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What is the best Virtual Reality devices to use for Vectorworks


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A printed manual from legacy VW versions ?

 

Or you mean mean which VR Goggles like HTC Vive and such ?

Or better Apples AR iOS devices ?

 

If you aren't in a hurry, I would wait a bit

(for next CES ?)

Prices for VR Googles are in flow and second, meanwhile there are some alternatives

from unknown vendors coming. Which promise strange features that sometimes won't

be fulfilled or even meaningless, but already have higher resolutions than the well known

options. And resolution plays a big role but is currently as its beginning.

So MS and HTC should soon react to the competition.

Edited by zoomer
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For AR/MR/VR I would recommend VW > Unity using the Vuforia SDK

 

I appreciate it means another application but honestly I am not sure how you are going to do it without Unity/UDK

 

VW actually plays well with Unity

 

Very quickly you can be up and running

Edited by barkest
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Guest AndrewG

Hello all,

 

What you can do at the moment is execute the "Export Web View" option within VW 2017/2018. In VW 2017 Web Views, you can only use Google Cardboard devices. In VW 2018 Web Views, you can view them using Google Cardboard and Gear VR.

 

For the Gear VR, you need to turn on WebVR within the viewer. Please see this link for more info: https://samsunginter.net/docs/webvr . 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Andrew

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  • 7 months later...

You can use Vectorwork's Export to Panorama functionality to create a 360 image for viewing on Gear VR or Go. 

 

Here is a detailed article explaining this and several other ways to take your Vectorworks model into VR:  https://scenicmentor.com/vectorworks-built-in-vr/

 

Or you can export your Vectorworks model as .fbx and bring it into Unity. If you have a Quest headset, you can use the free Oculus Integration package to build your very own VR app quickly. Here's how it can be done: https://scenicmentor.com/vectorworks-to-unity-for-quest-vr/

Edited by techgeek
updating my 2 year old response with timely relevant info
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On 12/14/2017 at 3:48 PM, ahenrie said:

What is the best Virtual Reality devices to use for Vectorworks programs?

 

It really depends on what you want to do. More devices are coming onto the market all the time. Its a very long way from a mature market and the big players are bringing (or have brought out) mobile offerings. This is much better for Archviz as of course you do not have to be tethered to a PC/Laptop.

 

As things stand at the moment (but remember its changing rapidly) I would recommend:

 

VW --> Unity --> Oculus GO (£200) or Google Daydream (available on a number of phones - I use Pixel 2)

 

It does not have 6 DOF but at that price you can view the scene and move around it via different teleportation methods.

 

One of the great things about going via Unity is that you can build to a lot of different platforms with the same build. So if you want to target Oculus, Vive, Daydream etc. then no issue.

 

I was firmly in the AR camp a year ago due to VR being tethered but now with the mobile options I see VR as a serious player. I have built several VR scenes and each time I use them I am still blown away by it.

 

Thumbs up to VW as the models/objects hold up very well indeed.

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  • 1 month later...

HI @barkest I'm new to VR and it's something I have been trying tofigure out for the last couple of weeks, been following some of your advice and it's been very helpful.

 

I was wondering if you could help me understand something a bit better. I have just bought a Pixel 2 XL for the Daydream platform and was wondering if I was to use the path: VW --> Unity --> Google Daydream - would viewers be able to move around the 'scene' or 'model' by using the google daydream remote and clicking to different locations?

 

I am basically trying to create a simple VR setup where viewers can be given my setup (Pixel 2 XL + Daydream) and have the ability to view a scene from different angles.

 

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1 hour ago, aaronrey said:

would viewers be able to move around the 'scene' or 'model' by using the google daydream remote and clicking to different locations?

 

Yes absolutely as I have done this myself with a Pixel 2 xl

 

Google have a number of examples to work from:  https://unity3d.com/partners/google/daydream

 

You need 2 parts - being able to click objects and to teleport then your good to go

 

The results are very good. Initially just open up Unity and create a cube (which is the object you want to click) and a plane to stand on and teleport around. Once you have mastered this then its just a case of switching out the cube and plane for you VW objects in Unity (via FBX). In Unity drop colliders onto your VW objects.

 

good luck

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@Dave Donley great, thank you for that Dave, have a cardboard headset which I have been testing with but buying a proper headset this week. I imagine it will be incomparable. The only problem I think I'll have with this is the size of my projects - I don't know if they will run smoothly on mobile. I design playgrounds and my aim is to provide schools with the option to allow the kids to roam the new play areas. I think it will just be a great selling tool. 

 

@barkest Massive thanks for that. Can't wait to get stuck in. Just in the process of buying a few bits of equipment, headset, new PC etc then going to have a solid go at this. 

 

I don't suppose either of you has any experience with the first daydream headset in comparison to the new one? Prices aren't massively different but you can pick up a first gen for next to nothing.

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4 hours ago, aaronrey said:

I don't suppose either of you has any experience with the first daydream headset

 

Sorry no

 

For interest I dropped Daydream for Oculus GO (200 bucks). The issue with daydream is that you need a phone and to pass it around so kids to roam is massively restricting. You can buy a GO and then charge it to the project - no phone required and a very cheap solution. Even if its not chargeable then it gets your work out there.

 

You can have large projects but you have to make sure that the geometry, textures, lighting etc. suits the requirement. With playground equipment I don't see too many issues.

 

I am currently building a ship's bridge simulator and its getting along fine.

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@barkest this sounds ideal I'll definitely have a look into this. I think I will figure everything out via daydream as that is what I have and then I presume it's the same path to the Oculus go?

 

Sorry for all the questions but I am still trying to grasp everything!

 

Does the Oculus have to have Software installed to run the Unity file or does it have some kind of 'player' to run the finished file built in?

 

And by 'chargeable' do you literally mean the headset having the ability to be charged and be portable? It sounds like an ideal set up for what I am trying to achieve.

 

Also, is the C4D stage necessary? Or can you go straight from VW to Unity? I have read that the way to achieve teleportation within a scene is 'VW - C4D - UNITY - DAYDREAM(eg)'

 

 

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1 hour ago, aaronrey said:

Does the Oculus have to have Software installed to run the Unity file

 

The Oculus GO has its own chip. This means you just generate an .apk file as you would with your phone and then upload to the GO - its as simple as that. The GO is completely independent. Google it

 

Chargeable means you can charge the client $$ for the headset because it is so cheap. But yes you can charge the headset via usb c

 

VW to Unity is fine but long term you need a way to UV Map the resulting model and VW doesn't do that (I have moaned for years so won't start now). Honestly that is long term and first get a build working then worry about the intermediate software. Teleportation has nothing to do with C4D its all in Unity.

 

I went down the daydream route and its fine to start with but Oculus GO is the better solution. Your choice but once you see your work in VR you will want to share it and that means the GO (long term).

 

 

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Have you heard of VRTK? Importing their free asset package into your unity project makes teleporting a breeze. Works with Daydream or Go, among others.

 

https://vrtoolkit.readme.io/docs/summary

 

**2020 edit**

I'm changing my recommendation as VRTK can lag behind with updates in matching compatibility with the latest Unity versions. INSTEAD, USE OCULUS INTEGRATION PACKAGE for building building Android VR for Oculus Quest.

 

Here is a step-by-step process for bringing your Vectorworks model into Unity to build a VR app for Oculus Quest.

Edited by techgeek
updating my 2 year old response with timely relevant info
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14 hours ago, barkest said:

VW to Unity is fine but long term you need a way to UV Map the resulting model

 

Does this mean that everything will import into unity as a blank/white model? Am I right in thinking that UV mapping is to do with imprinting 2D textures?

 

7 hours ago, techgeek said:

Have you heard of VRTK? Importing their free asset package into your unity project makes teleporting a breeze. Works with Daydream or Go, among others.

 

 

I recognise the name from general research and from what I can remember this is a bunch of scripts you can import into unity? are they like commands? I'm going to have a proper go over the weekend when I have some free time but sounds great.

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39 minutes ago, aaronrey said:

Does this mean that everything will import into unity as a blank/white model?

 

No but try it and see - create a cube in VW, add a texture (not a colour), export to fbx and drop into Unity

 

UV Mapping - youtube

 

Best thing to do is to start working on this stuff

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On 8/30/2018 at 5:18 AM, aaronrey said:

this is a bunch of scripts you can import into unity? are they like commands?

 

@aaronrey yep, VRTK is a toolkit of scripts, prefabs, and sample scenes that works with the oculus utilities package or steam vr. Here are some tutorials that might help you get your unity project setup with VRTK for Oculus Go: https://scenicmentor.com/vrtkgearvr/ ------> shows you how to set up your scene with VRTK & oculus utilities **Pay attention to the Unity version used**

 

**2020 edit**

I'm changing my recommendation as VRTK can lag behind with updates in matching compatibility with the latest Unity versions. Instead, use OCULUS INTEGRATION PACKAGE for building building Android VR for Oculus Quest.

 

Here is a step-by-step process for bringing your Vectorworks model into Unity to build a VR app for Oculus Quest.

 

**2021 edit**

Even easier, use Unity's free XR Integration toolkit! 😎 And here's some tips on getting the materials & textures to import properly.

 

Edited by techgeek
updating my 2 year old response with timely relevant info
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7 hours ago, rDesign said:

OT - here’s an old wishlist thread asking to improve texture mapping capabilities (UV Mapping). 

 

Texturing in VW is very poor indeed and the proof is that in some cases you have to extract the face to texture it. This is a workaround and has been in place as long as I have used VW. Texturing is up there with lighting yet continues to be ignored year after year. The sub-d tool never took off (look at the number of posts on its board) because you cannot texture it (apart from a single color). I doubt it will change with 2019. Honestly VW is in the 90s with texturing and the answer that I had once which was to use C4D. More cost to use an application with BodyPaint that is slated every year for being massively out of date. And in the latest C4D release nothing changed. Why are they so opposed to UV mapping/tools when the whole flipping industry cries out for them in other applications. (apologies for the rant but it hit a nerve)

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5 hours ago, rDesign said:

It wasn’t my intent to hit such a sore nerve with my slightly OT post about texturing in Vw

 

As it turns out its not OT.

 

With mobile VR you are working with a phone processor and not a lot of memory so you have to build accordingly. Textures have to be optimised and so does lighting. Clearly real time lighting is not going to work so you have to 'bake' the lighting. When you bake the lighting Unity can generate a lightmap for you which means it will UV unwrap your model. I have found that the model has to be made in a certain way for this to work properly and its much easier for me to supply the UV map rather than take the auto one as I get much better results.

 

The thread name says 'What is the best VR device' but this only tells part of the story. You can have the best device in the world but if you do not build properly for it then the results will be poor. So UV mapping is pretty much essential to get a) realism b) efficiency in VR - not OT

 

 

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