Introduction to Virtual Reality

Get started

Exporting from Rhino

Notes

1. Move model to origin point, or the 0,0,0 position on each axis. AKA "000"
2. When the _move tool is activated you can type the location or distance you would like to move precisely.
3. Convert NURBS objects to meshes
4. Export as MotionBuilder FBX

Next: Model preparation in 3DSMax

Importing & the 3Ds Max User Interface

Notes

1. Change Units to the metric system using millimeters.
   1. Select Customise > Units Setup > ‘System Unit Setup’. Make sure that 1 unit equals 1 millimetre.
2. The viewport can be maximised and minimised (Alt + W)
3. Navigation;
   1. Holding 'Alt' with the middle mouse button to orbit around the scene.
   2. Scrolling the middle mouse button will zoom the view in and out.
   3. Holding the middle mouse button will pan the view.

UVW Mapping

Notes

1. Remember to use layers, they are your friend.
2. Ctrl click to select multiple objects.
3. Box mapping will work in most circumstances, use 'real world' settings when possible
   1. (1M x 1M x 1M or 1000mm x 1000mm x 1000mm)

Lightmap Unwrapping

Notes

1. You can apply a single modifier to a ground of objects.
2. Get familiar with the 'UV Editor' UI, to produce great textures you need to be familiar with it.
3. Set UVW Unwrapping channel to 2.
4. Change padding from 0.02 to 0.1.

Exporting

Notes

1. Exporting as an Autodesk .FBX
2. Us the following settings when exporting an FBX;
   1. Make sure in Geometry that TurboSmooth is unticked
   2. In Animation makes sure that animation is unticked
   3. Make sure cameras and lighting is unticked
   4. In Units, deselect automatic and set scene units converted to Centimeters. This because 1 unit in Unreal Engine equals 1 Centimetre. This will ensure that our model come in at the right scale.
   5. In FBX File format we are going to set the Type to ASCII and the Version to 2011.

Next: Unreal Engine

Starting a New Project

Notes

1. Creat an Epic Games Account
2. Download the NExT Lab template

Resources

1. Best Practice VR

User Interface & Importing

Notes

1. To navigate:
   1. Click and hold your right mouse button to move the camera.
   2. Use the scroll wheel to zoom.
   3. Use the W A S D keys to move around the scene.
   4. We recommend a camera speed of 5.
2. FBX Import Options:
   1. Deselect auto generate collisions.
   2. Unticking Generate Lightmap UV’s.
   3. Make sure the Import Uniform Scale is set to 1.
   4. Untick Import Materials and Import Textures.

Resources

1. Unreal Engine Interface

Placing Objects

Notes

1. Transform tools; found in the top right hand corner of the viewport.
   1. Move (E)
   2. Rotate (R)
   3. Scale (W)
   4. Whether the gizmo is object or world based
   5. Grid Snapping On/Off and Grid Sizing
   6. Rotation Snapping On/Off and rotational increments
   7. And Scale Snapping On/Off and scale increments

Starter Content Materials

Notes

1. To apply a material to an object simply drag the material from the content browser onto the object.

Resources

1. Starter Content

Creating Basic Materials

Notes

1. Adjust UVWs on the texture coordinate node with U and V tiling. The smaller the number the larger the tiles, the larger the number the smaller the tiles.

Resources

1. Material Nodes

Creating Materials from Textures

Notes

1. Opacity channel controls the translucency of the material. 0 = Transparent, 1 = Opaque.

Resources

1. Download T_Concrete_Tiles_D.TGA
2. Download T_Concrete_Tiles_N.TGA

Lighting & Lighting Builds

Notes

1. You can also adjust the direction of the light by using the transformation tools.
2. There are two main lights; a spot light and a point light.
3. The third is a; Directional Sky-Light AKA. Sun
   1. Like the other lights, this can be adjusted using the rotation tool. This will change the angle of the sun.
   2. The directional light is also connected to the skysphere that creates the sky. In the world outliner, it is called SkySphereBlueprint.
   3. Every time you move the directional light you need to refresh to sky sphere.
4. You can build the lighting separately by clicking the dropdown arrow on the build button and selection build lighting only.
   1. The medium quality setting should suffice for most uses.
5. You can still work while your lighting is building.

Resources

1. Lighting Tutorials

VR Camera & Navigation

Notes

1. Enable collisions on the floor by adding a box simplified collision to the static mesh.
2. Drag and Drop the HTC Vive Camera into the scene
   1. Found in the Virtual Reality Blueprint -> Blueprints -> Motion Controller Pawn.
3. Change the camera to Auto Possess Player 0.
4. Correct your Nav Mesh Bounds with a manual scale operation.
5. VR Preview will work only if your headset is connected.

Packaging the Project

Notes

1. Script Escape key as quit function.
2. Adjusting the project settings;
   1. Always provide an appropriate Project Name.
   2. Make sure start in VR is ticked.
   3. Make sure game default map is correct.
   4. Make sure Windows is a supported platform.
3. Package
   1. File -> Package Project -> Windows and then Windows 64bit.
   2. This can take some time.
4. To transfer your application to a new computer copy the entire folder named WindowsNoEditor.

Resources

1. Packaging Documentation