Facebook sells 3D sculpting tool Oculus Medium to Adobe

Facebook is selling Oculus Medium, an immersive 3D sculpting tool, to Adobe. This comes three years after Medium was launched alongside the Oculus Touch controllers in December 2016.

According to Oculus in a blog post, the sale brings both new talent and technology to Adobe and solidifies Medium's position as a premier sculpting and professional tool. Medium allows individuals to sculpt, model, and paint in an immersive environment, to quickly and easily creative characters and expressive works of art. Meanwhile, Adobe currently has 3D and immersive tools for artists, including Adobe Dimension and its Substance tools suite.

In 2016, Oculus' vision was to explore VR applications beyond gaming and give artists across the globe a new way to create, which led to the creation of Medium. To date, Oculus said Medium has been used by AAA game developers, indie VR developers, feature film concept artists, VFX artists, and makers. With Adobe’s support, Medium will be able to better help creators thrive and shape their 3D visions, Oculus said.

"This is an important milestone for the entire VR community as it demonstrates VR’s maturation and value in the realms of productivity and non-gaming use cases. We look forward to Medium’s continued evolution in the years to come as Adobe works to advance the field of 3D modeling," Oculus said.

Oculus added that the Medium app is still free upon activating the new Oculus Touch controllers on the Oculus Store.

"Today’s news is a continuation of our journey to revolutionize 3D art creation, and we have the Medium community to thank. You’ve delighted us with your creations, surprised us by your use cases, and guided us with your feedback. Medium wouldn’t be where it is today without your pioneering spirit and your commitment to this journey. We can’t wait to take this next step with you," it said.

Facebook bought Oculus in March 2014 for about US$2 billion and the latter is famous for the VR headset, Oculus Rift. At the time of the acquisition, Facebook said it plans to extend Oculus' existing advantage in gaming to new verticals, including communications, media and entertainment, education and other areas.

“Mobile is the platform of today, and now we’re also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow. Oculus has the chance to create the most social platform ever, and change the way we work, play and communicate,” Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said previously. Other products by Oculus include an all-in-one gaming system for VR, Oculus Quest; and an all-in-one VR headset for entertainment, Oculus Go.