Q: What is SAME-XR in one sentence?
A: A VCS-Integrated Asset Management Pipeline to Bridge the Gap Between 3D Artists and XR Developers
Q: What problem are you solving? What makes your solution unique?
A: Recent industry surveys reveal that most studios spend more than an hour per week on basic asset management tasks like searching for the latest files (53%) and transforming formats (62%). The same data reveals a clear demand for specific solutions, with 77% of studios rating version control as a very or extremely important feature in an asset management system. This insight became the cornerstone of our approach in our project SAME-XR (Scalable Asset Management and Conversion Engine for XR), a platform designed to solve these inefficiencies.
Q: What are SAME-XR’s main objectives?
A: Depending on the model complexity, less than 5-10 minutes of processing time of new models (Including conversions, preview generation, meta data, etc.).
Minimum 3-4 supported formats including .obj .gltf/.glb
Handling of at least 15 simultaneous requests.
CORTEX2 support programme progress
Q: What were the main activities implemented and milestones achieved during Sprint 1 of the CORTEX2 Support Programme?
A: The sprint focused on implementing the core features of the SAME-XR platform, covering four key tasks: (1) backend API development, (2) file operations services, (3) web interface creation, and (4) additional interface development. The system is designed as a microservices-based, event-driven, cloud-native SaaS application, leveraging technologies such as PostgreSQL, AWS S3, AWS SNS/SQS, and Keycloak for authentication and storage.
A proof-of-concept (PoC) version of the system was successfully deployed on an AWS EC2 instance for testing and validation. Key performance indicators (KPIs) were met, demonstrating high efficiency in model processing, broad format compatibility, and scalable request handling. No deviations were encountered from the planned development roadmap
Q: What have you achieved so far?
A: Sprint 2 involved a strategic pivot from the initial goal of direct CORTEX2 integration towards developing standalone tools, API clients, and integration with version control systems (VCS), specifically GitLab, to better align with established developer workflows.
Development focused on creating the foundational “Projects microservice” to manage assets, issues, and VCS integration; functional prototypes of a Blender add-on and a Unity package for direct user interaction; a suite of supporting API clients (Python, C#, JavaScript, Unity); and comprehensive Helm charts for Kubernetes deployment. Key achievements include an operational API for the Projects microservice, a successful proof-of-concept demonstrating the automated GitLab issue synchronisation workflow, and functional Blender/Unity prototypes enabling core asset upload and download.
Q: How is participating in CORTEX2 supporting SAME-XR?
A: The SAME-XR project has benefited greatly from involvement in the CORTEX² program. The most beneficial element has been our incorporation into the thriving CORTEX² ecosystem, which goes beyond the necessary funding. Our strategy shift to a more reliable, developer-centric solution has been directly influenced by the valuable insights we have gained from working with top partners, interacting with a variety of use cases, and receiving focused mentoring. Being a part of this network has greatly expanded our perspective on the prospects and real-world issues within the European XR ecosystem, in addition to speeding up our technical development.
Q: What are your next steps within the CORTEX2 Programme?
A: Our immediate next steps within the CORTEX² program are centred on rigorous testing and user-centred refinement. Now that the core functionalities of the SAME-XR pipeline and its integrated add-ons are in place, our priority is to deploy the solution for hands-on testing with the CORTEX² partners. We will focus on gathering detailed qualitative and quantitative feedback on the workflow’s usability, performance, and real-world impact. This crucial feedback loop will drive our final phase of development, allowing us to polish the user interfaces, resolve any remaining bottlenecks, and ensure SAME-XR delivers maximum value to the ecosystem.
Learn more about SAME-XR and stay updated on its progress!
Want to explore more XR innovation? Browse all our supported projects on the CORTEX2 website: