What is Armory 3D?
Armory 3D is an open-source, 3D game engine for the development of video games, architectural and medical imaging applications. It is built as an add-on to Blender, allowing users to utilize Blender's 3D modeling and animation tools to create assets and scenes for games and applications built with Armory.
A key feature of Armory is that it allows developers to create games and applications using both visual scripting via Logic Nodes in Blender or program them in Haxe, an open source high-level programming language. This provides flexibility for developers with different backgrounds and skill levels.
Armory exports projects created in Blender into optimized 3D applications that can be deployed across a range of platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, HTML5, Android and virtual reality headsets. The engine handles rendering, asset management, physics, audio, lighting among other critical functionality out of the box.
Some key capabilities and components of the Armory game engine include:
- Real-time polygonal rendering including lights, shadows and post-processing effects
- Visual scripting via Logic Nodes for rapid prototyping
- Haxe programming for advanced control and optimizations
- Bullet physics integration
- HTML5 and WebGL support for browser-based deployment
- VR support for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and other headsets
- Node-based shader editing
- Sound playback and spatialization via OpenAL
- Animation blending trees
Overall, Armory enables solo developers and small teams to create and deploy cross-platform 3D games and applications with integrated tools for modeling, scripting, materials/shaders, physics and publishing across popular platforms.
Blender, Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot Engine, ZBrush, CRYENGINE, Three.js, Blender Game Engine, MagicaCSG, Bevy Game Engine, Upbge, PlayCanvas, 3DSimED, microStudio, Babylon.js, Verge3D, Coppercube, Torque 3D are some alternatives to Armory 3D.