/exokit

Native VR/AR/XR engine for JavaScript 🦖

Primary LanguageJavaScriptMIT LicenseMIT

Exokit

Native VR and AR engine for JavaScript 🦖

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This project enables developers to build XR experiences using the same code that runs on the web. Exokit engine is written on top of Node and emulates a web browser, providing native hooks for WebGL, WebXR, WebAudio, and other APIs used in immersive experiences.

Exokit targets the following platforms:

  • Desktop VR (Steam compatible)
  • Mobile AR (ARKit / ARCore)
  • Magic Leap
  • Mobile VR (Daydream / Gear VR)

Since Exokit supports anything that runs on the web, it powers experiences built with:

  • Three.js
  • Unity
  • Pixi.js
  • Babylon.js
  • A-Frame
  • Custom WebGL frameworks
  • WebAssembly, TypeScript, and any language that transpiles to JavaScript

Quickstart

Download for current OS

Build your own (desktop)

git clone https://github.com/webmixedreality/exokit.git
cd exokit
npm install
node . # or node -h for home

Run a WebXR site (desktop)

exokit https://emukit.webmr.io/ # start Emukit in Exokit

Download for Magic Leap

Run (Magic Leap device)

mldb connect 192.168.0.10:1131 # mldb needs to be connected; see MLDB documentation
mldb install -u exokit.mpk # downloaded or built package
mldb launch com.webmr.exokit -v "ARGS=node . examples/hello_ml.html" # or URL to load
mldb log exokit:*

Debug (Magic Leap device)

"$MLSDK/tools/debug/debug.py" --deploy-mpk exokit.mpk build/magicleap/program-device/release_lumin_clang-3.8_aarch64/program-device --env "ARGS=node . examples/hello_ml.html" # or URL to load

Manifesto

Screenshots

  • The future is immersive. The web is the best application platform. Javascript is the best ecosystem.
  • Content should be hardware agnostic. Tomorrow will have different hardware. VR and AR should be compatible.
  • It's not possible to do both 2D and 3D well. We don't do 2D. We can call a 2D browser.
  • Use your favorite game engine. Exokit is not a game engine.
  • Legacy browser design choices don't make sense in XR.
  • Exokit empowers and connect apps, even (especially) if they aren't designed to cooperate.
  • Apps should run in "reality tabs", layers of reality that blend together.

Architecture

Exokit is a Javascript Node.js module.

C++ bindings hook into WebGL, WebXR, Magic Leap, Leap Motion, and various other device APIs.

const {window} = require('exokit')() to get an immersive browser in another project.

Exokit runs on Windows, macOS, Linux (x64), Linux (ARM64), and Magic Leap (ARM64).

Web API support

  • HTTP/S
  • HTML5
  • <script>
  • DOM
  • WebGL
  • WebXL
  • Canvas2D
  • WebSocket
  • Web Workers
  • <img>, <audio>, <video>
  • WebAudio
  • Keyboard/Mouse events
  • Gamepad API
  • <iframe>
  • No HTML layout
  • No HTML rendering
  • No CSS
  • No Legacy APIs

Hardware bindings

  • OpenGL
  • OpenVR (Steam VR)
  • Magic Leap
  • Leap Motion

Why Exokit?

  • You want your WebGL/WebXR to run fast.
  • You want the hot new web APIs.
  • You want to add your own integrations -- including native -- into a browser environment.
  • You want a lightweight browser as a hackable node module.
  • You want to combine the web with a 3D engine like Unity.

Why not Exokit?

  • You're looking for a "web browser".
  • You don't care about 3D or mixed reality.
  • You're looking for strict and/or legacy standards support.

Debugging

Uses ndb.

npm run debug

Then in the console, input:

let window = await require('./index').load(yourUrl);

Now you have a handle on the window object as you test your application, and you can set debugger breakpoints and such.

Keyboard

Keyboard

Community

Contributors