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I want to create a 3D Android app for Gear VR that does/lets me do the following:

  1. Read an input file with a bunch of coordinates of points (including information about how they should be connected)
  2. Draw a wireframe model with these points
  3. Walk around and through the model in first person to look at it from different angles using a gamepad/controller. I don't want to directly interact with it!
  4. (Maybe have more than one model displayed at the same time, including filled ones)

Is it possible to draw 3D wireframe models in Unity using coordinates instead of using already finished models that were created in Blender/Maya/etc, and if so, how?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Um... Unity is a game engine, eclipse is an IDE... Eclipse can use c#... Also this question might be off-topic... \$\endgroup\$ – rlam12 Apr 7 '16 at 15:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ Okay, let me clarify that: Develope the app using Unity + Android SDKs + all the already built in stuff (C#) or using Eclipse + Android SDKs + Oculus SDK (Java). In what way is the question offtopic? \$\endgroup\$ – Neph Apr 7 '16 at 16:10
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    \$\begingroup\$ This question is off-topic because it's asking what technology to use. Any 3D gamedev tech can do what you describe, it's just a matter of what you're comfortable and efficient working in. \$\endgroup\$ – DMGregory♦ Apr 7 '16 at 21:17
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To directly answer your main question, yes, you can draw lines connecting arbitrary coordinates in arbitrary ways in Unity.

One of my favorite Unity assets for this is Vectrosity, and you can play with some of their wireframe-style demos here. I haven't used Vectrosity in a VR project yet myself, but I see no reason it wouldn't work, beyond the usual complexities introduced by VR/AR.

Without an asset like that, I think you'd be left using the basic LineRenderer component. Fully possible, but it can be a bit of a headache.

Your second question, Eclipse+SDKs vs. Unity, is not something with a concrete answer and therefore ill-suited to this site. The particulars of your project will determine which is most appropriate for you.

That said, if you're building a full-featured product you may find that the benefits of the Unity ecosystem more than make up for the extra effort of learning C# (not that it's especially different from Java, anyways).

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I'll look into Vectrosity, thanks. Is there an equivalent for "LineRenderer" if I did decide to use Eclipse + ....? \$\endgroup\$ – Neph Apr 9 '16 at 10:37
  • \$\begingroup\$ I haven't done any 3D work in native Android myself, but libGDX has a ShapeRenderer class that seems like it could do the same work. There are many game/3D engines for Android, any of which may or may not have that direct functionality. If you decide to stick with low-level OpenGL ES, it's more involved but possible. Perhaps this would help: stackoverflow.com/questions/16027455/… \$\endgroup\$ – Chris Mills-Price Apr 9 '16 at 17:08
  • \$\begingroup\$ I mean, without using any additional libraries, so only with what Java, the Android SDK and the Oculus SDK provide. I'm looking for a simple alternative to LineRenderer that lets me draw wireframe models without having to create extra classes myself. \$\endgroup\$ – Neph Apr 11 '16 at 13:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ Neither of those SDKs nor base Java is going to provide a simple way to interpret and draw an arbitrary coordinate data source as a wireframe model. \$\endgroup\$ – Chris Mills-Price Apr 11 '16 at 18:49
  • \$\begingroup\$ How about single lines? If there's a way to draw two points depending on their coordinates and connect them, then I can draw the wireframe model just fine (it's most likely not going to be a closed model). The problem is that the app might get sold, so I can't really use additional APIs and pack them in the apk, since that could cause problems with the copyright. \$\endgroup\$ – Neph Apr 12 '16 at 11:03

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