System: Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift & Windows MR
Price at Time Of Review: Free
Comfort Rating: Green (No Movement)
Genre: Tool/App,
Input: Tracked Motion Controllers
Best Playing Position: Standing or Sitting
Multi-Player: Yes
Age Rating: PG
Description: Sketchbox is the #1 Design and Collaboration tool for AR/VR. Work together with your whole team in Sketchbox, and feel like you’re in the same room, even if you’re on different continents. Perfect for collaborative design sessions, presentations, and design reviews. Instantly start a VR meeting.
Review: With so many drawing and 3D model making tools already available be in VR, I have to wonder what Sketchbox could possibly bring to the table. The answer is a tool that makes great use of 2D, 360 and even 3D images and objects. It is the usual setup with all the tools on the left hand and the painting, manipulating hand on the right. This is all done using the Oculus Touch controllers and while there is no tutorial to speak of I did find myself getting used to it pretty quickly.
Being able to add in various forms of media does mean you can create something that looks great in just moments. Even I had fun using it which given my own lack of creative talent is really high praise for this program. Once the media (image, 3D object) is in the “import” file you can bend it and shape it any way you wish and also draw on it, add images to it, do just about anything to it! As with most art/design tool apps, it is only limited by your own imagination and flair for design.
I’m not going to pretend that there isn’t better 3D modelling and design programs already in available in VR because there are. But Sketchbox makes it super easy to import various forms of media and create something that looks great with the minimal of fuss and hassle. Sure it is a little limited in terms of features. but what there is feels intuitive to use and easy to get used to.
