Systems and methods to control publication of user content in a virtual world
A computing system and method to implement a three-dimensional virtual reality world having user created virtual objects. During the creation of a virtual object, a user of the virtual reality world identifies components and/or resources of the virtual object, such as a mesh model defining the shape of the virtual object, an image specifying the appearance of the virtual object, and a script defining the run time behavior of the virtual object. The computer system examines the components and/or resources duration the creation process of the virtual object to detect and/or address security threats and/or performance hurdles. Before the approval of the publication of the virtual object in the virtual world, the computer system performs a simulation of the rendering of the virtual object to detect security threats and evaluate performance impacts.
1. A method implemented for a three-dimensional virtual reality world, the method comprising:
receiving, in a server computer hosting the virtual reality world, user inputs to create a virtual object in the virtual reality world, the virtual object having a plurality of components;
examining, by the server computer, the components of the virtual object to detect security threats and performance concerns;
simulating, by the server computer, rendering of the virtual object in the virtual reality world; and
approving publication of the virtual object in the virtual reality world based on a result of the examining of the components of the virtual object and the simulating of the rendering of the virtual object.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the components of the virtual object include an image.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the examining of the components of the virtual object includes scanning the image for computer virus and malware.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
rendering the image in a sandbox;
capturing a replacement image from the rendering of the image; and
replacing the image of the virtual object with the replacement image.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a resolution of the replacement image is configured to improve performance of rendering the virtual object in the virtual reality world.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the components of the virtual object include a script.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the examining of the components of the virtual object includes scanning the script for blacklisted system calls.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the components of the virtual object include a mesh model defining a shape of the virtual object in the virtual reality world.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the examining of the components of the virtual object includes measuring a performance impact of rendering the mesh model.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the examining of the components of the virtual object includes downsampling the mesh model to generate a replacement mesh model that has a better rendering performance than the mesh model being replaced.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring computer resource usages of the virtual object during the simulating of the rendering of the virtual object.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the approving of the publication of the virtual object in the virtual reality world is based at least in part on a determination that the computer resource usages measured during the simulating are below respective predetermined thresholds.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
hosting an emulated user device in the server computer; and
running a world viewer in the emulated user device to access the virtual object being simulated in the virtual reality world.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
generating, by the server computer, inputs to the world viewer to simulate user interaction with the virtual object in the virtual reality world.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the simulating of the rendering of the virtual object is performed in a sandbox.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
scheduling, by the server computer in response to the user inputs and during creation of the virtual object by a user, the examining of the components of the virtual object to be performed before completion of the creation of the virtual object.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein before the publication of the virtual object, the virtual object is not visible in the virtual reality world to users other than a creator of the virtual object; and after the publication of the virtual object, replicas of the virtual object are acquirable by users in the virtual reality world.
18. A non-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions configured to instruct a server computer hosting a three-dimensional virtual reality world to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving, in a server computer hosting the virtual reality world, user inputs to create a virtual object in the virtual reality world, the virtual object having a plurality of components;
examining, by the server computer, the components of the virtual object to detect security threats and performance concerns;
simulating, by the server computer, rendering of the virtual object in the virtual reality world; and
approving publication of the virtual object in the virtual reality world based on a result of the examining of the components of the virtual object and the simulating of the rendering of the virtual object.
19. A computing system hosting a three-dimensional virtual reality world, the system comprising:
a data storage device storing:
a three-dimensional model of the virtual reality world; and
avatar models representing residences of the virtual reality world; and
a server computer that:
renders the virtual reality world according to the three-dimensional model according to view points of avatars rendered according to the avatar models;
receives, from a user device, user inputs to create a virtual object in the virtual reality world, the virtual object having a plurality of components;
examines the components of the virtual object to detect security threats and performance concerns;
simulates rendering of the virtual object in the virtual reality world; and
approves publication of the virtual object in the virtual reality world based on a result of the examining of the components of the virtual object and the simulating of the rendering of the virtual object.
20. The computing system of claim 19 , wherein at least part of examination of the components and simulation of the rendering of the virtual object is performed concurrently with a creation process of the virtual object by a user of the virtual reality world.