Introducing the 3D, real-time editor in GDevelop 5.6

GDevelop 5.6 is now available with a full 3D and real-time editor. The new editor provides you the tools to navigate, build and edit any kind of 3D scenes. This is the first version of the 3D editor, so expect more updates, bugfixes and improvements in the coming weeks.

The 3D editor can be activated using the 3D mode in the top toolbar. Once launched, all the features for 3D edition are available:

• You can move using the "free camera" mode, allowing you to fly in the scene, moving the camera with the keyboard WASD or arrow keys, or the mouse wheel.
• Press F to focus the selected object and automatically switch to the "orbital camera" allowing to move around it.
• You can select, move, rotate and resize object instances using the "gizmo" tool shown on the selection.
• Grab an object using the handle at the center of the gizmo and drag objects naturally — they'll automatically project onto the ground or other surfaces beneath them

📱 On touchscreens, use 1 finger to select/move instances, 2 fingers to move or zoom and 3 fingers to rotate the view.

More than just a 3D editor, the new editor is real-time preview of the game:

• See layer effects and object effects applied in real time,
• Dynamic lighting: Watch as lights illuminate your scene with realistic shadows,
• Adjust colors, scales, rotations, and more in the sidebar and see changes instantly.

You can edit scene, external layouts and custom objects:

• Custom objects ("prefabs") are "composite objects", built with one or more other objects and optionally some logic. Think of them as objects containing their own scene inside. They can now be edited in 3D exactly like a traditional scene.
• When navigating outside of a custom object, they are now rendered in the scenes using it (and in other custom objects that also embed it) exactly like in the game.
• Objects like 3D particles have specific rendering in the 3D editor, and custom objects will be able to change their rendering using events. For example, the 3D Height Map objects can now display their actual geometry in the editor.

Read the full announcement on the GDevelop blog and learn about the technical architecture in this article.

👉 More to come

The 3D editor is a solid foundation for the future. Like everything with the GDevelop game engine, the 3D editor is open-source. It opens the door to even more powerful features we're planning:

• Full manipulation of 2D objects in the scene from the 3D editor. For now, 2D objects can't be edited in the 3D editor.
• Support for point and spot light objects, with real-time preview of them in the editor,
• Collision meshes,
• Custom shaders that can be authored and previewed in real-time in the editor,
• Additional visualization options for custom extensions,
• More performance improvements and, obviously, bug fixes.

🕹 Example

• A new free example: 3D Wipeout Platformer

🎨 Assets

• Add a new free pack: Wipeout 3D
• Add a new premium pack: Total Wipeout Obstacle 3D

🐛 Bug fixes

• Fix broken 'Pick nearest' action