The Grid - For developers, creators, and gamers: unlock 3D potential with instant models, robust tools, and an endless AR metaverse

TRON Hackathon Hackathon Season 7
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Project Name: The Grid

Project Track: Artistry

Team Name: Level_Zero

Team Member(s): 3 – Captain Code, Jenil Panchal, Prateek Panwar

DevPost Project Link: The Grid | Devpost

Video: https://youtu.be/ZD9f8evyCVA

Website: https://tron-the-grid-xi4m.vercel.app/

Project Goal:
The goal of The Grid is to provide 3D creative creators with a complete platform that offers a marketplace for over 10 million free 3D models, sourced from databases like Thingiverse, GitHub, and Sketchfab. Along with the marketplace, The Grid includes a SaaS model that offers direct integration with tools like Blender, Unity, Unreal, and Three.js. Finally, the platform introduces an AR metaverse game where users can place, interact with, and mint soulbound NFTs on the TRON blockchain. These NFTs are unique as they are non-transferable, preserving the originality and ownership of the digital assets. The game also aims to create an immersive, real-world metaverse experience inspired by Minecraft Earth and Pokémon GO but offers a fully conceptualized and blockchain-integrated environment.

Project Value:
The integration of The Grid with blockchain technology ensures secure and transparent ownership through soulbound NFTs, which are tied to a specific creator and non-transferable. This makes it distinct from traditional NFTs, protecting intellectual property while encouraging originality. Additionally, by providing free access to 3D assets from databases like Thingiverse, GitHub, and Sketchfab, The Grid eliminates barriers to entry for creators, unlike platforms like Sketchfab, which limit free resources. Furthermore, the SaaS model of The Grid offers extensions for Blender, Unity, Unreal, and Three.js, directly comparable to Epic Games’ Quixel Bridge, which holds a near-monopoly over this functionality. In contrast, The Grid offers creators a decentralized, open-source alternative. Finally, the metaverse experience takes inspiration from Minecraft Earth and Pokémon GO, but unlike these projects, The Grid offers a more mature, real-world AR gameplay, fully integrated with blockchain for asset minting and ownership.

Project Info:
The Grid is a comprehensive platform designed to revolutionize the way 3D creators access, utilize, and showcase their work. It combines three key elements:

3D Model Marketplace: Offering over 10 million free 3D models, sourced from databases like Thingiverse, GitHub, and Sketchfab, The Grid empowers creators by providing them with an expansive library of assets for quick search and download, far surpassing the limited free offerings from competitors like Sketchfab.

SaaS Model with Extensions: The Grid provides seamless integration with popular 3D creation tools such as Blender, Unity, Unreal, and Three.js through custom-built extensions. This feature is comparable to Epic Games’ Quixel Bridge, which has monopolized this space, but The Grid offers a more open-source, decentralized alternative, empowering creators with freedom and flexibility.

AR Metaverse Game: In a cross-platform AR metaverse game, players can place, interact with, and mint 3D models in the real world, supported by TRON blockchain technology. Unlike previous efforts like Minecraft Earth and Pokémon GO, The Grid fully conceptualizes the potential of AR metaverse experiences, allowing users to mint soulbound NFTs tied to physical locations, making these digital assets unique and non-transferable.

Through its innovative blend of marketplace, SaaS, and AR metaverse experiences, The Grid stands as a powerful tool for 3D creators while integrating blockchain technology to provide enhanced security and ownership of digital assets.

Project Website: GitHub - This-Is-Captain-Code/tron-the-grid

Project Test Instructions:

Visit GitHub - This-Is-Captain-Code/tron-the-grid and run it using npm run dev.
Browse and download any 3D model from the marketplace.
Install the provided Blender, Unity extension to directly import models into your software.
Launch the AR metaverse game, connect your TRON wallet via TronLink, and place a 3D model in the real world using your mobile or PC.
Mint the 3D model as a soulbound NFT on the TRON blockchain, securing its ownership without transferability.
Project Details:
The Grid offers a robust platform for 3D creators and gamers alike. It combines a 3D model marketplace that draws from extensive public databases like Thingiverse and Sketchfab with a SaaS model for seamless integration into popular development environments. This combination enables creators to quickly access, modify, and implement 3D models in their work. Compared to Sketchfab’s limited free offerings, The Grid provides a vast collection at no cost. Additionally, the SaaS features directly compete with Quixel Bridge, offering similar functionality but in an open-source, blockchain-enabled ecosystem, whereas Quixel is largely controlled by Epic Games. The AR metaverse game offers cross-platform gameplay inspired by Minecraft Earth and Pokémon GO but pushes the boundaries by using blockchain to mint and place models as soulbound NFTs, making the experience more immersive and secure.

Smart Contract links:

Project Milestones:

Phase 1: Develop and launch the 3D model marketplace with basic search and download functionality.
Phase 2: Release SaaS integrations with Blender, Unity, Unreal, and Three.js.
Phase 3: Launch the AR metaverse game with TRON blockchain integration for minting soulbound NFTs.
Phase 4: Polish the platform, address feedback, and prepare for final submission and demo.

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I wonder one thing, you submitted it after deadline in forum. So basically for forum link in devpost submission, what did you write?

@SimbadMarino does it count as valid?

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@SimbadMarino Our team missed the Devpost submission deadline due to an issue with our Tron DAO forum post. We mistakenly submitted it under the “Tron Hackathon” topic instead of “Tron Hackathon Season 7” and were waiting for post approval, which didn’t come in time.

Since the Tron DAO forum post link is a mandatory requirement for the Devpost submission, we were unable to submit our project on time. We kindly request that Tron DAO members review our project, as we have put in a lot of effort to create an ambitious, real-world solution.

If possible, we would greatly appreciate a 1-day extension of the Devpost submission deadline to accommodate our project. If that isn’t feasible, we ask that you consider it as a grant application. We’re eager to build this further with the support of Tron, as we’ve been developing this product over the past month and are passionate about its potential. Thank you for your understanding.

Best Regards,
Captain Code

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We didn’t submit a valid forum link for the Devpost submission since our post wasn’t approved before the deadline. We mistakenly posted it in the wrong topic, which is why we couldn’t provide the required link in time.

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Welcome to Hackathon Season 7, how will you ensure that all 3D models used in the marketplace are appropriately licensed and attributed to their original creators?

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Hey @manfred_jr !

Thank you for showing interest in my project. Our database contains information about licenses, creators, and associated models, and only includes models with Creative Commons (CC) attribution licenses. This allows users to share and adapt the models commercially, as long as proper credit is given, changes are noted, and no extra restrictions are applied.

We adhere to these terms and currently include the link to the original model source in the metadata of our NFTs, with plans to integrate full attribution in future soulbound NFTs. Unlike big corporations that often neglect to credit creators in AI/ML model training, we focus on a creator-centric approach to ensure proper attribution.

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Thanks again for showing interest! We’ll value any feedback!

Captain Code

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Welcome to the Hackathon of season 7, what are some of the challenges that you have faced with your project and how did you overcome it, thank you

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Thanks for the clarification.
Beyond attribution, are there plans to financially compensate creators whose models are heavily used or adapted within The Grid? For instance, will there be a revenue-sharing model or token rewards for creators who contribute high-quality models that gain significant traction in the marketplace?

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Welcome to hackathon S7
Your project is indeed amazing, but do you encounter any technical challenges when integrating with various Blockchain tech.

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Any update about the submission problem? Did admins help you guys? Will you be counted as eligible??

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We had a great experience creating soulbound NFTs on TRC721 using Tron IDE and TronLink. Coming from ERC721, the process was surprisingly smooth. However, our biggest challenge was hosting a massive dataset from Sketchfab, Thingiverse, GitHub, and Google (all under CC licenses) on AWS. We had to balance keeping costs low while ensuring fast searches for users. Attribution to creators was key, which is why blockchain played such an important role in our project.

@ines_valerie @Okorie

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Thanks for your response, with your explanation I can it was never a smooth ride but in all challenges you overcome.
Great work and kudos

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I like how you manage you’re challenges, it is really a good thing coming from a dev

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Any feedback appreciated!

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We hope to see this work guys

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Fingers crossed! We had our backend running for a week, but rising AWS costs forced us to temporarily pause it. If anyone is interested in trying it out, feel free to send a DM, and we’ll make it live for you. We’re still in the early stages and actively seeking grants to move forward.

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There were 3 months to submit your project and they missed the deadline. I don’t think they will be eligible because it wouldn’t be fair.

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What strategies does The Grid implement to ensure the quality and originality of the 3D models in its marketplace, and how does it prevent potential copyright infringement among creators?

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I would like to test your app, but when I perform a search, I don’t receive any response. How can I properly test it?

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I couldn’t see them. You were right

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