reading data into a Unity app from php?

Unity Engine
1

Hello,

I have an iphone app which, without Unity, creates 3D models. I want some way to look at them on the web from a browser. Could I use Unity for this? I have the models online in a database managed through PHP.

Could my website feed model data into a Unity viewer to view them online?

I just am trying to find a way to view 3d models online and this seems like maybe one way.

I am mostly thinking I want to be able to view them from a desktop browser, but I would like it to work from within Safari on the iphone also, does unity do that? That is will Unity’s web browser work in iphone Safari?

Thanks
Bob

2

Anybody know the answer to this? I’ve been looking at WebGL but it is not clear how long that’ll be before it is standard.

Thanks for any answers!
Bob

3

webgl will not be standard for a long time.
But even if it won’t touch unity as unity != webgl

To run a unity application on the webbrowser just start the non-iphone unity editor and build it for web.
but be aware that you must rewrite the whole input code (and you lose occlusion culling)

it can and never will work within safari on the iphone.
there are no plugins.

on the iphone it can only run as native standalone application available through the AppStore

4

Thanks for your reply!

What do you mean by ‘just start the non-iphone unity editor and build it for the web’, though? Obviously I am going to have to read up on what Unity IS, actually, but would it be feasible to do what I am thinking of in Unity?

Could I build a web-app in Unity that let’s people browse through a mysql database of 3d object files and display them, rotate them, etc?

Thanks
Bob

5

you will not want to connect to a db directly but to a php / asp backend that talks to the db.

that backend would provide you with asset bundle urls or alike which you load (asset bundles require unity pro / unity iphone pro) that you then load and show.

that part is technically no problem.

as for Unity Desktop: there are two editors the regular unity one and unity iphone on osx.
to do any desktop or webplayer build you need to use the unity desktop one. unity iphone only builds native iphone / ipad apps

6

ok cool thanks – do you think that it’s possible to do it with the free version of Unity or do you think I would need the pro version due to these ‘asset bundles’?
(For now I would not be worrying about it running on the phone since my app already has that covered. so I just want a desktop web-browser version)

Thanks
Bob

7

well without asset bundles you need to implement an own model loader or use / buy one of the obj file loaders cause models otherwise can not be used at all through www loading