Token Metadata

After ERC721 was finalized mid 2018, NFTs were required to provide a tokenURI() function. This allows anyone to parse the image metadata and display an NFT. Unfortunately Aether does not implement this function, nor do we have any onchain equivalent to store thumbnails. Aether was always meant to be Metaverse first so we didn't consider that NFT ownership would also require an image preview.

Metadata API

We use additional infrastructure to serve and host Aether thumbnails and attributes. OpenSea uses this API to fetch up to date API data for each Aether token. This is standard practice for NFTs that predate the final version of ERC721 and powers our OpenSea presence today.

Here's an example of the API we use to provide marketplaces Aether metadata.

https://api.aethercity.org/786

// 20220211160627
// https://api.aethercity.org/786

{
  "name": "Aether 786",
  "description": "Property #786 (-7, 1) is a Unit located in Building 40.",
  "image": "https://aether-thumbnails.s3.amazonaws.com/786.png",
  "external_url": "https://aethercity.org/786",
  "attributes": [
    {
      "value": "Unit",
      "trait_type": "Type"
    },
    {
      "value": 7,
      "trait_type": "Distance From Center"
    },
    {
      "value": "1",
      "trait_type": "Land Area"
    },
    {
      "value": 1,
      "trait_type": "Land Area"
    },
    {
      "value": "2021",
      "trait_type": "Mint Year"
    },
    {
      "value": "Building 40",
      "trait_type": "Location"
    }
  ],
  "animation_url": "https://preview.aethercity.org/?id=786&zoom=1&x=-459&y=527&z=275"
}