05, 2023

love it, just curious, as you brought out the spatial SDK, just quickly went through their doc, it is interesting to see that creators can create quests and add rewards to be claimable by the players with it, and i also found out that there are many interactive features that we can add like "trigger event" "teleporter" etc, plus, creators can do the visual scripting by utilising unity's tool. Would Polygonal Minds' SDK7 Editor Toolkit be able to do the things above as well? If it can do that, i think it will be very useful and might provide a perfect development pathway for designers , modelers, and architects, and enabling them to onboard new brands and projects more easily.