Unity

Getting Started with Mixed Reality

This week I created a video where I discussed the definition of Mixed Reality as well as showed a quick demo of getting started with creating apps, games, or experiences with the immersive headsets.

Just like HoloLens development, the Mixed Reality Toolkit (the toolkit formerly known as  HoloToolkit) is your best friend.

Simply start a new Unity project – making sure you have the UWP components installed – and then import the Mixed Reality Toolkit (MRTK). From there, delete the original scene camera. Bring the MixedRealityCameraParent prefab into the hierarchy followed by the DefaultCursor and InputManager.

Create your scene like you want. I simply added a cube.

You save your scene and apply project settings by clicking hte Mixed Reality Toolkit in the Unity menu and selecting Configure and then selecting Apply Mixed Reality Project Settings. Make sure that Enable XR is selected as well as Target Occluded Devices.

When you hit play in the Unity editor, it will launch the Mixed Reality Portal and you will be able to look around your environment with your immersive headset.

If you want to just work inside of Unity and not have to use the headset during different parts of development, simply uncheck the Virtual Reality Supported checkbox under XR Settings in the PlayerSettings. You can get to PlayerSettings by opening the Build Settings window. That is done by clicking Ctrl+Shift+B or by clicking File > Build Settings.

Part 0: Getting Started with Mixed Reality
Part 1: Setup
Part 2: Core Game Logic
Part 3: Game Controller
Part 4: Motion Controller Support / Input
Part 5: Keeping Score
Part 6: Hiding Items and Disabling Input
Part 7: Displaying Score and Strikes
Part 8: High Scores
Part 9: Adding Animation
Part 10: Implementing Animation
Part 11: Adding Sounds
Part 12: Adding Particles
Part 13: Deploying to Devices

Enjoy the video!

Chad Carter 9 Comments

Spatial Mapping Components in Unity

While watching the .NET Conf I saw Jaime add some spatial mapping components that were built directly into Unity. I’m not sure when they were added to Unity, but I’ve been using the HoloToolkit’s (or rather Mixed Reality Toolkit’s) spatial mapping prefab.

In the video this week, I explain why I’m going to continue do so…

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A Story from a 17 year .NET Developer Veteran

In my video this week I talk about the history of .NET and why I think now is a great time to be a .NET developer. I was at a conference in Las Vegas back in the fall of 2000 and I saw Scott Guthrie, wearing his now famous red polo shirt, talking about this new technology called ASP+.

It would soon be renamed to ASP.NET. It was fantastic and I’ve been using it every since that announcement, well before it was officially released in 2002.

If .NET Core 2.0 has as much life as the original, then it will be around for at least another 15 years and that is a good thing. The performance of .NET Core 2.0 is fantastic.

I hope you enjoy my story as I talk about why I started using .NET all those years ago…

Chad Carter Leave a comment

Paint 3D and Unity (and HoloLens)

I remember being all excited about Paint 3D when I saw Microsoft announce it.

I even remember trying it out during one of my Live Q&A sessions with my Learn HoloLens members.

But I forgot about Paint 3D … or didn’t spend any more time thinking about it.

Well, this week I created a video showing how dead easy simple it is to take an object from the community in Remix 3D and export it to a .fbx file and drop it into Unity.

Then I bring in the HoloToolkit and build and compile the program to get the creation all the way from Paint 3D and into my physical room looking at it on the HoloLens.

You can check out the video here:

Chad Carter Leave a comment