They were introduced in October 2017 but Facebook has decided to improve them, here's everything you need to know about 3D posts.
For the past few days, in fact, the father of social networks has introduced support for the glTF 2.0 format, with which more realistic and detailed 3D objects can be shared. Users thus have the possibility to post three-dimensional objects on the news feed with which they can interact with the mouse or touch.
The possible uses of three-dimensional posts are potentially endless. The first, and most obvious, is being able to make 3D models of the products to be promoted allowing users to manipulate and discover them in 360 degrees. In this regard, the e-commerce portal dedicated to furniture and furnishings Wayfair has caught the ball by making three-dimensional models of some rooms with furniture for sale in its online store. This novelty is a valuable opportunity to be seized by game developers, the entertainment industry and as mentioned for advertising.
Let's find out more about the technologies that make this possible
Born in 2016 glTF 2.0 stands for GL Transmission Format and is the file extension that allows standard files to be processed in a simple way, making them 3D. Not surprisingly, it is also called the Jpeg of 3D images. It also allows the size of models and renderings to be compressed without compromising quality. 2.0, on the other hand, is the version released in March 3, 2017 that was initially supported only by less professional programs such as Paint 3D and Viewer 3D. As mentioned, the glTF 2.0 extension allows more realistic and detailed objects to be shared. It supports textures, lighting, and rendering techniques that aim for realism. From shadows to gradients, from "curves" to squared lines, from rough to shiny and from metallic to soft or glassy effects. In short, the potential is endless.
In conjunction with the launch of 3D posts, Facebook has also implemented new Graph APIs. These will make it possible to create and import 3D renderings and models of Facebook posts within third-party apps. It will also be possible to enable 3D content from your own website or software to automatically appear in 3D when shared on Facebook.
The blue giant also has partners supporting this initiative, Sony being one of the main ones. Owners of Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact and Xperia XZ Premium smartphones running Android 8.0 Oreo can create objects with the 3D Creator app and publish them directly to social. From the web, however, objects can be shared directly from the Oculus Medium web gallery and soon from Google Poly. Soon all modeling software will align and support this format making it possible to share on Facebook.
But what is Facebook getting at?
This implementation is part of a broader strategy that Facebook has been implementing for years: to make available to its users ever-new three-dimensional content with a high level of interactivity. These objects will compose a seamless world between online and offline. People, in fact, will be able to share increasingly immersive experiences and 3D objects. All through VR, AR and Facebook, desktops, smartphones up to the virtual reality visor. It will go on to create a true cross-platform 3D ecosystem, as Aykut Gönen called it at the launch on the developer blog.
This project is not entirely new. Remember in 2014 Facebook's acquisition of Oculus Rift for $2 billion? And it was just a year ago that Hugo Barra arrived at Facebook as head of the social network's virtual reality project.
As mentioned it is all part of a project by Mark Zuckemberg to create an ad hoc platform for virtual and mixed reality. It is called Facebook Spaces and was announced at F8 in January 2017. A virtual reality application that will allow users to be in an interactive space where they can share and view content such as videos and 360-degree photos.
The giant definitely wants to impress creators by providing them with a unique tool, but more importantly still be attractive in the eyes of younger users and all those who are slowly abandoning the platform.
You always benefit more from experimenting first.
Finally, the 4 ways to share a 3D post on Facebook to start experimenting and stand out in the news feed of your friends or followers.
- Create a 3D post at the code level with our 3D post API.
- Sharing a link from a web page with Open Graph Sharing metadata tags.
- Share a local resource on an Android device using Android's native sharing action.
- Drag and drop an asset into Facebook's Post compositor.
You can generate 3D models suitable for Facebook in almost any content creation program such as Blender, Modo, Maya or from game engines and save them with the glTF format.
The applications are endless: products, texts, logos, scenarios--in short, the only obstacle to taking advantage of this new Facebook feature is just your imagination.
You may have noticed that many famous brands are trying their hand at experimenting with this new tool. Lego, Jurassic Word, Peroni and Crash Royale to name a few.