Dream Builder: Behind The Dream

Behind the Scenes: Building Somnia’s Dream Builder

One of the most requested features from the community is now live! 

Dream Builder allows users to create and place any item they imagine in the Playground, bringing creativity to life in new ways, but how did this feature come to life? Let’s take a look behind the scenes.

From Toy Project to Creator Economy

Dream Builder began as a simple experiment, almost a toy project. But as we started to see its potential, it quickly became clear that this tool could play a significant role in shaping the creator economy we’re striving to build. The feature integrated with the Somnia Playground extremely well which demonstrates how interoperable and versatile MML (Metaverse Markup Language) is across different projects. This realization fueled our decision to evolve Dream Builder into the feature it is today.

Navigating Challenges: Storage and Control

Every development journey comes with its challenges, and Dream Builder was no exception. One of the key decisions we faced was how to manage storage. We debated between centralized and decentralized methods before settling on a hybrid approach: metadata and MML files are stored on IPFS, while heavier objects like GLBs reside in the cloud. This balance ensures both security and efficiency.

Another challenge was deciding how much control to retain over the contract. The first version of Dream Builder doesn’t include admin powers, but we’re prepared to migrate assets to a new contract if needed. We’re hopeful the community will respect the system, but we’re ready to adapt if necessary.

Community-Driven Innovation

Dream Builder was heavily requested by our community, who actually gave us the idea for this feature. After seeing the potential for customizing the Playground with default objects, users immediately began asking for the ability to create their own. This feedback was a driving force behind the development of Dream Builder. And it’s not stopping there, similar demands are already emerging for creating new worlds, and we’ve already started to work on that. 

Integration and Future Plans

Dream Builder seamlessly integrates with the Playground, allowing users to use any object they or others have created in any space. Ownership of these objects is tied to an NFT, which opens up exciting possibilities for the future. We’re already working on an internal marketplace and fine-grained ownership schemas, so creators can decide who gets to mint their creations, whether it’s everyone, a select few, or just themselves.Check out the Dream Builder for yourself and bring your imagination to life in the virtual society!