The open-source plugin combines 3D geospatial capability of Cesium with the high-fidelity rendering capability of Unreal Engine.
Cesium’s efforts for combining geospatial and 3D computer graphics started receiving the support of Epic MegaGrants program last June. This is the first effort to plug a full-scale, high-precision 3D globe into Unreal Engine, opening a world of possibilities for Unreal’s users. Now Cesium for Unreal is available for free on the Unreal Engine Marketplace. Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic Games, has been talking about his ideas for creating immersive social virtual reality, Metaverse, and how much value it will be as an open platform. Interoperability between virtual environments will increase its value. With Cesium for Unreal plugin, Epic is set to implement 3D geospatial technology in real-world environments. The open-core business model of the plugin is available for free to the developer community. Integrated Cesium ion lets users upload their content and optimize it as 3D Tiles that can be hosted in the cloud and streamed to any device later.
Epic’s MetaHumans may have got a home in Cesium’s 3D geospatial ecosystem for game engines. It will be absolutely thrilling to play games in MetaHuman avatar in a massive high-resolution real-world. MetaHuman are very hungry for GPUs, but Epic says the tools can be set for lower quality to run on machines that have fewer capabilities. Moreover, Cesium uses the 3D Tiles spatial index to optimize the user experience by only loading content that is most important to the user’s experience.
The press release follows:
Cesium releases free ‘Cesium for Unreal’ for all creators
In collaboration with Epic Games, 3D geospatial software company Cesium has released Cesium for Unreal, a free, open-source plugin that delivers high-resolution 3D geospatial technology and accurate real-world data for any type of application.
Cesium for Unreal enables a high-accuracy full-scale (WGS84) globe in Unreal Engine, the open and advanced real-time 3D tool from Epic Games, creator of Fortnite. With this new plugin, developers now have the ability to create interactive, virtual worlds using accurate real-world 3D content captured from cameras and LIDAR sensors on satellites, drones, and intelligent machines.
“Cesium’s expertise in cloud-based geospatial software applications and leadership on open standards for streaming massive 3D content makes them an ideal partner to support Epic’s vision for an open Metaverse,” said Marc Petit, VP and General Manager of Unreal Engine at Epic Games.
The implementation of 3D geospatial technology in real-world environments—from building immersive experiences in artist-created scenes to those based on 3D content in its precise geospatial location—represents a shift in industries including training and simulation; architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC); automotive and transportation; film and television; broadcast and live events; and games.
The plugin is the first step toward a future where immersive, global-scale 3D applications with pinpoint precision are ubiquitous across industries.
“At Cesium, we’ve long believed in the potential for innovation at the intersection of the 3D geospatial and computer graphics ecosystems,” said Cesium CEO Patrick Cozzi. “Cesium for Unreal is a monumental step in bridging decades of advancements in these technologies.”
Cesium for Unreal is available to download for free on the Unreal Engine Marketplace. It includes integration with Cesium ion for optional commercial access to curated 3D content like global terrain, 3D buildings, photogrammetry, and satellite imagery, and software to convert custom high-resolution 3D data into streamable 3D Tiles.
About Unreal Engine
Epic Games’ Unreal Engine is the world’s most open and advanced real-time 3D tool. Creators across games, film, television, architecture, automotive and transportation, advertising, live events, and training and simulation choose Unreal to deliver cutting-edge content, interactive experiences, and immersive virtual worlds. Follow @UnrealEngine and download Unreal for free at unrealengine.com.
About Cesium
Cesium’s open platform provides the foundations any software application needs to utilize 3D geospatial data: visualization, data pipelines, curated global 3D content, and analytics. Committed to openness and interoperability, Cesium powers solutions that create digital twins of the real world in industries such as AEC, aerospace, energy, commercial real estate, smart cities, autonomous driving, and defense. https://cesium.com.
