Virtual Reality Blueprints

Charles Palmer, John Williamson

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781786465030
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Programming Games
• Index: Computer Science

Join the virtual reality revolution by creating immersive 3D games and applications with Cardboard VR, Gear VR, OculusVR, and HTC ViveAbout This Book• Develop robust, immersive VR experiences that are easy on the eye.• Code 3D games and applications using Unity 3D game engine.• Learn the basic principles of virtual reality applications Who This Book Is ForIf you are a game developer and a VR enthusiast now looking to get stuck into the VR app development process by creating VR apps for different platforms, then this is the book for you. Familiarity with the Unity game engine and the C# language is key to getting the most from this book.What You Will Learn• Use Unity assets to create object simulation.• Implement simple touch controls in your application.• Apply artificial intelligence to achieve player and character interaction.• Add scripts for movement, tracking, grasping, and spawning.• Create animated walkthroughs, use 360-degree media, and build engaging VR experiences.• Deploy your games on multiple VR platforms.In DetailAre you new to virtual reality? Do you want to create exciting interactive VR applications? There's no need to be daunted by the thought of creating interactive VR applications, it's much easier than you think with this hands-on, project-based guide that will take you through VR development essentials for desktop and mobile-based games and applications. Explore the three top platforms—Cardboard VR, Gear VR, and OculusVR —to design immersive experiences from scratch.You'll start by understanding the science-fiction roots of virtual reality and then build your first VR experience using Cardboard VR. You'll then delve into user interactions in virtual space for the Google Cardboard then move on to creating a virtual gallery with Gear VR. Then you will learn all about virtual movements, state machines, and spawning while you shoot zombies in the Oculus Rift headset. Next, you'll construct a Carnival Midway, complete with two common games to entertain players.Along the way, you will explore the best practices for VR development, review game design tips, discuss methods for combating motion sickness and identify alternate uses for VR applicationsStyle and approachA project-based guide with every project built across chapters.

Carnival Midway Games — Part 1

"After 37 years of making games, I only now feel like I found my groove. No one starts day one and says 'Hey, I am a master at this.' Be intimidated. Experiment. Make something good or bad but make it. I am still far from mastering anything. And that's okay."

- Brenda Romero,Game Designer

This project will be the capstone in our exploration of virtual reality. So far, we have evaluated stationary scenes where the player has limited interaction with the environment. But now we will focus on three additional types of interaction: navigation, grasping, and tracking.

This final project is a carnival scene with two midway-style games to illustrate interactivity. By completing this project, you will be able to craft immersive experiences for entertainment and educational applications. Yes, these exercises are used to create thrilling VR game titles, but they can also be used to train new factory employees, help users overcome social anxiety, or explore the presentation of data in a whole new way. We urge you to think beyond the task at hand and instead consider the broader possibilities presented by virtual reality.

Recreating carnival games

The technology company, NVIDIA, has built a VR demo called VR Funhouse which runs on both the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. The game uses the precise gestures and movement of VR controllers to simulate games commonly found at carnival midways. For our project, we'll recreate two common games: Whack-a-Mole and Milk Bottle Toss:

Figure 7.1: Carnival scene photograph for inspiration

Preproduction

We've all visited a carnival. The festive atmosphere is community oriented with a general sense of awe and wonderment. The midway is a section where people play games, compete for prizes, and eat foods that we know aren't good for us, but we indulge nonetheless. NVIDIA's VR Funhouse doesn't have food, but it is a collection of seven mini games. The player accesses each game from the controller and interaction involves shooting arrows, slashing with a sword, swinging mallets, tossing basketballs, and shooting paint-filled silly guns.

For our project, we are going to create something a little different. Instead of reloading the world to start another game, our players will traverse the virtual space, taking small steps or teleporting, to access the play areas confined within the carnival environment. In this manner, we will be able to discuss mobility along with design, scripting, testing, and deployment on the Rift platform.

As part of the preproduction phase, we have taken the liberty of outlining the midway concept. We reviewed various carnival layouts and chose a design which should meet our needs. Figure 7.2 includes a sketch of three design options. We chose Option C, which puts our game booths in a semi circle allowing for freedom of movement and a line of sight to each game. This was our approach, but more than for any of the other projects in this book, we urge you to experiment with your own layouts and use our idea as a starting point for your own work:

Figure 7.2: Layout ideas

Special production note

Before we begin, it is worth noting one of the challenges for writing this book. Like most development tools, Unity is constantly evolving as the developers make improvements and extend its functionality. These projects have been tested with three versions of Unity and two versions of the OVRPlugin for compatibility and accuracy. Our goal was to provide instructions which cover a wide range of user setups. But even with the extensive testing, we were often plagued by the speed at which Oculus and Unity made changes to their products. It is extremely difficult to stay on the cutting edge of ever-evolving platforms, technologies, and methodologies.

Where possible, we've included alternate instructions for a few procedures, but readers should visit https://unity3d.com/unity/roadmap, to keep up to date with features and functionality of the engine.

Requirements

You'll need the following to complete this assignment:

• An Oculus Rift and experience of exploring virtual reality games and applications.
• A control device (Oculus Remote or Touch Controller).
• A computer system which meets the required specification. Visit the Oculus Support page at https://support.oculus.com/rift/, to make sure your computer meets the system requirements.
• An installed version of Unity 5.6.x, or 2017.2+.

Although we will walk step-by-step through the development process, it is also advisable that the reader is familiar with some of the best practices for developing VR applications. These best practices can be found at https://developer3.oculus.com/documentation/intro-vr/latest/.

Process overview – Part 1

Because of the size and scope of the tasks associated with this project, we will break down the content into two parts. Part 1, listed as follows, addresses the early stages of development. These include setting up the software environment, constructing the gameplay environment, and implementing the macro-navigational system:

• Preparing Unity for VR development on the Rift
• Loading the Oculus Virtual Reality Plugin (OVRP)
• Building the game environment
• Combating motion sickness
• Implementing movement

Preparing Unity for VR development on the Rift

We will be using the free Unity Personal License for Unity 2017.3 which, along with Unity 5.x, offers built-in support for the Rift. You are free to use any license available from the Unity site. Additionally, it is not required to have a Rift installed to build a VR application, but having the device installed on the same computer will shorten the development time greatly.

If you are just setting up your Rift computer, visit Unity's Preparing for Rift Development page for detailed instructions on preparing for Oculus development: https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/unity/latest/concepts/unity-pcprep/.

With the software installed, we can begin by creating a new Unity project. By default, Unity will store new projects in the same location as the previous project. For my work, I generally create a single directory for Unity projects and sub-directories for organization:

1. Launch Unity 2017.3 and create a new project. I've named the project Midway and stored it with the other projects:

Figure 7.3: New project window

2. Choose File | Build Settings... and set the platform to PC, Mac, Li...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright and Credits
• Packt Upsell
• Foreword
• Contributors
• Preface
• The Past, Present, and Future of VR
• Building a Solar System for Google Cardboard
• Building an Image Gallery System for the Gear VR
• Adding User Interactions to the Virtual Gallery Project
• Fighting Zombies on the Oculus Rift
• Scripting Zombies for the Oculus Rift
• Carnival Midway Games — Part 1
• Carnival Midway Games — Part 2
• VR Hardware Roundup
• VR Terms and Definitions
• Other Books You May Enjoy