Ultimate HoloLens Resource List

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Tips
Performance recommendations for HoloLens Apps
Recommendations and guidelines when developing for the HoloLens

Side by Side HoloLens Recording Comparison (Streaming vs. On Device)
When WiFi is good, record via streaming instead of on the device directly

How to prepare a Unity project for Git
This stack overflow answer shows a great way to setup Unity for Git repository. Step 1 can be ignored for HoloLens development since it is using Unity 5.5.

Optimizing Shader Load Time in Unity
Shaders are small programs that execute on the GPU. Optimizing shaders are important for HoloLens development.

Activating and Deactivating Objects in Unity using Mixed Reality InputManager
This tip shows how to hide an object by air tapping on it.

HoloLens Spatial Understanding works in the Unity Editor
This post and video explains how Spatial Understand now works inside of the Unity Editor which decreases the development time

UI Design
Microsoft HoloLens: 3 HoloStudio UI and Interaction Design Learnings
This video discusses some best practices for 3D UI and interaction design.

Defining the best practices for HoloLens – Welcome to the wild, wild west
Join the discussion in a Slack channel to discuss best practices for HoloLens 3D UI and interaction design.

Unite Europe 2017 – AR prototyping for the HoloLens with Unity
This Unity Europe session shows AR prototyping for the HoloLens and Unity

Real World Use
Hololens shows up in cool Honda NSX promo video
Honda shows off a cool HoloLens demo to promote their NSX automobile.

Microsoft HoloLens and Lowe’s, working to redefine your next home renovation
Lowe’s, the home improvement store, brings customers a new way to experience full-scale design and appliance options while maximizing precious floor space in the store.

Ignite Innovation Keynote demoing the HoloLens Lowe’s app
A video demo of the Lowe’s HoloLens app that shows a new Kitchen remodeling app

Transforming the global elevator service industry with the Microsoft HoloLens
Using HoloLens, thyssenkrupp, a global elevator service company, will be able to empower more than 24,000 of the company’s service technicians to do their jobs more safely and efficiently.

Practical HoloLens: Lubricating a Mower
Something as simple as opening up a PDF in while working on a mower can really help productivity. There is even a suggestion for a future app…

Volvo is testing HoloLens to speed up car development
While this isn’t actually in place yet, Volvo is using the HoloLens to ultimately reduce the development time of a new car model from 30 months to 20 months.

Unite Europe 2017 – Making a business case for HoloLens: Dev & Sales
This is a talk discussing business cases for HoloLens development and sales in the real world

Holographic Design & Installation
Landscaping and Design using the HoloLens by one of my LearnHoloLens members

How It works
How HoloLens Displays Work – The Imaginative Universal
This is an in-depth look at the HoloLens display technology actually works.

Microsoft’s official HoloLens hardware page
Microsoft shows how the adjustable headband is designed and shows the different sensors and optics the HoloLens device has.

Microsoft HoloLens Specifications
This contains the full list of hardware, sensors, specs and more for the first-ever wearable HoloLens holographic computer system.

HoloLens Actual Field of View FOV Captured
Through what appears to be a fluke, a HoloLens records the actual FOV and not the entire 720p space.

UWP
Microsoft Mixed Reality Toolkit
The MixedRealityToolkit is a collection of scripts and components intended to accelerate the development of mixed reality applications targeting Windows Mixed Reality.

UrhoSharp – 3D/2D Engine – Xamarin
UrhoSharp is a cross-platform high-level 3D and 2D engine that can be used to create animated 3D and 2D scenes for your applications using geometries, materials, lights and cameras.

Launch a 3D Holograms app from a 2D XAML app and going back to it using UWP
This blog post shows how to create a 2D XAML app which will be able to display 3D holograms and go back to the 2D view.

How to deploy an App to the HoloLens Device – Step by Step
This article shows how to deploy a UWP app to the HoloLens step by step.

UWP App Model
Windows Mixed Reality uses the app model provided by the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), a model and environment for modern Windows apps.

How Tos
Install the tools
Get the tools you need to build apps for the Microsoft HoloLens.

Turn HoloLens off and on
Sometimes it is the simple things. This article shows how to turn the HoloLens on and off as well entering standby mode and even charging the battery.

Create a complete Mixed Reality Game from Start to Finish – Step by Step
This 13 part series goes through the entire process of setting up a mixed reality game that will run on the immersive headsets as well as the HoloLens.

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

Understanding the Gaze and Adding a Gaze Input Cursor into your Unity 3D Holographic App
This article shows how you can utilize the Gaze input on the HoloLens

Understanding the Gesture and Adding Air Tap Gesture into your Unity 3D Holographic App
This article explains how to integrate Gesture into your HoloLens app.

How To Setup a Simple Unity Project using the Vuforia Library
The Vuforia Unity extension allows Unity developers to easily use the Vuforia augmented reality library with the HoloLens.

Advanced HoloLens Emulator Input
This help page shows the different types of input as well as the different input control modes and the ways to use the emulator to control an app.

Holograms 100 – Getting started with Unity
This Microsoft tutorial shows how to get started with HoloLens development using the Unity game engine.

Holograms 101E – Deploy to HoloLens Emulator
This Microsoft tutorial shows how to create a complete HoloLens application and run it on the Emulator.

Holograms 101 – Getting started with the HoloLens
This Microsoft tutorial shows how to create a complete HoloLens application and run it on the HoloLens device.

Holograms 210 – Getting started with Gaze
This Microsoft tutorial gets the reader up to speed quickly with using Gaze with the HoloLens.

Holograms 211 – Getting started with Gestures
This Microsoft tutorial shows how to use Gestures to allow your users to interact with holograms on the HoloLens device.

Holograms 212 – Getting started with Voice
This Microsoft tutorial show how to use voice input on the HoloLens device.

Holograms 220 – Getting started with Spatial Sound
This Microsoft tutorial shows how to get started using spatial sound.

Holograms 230 – Getting started with Spatial Mapping
This Microsoft tutorial shows how to get started with spatial mapping. Spatial mapping combines the real world and virtual world together by teaching holograms about the environment.

Holograms 240 – Getting started with HoloLens Networking / Sharing
This Microsoft tutorial shows how multiple HoloLens devices can share the same interactive experience.

Getting the most out of the HoloLens Companion App
The HoloLens companion app is the best way to record what the HoloLens is seeing. It has plenty of other features which this article describes.

How to Record from your HoloLens TWO different ways
This article discusses both ways to record what your HoloLens is seeing – directly on the device and streamed through the HoloLens app.

HoloLens Development Tutorial Based on Talk
This is a group of tutorials from Cameron Vetter teaching different HoloLens functionality . Really worth checking out.

Connect Device Portal via USB
El Bruno explains how to use the developer portal when the HoloLens device is connected via USB

Hitchhiking the HoloToolkit-Unity
Mike Taulty has several posts working with the HoloLens that should be looked at

How to Install Mixed Reality Toolkit for Unity
This article shows how you can get going quickly with HoloLens development by installing the Mixed Reality Toolkit and using it inside of Unity.

How to Deploy to the HoloLens from Unity
This article shows you step by step how to deploy the app to the HoloLens and to the Emulator.

Holographic Bouncing Ball Tutorial
This tutorial series covers the Unity environment, deploying apps, voice recognition and spatial mapping.

Unity
Microsoft Mixed Reality Toolkit for Unity
The Mixed Reality Toolkit is a collection of scripts and components intended to accelerate the development of holographic applications targeting Windows Holographic. This is effectively part of the existing Mixed Reality Toolkit, but is the repo that will contain all Unity specific components.

Performance recommendations for Unity
This Microsoft documentation shows general Unity performance recommendations you want to use when developing for the HoloLens device.

How to Deploy a Unity Game to the HoloLens Device – Step by Step
This article shows how to deploy a Unity app to the HoloLens step by step.

Microsoft HoloLens Hand Tracking – Building Blocks
This article shows the important pieces of code need to have the HoloLens handle hand tracking.

50 Tips and Best Practices for Unity (2016 Edition)
This article shows 50 different tips and best practices from one developer’s point of view. It has valuable information for you to look at when doing Unity development for the HoloLens.

Runtime OBJ Importer
OBJ File importer that loads OBJ models both in the editor and at runtime.

Saving Spatial Meshes
SaveSpatialMapping Example in the Mixed Reality Toolkit for Unity

Cool Demos
HoloBeam Tech
This demo app uses a stereoscopic camera to create a 3D point cloud which can be streamed in real-time to a user wearing the HoloLens.

HoloLens Image Based Texture
This demo code (and video) uses the Hololens camera to generate textures for the spatial mapping meshes

Medical Imaging – DICOM Volume Rendering on HoloLens
This demo uses real medical imaging data to display the data in 3D

HoloLens-Aided Neurosurgery
Emergency neurosurgery might soon be a lot safer, with the help of augmented reality. Duke surgeons and engineers are experimenting with using the HoloLens goggles to project virtual, 3D images of patient’s brains onto their heads, with the goal of guiding neurosurgeons during operations.

HoloLens with Object Tracking
Iowa State University created a demo of the HoloLens working with the Kinect with Marker-less Object Tracking.

Image Recognition in HoloLens using Microsoft Cognitive Services
This video shows an demo of an app where the HoloLens is asked to scan an image. The HoloLens examines what it sees and uses the cognitive services to say what it think it saw.

Microsoft HoloLens Holo Raid
Holo Raid is a game for HoloLens similar to Robo Raid. Transform your living room into a space portal to shoot alien raiders.

Video: HoloLens Projection – Skeletons!
This proof of concept demo shows how to use the HoloLens to project augmented reality information onto a human body. An external sensor is used to track the body and sent to the HoloLens which projects a skeleton onto the person.

HoloLens Magic Window Demo
This is a demo of the Magic Window effect which has a virtual world just beyond some space. Sometimes the world can’t be reached, other times it can.

HoloLens Developer Challenge: Wizard Battle (Mage)
This demo shows voice recognition and particle effects for a developer challenge.

HoloLens Developer Challenge: Wizard Battle (Sorcerer)
This demo shows different particle effects for the same developer challenge.

HoloLens Bed Demo
This demo shows a photo realistic bed being placed in the room and then they style of bed being switched out.

Developer combines HoloLens and Vive for ‘shared reality’
Collaborating across a mixed reality space is surprisingly simple.

Portal in Augmented Reality with HoloLens
What’s better than the game portal? How about this cool Portal demo using the HoloLens.

VRLA Mixed Reality Easter Egg Hunt: Behind the Scenes
Mixed Reality Easter Egg Hunt in partnership with Microsoft HoloLens

HoloViveObserver
Using Vive Controllers with the HoloLens

High-tech White Cane for the blind using HoloLens
This video shows a prototype of how someone who can’t see could use the HoloLens to assist in hearing where walls are

Why use a HoloLens in science museum?
The projects shows how within a museum context mixed reality can be useful because the virtual and the physical realm mutually empower each other.

Red Bull Air Race MR
REWIND’s CEO Sol Rogers explains how the team managed to forge a world-first immersive experience for the Red Bull Air Race using the new design principles of Mixed Reality and working with the HoloLens.

HoloLens – Airport Command and Control Center
Demo created fo SITA Lab and Helsinki airport shows a visualization of an airport command and control.

HoloMages – Shared Concept Demo Using Azure Cloud
Preston McCauley & Ron Dagdag put together to experiment with using cloud shared service with the Hololens.

Super Mario Bros Recreated as Life Size Augmented Reality Game
Super Mario Bros meets Augmented Reality in this crazy life sized first person experience.

HoloLens and MapBox
Neat app showing San Diego map

Holographic Workstation for Citi Financial Trading
8ninths’ envisioned a mixed reality evolution of the trading workstation using HoloLens

HoloLens CityLab 4D Construction Demo
See what 4D construction looks like in the Hololens.

First Person Real Life Shooter Using HoloLens & ARKit
Demo showing turning an iPhone into a laser weapon that works with the HoloLens

Dynamically Placed Items with Spatial Understanding
This demo shows placing objects in the real world using Spatial Understanding

Having Fun with HoloLens Particles
This demo shows different particle effects running on the HoloLens.

Little Holographic Dragon
This demo shows a little dragon running around in the real world.

Apps
HoloPaintball
This app had it roots in a Unity tutorial and was modified to work on the HoloLens. The source code is also available for download.

Here is a list of Made for HoloLens Apps
This is a frequently updated list of apps made specifically for the HoloLens that are available in the Windows store. It also lists, separately, apps that work on the HoloLens, but weren’t made especially for the HoloLens.

Top 5 Apps in the HoloLens Store on Day 1
This video shows the top 5 apps that were in the HoloLens store on the very first day.

HoloLems
This video shows me having fun playing a HoloLens game called HoloLems

Ocean Treasure
Ocean Treasure Hidden Object HoloLens app

Nextcloud Downloader
NextCloud Downloader facilitates the retrieval of file assets from a local instance of Nextcloud server to HoloLens storage.

White Cane
Helping those with no vision to be able to detect surfaces with sound

HoloFlight
Visualize real flight data as 3D holograms

HoloValentine
This app was made for Valentines Day and the source code is available for download. The demo uses gaze, gestures, voice, spatial sound and spatial mapping.

If you find this Ultimate HoloLens Resource List helpful, make sure you subscribe to keep up to date as this resource list grows.

8 thoughts on “Ultimate HoloLens Resource List”

Eswar kumar borra
Posted on 2017-04-05 at 9:57 am

hi,

I am facing one problem can you guide me.. I got Hololens device when i am connecting to network it’s not connecting.Live Stream the HoloLens to my PC and use a screen capturing software to record that stream this one also not working.If we connect using USB to deploy my app on my device that time also it’s showing error..I have some queries

1. Currently my windows 10 Pc is connected to different network and hololens device is connected to different network can we deploy app with this condition.

2. My device and my computer Should be on same network..(Same IP)??

3.Can we deploy my app in hololens using usb cable..?? (in offline with out inter net).

4.While deploying my app using Visual Studio in to Hololens device it is not getting
paired (i have selected Remote option and Entered the IP Address also entered
device portal pin)

5. Can we deploy Hololens app (the package we have created in windows 10) on mac machine to hololens device..?

can you please send me any Video tutorial link (i am getting confuse with same network on windows 10 and Hololens device Please help me pls pls pls pls pls )

Thank You
ESWAR
- Chad CarterPost author
  Posted on 2017-04-06 at 9:40 am
  
  Hey ESWAR,
  
  First, make sure that both the Windows 10 computer and the HoloLens have Developer Mode enabled.
  
  1. I do believe that the devices must be on the same network for it work remotely. I’ve not been able to get it to work any other way. When I do presentations at conferences, I end up having both my PC and the HoloLens go use my Phone as a Hotspot.
  
  2. Same as 2, I believe it has to be on the same network – so the first 3 of the 4 numbers in the IP need to be the same i.e. 192.168.1.xx
  
  3. Yes! Simply hook up the USB to the computer and in Visual Studio select Device instead of Remote Machine.
  
  4. I don’t believe it will work unless you are the on the same network. Try it with the USB.
  
  5. As long as the Mac is running Windows 10 Pro, I believe you can. I’ve not tried it, but I understand that others have made that work.
  
  Here is an example of me deploying in the Bouncing Ball Tutorial Series I did: https://youtu.be/b17igM1OESE?t=13m50s
  
  Here is another article on the subject.
  http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/article/how-to-deploy-hololens-app-to-device/
  
  Also, make sure to check out the HoloLens Forums https://forums.hololens.com/
  
  I hope this helps.
Eswar kumar borra
Posted on 2017-04-07 at 1:06 am

Hi Chad Carter,

Hyyyyy…It’s working 🙂 .Thank you so much Chad. It’s very help full to my project thank you so much
Pingback: Want a HoloLens and a $100K and a Unity Pro 12 month subscription? - Chad Carter
Aravind
Posted on 2017-12-01 at 1:50 pm

HI Chad – Thanks for taking your time out to create the Holo resource list. I have one question that you might have the answer to.

I would like to get access to the 3D point cloud front the stereo cameras on the Holo? Is that possible, if so then could you point me to the right resources on how to do that.
hakimin
Posted on 2018-01-18 at 1:15 am

Hi Chad.

Do you have any tutorial or resource that using REST Api with hololens?
For some reason, Unity webrequest post raw and get work fine with editor or GearVr but it doesn’t work with Hololens.
- Chad CarterPost author
  Posted on 2018-02-07 at 7:51 am
  
  You can check out this talk I did a few years back where I talk about using WWW with REST Api. Now you could actually use UnityWebRequest. Same principals apply.
  
  http://chadcarter.net/how-to-create-a-global-leaderboard-for-unity-3d-using-azure-mobile-services/
John F Bremer Jr
Posted on 2018-01-22 at 12:12 am

Hey Chad,
I’m really happy that I chanced onto your Youtube presentation on “The Secret to Using HoloLens Spatial Mapping in Unity” and that you referenced this resources page. I enjoyed your presentation and your resource list is great. We got a HoloLens early on and attended a couple of hackathons and developed some demos, but it has been slow go. We’re old and old-school programmers (C#, Perl, Java, Lisp) and we don’t play video games so the learning curve over the past year and a half has been pretty steep considering we’re doing this on the side after work. Our biggest frustration has been with the constant creep of the different versions of Unity and Visual Studio and just trying to keep our demos working as the development environment evolves. It seems like we often get in the situation where our application runs fine in Unity and we can deploy it to the desktop, but get errors when we try to build the UWP Visual Studio project. Or if we do build the Visual Studio project successfully, then we get errors opening the project in Visual Studio and deploying to the emulator or HoloLens. I was excited to see that there is a HoloLens emulator now under the Windows menu in Unity and I’m hoping to get the hang of using that. Anyway, your resource list is long and I”m looking forward to continuing to work my way through it.
Thanks,
-John Bremer