ChilloutVR Developer Update #1

In this status report we are going to talk about topics, many of you were bringing to us in the last weeks.

In this month we will be adressing more QoL (Quality of Live) requests such as some changes to the Content Creation Kit as well as addition of features to the game that make everything easier.

To get things off the table, we will have our Head of Development NicoKuroKusagi speaking about upcoming changes to the platform and features to expect in the near future as well as a status on features planned for the general future.

The Safety System

ChilloutVR 2020r150 will add the safety system.

This system allows users to disable specific components on user avatars or entirely disable loading of them.

The following list contains all current safety tags:

• SFW & NSFW
• Loud Audio
• Long Range Audio
• Flashing Colors
• Flashing Lights
• Screen Effects
• Particle Systems
• Violence
• Gore, Death, Cruelty
• Excessively huge
• Excessively small

Side note: All tags can be set to the following:

• Disable for everyone
• Enable for friends
• Enable for everyone

Specific avatars can also be disabled.
A specific players avatars can also be disabled.

Instancing 2.0

We have greatly improved our network and the setup on how data gets transferred in it. By this means, servers created in the EU-Region will now be created on one of the following Locations: Sweden (Stockholm), Germany (Falkenstein or Düsseldorf), Netherlands (Amsterdam), France (Paris).

France and Sweden are implemented as On-Demand regions and will only be used when the other regions load is getting to high.

With ChilloutVR 2020r150 we will also be adding instance types. This means that you can then create friends only and invite instances for example. The following list gives you an example on what instance types will be available:

• Public (Everyone can join, lobby appears on the public instances lists)
• Friends (Only friends of the current lobby owner can join)
• Friends of friends (Everyone that has is friends with the current lobby owner or any current lobby member can join)
• Group (Only group members of the specified group can join)
• Everyone can invite (The lobby requires invites, but every lobby member can invite)
• Owner must invite (The lobby requires invites and only the current lobby owner can invite)

This system will also come along with the invite and invite request system and is considered one of the biggest additions to ChilloutVR with the update to 2020r150.

Cameras

ChilloutVR 2020r150 will bring two types of cameras to ChilloutVR. Those types being: Photo Camera and Stream Camera.

The stream camera is a cam that will render the local player and all network players with a green screen. This can be used for streaming and recording.

The photo camera is a cam you can make screenshots with. It has two modes, the free size mode and the fixed size mode. More explainations will be coming with another blog post at the end of this month.

We are excited to deliver more tools to streamers and youtubers to create better content.

Full-body tracking

We are further improving full-body tracking within ChilloutVR. ChilloutVR 2020r150 will include further changes to the full-body tracking calibration and behaviour which will then need further evaluation.

The Statmon system

With the Community Hub 2.3 update we will be implementing the statmon system for game and hub. This update should be around the time the ChilloutVR 2020r150 update releases. The statmon system will allow map and avatar creators to see statistics about their models usage, uptime, usage, subscriptions / favourites etc.

This system will also add a global player online chart to the hubs start page. You will then see how many people are online in that specific moment and some more little hints on player activity.

Newton Behaviour Engine

Newton BE is our in-house scripting and behaviour engine. Its backend is built on Unitys Entity Component System and Newton is split into 6 modular parts as followed:

Newton Core

Newton Core contains the Newton Runtime and the module managers. Newton Core is required for all other parts of Newton as it is the head that processes all newton actions.

Newton is using extended multi-threading using Unity ECS, ECS Jobs and SMT. Newton requires a computer with at least 4 GiB of available RAM.

The newton core is fail-safe, if it is not present, it will create itself for Newton-enabled worlds.

Newton Core is also the central handle for all networked events like RPCs that can be controlled by creators and mission assembly.

Newton Physics

Newton Physics manipulates the Unity physics components to perform how they normally would not. To get a little peak on whats coming, check out the following documentation entry: https://docs.abinteractive.net/newton-scripting/newton-physics/newton-behaviour-material

Newton Maths

Newton maths can be used to provide the most used math actions to Newton scripts. Newton maths also contains advanced randomizers and timers and a scheduler system.

Newton Object Behaviour

Newton object behaviour is a set of pre-defined components to manipulate objects behaviour within the Newton Runtime. This can be adding and removing components, changing component values, triggering component related methods and interaction between objects.

Newton Persistence

Newton persistence will allow players to save data like levels, progress, items, hunger, thirst, bleed etc. within interactive worlds. Those values can be saved and restored on runtime or on join. Persistence data can be shared between so called “Hives”. If multiple maps join the same hive they have access to the same persistence data. Newton persistence is server authorative and needs a generated mission file and mission instruction map. Further documentation on this will follow on release.

Newton Authorativity

Newton authorativity is a newton module that requires server verification for specific actions and / or action patterns. This can be configured with a mission instruction map. The game server will then only process the actions that the Newton Runtime on the game server was able to validate against the API.

Final note on Newton

There is no ETA on when Newton will release yet. It will be AFTER the game release. We want to release Newton in a proper state where we can safely say we are happy with what we created. Please also note, that the documentation for Newton will follow after all other core features of the game have been properly documented.