Creators Update will begin rolling out to Insiders soon starting with Paint 3D

Microsoft’s Windows Insider program lead Dona Sarkar (pictured above) said on Thursday that participants will soon start to see bits of the upcoming Creators Update for Windows 10. Right now, Insiders are stuck in Redstone limbo, residing between Anniversary Update (Redstone 1) and all the goodies rolling out next spring (Redstone 2). However, the first signs of Creators Update will be Paint 3D served up in the Windows Store.

#WindowsInsiders: the creators’ features will start rolling out in bits over the next few weeks and months. First step: paint3d in the store

— Dona @MSIgniteNZ (@donasarkar) October 27, 2016

Presently, Paint 3D is considered as an early alpha project for Insiders on a Windows 10 PC. Paint 3D will coexist next to the original Paint program rather than replace it, hence the need to download the 3D version from the Windows Store. There is no version for mobile devices for now, and Microsoft plans to reveal more details about a HoloLens version later this year. However, Paint 3D can export files to the “fbx” format, which can then be ported into Unity for HoloLens.

Windows 10 Creators Update plans to change the way we interact with a Windows 10 PC next spring. The company teamed up with several OEMs to create headsets that support both virtual reality and augmented reality. Presumably, in either mode, users can create their own virtual space to access Windows 10 apps as if pulling items off a shelf. These spaces are customizable, and provides a more personal, interactive approach to computing.

Just as important will be support for 3D creation in Creators Update. One of the big tools will be Paint 3D, enabling users to move beyond the flat, 2D experiences we’ve come to expect from Paint over the decades. Users will be able to use a smartphone to scan in a real-world object, manipulate that 3D-object in Paint 3D, and then upload it to a dedicated community to share. In turn, objects available in the online community can be downloaded and used as well.

3D creation will become a natural part of Windows 10 once the update arrives. Object can be embedded in documents, slide shows, emails, and more. In addition, objects uploaded to the community can be pulled into the real world using Microsoft Edge and HoloLens, such as viewing holograms of chairs next to a physical table.

But given the nature of Creators Update, it will be interesting to see how the bits will be dished out to Insiders. Obviously, the rollout starts with the availability of Paint 3D, but what will happen when it comes to virtual spaces? Will headsets be made available to purchase early for Insiders to use? Will Microsoft hand out reference designs to select participants? This will be interesting to see in the coming months.

Right now, the current build is labeled as “14955.rs_prerelease.161020-1700.” At one time, the build label included “rs1,” which stood for Redstone 1. The second half of the Redstone rollout was rumored to arrive in spring 2017, which is proving correct. Rumors also indicated that new devices would arrive alongside the update that would take advantage of cool new features. We were actually thinking Surface laptops and a Surface phone, not VR/AR headsets. Still, the rumors have been right to some degree so far.