XR – Developer Log

PathFinder Maze Package Development

On September 6, 2022

In Development, VR Maze: PathFinder, XR, XR Prototyping

When development of the originally requested functionality for code, packages, and projects has been completed I usually try to think of what the next logical addons, functionality, or extras to create could be to improve and expand on the originally requested content. This is also the case with the VR Maze project. After I finished developing the requested functionality, I saw a lot of potential in an expanded and modular version of some of the framework elements created for that project.

So, I started developing the package I have been calling the PathFinderMaze package. With this package I can create a maze layout using a normal Excel spreadsheet, export that spreadsheet as a text file, import the text file into Unity. From there this package allows me to click a single button to automatically generate an entire ready to play VR maze complete with collectable maze markers, menus, and designated start/end tiles.

This blog post covers the development steps I took while developing this package.

VR Vignette Development

By btm5024

On August 25, 2022

In Development, Projects, XR, XR Prototyping

Vignette visual effects are one of the most effecting ways to diminish or prevent simulation sickness (sim sickness). In this short blog post I’ll cover the steps I took to develop a prototype VR vignette for use in the demos and programs I create.

Passthrough VR Development Setup

By btm5024

On April 26, 2022

In Development, Passthrough VR, XR, XR Prototyping

In 2021 Oculus released an update to the Quest 2 Virtual Reality (VR) headsets which gave developers access to an exciting new feature: Passthrough Mode.

Passthrough Mode uses the external cameras on the VR headset to display a live feed of the user’s real world surroundings and make them visible within the virtual environment displayed in the headset. This feature has existed within the Quest headsets since their launch, but until now this functionality was not accessible to developers and was exclusively used when a user steps outside the boundary box of their VR space.

In this blog post I will cover the steps needed to setup Passthrough Mode functionality for developers in a Unity project.

VidSpheres Demo

By btm5024

On January 12, 2022

In Demo Projects, Development, Projects, VidSpheres, XR, XR Prototyping

Recently I worked on familiarizing myself with the setup, implementation, and application of capturing and playing back 360 videos using the Unity package RockVR – VR Capture. A step by step guide of my process for this task can be found in my previous blog post: 360 Video Capture In Unity.

After I finished learning the basics, it was time to create a demo project to exemplify some potential use cases. This post will cover the development steps I took while building the demo project, which was initially build under the working title of PuppetTheatre but later changed to be called VidSpheres.

PuppetTheatre Demo Video

360 Video Capture In Unity

By btm5024

On January 5, 2022

In Development, Uncategorized, XR, XR Prototyping

While developing Unity projects I have found it very helpful to capture gameplay videos at various points of development. These videos are very useful for documenting the progress and progression of each project and make great content for demo videos, blog posts, and professional portfolios. Most of these videos have been 2D screen captures, which work well in most scenarios, but fail to capture some of the immersive aspects of virtual reality (VR) applications. Two dimensional videos are also very underwhelming and often boring when being viewed from within a VR headset. So the solution for this was to learn how to capture 360 degree videos.

In this post I will cover the steps taken to capture and play 360 video in Unity for the S&DVR project using the Rock VR – VR Capture Unity package.

S&DVR Demo 360 Video

Magnetics Lab Demo

By btm5024

On October 29, 2021

In Demo Projects, Development, Magnetics Lab, XR, XR Prototyping

While developing the initial version of the Magnetics Lab project I recognized the potential for improvement and expansion on the basic interactions I created around the idea of magnetism. In this blog post I will cover the second stage of development for the Magnetics Lab project where I was able to build and implement these interaction variations. Below is a short demo video which covers some of the highlights of these new types of reactive objects, attractor fields, and interactions.

Magnetics Lab Demo Preview Video

Magnetics Lab for PuppetJump

By btm5024

On August 30, 2021

In Demo Projects, Development, Magnetics Lab, Projects, Uncategorized, XR, XR Prototyping

Virtual Reality (VR) development is an innovative and exciting field to work in. Once a project gets rolling it can be so much fun to invent, program, and problem solve to create the solutions and experiences required for each project. Getting to that point always involves passing through a process that is often vastly more complicated than it needs to be, the process of setting up the initial VR framework for a new project. Since the field of VR is so rapidly changing and evolving, each time a new project is started there is usually some aspect of setup that runs into issues and disconnects between updates in various editors, packages, or plugins. Luckily for my teammates and I, our manager Zac has put together a fantastic framework called PuppetJump that streamlines most of this project setup.

In order to familiarize myself with the functionality built into PuppetJump, I decided to start building small demo projects that center on implementing specific aspects of the framework. In this post I will cover the development process for a small demo I have been referring to as the Magnetics Lab.

Magnetics Lab Development Video Playlist

Unique Indie XR Experiences

By btm5024

On November 13, 2020

In XR

As an XR developer, I am always on the lookout for new, unique, or innovative immersive experiences. I find that indie games and projects are often some of the best sources for out of the box approaches to mixed reality media. In the following post I will cover some of the indie XR experiences that I found to be unique and intriguing.

Below is a list of the indie XR games and projects I will be covering in this post.