[RELEASED] World Streamer ! Forget about your game memory usage and create big world!

World Streamer is a memory, assets streaming system. By using it you are able to stream whole your game from a disc in any axis and space. You are able to create endless space games, 2D platformers, 3rd person, or any kind of game you want without loading screens during player movement. You could also create endless looped world. In few clicks your game is ready to be loaded from your disc! Now your scenes are as big as you want, without any limits. You could work on local area and update world by 2 buttons. You could also separate your world into layers like: lighting, ai, geometry or even separate them into local areas. It's perfect soluton for teams that work on the same area. World streamer is also useful for architectural presentation or in any application that you need to use as low memory as possible. With streaming you will reduce objects count in your scene. Thats will save your cpu,gpu power and you will only load them if they are necessary. Collider streaming give you ability to stream rooms and floors, only when player will hit room/floor area collider. You could build whole towns with interiors without performance hit. Ring streaming will replace your unity terrains by low poly meshes in far distance. Now you are able to stream your open world from disc in few clicks.

Asset Store Link: World Streamer
About World Streamer:

Small planet streamed from disc example (demo contains curved world pack):

Heavy Terrain Streaming

Features:
- Floating point error fix system
- Looped world system
- Multi scene editing support
- Unity 5.3+ support but it also work on older unity versions
- Multiple layers streaming
- Support for multiple devs working at one area
- Removes world size restrictions and slow down in unity editor at huge or extremely detailed scenes
- Ring streaming (replacement of the objects according to the distance)
- Collider hit streaming
- Support for extremely big worlds
- Easy automatic processes will save your development time
- Few and clicks you can stream endless world
- Work in any axis and space: 2d, 3d, vertical, horizontal
- Reduce RAM,CPU,GPU,VRAM usage of your game
- Reduce number of objects in your scene
- Compatible with unity5 speedtree or any tree system
- Load your world in background (async loading)
- Compatible with amplify, graphine and any other texture stream system
- Loading screen system
- LOD system for split terrains
- Webplayer support
- Occlusion Culling support (Unity 5.5+)
- Innovative local area updater
- Terrain culling system distance based on camera view (Unity 5.3+)
- Compatible with terrain stitcher and multiple terrain brush
- Unity navmesh support with floating point fix - Unity 5.6+
- Fully commented opensource code that will help you to work with World Streamer!
- Compatible with: World Creator, Gaia, Terrain Composer, RTP, uConstruct, Gena, Curved World, Real World Terrain, Granite, Amplify Texture, Terrain Stitcher Multiple Terrain Brush, Terrain to Mesh, Most Asset Store Assets.

TUTORIALS:
1. Stream your whole world step by step.

2. Refreshing world data in 2 different ways.

3, 4. Terrain split and adjusting it to streaming in very short time and World Streamer terrain culling system.

5. Ring streaming and how to replace HQ unity terrains by cheap low poly mesh in far distance.

UPCOMING TUTORIALS:
6. World looping and small planet construction.
7. Floating point fix system.
8. Collider streaming solution.
9. Local area updater introduction: tool for big worlds and teams.
10. Workflow with other unity assets like World Creator, GAIA, Gena, Terrain Composer, World Composer, Weather Systems, Horizon Systems.
MANUAL LINK: NEW MANUAL FOR WORLD STREAMER 1.7+ VERSIONS

Changelogs:

Update "1.3"
- Improve scenes creating speed
- Multiple sorting process for few layers at once
- Multiple steamers - automatic scene creating for multiple layers and streamers
- Cancel creating scene process
- Warning if you forgot about: streamer tag or deloading range is shorter than loading, thx for feedback!
- Save options for sorting process
- Streaming layers manager in scene splitter
- Documentation update
- Index out of range fix, it could show in very specific situations
- Manual update with more tips and details, thx for feedback!

update "1.4"
- looped world system
- different stream range in selected axis
- gizmos with information about future sectors
- scrollbar in scene splitter window
- webplayer support
- generate scenes for separated layer - "G" button
- compatibility with terrain stitcher and multiple terrain brush

update "1.4.5"
- fixed looped world system
- support for unity 5.3+ and older unity versions
- multiscene editing support

update "1.5"
- this world streamer version still support older unity versions!
- scene creating process is 20 times faster, improvment requires unity 5.3+
- added new loading/deloading improvment requires unity 5.3+
- innovative local area updater tool [beta], it requires unity 5.3 +
- additional support for huge teams that work on one world, , it requires unity 5.3+
- additional support for huge world, it requires unity 5.3+
- if you change world streamer to 1.5 from older version you have to rebuild your scenes (it's only few seconds now). We added plenty of informations to our scripts so they must be filled by system.


Update "1.7"
- Bug fixes with looped world which start from "-" positions.
- Bug fixes with looped non-square world
- Bug fixes with local area updater (non default scene directory)
- Bug fixes with scene splitter (non default scene directory)
- New gizmos for sectors. You will be able to visualize how far you stream every layer, compare them etc.
- System speed up
- Changes in UI to more intuitive, we removed some windows and we make system more automatic
-Collider streaming. You will be able to stream sectors that only show up when player hit collider. Useful for building interiors! Collider could be looped, it will be also compatible with floating point fix system. With this system you could avoid loading big group of invisible models.
-Ring streaming. You are able to load objects in specific range and then replace them when you are close or far enought. It could be usefull as LODs for far view terrains. At close distances you will have terrain at far you could load low quality mesh. You also could use it to replacing objects/models in different distances.
- New tutorials and manual doc. It will be more based on typical asked questions.
- Streamer objects will get prefabs that are easy to setup
- Tooltips

Update "1.7.2"
- Faster gc solution, it works 10x faster now
- Hide few debug values
- Own terrain culling system based on camera view. With it you probably will save 90-10% of terrain cpu/gpu usage.
- Minor manual changes
- More info about real time generated data and world streamer workflow.
- Minor bug fixing, they do not affect system workflow

Update "1.7.2"
- World Streamer Tutorial 1 - Stream your whole world step by step

Update "1.7.3"
- World Streamer Tutorial 2
- World Streamer Tutorial 3
- World Streamer Tutorial 4
- Local area updater boundary gizmo fix
- Additional function to turn on/off streaming layer
- Terrain neighbour script fix and terrain streaming improment by 500%
- Terrain culling system quick fix (last version could generate editor crash)


Update "1.7.4"
- Debug fix at terrain culling system
- Object culling system
- World Streamer Tutorial 5
- Fix for real player position value with looping system. (this will help in client server communication)

Update "1.7.5"
- Fix in "z" axis looped streaming
- Fix for unsplit button in local area updater.


Update "1.8"
- World Streamer Tutorial 5.
- Fix for player position gizmo if you are not using world mover.
- Save/load setup for Local Area Updater.
- Additional support for spawned players.

Update "1.9"
- System that holds or moves player to safe place during loading time. (done)
- System which manage physics when player is far from objects (done)
- Terrain culling camera setup changes (done)
- Manual update (done)
- Small fixes (done)
- Exception script for terrain at neighbour LOD system (done)
- Removes warnings for 5.3+ (done)
- Streamer should works with catalogs in hierarchy.(done)

BTW we had issue in 1.9 with scene generation. If you have error during this proces simply replace this file. Hot fix will be uploaded right now but it will wait for acceptation.

Update "1.9.0.5"
- fix for 1.9v with scene generation proces

Update 1.9.1
- Light and GI additional manager (done)
- Manual update (done)
- Blocked moves/operations that could bring wrong results. (done)

1.9.2
- Spliter fix for linux devices
- Culling manager fix (some devs said that terrain is invisible in few situations)

1.9.4 (Online)
- Local area updater fix
- Direct unity 2017 support.


Update 2.0 We start working on world streamer 2.0 please put info what you would like to see in new version
So list of features for 2.0 from our side:
- 1 object to manage whole streaming and layers
- direct asset bundle option
- some fixes with looping and floating point fix
- better light setup manager per layer
- occlusion culling per layer (not sure yet)
- light baking button for whole game
- layer sorting by: object name, child, tag etc
- garbage collector manager

List with features from users side:
- comming soon

Contact with us by mail to get fresh fixed scripts before release..

Test scene (very old):
Windows download - Demo
Mac download - Demo
Mobile android download - Demo

Helpful additional tools:

- Terrain Stitcher ( stitch edges between unity terrains)
- Multiple Terrain Brush ( brush for multiple terrains)
- Free Terrain Spliter

Example game working on world streamer and our few other assets like R.A.M (links below):

Another example - MMO Game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijp7zA_QIqs&feature=youtu.be

Cloud Point viewer example:




Visit us:

Facebook
Twitter
Our website - naturemanufacture.com
Discord - support

You could also look at our other packs:

Unity Tools:
River Auto Material - create fabalous river in few seconds, (ground textures included)
Lava & Volcano Envrionment - create fabalous lava enviro, volcano, river, cave.
World Streamer - optimise your game, stream data and remove memory, cpu, gpu usage, create endless looped world. Reduce loading times.
Terrain Stitcher Tools - connect multiple terrains, remove holes in 1 button click. Options will help you to handle any shape connections. Easy and fast border stitching.
Multiple Terrain Brush - work at multiple terrains as they become one, without any borders and holes

Terrain Shading:
CTS terrain shader - AAA terrain render and textures made with Adam Goodrich, 1 pass (less drawcalls then unity terrain), snow,water auto cover. Totaly easy in use.

Environment:
Ice World - ice shaders for water and models with huge ice textures library
PBR Graveyard Pack - really huge library of PBR cemetery sculpted and scanned models with foliage. You will find monastery, interiors, graveyards, nature, walls
Advanced Rock Pack - auto-covered rocks which you could easly blend with unity terrain. Big library of HQ ground textures included.
Advanced Foliage Pack - huge library of foliage (grass, roots, trunks) with ground textures. Vegetation studio supported.
Photo Scanned Park Assets - photoscanned and optimised park models like fountains, statues, bench, laterns, stairs and fences. Best LOD's in the planet
Dynamic Nature Starter - library of rocks, trees ground textures and shaders which could be autcovered by snow at runtime.
Mountain Tree Pack - Dynamic Nature - HQ optimised tree pack. Cheap in render and gives fabalous render result.
Realistic Grass Pack - pretty old grass (billboard) texture library
Realistic Tree Pack - big library of trees, optimised and cheap in render
Mountain Tree Pack - group of mountain trees, optimised and cheap in render.
Winter Mountains and Stamps - group of background mountains and stamps for gaia and new unity terrain 2018.3+

Ground Textures:
Winter Ground Pack - library of winter ground textures like rocks, snow, paths , grass etc
Landscape Ground Pack - big library of ground/forest textures
Landscape Ground Pack 2- big library of ground textures

VR & FP Models:
VR Hands FP Arms - pack of hands and arms models with fabalous skin shader. Mobile and standalone versions.

 

Has it been tested on any mobile platforms?
Do you provide a helper function to moves worlds about 0,0,0.

Looks great!

 

Yeap it works, in few hours we will add additional link. It will contain the same scene, for mobile. World moves to 0,0,0 is in plan.

 

Looks interesting

 

Nice. I may end up picking this up. Need a beta tester?

 

We don't need a beta tester yet but thank you for your interest and good will. We appreciate it

 

Asset store just accepted it. You are free now to use it.

 

I have an aircraft sim , currently I use worldcomposer to great effect.. will your asset be suitable for large world flying areas on unity desktop build? Can I add trees/details/buildings to any area? eg if I have a large city to add building meshes so not to just have flat terrain? Do you have demo video that I could watch to see how to use your interesting looking asset?
thanks,
Kim

 

Demo/Test contains big terrain 10x10 tiles (but it could be 100x100 doesn't matter). At this demo scene you have buildings, heavy road meshes, briges, colliders, speedtree5 trees. Terrain was made using terrain composer and world composer. World streamer will split your world into sectors and stream when exactly you want.

 

How does this asset compare to SECTR Stream? Thank you

 

I think it's different way of thinking about streaming. We chose way with no portals and this things. World streamer is usable in any kind of games: 3d,2d,fps,space etc.. You work at scene and in few clicks it's in parts which give you possibility to stream them from disc. You put 2 scripts at scene and it's done. You can update streamed assets manually or automatic. World streamer is also automatically combing LOD for neighbour terrains. That mean it's perfect solution in big worlds for space, plane or car games too.

 

Thank you very much. So there is no loading at all between portals, etc? Is performance acceptable on older mobile phones?

 

Performance always depends on size of data that you load at one frame. Your world is cut in many parts, and when you load assets they are shared - not duplicated in memory. World streamer gives you tools to choose how much you want to load at once and how fast.
Answer is: it will work on old mobiles but you have to remember to do not kill them by huge assets loaded at once.

 

Thanks for your info/reply,can I stream in runtime mode any part of the world, without preloading them in a scene during editing in unity editor? I'm looking for this kind of functionality, where players can enter e.g. world coordinates and it takes them there, and you start flying/walking/playing in that location in game... without me as the dev having to setup anything?

 

If you mean teleport? If yes my answer is also yes. There is teleport script you can use it, with loading screen or without. The only thing is: you have to change cooridinates of teleport object and click teleport. You can create teleports before build or simply move this object during the game. Player will spawn in object position that contain teleport script. It's very easy in use.

 

May I ask what you are streaming exactly? Does the world continue to work outside of view?

 

Can you show us a video on how to use this asset?

 

Everything that could be saved at scene and could be loaded in async proces is streamed by world streamer. I know that it is general answer but everything should work with that, except for Occlusion culling that will be soon added by unity. So if something is not, unity will add it soon as they are preparing for multiscene workspace.
While world streamer is working you have specified area that is being held in memory (you choose size of area in script). While you are moving, objects which are left behind are unloaded and removed from application RAM usage. If you care about object count or memory use in your app it's usefull. Sometimes it's better to use loading from memory because you got map with many scripts, particles, light, phisics object that consume CPU. When you unload them performance is better.

We will make it this week. We had to change few gui functions, we get some cool feedback and world streamer will be easier to use.If there are any problems that are not mentioned in manual please write naturemanufacture@gmail.com We would love to help you in any case.

 

Thanks for the reply but I think you misunderstood my question, can I without creating anything in the Unity scene then build that scene/game, then in runtime enter coords which will load terrains from the mapping host (bing google etc), that is what understand by streaming.

 

No, World Streamer is system to load/unload scene assets which you made in unity.

 

So can i use this to make real great games (in the meaning of size) without the normal problems i have with big world's?
Does this also work in multiplayer games?
How do you do that? Do you replace the world every time the player come to a new part of the world?

 

Yes, that is one of many ways to use that system. Player just moving and system load next world parts and unload old ones. It work with multiplayer games.

 

I do not understand how this asset help me making endless or for me real big games?
Maybe it would help if we can download the documentation or you can write here on how to do this with your asset.
Normaly in unity i have problems with textures, and jittering objects when they are to far away from the 0.0.0 point (depending on some things but start about 10.000 meter (if i use one unity unit for one meter)) if i let for example start my world here. That is because of some variable precission problem unity has until now for some things.
So how can your asset make endless games or more in my interest real big worlds like 50.000 m in x and also 50.000 m in y ?

 

I got (-12000 to 12000) x (-8000 to 20000) in my game and I haven't any problem with textures jittering objects. I know there is bug with near plane at camera. Have you try to fix your problems changing near plane to higher? I'm also fighting with this and that help me at my Gloria Victis , http://gloriavictisgame.com/ . It's silly but it works.
World Streamer will help you when you don't want to use to much CPU and RAM at your game, it's loading system. When you building game, you don't build one huge scene. There is also problem with GC when you got many objects at one scene. When you call it you have big spike because GC is have to check to many objects. World streamer remove that problem - objects are simply not loaded.

 

Ok thanks

 

Does this have a coordinate reset system, which moves the camera back to the origin and move the terrain with it?

If you use physics and move away more then 20k from the origin, physics start to break down. You said this is not an issue, but that is because you didn't push it far enough. Try 200 km.

 

There's a post above about that:

 

But it is stil unclear.

 

This will be easy to move to 0,0,0 from time to time - sectors are flexible. The only problems could be with dynamic objects that you left behind exacly during this operation. Anyway there are few solutions. We will add everything that you need. As you see, We have here initial version with basic funcionality for "most games". Next update, I hope it will be this week, will bring easier interface. Next will contain system for interiors and specific area that need much more detail than unity can load at once. This specific solution also will remove memory and cpu,gpu usage when something is hidden inside and doesn't have to be streamed if it's not necessary
.

 

I downloaded your Mac demo, and ran it.
It just gets to a black World Streamer window, and hangs...

 

That because of image effects. We could make scene without them if you want to test it. What mac are you use?

World Streamer is in 1.1 version now. UI is more comfortable and gives additional info about any mistake that you made. We listened to our community and feedback so now, World Streamer is easier in use. We also gives more tips in manual, which will help you to make your game faster, ofc if you need.

 

Can you give a link to World Streamer documentation?

 

Here you go: http://indago.homenko.pl/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/World-Streamer-Manual.pdf

 

if you make a video tutorial I will purchase it.

 

We'll finish it within days.

 

Tutorial link:

 

Question:
Once you split your big scene into smaller pieces with your tool,

does the original big scene remains as template?, incase you want to re-edit it or add more space or retouch the terrain etc... ??
if so ,
once you modify main big scene you will need to re-split scene, ?

is this even possible to edit original big scene, or once spitted in small, Original big scene gets deleted there is no way to edit scene or add more space?

thanks in advanced.

 

Orginal scene isn't removed. It's your work scene. You can normaly work on it and from time to time, simple click split and rebuild scene collection - world refreshing (2 clicks on ui). Btw when Unity will add multiple scene at one scene system, you could work at scenes that streamer made. Ofc you could work on them right now but you don't have all scenes at one view in hierarchy.

So when you modify big scene, you should resplit to sort your objects, or if you put them in correct place by yourself, you could simply rebuild scenes. You also could put changes in right hierarchy catalog and coppy, paste them into direct splited scene that you made long time ago. Scenes just hold models you can refresh them manualy or in 2 UI clicks).

Edit: Now you could use local area updater to refresh local area at your world. It's very fast, and you don't need big scene anymore.

So basicly there is 4 ways to update your world. Anyway you should always use split and generate scenes (UI buttons). Less human work and smaller chance for mistake.

If you need tutorial for that I could make one.

 

more questions:

-how about scene models, will the scene models ie: props, buildimgs etc.... be also saved in each splitted scene? so when in play mode it will load all models from each saved scene?

-how about skyboxes, how does that work? if i need different skybox for specific splitted scene, do i need to load that specific splitted scene manually and add my custom skybox???
the reason i ask, since we building a large streammed world, i would like to have zones with different biodome, or skybox, ie: darker, or lighther, or colored, or foggy, etc... but only on specific areas, so how will this work on your tool??
or is this not doable yet?

-what is the difference between your paid tool and scene streamer free tool https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/38168
what makes your product worth to purchase vs the free tool in link i provided?


thanks in advanced

 

Yeap models, particles, lights etc are saved with scenes. That how it works, it load parts of your content during playmode. All that you can save in scene you can also load by this system.

The difference:
- In few clicks you can split your whole big scene into small scenes/parts
- You don't have to worry about annoying trigger colliders
- In few clicks you can update your whole scenes with new content
- In few clicks you can change size (xyz) of scenes, so you can cut it into smaller or bigger parts. That mean you can change conception of streaming very fast or add new axis to loading process.
- You can stream your world in layers separately, that mean: models, terrains ,etc. You dont have to build any construction for that. Just add new prefix in sorting process and and add secont streamer script.
- Imagine that you have to build block of triggers to load scenes... to much mistakes and carry about, World streamer will do it for you in one click and save your time.
- You can manage the loading process, left empty frames or time for loading procces.
- You can left some scenes behind if you will come back there soon
- You easly load more or less scenes (change loading range)
- You can change streaming range, speed etc during playmode
- Teleport/Respawn system is attached to World Streamer

In my opinion collider trigger, portals conception is very bad for loading process. It's only usefull to load specyfic small region. In that way this will be added to world streamer very soon.

It should load skyboxes, but I must check what happend when you will have diffrent skybox at every scene. You have to imagine that - every scene could have own and you load one by one. There could be only one skybox at scene so I must check which skybox unity will chose. Basically at start you have skybox from your "game" scene, the scene in which you have camera, player and world streamer script. You can change it by collider trigger and script ofc, but I must check what happend, when you will load it with scenes by my system.

 

What If a want to have big and detailed world like the one you can see in Fallout 3 or Skyrim. How will I able to load main scene in editor? There's so much content that it will probably just crash Unity.

 

Thats why you cut in to parts and layers. You load details from short distance, core from far. For example in city:
- You load core buildings (far view) and terrains
- Then when you are closer you load some big details
- When you are almost in city you load cars etc
- When you are near entrace of the building you load building interior.
You must load only details that are nesscesary.

If you don't want to load textures or you want to use unlimited texture resolution in game use Amplify Texture or Graphine system with World Streamer. In this way unity will not load any textures in game and also in editor. So you don't need huge memory amount to work at scene or make build in unity. Textures in this solution can be 8kx8k for every wall (only you have to watch VRAM usage). So World Streamer + Amplify = no memory usage for models, particles, textures, audio + unlimited details. Memory will be used only for compiled shaders, computer memory heap (about 300mb on windows) and terrain textures that are loaded in (if you use standard unity terrain shader).. Amplify has its own shader for terrain but it's splat map for tile. (Like from world composer)

Lets say more about editor workflow. If scene is to big to work on unity editor (low unity performance or your computer) you always could:
Edit: - use local area updater, so you don't need big scene. You could work with few peoples at the same world without confict.
- simply turn off one part, you have xyz objects that represent sectors, so its simply and fast
- you could make another scene, copy old and remove xyz objects(to hold settings like lighting etc) and simply work on next part of world, so you will have 2 work scenes.
- buy multiplescene editor for unity or wait for that made by unity team because they announce it when they start with u5.

At the moment I work like that on MMO game and I haven't got any problem. I'm near to milion of models at scene right now.

Amplify which is compatibile with my system you can find here:
http://amplify.pt/unity/amplify-texture-2/

If you are asking about solution for endless world with unlimited details - here it is.

 

I am really interested but have lots of concerns so have
more questions for you:

-in the work scene(before splitting terrain scene), if you want a large world with good texture and terrain resolution you need to add several
terrains next to each other ie: 2000 X 2000 , before you split your world, but does your tool offer a terrain stitch tool?
so each terrain edges height will match the terrain adjacent to it?

-do you have a trial of world streamer to test first?

 

You have to cut your terrain into parts by yourself or simply import by world composer. If you want to make it manualy and stitch, there is stitch tool: https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/83 I use it hmmm... 2 years? It's simple and cheap. Soon I'm going to make my own, with better functions and based on other way of thinking. In world streamer you got only LOD terrain system for neighbour terrains. Adjacent terrains vertex has got automaticly corrected LOD - no holes.

There is no trial at the moment. We have only demo and youtube tutorial.

You can ask as many questions as you want, we are happy to help you.

 

I have checked skybox loading and you have to change it by script. We could write small system to load and unload this. To be honest the only resonable way is, to change it by script and trigger. That's becouse it's not possible to load it in async proces.The second reson is it must be separated from loading scene parts. If you are moving in open space (not tunel), system is loading world around you, if every piece will have diffrent skybox this will make big mess. Unity will don't know which is right. (anyway in unity it's not possible so I just thinking only..)

 

Hi, so this makes truly big world maps a reality?

I was wondering how to get 1000 sq.km worlds in unity.

http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/ap...ize-comparison-of-game-world-maps-fasc/49712/

 

Yep, that asset give you ability to do this. The main idea is: reduce memory, cpu, GC usage. You could also use it for mobiles to reduce loading time in your app.

 

I am very interested in this asset. Do you think is suitable to recreate a very very (but very) large space for a space simulation?

 

I think this is best system for that. Why? Because you can stream in any axis. At demo we have x and z but you can made full 3d - xyz. Simply check next axis. You can stream whole planets in 1 layer and details on it as next layer. There is few way to stream your endles space world.

 

Thanks for the reply. Do you think it can be compatible with Space Unity asset?(https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/en/#!/content/7095)
My real problem is that when I reach big XYZ distances (over 10000), shadows in Unity creates big problems... Even with a high float for camera near-plane...