Mozilla Introduces Open Source Framework for WebVR

Mozilla has released the first version of an open source virtual reality framework for the web called A-Frame. Version 0.1.0, from the MozVR team, should make it easier for web developers to release vr on different platforms.

A-Frame will initially work on desktop, iOS and Oculus Rift. Support for Android is coming soon according to the makers. A-Frame uses WebVR. WebVR has been in various builds of Firefox and Chromium since the summer of 2014, but to create content for WebVR, a developer must have knowledge of WebGL. That’s why Mozilla developed A-Frame. The framework ensures that WebGL is captured in different HTML elements, making it easier to create VR content.

A-Frame uses concise primitives for common things like 360-degree videos, images, models, sky, and more. With the primitives it is possible to create a scene in a short time. They can also be combined with lighting, movement and animation, sound and interactivity. Multiple primitives and explanations of how they work can be found on the A-Frame site.

For more control, users can fall back on an entity component system to target the aforementioned primitives more precisely. Ecs is widely used in game development. Because A-Frame is actually a DOM, developers can edit the whole thing using standard javascript methods. The developers cordially invite interested parties to participate in the project and warn in passing that A-Frame is new and that it contains several larger bugs.