Arduino Support in Vizard
By Jeff Loomis and Sado Rabaudi
Arduino uses its own language which is similar to C++. Instead, Python can be used and the easiest way to do that is having the board and Python communicate with the Firmata protocol. pyfirmata installs directly in the package manager. There's a lot of information on working with Arduino in this article:
https://realpython.com/arduino-python/
Use the following steps to use Arduino with Vizard:
How to use the Arc Teleport in Vizard
Vizard 7 now includes the ability to move through VR using the “arc teleport” method, as well as “snap rotation” for rotating. This is an effective way to navigate large spaces while eliminating any motion sickness associated with smooth movement using a controller. If a target is valid, you will see a green “arc” project out with a platform showing where you will teleport to. If a target is not valid (such as the side of a wall), the arc will be red and no platform will be shown.
Presets
There are presets that you can quickly choose from to allow this to be used with either the Oculus line of headsets, Vive/Steam VR line (which includes the Vive Pro, Vive Cosmos and more), as well as the WinMR line of headsets.
Connecting Vizard to BIOPAC AcqKnowledge
By Jeff Loomis
BIOPAC provides a large range of monitoring devices for detecting physical or physiological changes over time. The BIOPAC virtual reality platform provides:
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Controlled and replicative experimental setups
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Manipulation of the environment (and avatars) that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive in the real world
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Synchronization of the events from the virtual world with physiological data
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Biofeedback data transfer protocol for real-time digital communication, which allows the participant’s physiological feedback to control the VR world
How to Setup an Eye Tracking Experiment using the WorldViz VR Eye Tracking Analytics Lab
This article will introduce you to the most important features of the WorldViz VR Eye Tracking Analytics Lab and show you how you can easily modify the included template to use your own 3D assets. Once set up, you can collect eye tracking data related to your 3D assets such as number of fixations (as well as average and total fixation time), pupil diameter size, time stamps, gaze intersect visualization and position data, 3D gaze path visualizations, and more! For more information on this or any WorldViz products contact sales@worldviz.com
For a video guide of this tutorial click here
Controlling Imported Animantions
The following types of animations can be exported with OSG models from 3ds Max and played in Vizard:
- Transform: Animations based on translation, rotation, and scale
- UV: Animations based on changing texture coordinates
- OSG sequence: Mesh animations that cycle through a series of saved meshes, one for each frame
Underwater Effect
The example script in this article simulates the type of visual distortion that occurs in an underwater scene. It uses a custom post-process effect created using Vizard's vizfx.postprocess library and GLSL (OpenGL shading language).
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Launching scripts from the command line
This article describes how to launch Vizard scripts using the command line. Running scripts from the command line allows you automate the execution of your scripts using 3rd party apps. Using the command line also enables you to pass arguments to your script, allowing you to change the behavior without modifying the script.
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Introduction to the ARToolKit plug-in
This plug-in provides support for the ARToolKit Professional library by ARToolworks. It allows for the tracking of image and matrix based markers using a standard webcam. Vizard can then render models and combine them with video captured from the webcam. Vizard uses the position and orientation of the markers for placing these models in the AR scene. The video tutorial in this article shows a short demo of this in action and then steps through the basic code for tracking a marker and linking a model to it.
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Lens Correction
Vizard can perform lens correction on the output image to account for distorted displays, such as HMDs. The video below shows a scene with and without lens correction.
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Embedding resources in scripts
This article describes how to embed certain texture and model resources within your script. Using this technique allows you to distribute or move your script to different locations without needing to worry about copying any resources along with it.