Google releases Noto 3D emoji assets for public reuse

Google is making its Noto Emoji 3D set available as open-source assets, giving designers and developers access to the underlying files for their own projects. The move matters because it turns Google’s stylized emoji models into reusable building blocks rather than artwork limited to Google’s own products.

Google announced the release as part of World Emoji Day, according to The Verge. The company said it is providing raw .OBJ files, a common 3D model format, so the community can use the emoji in virtual reality scenes, independent apps and memes.

The release covers Google’s 3D version of Noto Emoji, the emoji family the company introduced in May, The Verge reported. Google also used the announcement to describe some of the design issues that come up when emoji are rebuilt as 3D objects.

Design questions in three dimensions

Google said moving emoji from flat drawings into 3D models changes the design problem. Details that may be less prominent in a two-dimensional icon can become central when the image has volume, shape and viewing angles.

The Verge noted one example: a smiling face has to be interpreted as a physical object. Designers must decide whether it behaves like a sphere, a mask or a flat disc, rather than only choosing how it appears in a small 2D illustration.

Those choices affect how the emoji can be used outside their original context. A 3D emoji that works in a static preview may need to hold up when placed in an app, viewed in a virtual space or used as part of a larger visual scene.

Files opened to creators

Google said the raw files are being handed to the community for reuse. The company framed the release around creators who may want to build with the models directly, rather than only display finished emoji images.

The file release gives users more than a rendered picture of each emoji. An .OBJ file can carry the geometry of a 3D model, which makes it useful for creators working in 3D software or applications that can import model assets.

The Verge reported that Google’s Noto Emoji 3D set drew mixed reactions after its May debut, including criticism of some character redesigns. The open-source release does not change those designs, but it gives outside creators access to the models behind them.

Google has not said in the reported announcement which projects will use the open files first. For now, the main change is availability: the company’s 3D emoji are no longer just a Google design showcase, but assets others can download and build around.

This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.