Getting Started with Virtual Reality and Design
Introduction
Hi, it’s Michael Williams, and I am Design Associate at BMW Group + QUT Design Academy. I am very fortunate to be a part of a team that constantly utilises advanced technology to push the boundaries of design. Specifically, I work on Industry 4.0 projects while frequently utilising Virtual Reality, known as VR, in our design pipelines due to the prominent impact it has on both design decisions and communication. In this blog, I will discuss the advantages of VR in design, while also presenting tips and methods for getting started with your VR experience. So, grab yourself a warm beverage and let's get right into it!
Advantages of VR in design.
From an Industrial Design standpoint, communication, iteration and evaluation are a core part of developing a good design. However, I personally find myself conflicted at critical junctions where design decisions must be made, due to the uncertainty of how the design would translate into reality.
Model making and rapid prototyping are the current methods of validating features, mechanisms, forms and aesthetics of a design, as some things you simply can’t do in 2D. Having a physical form in front of you helps with validating your design, casting new perspectives and evaluate from a new standpoint. However, this process is time consuming and can often be inaccurate due to the limitation of prototyping skills and resources. As a professional industrial designer, I must state that nothing can replace having a physical model as the physical interactions and appearance in a dynamic, real environment is truly unique.
Virtual Reality is starting to make a stronger appearance in industry due to the current state of the technology, application to real projects, and the ease of use. VR is a brilliant technology to incorporate into your design process for a number of reasons. The overarching benefit is that VR allows for a fast, inexpensive, and simple way to both prototype and validate your designs. In addition, it efficiently allows you to view and test your design in context, giving designers and users a proper feel for the product's form, proportions, and key interactions. While some might (rightly) argue that interactions are not the same without physically feeling an object (I must confess that I tend to agree), VR can currently simulate these sensations through different levels of feedback and there are technologies in development which incorporate haptic feedback into a suit - providing full immersion (https://teslasuit.io/).
Without getting into detail about all the benefits of VR in design, I think it is clear that VR holds immense value in the design process and is only now starting to be utilised by industry - so don’t get left behind!
Getting started!
Now for the fun part! The following section will serveas a guide to assist you in joining the VR club. The hardest part about VR is starting out because you do not know the processes or requirements for creating a VR scene. I will provide you with a generic pipeline to get you started, allowing you to bring your CAD into a game engine and start viewing your designs!
Realistically, the first thing to do is get a headset. Unfortunately, there is no ‘golden ticket’ in terms of what headset you should get, it really comes down to you and your needs. Personally, I use the Oculus Rift S, as it has inbuilt sensors and works across most platforms due to its Open VR. However, I recommend that you do your research properly and find a headset that suits both you and your needs.
Choosing an engine
Once you are rigged up and ready to go, you will now need to decide what game engine you want to use. For beginners who are wanting to simply view their design and walk around, I would suggest Unreal Engine 4 (also known as UE4). UE4 is a powerful engine, providing realistic visual quality, lighting, VR templates and forums. While many agree that the UE4 interface is dated, it is fairly straightforward and simple to learn. A quick tip for learning new software, the best thing you can do is play around with the program and practice. This may sound very generic, but it is all about breaking the ice and allowing yourself to feel less restricted by your lack of knowledge, which you will develop over time. Below is an example illustrating the potential of the UE4 game engine.
Different types of 3D CAD (Meshes):
As you have now ventured into the world of VR, it is appropriate to briefly discuss the differences of 3D CAD software and the performance impact it can have on your VR scene. In short, there are two distinguishable types of 3D modeling, topology and parameter based modeling. The key difference is that parameter modeling (like solidworks and fusion 360) does not give you complete control of the triangles that are formed to create a 3D mesh, based on the set parameters. On the other hand, we have topology modeling (software like Blender, Maya, 3DS Max) which models in quads or mesh faces, allowing you to have complete control over the resolution of the 3D asset. Essentially, a game engine has to render/ calculate each face of the model, therefore the more faces (triangles) the model has, the more complex it is to render.
It is also critical to remember that as a VR project gets larger, the harder it will become to compute - so you need to manage your file size. When working in VR, having a laggy experience is simply not an option, typically resulting in a suttery VR experience. When working in VR, it is highly recommended that you use topology based 3D modeling, as you can control the resolution of your assets. However, if you are not creating a whole scene and not intending on making detailed textures, then you can use any 3D CAD you please. Depicted below is a simple example of the triangles from blender vs Fusion 360.
Dropping it into UE4
Before you import your assets, open a VR template in UE4 and make sure your headset and controllers are functioning. Create a folder in your content library and import your asset into the folder by drag and drop. Press “Import all” and allow UE4 to import your asset.Drag the asset into the scene and adjust its positioning accordingly.
TIPS: If your model is broken into multiple objects, select them all and press CTRL+G to Group (SHIFT+G to ungroup). If you are struggling to ‘zoom to extent’, select the model you wish to view and press F.
UE4 VR performance tips
Some small tips for performance when working in UE4 VR can be found in the lighting setup. In UE4, you have two major lighting settings being “Static” and “Dynamic” and this is typically found across all game engines. Static can be explained as pressing pause on all the dynamic effects to increase performance. For example, as a sun passes overhead, the light direction, shadows and lighting intensity will change in a dynamic fashion. When we make an object static, we are ceasing live rendering and are baking (pre-computing) the information onto the model to increase performance.
By navigating to the properties panel, you can make objects static or dynamic. All you have to do once you change the configuration is then “Build” the scene to update or pre-compute the information.
Using VR
Once you have done this, you can jump into VR and look at your model! Some quick tips to get you started:
Set a Navigation Mesh Bounds Volume to your floor otherwise you will not be able to teleport around your scene
Find the VR Preview Model in the “Play” Drop down menu
I hope this blog has provided both a valuable insight and guide for getting started with VR. Remember, the hardest part is getting started!
Thanks for reading!
Michael Williams
Design Associate