Microsoft Mesh is mixed-reality platform that allows developers to build Microsoft's mixed-reality based apps and host and manage them into Microsoft's Azure cloud. Microsoft Mesh also provides apps that allows people in different physical locations to join and collaborate on projects from anywhere and using any device including HoloLens, PC, tablets, and smartphones. If you have heard of the Metaverse, Microsoft Mesh will play a major role in Metaverse, which is the next big thing in technology. Check out here:
What Is Metaverse and Why It Is A Big Deal.
Microsoft Mesh is built on and runs in the Azure cloud. That means it takes advantage of Azure’s security, privacy, AI and machine learning, and other intelligent and modern features. Developers now can build immersive, multi-user, cross-platform mixed reality apps leveraging AI-powered tools for spatial maps, immersive presence, and holographic rendering in the cloud.
Multi-device support
What different Microsoft Mesh offers is from its predecessor UWP for mixed-reality is, Microsoft Mesh supports all kind of devices including fully immersive head-mounted displays (HMDs) like Microsoft HoloLens, HP Reverb G2, or Oculus Quest 2 for 3-dimensional volumetric experience, PCs, and Mac for 2-D viewpoint, tablets and smartphones with iOS and Android operating systems. By supporting all kinds of devices and VR gadgets, it opens up many new opportunities for app developers.
Microsoft Mesh Developer Platform
Mesh is built on top of Azure and that not only makes it easier to build, launch, and deploy your apps but also takes advantage of Azure’s enterprise-grade innovative capabilities such as identity, security, and privacy.
Developer Toolkit
Microsoft Mesh SDK (Toolkit) has four major capabilities – immersive presence, special maps, holographic rendering, and multiuser sync.
Immersive presence features include avatars, 360-degree holoportation, and n-way interaction.
Spatial maps enable content to be anchored, device point-of-views to be shared, and 3D models to be collaborated on. Mesh helps you create a map of your world that is orders of magnitude more accurate than GPS, and it can even work in places without GPS access.
Holographic rendering delivers uncompromised fidelity powered by Mesh regardless of the device’s compute and thermal budget. It also reduces latency and allows collaboration much easier.
Multiuser sync allows multiple users to collaborate and it happens within 100 milliseconds, so users hardly notice any delay.
Mesh-enabled apps
On top of the Microsoft Mesh developer platform, there are Mesh apps. Currently, there are two Mesh apps available in the store, HoloLens Mesh App and AltspaceVR.
Microsoft Mesh App for HoloLens 2 enables a feeling of presence and shared experiences from anywhere. Interact as if you’re face-to-face – even when you’re not. You’ll see 3D content that’s persistent and can be collaborated on spatially. This mutual understanding ignites ideas, sparks creativity, and forms powerful bonds.
Key features include:
- Join remote collaboration sessions
- Customize expressive avatars
- Import 3D content from OneDrive
- Save spaces for synchronous and asynchronous collaboration
- Ink and annotate content
AltspaceVR is the premiere app for live virtual events. AltspaceVR offers a wide range of event-hosting features like unlimited capacity, stage-management, moderation-tools, host-panel, audience interaction tools, cross-platform support, world-building tools, environment templates, screen-share capabilities, and an SDK for building sharable apps.
Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and other partner apps are expected to be launched soon.
Application developers can start building Mesh apps now by signing up for the Mesh Preview.
Skillset required to build Microsoft Mesh applications
Microsoft Mesh SDK is the toolkit to build Microsoft Mesh applications. Today, developers can use C++/C#, UWP, Unity, and Visual Studio to build Mesh apps. In the coming days, Mesh will support Unreal, Babylon, and React Native. Understanding and working experience with Azure is also required to build and deploy Mesh applications and integrate with Azure capabilities.
Learn more about Microsoft Mesh
Watch this detailed video to learn more about Microsoft Mesh here:
References
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/mixed-reality-blog/microsoft-mesh-a-technical-overview/ba-p/2176004