Google Releases 3D Emoji as Open Source

Now you can incorporate Google’s 3D emojis into your own projects. The company recently shared insights into the design process behind these little icons, coinciding with World Emoji Day. When transitioning from 2D to 3D, aspects that might seem trivial in flat illustrations become crucial. For instance, is a smiley face represented as a sphere, a mask, or a flat disc?

Alongside this peek into their design journey, Google announced that it will fully open-source the emoji set:
> We’re handing over raw .OBJ files to the community so they can use them to build immersive VR worlds, indie apps, or quirky memes.

What kind of “immersive VR worlds” someone could create with a collection of emojis is a bit puzzling. However, if the Emoji Movie is any indication, the results might not be great. Google’s Noto Emoji 3D made their first appearance in May and received some mixed reactions.