For Mozilla’s VR-Framework A-Frame, A-Terrain is a cartographic component that allows you to link 3D map data from the real world with self-built VR components free of charge.
Mozilla brings terrain view for VR library
Browser manufacturer Mozilla wants to simplify the use of 3D terrain and map data in virtual reality projects for developers. This is made possible by a special component, A-Terrain, for Mozilla’s in-house VR framework A-Frame. According to the announcement, the main aim is to give developers a great deal of leeway in which the data and the VR experience can be mixed in any way they like.
The 3D cartography specialist Cesium.com apparently makes the 3D components available to the VR project free of charge. However, the data are not under a free license and their quantity is limited. These are topographic world maps, satellite images and 3D buildings for San Francisco. Better than nothing, say the Mozilla VR makers and propose various projects that can be implemented with it.
Since a Globe renderer is also on board, a tracking shot from space down to a 3-D building would be conceivable. A virtual mountain hike could also be staged with the help of topographical data. The data supplied can also be combined with any other VR data, such as models from the Mozilla Hub. A few examples of the practical use of this data are provided by the corresponding blog post.
Mozilla plans to press ahead with the development of VR technology in-house this year. For example, the Servo rendering engine team, written in Rust, is to focus more on VR and AR (Augmented Reality). Firefox Reality is also an independent browser variant that is to run in mixed reality headsets.
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