/woahzone

Prototype 3D hangout space built on three.js and socket.io

Primary LanguageJavaScriptMIT LicenseMIT

woahzone

A prototype 3D hangout space built on three.js and socket.io.

Created because I wanted a space to hang out with friends digitally when we couldn't meet in person due to COVID-19.

👻 Currently halloween themed 👻

Instructions

It's designed to be as simple as possible to install and host without having to read too much documentation. You should be able to run this on a heroku instance without much trouble, and I imagine it'll work self-hosted and on other platforms too.

For reference, app.js is the node server, and /static/js/woahzone.js is the main javascript module loaded by the client when they connect.

How to run locally:

  1. Make sure you have npm and nodejs installed - they're required for this.
  2. Clone the repo and navigate to the cloned directory.
  3. Run npm install to download all the dependencies.
  4. Run node app.js to test the server locally.
  5. Connect to the server by going to localhost or 127.0.0.1 in your browser.

How to run on heroku:

  1. Create new heroku instance and connect it to the repo.
  2. Under settings, add the heroku/nodejs buildpack.
  3. Add a new entry to the Config Vars in the settings. Set KEY to NODE_ENV and VALUE to production node index.js.
  4. Under resources, you'll want to create a new web dyno. A free/hobby dyno should run this fine.
  5. Run the dyno with the instructions npm start.

Demonstration

The latest version of woahzone can be played at multiplayer.rtay.io.

If nobody else is online, try inviting some friends* or opening a couple of windows with the website to simulate the experience.

*Friends not included