Images with H5P. Now in 3D!1!!

Two days ago it was announced that H5P Group was acquired by D2L. No, I am not commenting on that. But some people may need to be cheered up. Let’s do that … With a new H5P content type 😉 It’s really not a big one, but will certainly find its friends. It’s simply called 3D Model and was sponsored by NDLA, the organization that funded the initial development of H5P. They want to set up a site for their content type(s) – yes, that’s a plural – but until they are ready, this site will do …

The 3D Model content type enables educators and content creators to embed and display interactive 3D models within their H5P-enabled platform. This tool is particularly useful for subjects like anatomy, engineering, architecture, or art, providing a more immersive way to present complex information. Or the most important substance on earth. Spice! No, wait, caffeine!

Want to use it already?

The H5P core team already started to review the content type, but I assume the takeover may have interfered with their schedule. When they find time, they should release it on the H5P Hub. And maybe some things in the content type are going to change.

If you want to use the content type right away, look for the Reuse button underneath the content. Use that button to download the demo content, and then upload the .h5p file onto your H5P enabled platform. Please note that you will need to have permission to install H5P libraries. Otherwise, you cannot install the content type this way. In that case, your system admin will need to assist you.

Note, however, that the WordPress plugin for H5P still suffers from a lack of support for GLTF and GLB files! H5P will not allow to upload the demo content on WordPress. That’s not an issue with the content type, but with the H5P plugin for WordPress. You will need to patch the WordPress plugin if you can’t wait for H5P Group to fix this.

The source code is available as well, if you want to check it before installing or if you want to build the libraries yourself:

• H5P.ThreeDModel: https://github.com/NDLANO/h5p-3d-model
• H5PEditor.ThreeDModel: https://github.com/NDLANO/h5p-editor-3d-model

Is it available in my language?

In theory: yes! If it’s missing, you can fill in the gaps yourself on translate-h5p.tk.

Any future plans for that content type?

Not really. It’s meant to be a way to insert 3D models like you can insert images (yes, will need to be made a subcontent type), so it’s not intended to do more. That would more likely be a job for a different content type. But you will have to ask NDLA 🙂 It is their content type.