3D Prop Assets

Murali's Prop3D workflow is intended for video props: apples, balls, books, animals, tools, furniture, robots, and other objects that can be placed in an explainer scene. It is not meant to turn Murali into a game engine.

use murali::frontend::collection::primitives::prop3d::Prop3D;

let prop_id = scene.add_tattva(
    Prop3D::from_file("assets/props/apple.glb")?,
    Vec3::new(0.0, 0.0, 0.0),
);

Prop3D can load local .glb files and loose .gltf files. Prefer .glb assets when possible. A .glb file is the bundled binary form of glTF, so geometry, materials, and often textures can travel together as one file.

Inspect Before Composing

From a cloned Murali repository, use the model inspector to check an asset before placing it in a production scene:

cargo run --example model_inspector -- demo-apple
cargo run --example model_inspector -- /absolute/path/to/model.glb --rot-x -20

The inspector centers and frames the model automatically, rotates it continuously, and reports its mesh count and source dimensions. Drag to orbit and use the wheel to zoom. Run it with --help for scale, XYZ rotation, camera, FOV, rotation-speed, and fit controls.

demo-apple is repository shorthand. The inspector first checks the supplied path, then assets/props/<name>. For a directory it prefers scene.glb or scene.gltf; otherwise it accepts the directory's single .glb or .gltf file. Production Prop3D code still receives an explicit asset path.

Some sites label downloads as "glTF" but provide a folder containing .gltf, .bin, and texture images. Murali can load those with Prop3D::from_gltf(...) or Prop3D::from_file(...), but the referenced .bin and texture files must stay beside the .gltf file.

Recommended Sources

Start with sources that have simple licensing and lightweight assets:

Source	Best For	License Notes
Poly Haven	High-quality realistic props	CC0 assets. Free for personal and commercial use.
Quaternius	Stylized low-poly props, characters, vehicles, and environments	CC0 assets. Good fit for child-friendly and educational videos.
Kenney	Simple playful game-style objects	Public domain / CC0 assets. Clean and lightweight.
Sketchfab	Very large 3D model library	Check each model's license before use. Prefer CC0 or clearly compatible assets.

For Murali examples and reusable project assets, prefer CC0 models. They are easier to redistribute, modify, include in videos, and use commercially.

What To Download

Use .glb when the source provides it:

assets/props/apple.glb
assets/props/ball.glb
assets/props/tiger.glb

If the source only provides loose glTF, keep the whole folder together:

assets/props/apple/apple.gltf
assets/props/apple/apple.bin
assets/props/apple/base_color.png

Avoid starting with complex assets that depend on many external texture files, rigs, skeletal animation, physics metadata, or engine-specific materials. Murali props should be easy to place, scale, rotate, move, bounce, and render inside a video scene.

The bundled assets/props/demo-pyramid.glb is intentionally tiny and faceted. Each face uses a different base color so the object reads as 3D in Murali's current unlit renderer.

The bundled assets/props/demo-apple folder exists for repository examples and inspector testing. Demo props are not embedded runtime resources; applications should keep their own models in their project assets.

If An Asset Fails To Load

Check these first:

• The path points to a local .glb or .gltf file.
• The file exists inside your project assets directory.
• For .gltf, the referenced .bin and texture files are still beside the .gltf file.
• The asset license allows your intended use.
• The model is reasonably lightweight for video rendering.
• If the asset came from Sketchfab or another marketplace, the download actually includes a glTF or .glb version.

Good fallback sources are Poly Haven, Quaternius, and Kenney. They are useful places to find clean models when an asset URL is broken, unavailable, too heavy, or has unclear licensing.