Beginners Introduction to VR with Unity3D: how to set up a simple Virtual Reality environment in Unity and handle HTC Vive controller inputs to move and rotate a cube in space.

1. PRESENTER
Enrico BARACAGLIA
WORKSHOP #3
Beginners
Introduction to
VR with Unity3D
29 AUGUST 2018
ORGANIZED BY
ESO, Chile
SUPERVISOR
Frédéric VOGT

2. Overview
1. Create User Interface (UI)
2. Set up VR scene with
SteamVR
3. Handle HTC Vive controller
inputs
4. Guided practical session
a. Transform.Rotate VR
b. Transform.Translate VR
2

3. Canvas UI
https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/UICa
nvas.html
Create User
Interface
3
Insert User Interface (UI)
STEPS:
1) UI > Canvas
2) Modify Canvas RectTransform
3) Canvas > Create Panel
4) Canvas > Create 1st Toggle
5) Canvas > Create 2nd Toggle

4. Create User
Interface
4
Insert User Interface (UI)
STEPS:
1) UI > Canvas
2) Modify Canvas RectTransform
3) Canvas > Create Panel
4) Canvas > Create 1st Toggle
5) Canvas > Create 2nd Toggle
Toggle UI
https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptRefere
nce/UI.Toggle.html

5. Create User
Interface
5
5) Create Empty > Add Component > Toggle Group
6) Add : using UnityEngine.UI;
7) Add : if (myToggle.isOn) { //function };
Toggle Group UI
https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/scrip
t-ToggleGroup.html
Insert User Interface (UI)

6. Set up VR
scene with
SteamVR
(new scene)
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STEPS:
1) Download and Import SteamVR
2) Import the prefab [CameraRig] and [SteamVR] from
the SteamVR folder
3) Delete the Main Camera from
the Hierarchy because it will
interfere with the [CameraRig]
and its embedded camera.
4) Ready to press play and see
the world in VR!
Note: you need the VR headset for it to
work properly

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Handle HTC
Vive
controller
inputs
Each controller has the following inputs:

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Handle HTC
Vive
controller
inputs
We can access these inputs by following these steps:
// Create a reference to the object being tracked. In this case, a
controller.
private SteamVR_TrackedObject trackedObj;
// Create a Device property to provide easy access to the controller.
It uses the tracked object’s index to return the controller’s input.
private SteamVR_Controller.Device Controller
{
get { return SteamVR_Controller.Input((int)trackedObj.index) ;}
}
1) Create a new C# script called VR_MoveObject
2) Add the following right above the Update()
method:
HTC Vive tutorial for Unity
https://www.raywenderlich.com/792-
htc-vive-tutorial-for-unity

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Handle HTC
Vive
controller
inputs
We can access these inputs by following these steps:
void Awake()
{
trackedObj = GetComponent<SteamVR_TrackedObject>();
}
3) Add the following method right above Update():

10. 1029/08/18 | enricobaracaglia@gmail.com
Handle HTC
Vive
controller
inputs
if (Controller.GetAxis() != Vector2.zero)
{
controller_axis = Controller.GetAxis();
}
else { controller_axis = new Vector2(0, 0); }
4) Now, you have access to the controller and you can
easily read out the input. Add the following inside
the Update() method:
5) Add the variable controller_axis before the
Awake( ) method
public Vector2 controller_axis;

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Handle HTC
Vive
controller
inputs
The code at this stage should be:

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Rotate cube
in VR
6) Create a Cube in the scene
7) Now we add some variables to make the cube
rotate in space
//ROTATE
public float rotationalSpeed;
public float rotateHorizonta;
public float rotateVertica;
public GameObject myObject;
8) And we write the function RotateObj() below Update()
public void RotateObj()
{
myObject.transform.Rotate(Vector3.up, controller_axis.x *
rotationalSpeed, Space.World);
}

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Rotate cube
in VR
9) Insert the RotateObj() function inside Update()
// Update is called once per frame
void Update()
{
if (Controller.GetAxis() != Vector2.zero)
{
controller_axis = Controller.GetAxis();
RotateObj();
}
else { controller_axis = new Vector2(0, 0); }
}

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Rotate cube
in VR
How can we make the cube rotate
with respect to another axis?

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Rotate cube
in VR
Does the RotateObj() function take
into account the position of the
user?

16. Summary
16
In this workshop you learned how to:
✓ Create and interact with a User Interface (UI)
in Unity
✓ Set up a VR scene with SteamVR
✓ Handle some HTC Vive controller inputs
29/08/18 | enricobaracaglia@gmail.com

17. “
Thanks for listening.
Any questions?
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