Expanding Decentraland Explorers: Mobile & VR in Godot and Desktop in Bevy

by 0x83f9192d59b393c8789b55d446e5d4a77075c820 (Lean)

Should the following $218,200 grant in the Platform category be approved?

Abstract

After the goals achieved in the Protocol Squad we want to present this proposal which aims to advance the Decentraland metaverse by developing mobile clients with the Godot engine, targeting Android and iOS platforms, with the potential to publish on App Store and Play Store and by continuing the development of the Bevy engine's desktop client, thereby indirectly contributing to the Godot project, while also preparing for desktop client deployment.

On the other hand, we want to keep making contributions to Decentraland's documentation, and collaboration work with the Foundation. Crucially, we want to develop test scenes in-house to ensure the compatibility, completeness, and uniformity of SDK7 implementation across all client platforms.

Grant size

218,200 USD in DAI

Project duration

6 months

Beneficiary address

0x04812c531083054863ef354EF600A61857921466

Email address

leangodotdev@gmail.com

Description

In our continuous efforts to propel Decentraland into the forefront of the decentralized metaverse, we propose a comprehensive plan with primary and secondary objectives to enhance the user experience, expand the reach of Decentraland's client base, and contribute to the ecosystem's growth.

Primary Objectives:

• Godot Mobile Clients (Android and iOS): Our foremost goal is to develop mobile clients for the Decentraland metaverse using the Godot engine. These clients will be tailored for Android and iOS platforms, with the potential for publication on the App Store and Play Store. This expansion aims to make Decentraland more accessible to a wider audience, providing a seamless and immersive experience on mobile devices.
• Bevy Desktop Client Development: In the short term, we will continue the development of the Decentraland Bevy engine's desktop client. By doing so, we indirectly contribute to the Godot project, as both engines share the Rust language, common goals, and development principles. This effort ensures that Decentraland has a robust desktop client, positioning it for future deployment on various desktop platforms.

Secondary Objectives:

• User Experience Enhancement: Central to our approach is prioritizing the user experience. We aim to create a user-friendly environment in which casual users can interact seamlessly with Web3, all without the need to manage a self-custodial wallet. Additionally, we will focus on enhancing user engagement within the virtual world, refining elements such as player locomotion, emotes, and other interactive features.
• Test scenes: Test scenes will be developed by our team to ensure the compatibility, completeness, and uniformity of SDK7 implementation across all the clients.
• Documentation and Collaboration: We are committed to maintaining and enhancing Decentraland's documentation. This includes contributions to documentation repositories and working closely with the Decentraland Foundation to address any unfinished tasks. Our goal is to ensure that users and developers have access to comprehensive and up-to-date resources for utilizing Decentraland's features and protocols.
• SDK7 Enrichment : We will actively participate in the growth and improvement of SDK7. Our contributions will involve refining the SDK, adding new features, and ensuring its compatibility with our client developments, thereby fostering a thriving Decentraland ecosystem.

In conclusion, our proposal outlines a multifaceted approach to elevate Decentraland's metaverse experience. By expanding to mobile platforms with Godot, continuing Bevy's desktop client development, and focusing on user-centric enhancements, we aim to make Decentraland more accessible, engaging, and immersive for users and developers alike. Our commitment to documentation, collaboration, and SDK7 growth further solidifies Decentraland's position as a leading decentralized virtual world.

Note: A new Staff Engineer was added to the proposal (in comparison with the previous one: https://governance.decentraland.org/proposal/?id=5d65f080-4eab-11ee-8775-751cfef3aca1) that will help with the Performance of the Mobile Version, and he's adding the possibility of doing a PoC of VR and an Experimental version for Web. This enables a more reliable and faster result in the Godot implementation

Roadmap and milestones

Milestone 1 - Jan 31st 2024

• Web3

  • Allow players to maintain an identity without an external wallet
  • Allow users to link an external wallet in the new explorers to establish a permanent identity
  • Provide a mechanism for signing transactions

• SDK completeness minimal functional support for all non-deprecated SDK7 components and SDK API modules

• Compliance test scenes (*)

Milestone 2 - Apr 30th 2024

• Beta release

  • Mobile Explorer signed and available for iOS and Android
  • Desktop explorer signed available from decentraland.org

• Basic SDK6 support

• Alpha release

  • PoC native VR build (mainly Meta Quest 2)
  • Experimental web build

• Locomotion proposal

  • Specification for player locomotion
  • Implementation in the new explorers

• Compliance test scenes (*)

(*) Detail of compliance test scene, component list:

Milestone 1

• Transform
• MeshRenderer
• Material
• Visibility
• Billboard
• Raycast
• GltfContainer
• Animator
• TextShape
• EngineInfo
• CameraMode
• PointerEvents
• PointerLock

Milestone 2

• AvatarAttach
• AudioSource
• AudioStream
• VideoPlayer
• UiTransform
• UiCanvasInformation
• UiBackground
• UiLabel
• UiText
• UiInput
• UiInputResult
• UiDropdown
• UiDropdownResult

This proposal is summarized due to technical limitations. To view it complete and vote on it, visit the DCL DAO Governance dApp