Masterpiece VR CEO: 3D modeling in VR is 10x faster than on flat screen

Hello Jon, it’s a pleasure to host you here. Can you introduce yourself to my readers?

Hi Tony, I am Jon Gagne, CEO of MasterpieceVR: we create virtual reality software that breaks down the technical barriers to creating 3D content.

You’re the CEO of Masterpiece VR. Can you explain to my readers what is it?

MasterpieceVR is a technology company that is developing the most intuitive and powerful software for content creation using virtual reality and machine learning. Our vision at MasterpieceVR is to democratize 3D content creation. I started the company because I saw that VR could solve a problem for content creators and artists who wanted to make 3D content but did not want to waste time learning complex 2D programs that required lots of effort to master and did not feel inherent to the creative process.

MasterpieceVR was our first VR product and it has now evolved into Masterpiece Studio, a virtual reality 3D content creative suite that is the easiest and fastest way to create 3D assets from concept to animation.

What are its main features?

Masterpiece Studio’s 3D content creative suite combines two powerful programs: Masterpiece Creator and Masterpiece Motion.  Creator lets people use VR to sculpt and paint in 3D, clean-up and texture their models and Motion lets people rig and skin the models for animation. They can export their model and use it in their standard workflows such as making a game or other animation.

What are the advantages of modeling using Masterpiece VR over the standard modeling and animation tools (like Maya)? 

You are modeling 3D with your hands in a 3D environment, not on a pen tablet and desktop screen. Masterpiece Studio’s immersive and scalable environment combined with an intuitive interface feels natural and more intrinsic to someone creating 3D content. We have seen individuals with no 3D content creation experience begin making content in minutes. In our testing, we have found that it is 100 times easier to learn and 10 faster to create content than traditional desktop modeling programs. 

And what are the main advantages of using Masterpiece Studio over other VR modeling tools (e.g. Medium)?

Our users tell us that it has a simpler and easier interface, we have team collaboration and it does rigging and skinning.  Masterpiece Studio is a “3D content creation suite” that does more of the creative pipeline, not just the 3D modeling part.

Is it possible that a 3D artist nowadays abandons his creation tools and does all his work in VR? Or times are not ready for a complete shift yet?

I think it will take time for 3D artists to entirely abandon current creation tools and established pipelines but for 2D creators that shift has happened.  Right now, for 3D artists, MasterpieceVR is extremely useful to speed up their workflow and easily integrates with leading industry programs. When we created the software we kept at the forefront for the 2D artists who always wanted to create in 3D but could not due to technical barriers. Now they can easily create and do even more of the pipeline.

How are VR and AI changing the way we create 3D content? How does MasterpieceVR and Masterpiece Studio contribute to this shift?

VR is revolutionizing 3D content creation because it is a one-to-one match between the 3D interface of virtual reality and the 3D content you are creating, which makes it simpler and easier to create. AI is playing a key role because it enables the computer to be a virtual assistant to complete some of the more complex tasks…by using AI some of the more involved processes can be automated (eg rigging/skinning) making it easier to focus on the content you are creating instead of worrying about technical tools.

MasterpieceVR was started in 2016, in many respects we are pioneers in this space and have been leading the way in developing VR 3D content creation software, listening to our users and evolving to continue to innovate.

What is the biggest challenge that you had to face while developing Masterpiece Studio and how did you overcome that?

A lot of this is unknown, no one has created a full end-to-end 3D content creation product using VR before. We had to discover how to do this and learn and adapt along the way to overcome this obstacle. Also understanding how machine learning could play a key role to simplify this process. This is essentially a research project we have been able to commercialize into something that is useful for everyone.

Is it possible that we see your software on Oculus Quest? Or do we have to wait for next-gen standalone devices (like XR2)?

Oculus Quest is a great device for gaming and interactive entertainment but it does not have the computational power required to support professional 3D modeling. We look forward to the next generation of standalone devices where the power of these products is at a level and quality to support 3D content creation.

What about AR modeling? Do you think that 3D modeling will be better in AR or VR?

I think they have different use cases, are equally useful, and we are interested in both. Right now, AI on the phones does not have the interface to support creating high-quality 3D models but we look forward to when it does. VR is useful for individuals that want to work in a closed virtual space, AR works well for those that want to be in the open real world and interact through an interface with their environment.

What are the plans for the future of Masterpiece Studio?

Our vision is to democratize 3D content creation to enable a billion plus people to create 3D content. Our immediate plans are to add new powerful functionality and features to Masterpiece Studio that will help individuals and teams to be even more creative, efficient and collaborative. Making it easier and easier to create 3D content as quickly and simply as possible.

How do you envision the future of AR and VR?

Eventually, they will merge together. You will have devices that you can close off to the world and be in VR or open up in AR and be interactive with your environment. It will be dependent on whether you want to be in a virtual world or in the real world.  Once we have 5G and cloud computing on the edge, we’ll soon be able to do high-quality raytraced rendering in real-time and then stream it directly to lightweight $100 headsets. At this point, AR and VR will be everywhere and become integrated into our lives.

Give some pieces of advice to anyone that wants to enter AR/VR now to do a job similar to yours!

Make sure you start with a use case first. You can get excited about an idea or technology, but you need to start with a real world problem to solve. Once you have that put together a strong team to make it a reality. Then ready or not, jump in the deep end and swim as fast as you can to the surface or drown. Being an entrepreneur in the cutting edge of technology will be the hardest thing you ever do, but it will also be the most rewarding.

Do you want to add something to this interview? (Feel free to say anything you want!)

Now that we are in the 2020s, the physical and digital worlds are getting intertwined. Every passing day, we will get more and more immersed in the digital world and will need to interact and create within it more and more. Soon, creating digital 3D content in our world will be a basic requirement of our daily lives. The sooner we can create 3D content today, the better we will be prepared for our world of tomorrow. We’ll do our best to make it easy for you to create 3D content. 

Yesterday was the best time to start learning to create 3D, but the second-best time to start learning is today. Find out how amazing it can be to create using VR.