Google’s Tilt Brush launched alongside the Vive as one of the free pack-in games that came with HTC’s VR system. HTC refreshed the bundle lineup over the summer, but it left Tilt Brush on the list, which means that every single Vive owner also owns a copy of Google’s VR doodling app. With arguably the largest install base of any Vive game, it’s a shame that Tilt Brush is a single player experience. If Google’s experiments are any indication, Tilt Brush may not be an isolated experience for much longer.
The team behind Tilt Brush is always experimenting with new ideas that may add to the Tilt Brush experience, such as the recently added audio-reactive brushes. Some of Google’s most recent experiments include a pose-able sketching manikin with articulating joints, which you can draw on and then place in different poses. Google is also experimenting with zoetrope animation to “help bring static artwork to life.”
The portal brush is an interesting concept that takes advantage of the Vive’s onboard front-facing camera. The space that you “paint” with the portal brush opens a window to the real world so you can take a peek at what’s going on outside of your HMD.
The tools listed above are interesting, but Google is working on something far more exciting. We could see a multiplayer mode added to Tilt Brush in a future update. Imagine collaborating with friends from around the world to draw a 3D image together in real time. Google didn’t say how many players it has connected simultaneously to the same environment, but the short video clip shows that it worked with at least four players in one space.
The team said that “some of the ideas and concepts in the experiments above” would make their way to future Tilt Brush updates. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the multiplayer mode available sooner than later. Google appears to be putting serious consideration into Tilt Brush multiplayer. It has already gone so far as to create an avatar customization system that lets you doodle on your friend’s avatars.
Google said that it is always looking for new ideas and concepts to experiment with in Tilt Brush and are always open to suggestions, which you can send via Twitter using the #TiltBrush hashtag.
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Kevin Carbotte is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware who primarily covers VR and AR hardware. He has been writing for us for more than four years.
I hope they expand the number of users well above 4. Now that you can zoom in and out, and move around a larger workspace, large groups of artists could create some amazing 3D images.
I hope they expand the number of users well above 4. Now that you can zoom in and out, and move around a larger workspace, large groups of artists could create some amazing 3D images.
If you look closely, one of the screenshots I shared shows exactly that in the background.
