Introduction to Virtual Reality Mark Green School of Creative Media

Introduction to Virtual Introduction to Virtual RealityReality

Mark GreenMark Green

School of Creative MediaSchool of Creative Media

IntroductionIntroduction

Explore virtual reality:Explore virtual reality: creative sidecreative side technical sidetechnical side interaction between technology and creativity interaction between technology and creativity

in a new mediumin a new medium concentrate on the practical side, with concentrate on the practical side, with

some theoretical themes as wellsome theoretical themes as well

Virtual RealityVirtual Reality

I use the term Virtual Reality to I use the term Virtual Reality to encompass several related technologies:encompass several related technologies: traditional VR, immersing the user in a traditional VR, immersing the user in a

computer generated 3D spacecomputer generated 3D space augmented reality, combining real and virtual augmented reality, combining real and virtual

spacesspaces computer / video gamescomputer / video games location based entertainmentlocation based entertainment

Pushing the EnvelopPushing the Envelop

Virtual reality pushes the envelop in Virtual reality pushes the envelop in several ways:several ways: viewer participationviewer participation technologytechnology interactioninteraction

Pushing the Envelop: Pushing the Envelop: ParticipationParticipation

Most art / media separates the creator / Most art / media separates the creator / performer from the viewerperformer from the viewer

no interaction between the twono interaction between the two modern media, such as film, video and modern media, such as film, video and

sound recording have enforced this sound recording have enforced this separation, both in place and timeseparation, both in place and time

the viewer has no way of influencing the the viewer has no way of influencing the art workart work


This separation of performer and viewer This separation of performer and viewer has been accelerated by modern has been accelerated by modern technologytechnology

some non-computer media support some non-computer media support participation: jazz, improv theatre, some participation: jazz, improv theatre, some installation art, street performersinstallation art, street performers

but, in general artists don’t consider the but, in general artists don’t consider the viewer as an active participant in the viewer as an active participant in the creation of the art workcreation of the art work


For interactive art the viewer must be For interactive art the viewer must be considered as partner in the creative considered as partner in the creative processprocess

one of the main reasons for failure in one of the main reasons for failure in interactive piecesinteractive pieces

must be more than trivial interaction, must must be more than trivial interaction, must pull the viewer into the piecepull the viewer into the piece

provide the framework for the experience, provide the framework for the experience, not dictate the experiencenot dictate the experience

Pushing the Envelop: Pushing the Envelop: TechnologyTechnology

This is the bleeding edgeThis is the bleeding edge working with technology that doesn’t working with technology that doesn’t

always workalways work early technology isn’t reliableearly technology isn’t reliable early users must be prepared for failure, in early users must be prepared for failure, in

return they have more freedomreturn they have more freedom mature technologies are frozen, little mature technologies are frozen, little

opportunity for exploration and variationsopportunity for exploration and variations

Pushing the Envelop: Pushing the Envelop: TechnologyTechnology

What are the implications?What are the implications? Must plan ahead, can’t do everything the night Must plan ahead, can’t do everything the night

beforebefore must be flexible, it may not work the way you must be flexible, it may not work the way you

think it shouldthink it should share the facilities, expensive equipment is share the facilities, expensive equipment is

typically one of a kindtypically one of a kind

Pushing the Envelop: Pushing the Envelop: InteractionInteraction

Most interaction is poor: keyboard and Most interaction is poor: keyboard and mousemouse

““designing computer systems for one eyed designing computer systems for one eyed dogs”dogs”

use very few of our sensesuse very few of our senses use very little of the I/O bandwidth of use very little of the I/O bandwidth of

modern computersmodern computers

Pushing the Envelop: Pushing the Envelop: InteractionInteraction

How do we interact in 3D?How do we interact in 3D? Would like to have large display surfaces Would like to have large display surfaces

and a richer interaction vocabularyand a richer interaction vocabulary why build 3D objects with a mouse?why build 3D objects with a mouse? Sculptors don’t do that, they work in a 3D Sculptors don’t do that, they work in a 3D

space with 3D toolsspace with 3D tools how can we do this with computers?how can we do this with computers?

Art and TechnologyArt and Technology

Haven’t always been separate, relatively Haven’t always been separate, relatively recentrecent

mainly due to post-WWII mainly due to post-WWII compartmentalization of knowledge and compartmentalization of knowledge and push for specializationpush for specialization

would not see this separation in a would not see this separation in a university 100 years agouniversity 100 years ago


Artists only have access to a portion of Artists only have access to a portion of what technology can do, sometimes very what technology can do, sometimes very smallsmall

software packages bias the media and the software packages bias the media and the creative processcreative process

without knowledge of the technology can without knowledge of the technology can only do what the geeks let you doonly do what the geeks let you do

restricts creative freedomrestricts creative freedom


Example: Alias and SoftImage define what Example: Alias and SoftImage define what computer animation iscomputer animation is

they set a particular style which you must they set a particular style which you must work withinwork within

other types of computer animation are other types of computer animation are possible, but they don’t occur because the possible, but they don’t occur because the tools don’t support themtools don’t support them


Beware of the bias that comes from Beware of the bias that comes from software packagessoftware packages

these tools could impose extreme these tools could impose extreme restrictions on your creativityrestrictions on your creativity

understand the technology and its understand the technology and its possibilities, then push for the tools that possibilities, then push for the tools that allow freedom of expression, or do it allow freedom of expression, or do it yourselfyourself

What is VR About?What is VR About?

Lets skip the technology and think about Lets skip the technology and think about the mediumthe medium

thesis: “VR: an experience produced by thesis: “VR: an experience produced by computer technology”computer technology”

the key word is experience, convince the key word is experience, convince users they are somewhere elseusers they are somewhere else

quite often the term immersion is used, quite often the term immersion is used, similar ideasimilar idea

Immersion or ExperienceImmersion or Experience

User is unaware of the computer, other User is unaware of the computer, other real surroundingsreal surroundings

““suspension of disbelief”, know its not real, suspension of disbelief”, know its not real, but act like it is:but act like it is: dodge a balldodge a ball try to lean on virtual furnituretry to lean on virtual furniture emotions, fear, phobias, etcemotions, fear, phobias, etc

ExperienceExperience

How do we produce this experience?How do we produce this experience? ConsistencyConsistency: all senses match, do what : all senses match, do what

we expectwe expect cartoon visuals require cartoon motion and cartoon visuals require cartoon motion and

behaviorbehavior photo-realistic visuals require accurate photo-realistic visuals require accurate

real world motion and behaviorsreal world motion and behaviors follows the rules of the gamefollows the rules of the game


ResponsiveResponsive: the user can influence the : the user can influence the environmentenvironment

more than a ghost moving through an more than a ghost moving through an unreal spaceunreal space

objects must respond to the user:objects must respond to the user: can’t move through wallscan’t move through walls kick an object and it moveskick an object and it moves


CompleteComplete: users don’t fall off the edge of : users don’t fall off the edge of the virtual worldthe virtual world

users can’t move into blank spacesusers can’t move into blank spaces environment should meet their environment should meet their

expectations: sound when an object is hitexpectations: sound when an object is hit experience may be limited, but it folds experience may be limited, but it folds

back on itself, doesn’t end unexpectedlyback on itself, doesn’t end unexpectedly

Design ProcessDesign Process

How do we design a virtual environment?How do we design a virtual environment? No established design methodology, but No established design methodology, but

we can start thinking about the processwe can start thinking about the process start with the theme, what the environment start with the theme, what the environment

is aboutis about think about the ideal experience, what we think about the ideal experience, what we

could do without technical limitationscould do without technical limitations

Design ProcessDesign Process

Determine the main features of the experience, Determine the main features of the experience, what is important, what defines the experiencewhat is important, what defines the experience

now think about the technologynow think about the technology how can we translate the ideal experience into how can we translate the ideal experience into

something that is technologically feasible?something that is technologically feasible? Preserve the most important aspects of the Preserve the most important aspects of the

experienceexperience

Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?

Investigate technology:Investigate technology: hardwarehardware softwaresoftware

Look at some tools:Look at some tools: modelingmodeling environment designenvironment design

Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?

Look at some techniquesLook at some techniques environment designenvironment design interactioninteraction collaborationcollaboration

Explore some possibilitiesExplore some possibilities where can we take the technology?where can we take the technology? what types of tools do we need?what types of tools do we need? Possible applicationsPossible applications

Themes for this yearThemes for this year

SpaceSpace Multiple people in the same spaceMultiple people in the same space Multiple spaces for the same personMultiple spaces for the same person Combining the real and the virtualCombining the real and the virtual

BehaviorBehavior Realistic animal / human behaviorRealistic animal / human behavior Interaction with virtual charactersInteraction with virtual characters

SESE

Locally developed VR softwareLocally developed VR software Aimed at artists, not programmersAimed at artists, not programmers Support the development of interesting Support the development of interesting

virtual environmentsvirtual environments We can easily add features to it, support We can easily add features to it, support

things of interestthings of interest

Documents

Introduction to Virtual Reality Mark Green School of Creative Media