Babylon.js was started 10 years ago by two Microsoft employees who mostly worked on it as a side project. It was a JavaScript-based 3D graphics engine designed to run applications in HTML5 web browsers. The open source engine has gone through several different versions and is used to create web-based games and other programs. Today, Microsoft announced the launch of Babylon.js 6.0, a major update.
Blog post states that the biggest new feature in Babylon.js 6.0 is the addition of the Havok physics engine. It is being added for free. Microsoft states:
Havok’s expertise comes via an exclusive new WASM plugin to Babylon.js partnered with a comprehensive overview of the Babylon.js Physics API. Working together, they take Babylon.js physics to a whole new level. With exciting new physics capabilities and up to 20x faster performance, there’s never been a better time to dive into physics in Babylon.js!
Best of all, anyone can try Babylon.js 6.0 with the new Havok physics engine right now. You can visit this website. And play in “The Playroom,” the goal of which is to collect as many points as possible by tossing a stuffed rabbit three times and bringing down as many stacked cubes, cups, and other objects as possible.
Babylon.js 6.0 also includes new performance priority modes, which can increase rendering and performance in web-based applications by up to 50 times compared to previous versions. There’s also newly added support for fluid rendering, texture decals, and more.
