How to Get into VR • Hacker News Board

Re: How to Get into VR

#81

Post by aVReality » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:30 PM UTC

munchbunny wrote: post #69

aVReality wrote: post #39

Perhaps counterintuitively, I see/hear more interest in VR for business/productivity than for gaming, right now. I think it comes down to stimulation: we're used to gaming and other entertainment being high-octane, exciting experiences. But work/productivity is boring. VR, by virtue of its immersion and fantastical interactions, can bring more excitement to productivity uses (which are typically boring), while adding…

I'm working on a VR game at the moment (solo side project for now), and one thing I notice is that you very quickly hit immersion limits for even simple interactions when you use the Touch or Vive controllers. The UX is actually a really hard problem! I can see why that leads to an enterprise approach where UX is a bit less important. More specifically, I'm building a juggling simulator. Other apps and games have sim…

Juggling simulator sounds awesome...I've always wanted to learn how to juggle!

I'd definitely agree that design challenges are worth nerding-out over...and probably the most difficult aspect on VR development. You don't even want to know how much time we've spent tossing around interface ideas...

That being said, I disagree that UX is less important for enterprise. UX is maybe even more important for enterprise. As a gamer, trying VR is an obvious next step. For enterprise, not so much; the bar is much higher for getting someone to start using 3D software whose functionality currently works on a 5" diagonal screen, a la mobile phones.

Re: How to Get into VR

#82

Post by benjoho » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:30 PM UTC

Another good resource for those starting out in computer graphics/VR. It's the textbook for our VR class at UIUC.

http://vr.cs.uiuc.edu/

Re: How to Get into VR

#83

Post by vincentschen » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:38 PM UTC

minimaxir wrote: post #8

> The development of VR has been surprisingly tied to science fiction. Authors in the field have envisioned the futures that engineers set out to build Incidentally, the high romanticism of VR one of the reasons why I am highly skeptical of the industry. The article argues "VR will also enable immersive concerts, reinvented museums, and live, court-side sporting events", but what is it doing now outside of games, whi…

I agree that there are much fewer applications of VR "now", but let's consider its timeline: the first mainstream HMD (Oculus Rift) was released in 2012. Last year (2016) was the first time that hand-tracking was introduced by Oculus and HTC. If anything is holding back the industry right now, it's the lack of content, but keep in mind that we are still incredibly early!

Re: How to Get into VR

#84

Post by bpiche » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:39 PM UTC

deepnet wrote: post #45

At least in my case VR simulator sickness was nascent prioproception. Fast paced and hectic movements performed in VR would make someone sick if performed in real life. Back in the day, playing FPSs with shutter glasses, I realised the motion sensations were tied to the motion. Then the sensations became a feature not a bug. Once I understood the feelings they stopped making me nauseous. VR-prioproception improved my…

You mention Gibson's original vision of cyberspace (maybe you mean a decker's hallucinatory tiaras), and also his locative art theme in one of the Blue Ant books - but I wonder if VR is closer to the AR goggles in Virtual Light. I never totally understood what they were capable of in that book. Perhaps a kind of Google image search for meatspace, that could sense ambient IoT devices?

Re: How to Get into VR

#85

Post by Ologn » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:40 PM UTC

it_learnses wrote: post #2

do I need a PC to be able to get into it?

I have a Google Pixel and Google Daydream and am an Android programmer.

If you have these things you can go into Google's Daydream store and download some Daydream apps, free or paid. I have done so and virtually every app has a logo somewhere said made with Unity. Each app seems to be multi-platform - it is made with Unity, and exported to Google Daydream, Oculus, Gear VR etc.

I programmed a basic OpenGLES shape in Android Studio for Daydream, but there was a lot that was lacking. I suspect most people will use Unity, and target the various VR platforms.

So in general, the answer is you need a platform Unity is on. Which in production is MacOS and Windows, although they have a Linux beta from what I understand.

Re: How to Get into VR

#86

Post by Keyframe » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:40 PM UTC

There seems to be certain momentum behind VR development, but I'm afraid it will fizzle out on mass market. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it (talk about VR) reminds me a lot of talk about VR in 90's, just on a larger scale. I hope I'm wrong, I just don't see it now for some reason. Maybe if it dies out a bit and then another wave comes around with improved tech and maybe riding on the haptics of the future... who knows. As for AR, I don't see it at all. I just don't see it living outside of commercials with happy people clicking on their phones. What I'm sure is that VR, dead or not on the mass market, will continue to live on in niche varieties (as it did after 90's fizzle out) like job trainings (space, military, medicine..) and such.

Re: How to Get into VR

#87

Post by vincentschen » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:50 PM UTC

it_learnses wrote: post #2

do I need a PC to be able to get into it?

No! To get started, there are many opportunities for VR dev on smartphones. You can even start working with hand-tracking with the new Samsung Gear/Google Daydream!

However, you do need a PC with a pretty good GPU if you want to get serious about playing with more advanced systems like the Vive and the Rift. (This was a great resource for me when I built my PC! http://www.logicalincrements.com/articles/vrguide)

Re: How to Get into VR

#88

Post by vincentschen » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:52 PM UTC

mfrager wrote: post #9

Using VR makes me sick...

This is still a big problem that could hold the technology back... VR devs have the responsibility of creating experiences that don't cause simulator sickness. Ideally, with more powerful systems in the coming years, we'll have the ability to increase performance so our visual and vestibular cues don't get mixed up in VR.

Re: How to Get into VR

#89

Post by skizm » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:53 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #79

skizm wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know what's funny? I actually think Ready Player One nailed the only use case that might be a game changer for VR: remote schools. You can just make all learning materials virtual. VR school means no physical real estate, buses, cafeterias, bullying, janitors, you can cut like 90% of support staff, the list goes on. Also if you divide people by location (like we do now) you can still coordinate field trips and/or…

Ready Player One nailed the only use case that might be a game changer for VR: remote schools. Edison thought education would be the killer app for the phonograph. Zworykin thought it would be the killer app for TV. The One Laptop Per Child people thought it would be the killer app for laptops. The tablet people thought it would be the killer app for tablets. Education doesn't seem to be a technology problem. Would U…

I mean we're getting closer. More and more colleges are offering online degrees.

Re: How to Get into VR

#90

Post by return0 » Wed, May 03, 2017, 7:54 PM UTC

skizm wrote: post #52

Animats wrote: post #40

Somebody at YC likes "Ready Player One", which is a stupid book. (Essential skill for taking over a big company: ability to play a perfect game of PacMan.) "Snow Crash" was ahead of its time. Yet the plot of Snow Crash would play out the same if everybody simply had modern phones. Where's the killer app for VR? VR headsets have been around for years. The current generation of technology works adequately. Yet other th…

You know what's funny? I actually think Ready Player One nailed the only use case that might be a game changer for VR: remote schools. You can just make all learning materials virtual. VR school means no physical real estate, buses, cafeterias, bullying, janitors, you can cut like 90% of support staff, the list goes on. Also if you divide people by location (like we do now) you can still coordinate field trips and/or…

> a game changer for VR: remote schools.

A great advantage of VR compared to other interactive learning environments is that it eliminates all distractions and forces you to focus on the subject. I believe it could also lead to revival of MOOCs. We first need cheaper, lighter, no-hassle headsets.